Putting your teen on wheels is a difficult decision, but I think it’s a good idea: A car can expand a high school or college student’s educational horizons, allowing her to take advantage of opportunities like off-site classes and internships. Car ownership is also a great lesson in responsibility: Kids who pay their car’s running costs have good incentive to drive carefully (if they break it or crash it, they walk). Here are ten cars that are reliable, easy to drive, affordable, and well suited to young, inexperienced drivers.

01. Hyundai Veloster
The Hyundai Veloster combines cool, sports-car looks with a fairly pedestrian powertrain — a 1.6 liter engine that’s tuned for fuel economy rather than speed. The Veloster’s interior is just as cool as the exterior, and it includes an iPod-compatible stereo and a Bluetooth speakerphone as standard, so teen drivers can keep their eyes on the road rather than on their devices. The three-door layout (one door on the left side, two on the right) makes it friend-friendly, and with a starting price of $18,060, the Veloster isn’t much more expensive than a typical entry-level cars. NOTE: Hyundai will be launching a faster turbocharged version of the Veloster; for young drivers, stick to the non-turbo engine.

02. Mazda2
When I was a teen, we gravitated towards small, simple hatchbacks that were cheap to run and good fun to drive. The Mazda2 is exactly that sort of car: Small, simple and affordable, with prices starting at $15,325 including air conditioning and electronic stability control. A 100 horsepower engine provides adequate acceleration and decent fuel economy with little drag-racing potential, while straightforward controls help teen drivers keep their eyes on the road and off the stereo.

03. Ford Fiesta
Young’uns will like the Fiesta because it’s cute, cheeky, and fun to drive; parents will like it because it comes with a long list of standard safety equipment, including a driver’s knee airbag. Despite its diminutive size, the Fiesta earned a Top Safety Pick Award for it’s strong performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests (though it scored only four out of five stars in the Government barrier tests). Whoever is paying the bills will like the Fiesta’s low price and outstanding fuel economy, especially when equipped with an automatic transmission. Other parent-friendly features include SYNC, which allows voice control of cell phones and iPods and helps keep young drivers’ attention focused on the road, not their portable gadgets.

04. Honda Insight
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in America, so it’s refreshing to see a car that encourages drivers to take it slow and easy. The Insight’s video-game-like dash provides positive feedback for going easy on the gas and easy on the brakes. It’s designed to coach drivers into getting better fuel economy — the Insight is, after all, a hybrid — but it also reinforces good habits for young and inexperienced drivers. Despite its high-MPG mission, the Insight is reasonably enjoyable to drive; it’s also safe, easy to park, and reasonably practical.

05. Chevrolet Sonic
Safety is a big concern when choosing a car for teens; fortunately, the Fed has required that all 2012 model year cars have electronic stability control. The all-new Chevrolet Sonic goes even further with 10 airbags, including airbags for the driver and front passenger’s knees and torso airbags for the rear seats. All that protection helped the Sonic earn a 5-star safety rating from the government and a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But there are lots of other reasons to buy the American-built Sonic — it’s good looking, enjoyable to drive (especially the 1.4 liter turbo version, a mini hot-rod that’s not too hot for young drivers), and it has a simple, straightforward control layout that promotes distraction-free driving. And it’s cheap, with prices starting at $14,495 for the air-conditioned LS model.

06. Smart Fortwo
Research shows that the number of teen passengers in a car increases the chances of an accident — so a two-seater like the Smart Fortwo makes sense. Statistics aside, the Fortwo is a smart choice (pun intended) — it’s inexpensive, good on gas, easy to drive, and you can even get it as a convertible. The Smart car is packed with standard safety features, including front, side and knee airbags, and its 70 hp engine has enough power for merging onto the freeway but not enough to get young drivers into serious trouble. Plus it’s so unique (and cute) that it’s bound to do wonders for your kid’s popularity.

07. Kia Soul
The Soul has been on this list for a couple of years now, mostly because of it’s cool, boxy shape and low price… okay, and maybe because of the hamster commercials. The Soul has received a round of improvements for 2012 which make it an even better choice for young drivers. First and foremost is an improved base-model 1.6 liter engine, which a) is finally available with an automatic transmission and b) can finally get out of its own way. Electronic stability control is now standard, and the Soul has earned itself a Top Safety Pick Award from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

08. Volkswagen Jetta S
The Volkswagen Jetta is not one of my favorite cars , but despite the things I dislike about it, the base-model Jetta S is a great choice for young drivers. Its modest 115 horsepower engine has enough power for safe highway merging, but not enough for reckless drag-racing. (SE and SEL models get a more powerful engine; stick with the S.) The control layout is simple, which makes for distraction-free driving, while all-round visibility is excellent and blind spots are minimal. The handling is safe and predictable, electronic stability control comes standard, and it’s even got a reasonable price tag: $17,865 with an automatic transmission, and that includes 3 years of free routine maintenance. Overall, it’s a great set of automotive training wheels.

09. Nissan Versa
Priced at $11,750, the Versa is the least-expensive car sold in America — but the low price isn’t the only aspect of the Versa that makes it appealing for teen drivers. The Versa is easy to see out of, simple to drive, and reasonably fuel-efficient. Teens may object to the goofy styling, but they’ll like the roomy cabin, which provides plenty of room to haul friends. And with Nissan’s excellent build quality, it will see a teen driver right through high school and college and well into those first earning years — in other words, until they can afford something nicer.

10. Subaru Impreza 2.0i
The Impreza has been on this list for years, because its combination of all-wheel-drive and electronic stability control makes it one of the most sure-footed cars on the market and an exceptionally safe bet when the weather turns foul. The Impreza has been redesigned for 2012 with a smaller, less-powerful engine that gets better fuel economy — and for young, inexperienced drivers, that’s a good thing. Pricing now starts just over $18,000, which isn’t much more than its ordinary front-wheel-drive rivals, and both sedan and hatchback body styles are offered. Simple controls and an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Top Safety Pick” award round out this excellent car. NOTE: The Impreza 2.0i should not be confused with the Impreza WRX or STI; these are high-performance models that are designed for experienced drivers.

Every relationship has some “unwritten rules” that apply. These are things that people should know instinctively, or at least learn as part of growing up and becoming an adult. The problem is, sometimes people don’t know about these little tidbits, so I think it’s high time the unwritten rules of friendship were written down. Here are just five of these such “rules.” Do you agree with these? Do you have some you’d like to add? Be sure to do so at the bottom.

1. Don’t Date a Friend’s Ex

This rule applies to dating as well as friendship. If your pal went out with someone, that person is now off-limits for you. This is true for a couple different reasons. First, you need to support your friend through their breakup. This means that when they are angry and hurt over something their ex did, you need to have their back, which includes listening to them, being empathic, and standing up for them if need be.

The second thing is, when your friend is finally over their ex, it would be weird for them to see you with this person. More than that, it may bring up all those issues that your friend worked so hard to get over.

Are there exceptions to this rule? Sometimes, but only after enough time has passed that it wouldn’t be difficult for your friend to see you with their ex. This can happen when they have fully moved on and wish both you and the ex well. If you’re in doubt about dating a friend’s ex, talk to them first.

2. Don’t Steal Friends

Some folks recommend stealing your friend’s pals as a way to increase your social circle, but consider this scenario: You introduce two friends who up until then had not known each other. The three of you have a great time, but soon after, you can’t get a hold of one of the friends. Your calls and emails are ignored, and you find out later that your friend has been hanging out with the other pal you introduced them to. Your friends felt sheepish about doing this and never returned your calls. Your friend is now doing things with your other pal that they used to do with you. In the meantime, you’re sitting at home.

Would that make you feel good? Probably not, which is why you’d never want to do this to someone else. It’s a nice thing to introduce friends to each other and even encourage them to get to know each other, but it’s an unwritten (until now!) rule that you should include the friend who introduced you for awhile so they don’t feel left out. It’s okay if eventually people become friends on their own, but when they instantly meet someone and then cut you out, they are stealing your friends, and that just isn’t cool.

3. Take Turns

Ideally, friendship is about sharing, which means that you each take turns deciding which activities to do, where to meet, and who should pick up the tab. But taking turns is about more than that. Friends need to share the limelight, give and receive empathy equally, and never take each other for granted. A tall order, to be sure.

While relationships are never one-hundred percent equal all the time, the goal should be that you go out of your way to:

• Meet your friend halfway
• Split or pick up the check
• Step back when they receive attention
• Make sure you provide support when they need it (and not just when it’s convenient for you)
• Listen during conversations (don’t make it all about you)

4. Stand By Your Friends

Nothing is worse than a fair-weather friend, or someone who is by your side when things are good but bails when the going gets tough. Even when you don’t agree with the things your friend is doing, you can still sincerely care about them. The true definition of friendship means that someone will stand by you. This includes:

• Standing up to gossip about you
• Giving you the benefit of the doubt
• Being available for you when things are tough
• Defending you when someone has wrongly accused you
• Providing insight to someone who doesn’t yet know you

5. Don’t Blow Them Off

Friends show up when they say they are going to, but it’s also more than that. You want to demonstrate that you can be someone your friend will be able to count on for the small things (showing up for lunch) and the big ones (when they go through a divorce, lose a parent, or get fired from a job.)

By that same note, don’t be the friend that cancels at the last minute or waits to RSVP until you’re sure you have no other plans. In short, do the things you say you’re going to do.

There are lesser known strategies for protecting your credit cards and you should know these well and use constantly.

Keep your card in sight. Some places, like restaurants, take your card away and then bring it back after they’ve secured authorization for a transaction. It’s when the card is out of your sight that it’s often swiped through a card reader that stores the information from the magnetic strip.

Ask about multiple swipes. Usually, this happens because the card reader doesn’t read the magnetic stripe on the back of the card, but savvy criminals will also use a second swipe as a method to copy the information from the magnetic stripe to a storage device.

Never use your credit card on an unsecured Web site. A secured Web site will have a small lock in the lower right corner of the page, or the status bar for the page.

Never carry multiple cards. Leave any card you won’t be using at home, and try to stick to putting all of your purchases on just one card.

Never give out your credit card number while you’re on your cell phone. If you need to provide your credit card number for a purchase while on the cell phone either request to call the company back from your own home, or find a place that’s private (like inside your car, alone).

Consider purchasing pre-paid credit cards for online shopping. Pre-paid credit cards are one of the best ways to protect yourself. You load the card with a set amount and then use it just as you would a regular credit card.

Be smart. Use caution. And always be aware of how your credit card is being handled by someone else.

This article is part of a Health Channel series on 10 Things to Stop Doing if you have a particular condition.

Your sex life shouldn’t be ruled by fear, but you don’t want to act in ignorance either. Having a happy, healthy sex life requires thinking about what you want, and doing what you need to get it. That not only means that you’re going to have to talk about sex with your partner, you’ll also need to avoid some common bad habits. Below, find 10 things to stop doing if you want to improve your sexual health.

1. Stop Letting Sex Be Something That Happens to You

One of the simplest steps you can take toward having a healthier, happier sex life is making sex an active choice. Far too often, after an unfortunate sexual encounter, I hear people say that sex “just happened” or that they “got drunk and ended up in bed.” Changing sex into an activity that you choose, each and every time with each and every partner, makes it less likely to be an activity that you’ll regret. It’s really not that hard to think before you act. It just forces you to stop making excuses, if you admit that your sex life is something that you can and should control.

The classic example of this I hear is from teenage girls who are scared about pregnancy, or who have just been diagnosed with an STD, after they let a guy “just put it in,” because they were worried what he might think of them if they said no. However, that’s forgetting something really important – anyone who judges you for not wanting to have sex isn’t someone whose opinion should matter to you. It’s far more important what you think of yourself – you have to live with your own opinions forever.

2. Stop Thinking That Screwing Up Makes You a Screw Up

Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to sex. Sometimes people get so drunk that they forget to wear a condom, or they fail to tell a new partner that they may have exposed them to an STD. Are such situations ideal? No, but you can fix them. Screwing up doesn’t make you a screw up, as long as you don’t compound your error.

The classic example of this is a person who forgot, or failed, to have safe(r) sex once and therefore decided that there was no point in choosing to use a condom or other barrier the next time they engaged with their partner. That’s silly for a number of reasons, including the fact that even if someone has an STD, it won’t necessarily be transmitted every time they have sex. It’s possible to get lucky the first time, but it’s better to minimize your risk than hope you get lucky again.

3. Stop Assuming You Know Your Sexual Health Status

There is a common misconception that a person would know if they had an STD. This stems from two erroneous assumptions – that all STDs have symptoms, and that STD testing is a regular part of health care. Unfortunately, neither belief is true. The vast majority of STD infections have no symptoms — but can still cause long-term damage or be passed on to a partner — and most doctors don’t regularly test their patients for STDs. Even if someone goes in for a check up every year, they may never have received an STD test.

The classic examples of this are the woman who says “Oh, he’s clean and well dressed. There’s no way he’d have an STD, the man who says “I don’t have any discharge, I can’t possibly be infected,” and the person who tells their partner “I went to the doctor two months ago, he would have told me if I wasn’t fine.” Any one of them could be wrong, because none of them have a solid basis for their belief. Rich, clean guys can have STDs, not all STDs have symptoms, and far too few doctors incorporate STD testing into preventative care.

The only way for someone to be sure of their STD status is to ask for the tests they want and wait for the results.

4. Stop Thinking of STDs as Dirty or Shameful

It makes me sad when I hear people describe someone as “dirty” because they have an STD – particularly when they are describing themselves. STDs aren’t any dirtier than any other disease, and everyone is at risk for acquiring one. This is particularly true since because of the perception of these diseases as dirty or shameful, people are often reluctant to discuss their health and testing status with potential sexual partners. That, of course, only puts them more at risk.

The classic example of this is using a herpes diagnosis to shame someone, or to imply that there is something bad about them. It ignores the fact that genital herpes is incredibly common – and a disease that it only takes one infected sexual partner to get. A herpes infection doesn’t make someone dirty or a slut. It makes them a person who was exposed to a virus – and not necessarily through penetrative sex.

5. Stop Associating Intimacy with Unprotected Sex

On the top of my list of irritating sexual behaviors that the media portrays as normal, is the notion that it’s normal to stop having safer sex the second you declare yourself as committed. It implies that safer sex is something that people only do at the beginning of their relationship. However, safer sex shouldn’t be something that you grow out of. If you’re having great, hot, protected sex, stopping doesn’t make your relationship more intimate. It just makes your behavior more risky.

The classic example of this is the serially monogamous couple who stops having safe sex after two months because they’re now “committed” to each other. Then, when they break up and find new partners, they do the same thing all over again. Unprotected sex becomes a test of intimacy, which is just silly. Latex doesn’t cause a lack of intimacy. It tells your partner that you love them enough to want to protect their health.

6. Stop Avoiding the Conversation With Your Partner

Many people hate talking about sex. They find it uncomfortable and embarrassing, or they say that talking about sexual risk, STD testing, and safe sex destroys the mood. However, in my experience, what really destroys the mood is worrying about what having sex might do to your body or relationship. Knowing what’s up is a heck of a lot less stressful than worrying about the potential for something to go wrong.

The classic example of this is the guy who says “I don’t want to talk about having sex, let’s just do it already.” The problem is that saying that leaves his partner with no clue why he doesn’t want to talk about having sex. Is he worried about disclosing an STD? Has he never been tested? Does he not know how to use a condom? Or is he simply too embarrassed to have the conversation? Until you actually have the talk, there’s no way to find out.

It’s also worth mentioning that talking about sex isn’t just about making it safer, it’s about making it hotter. Your partner can’t read your mind. If there’s something you enjoy during sex, or want to try, the only way to get it is to ask. Similarly, if there’s something that your partner is doing which makes you go “ick!”, they’re not going to stop unless you tell them.

7. Stop Being Ruled by Fear

Some people don’t go in for STD screening because they’re terrified they might be positive. However, not knowing your test results doesn’t take away the possibility that you’re infected, and it doesn’t absolve you of the obligation to act in a responsible manner. All it does is leave you living in fear. A lot of people find that getting the positive test result actually provides a great deal of relief from their worries – because at least they know and can start changing their behaviors to deal with that knowledge. And if the results of your tests are negative? Then you can start paying attention to keeping them that way.

The classic example of this is a person who knows they may have been exposed to HIV but doesn’t want to get tested because if they don’t know they’re infected, they don’t have to deal with it. Unfortunately, not getting tested is bad both for their health and for the health of the people around them. Not only are many of the long term, chronic effects of HIV more effectively avoided by early treatment, but undiagnosed, untreated individuals are the people most likely to pass the virus on to their partners.

8. Stop Assuming Your Doctor Is Always Right

A lot of physicians don’t know anything about STDs, or have so little knowledge that what they do know is dangerous. Many medical schools hardly teach anything about sexual health, and a lot of doctors don’t bother to keep up with the constant changes in standards and information about an area of health that they aren’t comfortable thinking about – let alone discussing. Therefore, if your doctors says something questionable about sexual health, seek another opinion. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to push for STD testing. If you want it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to ask for it.

The unfortunately classic example of this is provided by the many people who have e-mailed me in confusion after their doctors have told them things such as “there’s no need to get a test for STDs since you don’t have symptoms” (wrong) or “herpes tests are pointless because you can’t pass on the virus if you don’t have an outbreak” (also wrong.)

9. Stop Minimizing the Risks of Oral Sex

Oral sex is just as much a sexual activity as intercourse, and it has a number of similar risks. While you can’t get pregnant during oral sex, and some STDs aren’t as easily transmitted, that doesn’t make it a risk-free activity. Furthermore, oral sex can be just as emotionally intimate as intercourse, if not even more intimate, and it therefore carries an emotional risk as well.

The classic example of this is people who had no idea it was possible to contract genital herpes from receiving oral sex from someone with a cold sore — until it happened to them. There are also numerous media portrayals of oral sex as somehow less than real sex – i.e. “I didn’t have sex with that woman, she just gave me a blow job.” Although the definition of what sex is may vary, for most people the word encompasses more than just intercourse.

10. Stop Blaming Your Partner (and Yourself)

When people receive an STD diagnosis, the first thing they do is often look for someone to blame. They want to know how their partner could have done such a terrible thing to them, and they often are torn between lashing out in anger and feeling trapped because of the feeling that no one could ever love them again. However, most people don’t spread STDs out of malice. They spread them out of ignorance, when they don’t know they’re infected, or they spread them out of shame, when they’re afraid to disclose a diagnosis that might make someone think less of them. Although there are certainly exceptions – people who callously spread STDs out of a desire to make other people feel what they’re feeling – that sort of behavior is not the rule.

It’s just as important to have empathy when taking a new sexual partner, to treat them like you would want to be treated and hope they’ll do the same, as it is to actively choose to protect yourself by asking specific questions about risk and listening to the answers. Don’t blame others for the same choices you might make yourself.

The classic example of this is people who don’t want to disclose an STD to a new partner while still blaming the person who initially exposed them. While, in theory, the difficulties they are facing in discussing their condition should help them empathize with why their previous partner may have made the unfortunate choice not to disclose, the cycle too often just repeats anew.

Adobe® Creative Suite® 6 software delivers a whole new experience for digital media creation, enabling you to work lightning fast and reach audiences wherever they may be. Now, for the first time, CS applications are also available through Adobe Creative Cloud™, giving you the flexibility to download and install them at any time. Plus, access additional applications, publishing services, and new products and features as they are released.

With CS6, Adobe tried to mix in performance improvements such as a cache-related speedup to After Effects for video effects, interface improvements such as Premiere Pro’s simplified layout for video editing, splashy new features such as Photoshop’s content-aware move tool and accelerated video, and hundreds of niggling “just do it” fixes.

Two new CS6 packages are Prelude and SpeedGrade. The first is designed to get an early start on video editing by letting editors ingest video right after it’s shot, tag it with metadata such as comments linked to particular moments in the footage, and assemble rough cuts out of collections of clips. Rough cuts can be handed off to Premiere Pro for more refined work.

SpeedGrade is for color-grading video, which means applying a particular color and tonal look. It works in conjunction with Premiere Pro and After Effects, and entered the suite via Adobe’s acquisition of Iridas. The software can give digital footage a film-like look through presets or custom settings.

The software is available in the $2,599 Master Collection, the smaller $1,899 Design and Web Premium or Production Premium collections, or the yet-smaller $1,299 Design Standard collection. About three quarters of Adobe’s unit shipments today are in these collections, but individual packages are available, too, such as Photoshop CS6 for $699 in its standard version or Illustrator CS6 for $599.