Bluetooth and a blender? Now this is the coolest cooler we have ever seen!

One of the hottest Kickstarters at the moment is also the coolest. It's hard to imagine a cooler could inspire passion, but the Coolest cooler is winning crowdfunding fans by throwing everything from a blender to a Bluetooth speaker into the mix.

The Coolest has some features that are just plain smart and practical. It comes stocked with all-terrain wheels, gear tie-downs for strapping your extra stuff on top, plate and knife storage, and an LED lid light to shine down on the glory of its contents.

It holds 60 quarts and an internal divider doubles as a cutting board. The cutting board comes in handy when you want to slice limes for your margaritas, which you will be making with the 18-volt battery-powered rechargeable blender that attaches to the top of the cooler.

The blender certainly catches the eye, but the technology doesn't end there. There's a USB charger for powering up your smartphone and a removable waterproof Bluetooth speaker so you can blast "Margaritaville" while you're making your blended frozen beverages. The Coolest is not so much a cooler as it is a party companion.

The Kickstarter has certainly created a new cooler fanaticism. The original $50,000 funding goal got left in the dust. Now, nearly 11,000 backers are in for over $2 million with a long 49 days to go. The cooler is going for a $185 pledge. Ryan Grepper, the man behind the Coolest, is looking into stretch goals such as more colors, bigger wheels, and perhaps even a solar charger.

Check the Coolest out on Kickstarter by clicking here.

Bitcoin is on the rise, building a reputation as a payment processor.

Yet another big retailer has started accepting Bitcoin. This time it's online computer and software seller Newegg.

That means you can buy an Asus Transformer tablet on Tuesday for $375, or 0.5751 BTC. And it shows this independent digital currency thing is actually gaining steam.

In addition to buying gadgets on Newegg.com, you can use bitcoins to book travel with Expedia, CheapAir and Virgin Galactic; subscribe to Dish Network or the Chicago Sun-Times; shop on Overstock, TigerDirect and buy tickets to the Sacramento Kings or San Jose Quakes. Or you can purchase the latest albums by metal band Mastodon and rapper 50 Cent.

But here's the caveat. These companies are immediately converting those bitcoins into cash. They accept Bitcoin payments, because they are cheaper to process than credit card and PayPal payments. But they are wary of hanging onto the volatile currency for too long.

Source: CNN Money

Here are five tips to protect your identity online.

1. Change passwords once a month. Passwords are the keys into your life. If a criminal gets access to your email or any of your online accounts, it's surprisingly easy for them to worm their way into other aspects of your life.

Assume your passwords will periodically get compromised. Adobe, AOL, eBay, Kickstarter and Yahoo have all had major security glitches in the past few months.

2. Give the wrong contact information at checkout. Recent data breaches, like last year's Target hack, show that companies aren't responsible enough to safeguard that information. Every time a store clerk asks for your zip code or phone number, that data gets aggregated. So retailers not only have databases that show where you live. They can find out much more about you, like your salary, credit history and birthday.

3. Need photo ID? Don't show your driver's license. This is a general rule for privacy. Don't reveal more than you have to. A driver's license shows your birthday and address.

Next time your doctor's office asks for identification with a photo, show them something else, like your office building badge.

4. No banking apps. Be particularly careful about access to your bank accounts. Although most credit cards have fraud protection, your checking and savings accounts don't.

Because of how easy it is for a computer to get infected with a malware that spies on you, we don't recommend shopping and banking on the same computer.

5. Keep one email account for junk mail only. When companies demand an email address, give them a dummy address. That way you don't have to be bothered with all the spam and annoying advertisements; and it shields your real email from junk. Plus, if those companies get hacked, your real account remains safe.

Social media can be great for your company, as long as you know how to properly use it.

Every business should have a social media presence, and a professional that can manage their accounts. Just make sure your company doesn't end up in a situation like these ones...

Source: YouTube / CNN Money

New technology allows you to watch lightning strikes around the world in real time.

There's a mesmerizing new project from an organization called Blitzortung.org that lets you see real-time lightning strikes around the world. It works using a network of volunteers willing to purchase and set up a $275 detection kit consisting of an antenna system, amplifier and controller.

Once activated, each station can spot the radio signals from a lightning strike and transmit the precise time and location to the Blitzortung.org's servers. From there, the lightning is displayed, complete with a bug zapper sound, on one of five maps including North America and Europe, along with a line between the strike and detecting station. Curiously, a sensor in New York can pick up lightning in Cuba, for instance, since the low frequency RF waves from lightning can travel thousands of miles.

Source: Engadget

Did you know, in many states, it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving?

Did you know, in many states, it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving? It is, however, legal (in most states) to use a Bluetooth headset.

Check out our newly stocked line of Apple and Samsung Bluetooth headsets below. For as little as $29.99, you can drive safely...and legally!

View details for Samsung Bluetooth device.

View details for Apple Bluetooth device.

*These devices will work with any Bluetooth enabled phone - Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Blackberry, Motorola, HTC, Sony, etc.

**We are not lawyers here at IES; we're technology experts! Of course, laws vary from state to state. Please check into your local laws before using any wireless device while driving.

Critical alert regarding a new variation of the Crypto-Locker Trojan.

There is a new variation of the Crypto-Locker Trojan currently attacking computer networks in the US. This is rampant right now so your extra vigilance and care is extremely important.

Do NOT click on any email attachments, faxes, PDF files or any other attachments unless you are 100% positive that it’s from someone you know well AND you are expecting the attachment. Many local companies have already been affected and their networks taken down by this Trojan. These emails are made to look like they are coming from banks, shipping companies and many other vendors we all use on a daily basis.

There is currently no antivirus or anti-malware that can protect you from this nor can it remove and fix the problem afterwards. The only resolution is to format and re-install the affected systems and servers and in many cases, unless you have an offsite backup solution, your critical data is encrypted and unable to be restored. We have found that even paying the ransom will not get your data back as the criminals do not respond even after you’ve send the money.

This is a network Trojan as well so if your local system gets infected it will attack and encrypt any and all files on shared drives – essentially putting your local data beyond your reach and un-useable.

If you make a mistake and click on the attachments which take you to a link outside your office you will be informed that your data has been encrypted and to send a payment to ….. If you see this popup, please immediately turn off your computer, unplug it from the wall and remove the network cable that connects you to your network, the server and the internet. This might help with protecting some of the data on your network shares.

We will keep you informed and updated as this Trojan continues to make it way throughout the US.

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns related to this, please do not hesitate to contact our office at contactus@iesadvisors.com or 781-816-9437.