BEST DEALS ON SEX TOYS:

• Ella Paradis — Get up to 80% off

• Lovehoney Jessica Rabbit 10 Function Silver Rabbit Vibrator — $39.99

• Lelo Sona Cruise — $99 (save $40)

If Instagram is to be believed, then self care for women basically amounts to face masks and daily affirmation apps.

Hot take: Sex toys are the ultimate self-care purchase.

Orgasms release oxytocin, the anti-stress hormone that gets you warm and fuzzy when cuddling, while dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates sleep, also makes an appearance. It stands to reason, then, that "I need to get laid" is a thing that actually makes sense to say when you're having a rough week. Read more...

BEST FITNESS TRACKER DEALS:

• Fitbit - Charge 3 Activity Tracker + Heart Rate — $99.95 (save $30)

• Garmin - Forerunner 645 Music GPS Heart Rate Monitor Running Watch — $449.99

• 3Plus - HR Activity Tracker + Heart Rate — $49.99

Wellness is a buzzy word lately. Over the past few years, we’ve seen a surge in all things health, wellness, and spirituality. Juice bars are popping up, boutique studios are becoming more accessible, and essential oils are chilling us out. Self-care is becoming more of the norm too, but amidst all this hype, it can be challenging to find the right routine that promotes good exercise, sleep, vitals, and mindset.  Read more...

BEST DEALS ON HEADPHONES:

• Jaybird - RUN XT Sport True Wireless In-Ear Headphones — $179.99

• Plantronics - Backbeat FIT 3150 True Wireless Sport Headphones — $99.99 (save $50)

• Bose - SoundSport Free True Wireless Headphones — $149.99 (save $50)

The only thing more important to runners than their sneakers is a quality pair of headphones and a killer playlist. Running without music is like some form of medieval torture: it sucks. And cheap, crappy headphones just aren't going to cut it.

When shopping for a quality pair of headphones to wear while running, you'll want to look at a few key factors: Are they sweatproof/waterproof? Will they stay in your ears? Are the volume controls easily accessible? If you answer no to any of these questions, then you know the headphones aren't going to work. Read more...

Bitcoin will “halve” for the third time next week, slowing down the discovery of new bitcoins and preventing disruptions from new miners. Read more...

All it took was a pandemic, but the long-running joke finally became a reality: DEF CON is canceled. 

The annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, typically draws tens of thousands of attendees to talk shop, compare notes, and generally cause delightful mischief. One element of that mischief is the constant — and until now false — yearly claim that DEF CON is canceled. The coronavirus changed that, and the organization announced Friday that the in-person conference will not take place this year. 

"The #DEFCONiscanceled meme has crossed over into real life, courtesy of #COVID19," read the announcement. "In early March we had hopes that things would be stable by August. That is no longer realistic." Read more...

Striso is a digital instrument with pressure-sensitive buttons that plays a variety of acoustic-like sounds.  Read more...

Google's video chat app got new features this week. No, the other one. No, the other other one.

In a Friday blog post, Google announced some snazzy new features for Duo, one of its three video chat services. Let's get this out of the way early: Duo is the one that's mobile-friendly and resembles FaceTime more than Hangouts and Meet.

The new features make more sense with that in mind. Google added something called "Family Mode" to Duo, in which you can draw silly little doodles on the video feed, presumably to amuse the little ones on the call. There are also AR effects you can use on one-on-one calls on Android and iOS, similar to those available on Facebook's video calls. Read more...

TL;DR: Have a hot meal wherever you go with the Go portable solar oven for $119, a 14% savings as of May 9.

As we look toward upcoming summer festivities, our calendars are looking pretty bleak. Nearly every event has been postponed. Festival season was straight-up canceled. And gatherings in public places are basically extinct. With fewer options on the table, you're probably going to be spending a lot of time enjoying the great outdoors in small groups or on your own as the weather warms up. By then, you'll be sick of staying home, so it's a good thing nature isn't canceled.

As you head outside for your camping, hiking, biking, and beach excursions, you'll probably need a way to cook your own food, especially if restaurants are still closed or operating on abbreviated hours. We've got just thing, and it's on sale: the Go Portable Solar Oven. All you need is a little bit of sun and this lightweight grill can cook just about anything. Read more...

TL;DR: Skate just about anywhere you please with the lightweight Ubran E-Skateboard for $124.95, a 75% savings as of May 9.

When in doubt, skate it out. But not everyone is cut from the same cloth as Tony Hawk, and it won't make sense to try and skateboard if you know you're just going to fall flat on your butt. 

Luckily, the universe is on the side of frustrated skaters everywhere with the emergence of devices like the Urban E-Skateboard. Not only does it take all the guesswork out of skating, but it's eco-friendly, too. And for a limited time, you can get it on sale for $124.95.

At only 7 pounds and 17 inches, the Urban E-Skateboard makes it easy for you to transport it anywhere you go. When you're not, you know, skating, you can easily stuff it in your bag for fuss-free storage. It connects with a wireless remote that allows you to control your speed and choose between three speed modes, accommodating just about every rider's experience level. Read more...

Americans have been receiving contradictory information about the coronavirus pandemic, so much so that it's become a joke. One example is face masks: In March, the World Health Organization advised people to not wear masks if they aren't sick or caretakers of the sick. 

But given that some coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, opinions of masks from top officials have shifted. The CDC and the media now advise you to wear a damn mask. And a new study may provide more evidence that masks can help beat the outbreak.

According to this study, if 80 percent of Americans wore masks, coronavirus infections would plummet, Vanity Fair reports. The title of the study makes the researchers' view clear: Universal Masking is Urgent in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Read more...

Guy Fieri — one of the most popular celebrity chefs— has spent nearly 15 years starring in and hosting entertaining culinary shows. But one of Fieri's favorite things to watch on television isn't food-focused. It's the workplace comedy, The Office.

That's right, the Mayor of Flavortown is obsessed with the employees of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch. And much to his delight, he recently got to team up with one of the show's former stars, John Krasinski, to help lift spirits and raise money for restaurant workers in need.

Fieri guest starred on the potluck episode of Some Good News, in which Krasinski invited famous chefs to cook viewer-submitted recipes on video chat. Fieri made a "Dynamite," which has Big Sloppy Joe Energy. And then Krasnski surprised him by announcing a $3 million PepsiCo donation to his Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, which provides financial assistance to restaurant workers impacted coronavirus. Read more...

Work(out) From Home is a weekly column where we review smart fitness machines and apps in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Thanks to technology, there are still plenty of ways to exercise if your gym is closed. Read more...

India has moved up 14 places to be 63rd among 190 nations for ease of doing business, in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report, released on 24 October.

In a country with a population of 1.3 billion and where around 700 million people are above the legal drinking age – a number growing by 19 million a year – India is a market with many opportunities for Australia’s winemakers.

Like many countries, Japan is undertaking a significant renewal and upgrade of its defence and security capabilities. The Japanese Government is spending just under A$370 billion on defence up until early 2024. With the industry gradually opening to collaborations with overseas partners, this presents many opportunities for Australian businesses.

Australian table grape exports to Korea have continuously increased year on year, with a three-fold increase each year from 162 tonnes in 2017; 776 tons in 2018 and 3,224 tons in 2019.

India’s consumers have embraced online retail, creating a market worth A$52 billion that is expected to reach over A$100 billion by 2026. With a fast-growing ecommerce sector, India is creating major new market opportunities for Australian companies.

With e-commerce accelerating in cities across India, it’s easy to miss how consumer behaviour is changing right across the South Asia region.

Kindergo is a suite of educational and literacy apps for kids based in story.

VideoMyJob is helping transform recruitment. With support from the Landing Pads program, the startup has exceeded its global growth targets well beyond expectations.

Terminology Shift Announced by Britain's National Cyber Security Center
Forget "whitelists" and "blacklists" in cybersecurity. So recommends Britain's National Cyber Security Center, in a bid to move beyond the racial connotations inherent to the terminology. Henceforth, NCSC - part of intelligence agency GCHQ - will use the terms "allow list" and "deny list." Will others follow?

Data Apparently Obtained From Three Breaches, ZeroFox Reports
Hackers are attempting to sell a fresh trove of approximately 26 million user records apparently obtained from three data breaches, according to researchers at the security firm ZeroFox.

National education projects sponsored by the Russian Government have enabled Russian universities to compete globally, while encouraging academic mobility and joint research. This has opened more opportunities for international collaboration.

India’s highly respected TATA Group has selected Australian industry leader Tritium for its DC fast-charging expertise.

Austrade will provide weekly regional updates on the progression and impact of COVID-19 around the world, to support the international education sector as the situation continues to evolve. These reports are compiled using the latest on-the-ground information and advice.

A leading overseas talent recruitment platform in China is seeking to partner with Australian universities for its online internship system. Successful partners will work with established companies in China to provide online internship opportunities to graduates.

A university in St Petersburg seeks partners in Australia for the university’s fellowship and professorship program. Researchers and lecturers interested in establishing research collaboration in IT, mechanics, optics, robotics, chemistry, lasers, arts, science, science communication and food biotechnologies are invited to send expressions of interest.

A not-for-profit in the US is seeking expressions of interests from organisations, including academia, for their COVID-19 Health Coalition, to help preserve the healthcare delivery system and protect US populations.

When Ballarat-based Gekko Systems heard the local medical community was worried about access to ventilators needed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, the company sprang into action.

An Indian university in Mysuru, Karnataka seeks research collaborations across pharmacy, medicine, dental and life sciences. Opportunities also exist for short term training programs and fellowships abroad.

Thai universities have shifted all classes to online channels to help manage the spread of COVID-19. The Thai government imposed closures of all educational institutions until August, as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Austrade will provide weekly regional updates on the progression and impact of COVID-19 around the world, to support the international education sector as the situation continues to evolve. These reports are compiled using the latest on-the-ground information and advice.

Australian exporters will soon start reaping the benefits of the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), with Australia receiving formal notification that Indonesia has completed its domestic ratification processes.

Terminology Shift Announced by Britain's National Cyber Security Center
Forget "whitelists" and "blacklists" in cybersecurity. So recommends Britain's National Cyber Security Center, in a bid to move beyond the racial connotations inherent to the terminology. Henceforth, NCSC - part of intelligence agency GCHQ - will use the terms "allow list" and "deny list." Will others follow?

The Bangladesh eGovernment Computer Incident Response Team, or CIRT, is taking several steps to strengthen cybersecurity, including building a sensor network to help enable all banks to share threat intelligence, says Tawhidur Rahman, CIRT's head of digital security and diplomacy.

India is modifying its 2020 National Cybersecurity Policy to take into account the shift to teleworking as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rajesh Pant, national cybersecurity coordinator.

The Reserve Bank of India on Sept. 28, 2011, issued a statement recognizing a letter issued by Unique Identification Authority of India containing details of name, address and Aadhaar number, as an officially valid document as contained in Rule 2[1][d] of the PML Rules, 2005.

The Reserve Bank of India on Sept. 22, 2011 issued a notification on security issues and risk mitigation measures related to card-present transactions.

Data Apparently Obtained From Three Breaches, ZeroFox Reports
Hackers are attempting to sell a fresh trove of approximately 26 million user records apparently obtained from three data breaches, according to researchers at the security firm ZeroFox.

Terminology Shift Announced by Britain's National Cyber Security Center
Forget "whitelists" and "blacklists" in cybersecurity. So recommends Britain's National Cyber Security Center, in a bid to move beyond the racial connotations inherent to the terminology. Henceforth, NCSC - part of intelligence agency GCHQ - will use the terms "allow list" and "deny list." Will others follow?

The Bangladesh eGovernment Computer Incident Response Team, or CIRT, is taking several steps to strengthen cybersecurity, including building a sensor network to help enable all banks to share threat intelligence, says Tawhidur Rahman, CIRT's head of digital security and diplomacy.

India is modifying its 2020 National Cybersecurity Policy to take into account the shift to teleworking as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rajesh Pant, national cybersecurity coordinator.

The Reserve Bank of India on Sept. 28, 2011, issued a statement recognizing a letter issued by Unique Identification Authority of India containing details of name, address and Aadhaar number, as an officially valid document as contained in Rule 2[1][d] of the PML Rules, 2005.