Special Feature

Rolled Versus Ground Ball Screws: What Are the Main Differences?

Though Ground ball screws seem to have been the choice for applications that require higher precisions, the Rolled ball screws seem to be more preferred for economical applications, especially for the general industrial and automation applications

For a long time, there has being a debate on which type of screws is better, and most of these arguments bother on the superiority of one ball screw to the other. Though Ground ball screws seem to have been the choice for applications that require higher precisions, the Rolled ball screws seem to be more preferred for economical applications, especially for the general industrial and automation applications. It should be noted that advancement in manufacturing over the years has made rolled ball screws more desirable than in mere pepper grinders. Regardless of your preferred ball screws, there are some basic facts that will help you make an informed choice:

Manufacturing of Rolled and Ground ball screw

Rolled ball screws are manufactured through the pushing of each uncut blank stock through some rotating tool dies and through a single operation. There is a cold process deformation procedure in which the blank material is shaped by the rolling tool dies that will form both the internal and external thread of the rolling ball screw. The deformation of the internal and external threads of the rolling ball screws remains the same. The rolling procedure in the making of this ball screw is quite efficient because there will be no removal of any material when the blanks are cut. The process of making the rolled ball screws is widely adopted industrially because of the higher rates of production achieved.

On the other hand, Ground ball screws are manufactured through an abrasion procedure that happens in a horizontal arrangement. Under this arrangement, the blank materials are made to rotate on their long, horizontal axis, and in-between the centres of two machines, while hard abrasive cutters made to cut few threads a time will be used in carving the threads out from the blank materials. The same procedure is used in the cutting of the internal and external thread. It is a progressive abrasive cutting method that ensures that the blank material is cut to its final length before the grinding is performed. One can make use of different cutter styles and sizes to grind the internal and external threads of the ground ball screws even though the process of manufacturing is the same.

The strength and weaknesses of Rolled and Ground ball screws

Generally, rolled ball screws tend to be stronger than ground ball screws due to the higher material strengthening deployed in its manufacturing. Similarly, rolled threads are more cost-effective or economical than Ground ball screws. The reason for this is that Rolled screws can be quickly fabricated in automated rolling equipment.

The problem with rolled ball screws is that any error in rolled ball screws is more difficult to fix because of the one-time manufacturing process. Rolled screws have rougher surfaces than ground ball screws. Rougher surfaces mean rolled ball screws may reduce mechanical efficiency due to the high friction encountered when it is deployed.

It should also be noted that rolled ball screws are more vulnerable to distortions in dimensions because of the die tooling wear effects. This means there could be an excessive backlash that will occur as a result of the mismatch existing between the diameter of the bearing and the screw shaft threads. Positional accuracies are also decreased with rolled ball screws.

The main disadvantage of Ground ball screws is that thread grinding process with ground ball screws will take more time, and that explains why they are more expensive than Rolled ball screws.

The Rolling and grinding methods

One of the best possible ways to distinguish between the Rolled and Ground ball screws, is the surface finishing created by their rolling and grinding methods. It must be noted that rough surface finishing can become problematic in ball screws because higher friction is created and that means the load-transporting balls will suffer more wear.

The grinding ball screws tend to produce a smoother surface finishing, but rolled screws will require can be polished in order to eliminate the oxidative layer that is created during the rolling process, and to ensure that it creates a smoother surface too. When comparing the surface finishing of rolled and ground ball screws, one must compare the polished rolled with the ground ball screw. It is the quality of the polishing that will determine the quality of the surface finishing. You can learn more about this difference on this page.

The difference between the application of Rolled and Ground ball screws

There is a distinct separation in the application of these two types of ball screws. The rolled ball screws are mostly used in applications that are non-precise, for instance in the picking and placing of certain devices as well as in actuators. Ground ball screws, on the other hand, are mostly used as drive mechanisms in inside precision machines such as lathes, grinding machines, and profile grinders. It is quite uncommon to see these two types of ball screws to be found in the same application.

The difference in Geometric tolerance between Rolled and Ground ball screws

The same reference centres are used for thread grinding and journal grinding of the Ground ball screws, and for this reason, it is easier to minimize the radial run-out and also keep the screw threads. In the manufacturing of the rolling ball screws, the end journals are simply machined and then ground once the threads have been rolled, thus maintaining its concentricity, and the run-out will become more difficult.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing between rolled and ground ball screws, it all comes down to what you need them for. If you want a faster approach to threading with little concern for surface smoothness, you should consider Rolled ball screws. If you want a slower and more precision threading, then you should consider ground ball screws. On the budget side, rolled ball screws are much more affordable and they can be more suitable for some home-based applications. Ground ball screws are more expensive and could be the better option for industrial application where higher precision of threading is desired.

Replacing Your Gear: 10 Tips for Selling Used Construction Equipment

Our 10 top tips for selling used construction equipment won’t just take the stress out of your selling process, they’ll help you make a profit in no time.

If you’re selling construction equipment, like linear guides, you probably have one big question on your mind: how do I get the most money for my machines? To find out, just keep reading! Our 10 top tips for selling used construction equipment won’t just take the stress out of your selling process, they’ll help you make a profit in no time.

1. Find an Auction

That’s right—the first thing you want to do is find an auction. Though you can sell your construction equipment individually and on your own, you’ll have much better luck with your items at an auction. Why? Well, for one thing, selling on your own gives you more cons than pros by providing the additional problems of:

• Transportation
• Finding a Buyer Pool
• Negotiating Prices

Finding qualified buyers is difficult enough, but even on the assumption that you find a sufficient amount of buyers… how will your newly-sold equipment be transported? Is your buyer prepared to come to collect it himself? Will you be responsible for hauling it to him? Beyond that, there remains the question of price. Even if you know what your equipment is worth, you may be unable to find a buyer willing to pay the full value of your machinery. This could leave you selling at a loss, and that’s the last thing you want.

Auctions, on the other hand, are not only more accessible, but they also give you access to better resources. Though you may come across some in-person heavy equipment auctions in your daily life, most are conducted online. This gives you an awesome advantage because now your equipment can be viewed by potential buyers around the world.

You also don’t have to worry about negotiating prices or tracking down the buyers yourself. Though you may still have some transportation responsibilities, this is rare and only applicable in certain cases; most auctions will have a pre-arranged transportation system in place.

The only downside of selling through an auction? It may take between 10-30 days for you to receive payment for your items. That’s all! So if you’re looking to receive instant payment for your equipment, auctions might not be ideal for you. But in every other scenario, your best bet is definitely an auction. It’s worth noting, though, that some in-person auctions done through auction houses also have a grace period for payments, so that might not be instant either.

2. Find the Type of Auction that Works Best for You

Generally speaking, there are two types of auctions: reserved and unreserved. Unreserved auctions are often referred to as “absolute auctions” because they provide a strong certainty of sale. They typically lead to more aggressive bidding, faster sales, and faster turnaround times. Plus, you don’t have to negotiate prices with the buyers! Reserved auctions, on the other hand, allow you to set a hidden reserve price which you can accept or reject at will, depending on the offers you like.

3. Evaluate your Equipment

What’s worse than never selling your equipment? Selling it only to realize you sold something you really needed. That’s why it’s critical that you take stock of your inventory and evaluate two things:

• The condition of the item
• The value of the item to your work

This will help you figure out what needs to be sold, what needs to be replaced, and—by assessing the condition of each item—what you’re likely to get for it.

4. Spruce up the Merchandise

No matter how you’re selling your equipment, it’s always a good idea to make sure the machinery is in optimum condition. You don’t have to worry about making it look like new—buyers purchasing used equipment have already adjusted their expectations accordingly—but cosmetic fixes like a good wash-down or a new coat of paint can go a long way towards making your equipment marketable.

5. Be Honest

This probably sounds like it goes without saying, but we’re going to say it anyway. If you’re selling your equipment individually, you probably wouldn’t get away with fibbing about your machine’s condition, so just don’t try it with an online auction either. If for no other reason, do it to make sure that your sale stays a sale, because you may get stuck with a refund demand if your buyer can prove that your machine wasn’t in the condition you promised.

6. Do your Research

If you’re selling through an auction for the first time, chances are, you don’t know everything that’s out there. That’s why it’s important to do a little checking around and find out which auction sites are the best and which can get you the most money for your product.

7. Meet with an Auction Rep

Meeting a representative from your chosen auction company is part of doing your due diligence, so see if you have the option to meet with a representative and ask them questions, either face-to-face or via Skype. This will give you a chance to check out some stuff you can’t find in online research and give you some peace of mind.

8. Check out the Paperwork

Most reputable auction companies will bring the right paperwork to their meeting with you—either in person or through email—but make sure you give it a good read-through before signing anything. The purpose of this paperwork is to confirm the auction company’s right to sell the item, plus your right to get paid.

9. Check for Tax Deferrals

Here’s a cool fact you might have not realized: selling used construction equipment might bring you a tax break! Under Internal Revenue Service Code 1031, you have the right to defer federal income taxes on the sale of equipment, provided that you replace it with similar equipment within six months. (And since you probably will, that’s a great deal!)

10. Learn How to Price Your Item

Most auction companies will allow you the option to set an opening, win it now, or reserve price, but it’s up to you to figure out which one works best for you. You can learn more about these prices and how they work here.

Each piece of used construction equipment is different, but these basic steps can give you a guideline to follow as you begin selling yours. Follow these steps to get the best return on your equipment investment!

Should you root your Android device

Some things to consider before you break to the root of your Android device.

In an earlier blog post, we talked about the advantages of rooting your Android device. While we think that rooting your device is a clever choice that can give you the power to maximize your smartphone or tablet, it may not be for everyone. Rooting your Android devices requires a lot of skill and adept knowledge about rooting. If you think you don’t have those traits, it may be time to rethink your plan to root and ask Safe Root for help.

While rooting your Android device may sound exciting, there are some potential risks that come with rooting your Android device. So, before you start rooting your device, here are some things you need to consider before you start rooting your Android smartphone or tablet.

Rooting your Android device may render your phone useless

When your phone stops working, it becomes a brick. Before you freak out, there are multiple ways to fix and un-brick your phone, but it should be known that bricking your phone is incredibly easy. Bricking is one of the most common effects of rooting your Android device, but it never happens unless you make a mistake while rooting.
Bricking happens when you damage important zip files, miss a step in the rooting process, or delete files that shouldn’t be deleted. To avoid bricking, you should get reliable rooting apps from sources like Google Play, or better yet, leave the rooting to the professionals. Although there are hundreds of rooting tutorials online, most of the bricking incidents happen when newcomers try and do the rooting themselves.

Rooting your Android device voids your smartphone or tablet’s warranty

Device makers will know if you’ve tweaked your device. Even if you attempt to un-root your smartphone or tablet, the manufacturers have methods to find out whether or not you tampered with your device. Because the damage was customer-induced, this immediately voids your warranty, which can be a great setback for most users.

Rooting your Android device entails a lot of careful tweaking

One of the great things about Android rooting is getting access to all of your system files. This means you can tweak it however you want, whenever you want. However, since you’re in territory that you shouldn’t be at in the first place, you should exercise great caution when playing with the files. An error as simple as moving an item to the wrong place can cause major problems. In addition, CPU clocking, while it can increase performance, can lead to your device overheating.

Rooting your Android doesn’t just affect you

Ad-blocking is one of the rooting’s most useful advantages since it blocks those annoying ads that you see in apps and games. But the thing is, app developers gain most of their revenue from ads, which they use to further develop those apps for your enjoyment. If you block these apps (and obviously, you won’t be the only one blocking these apps) the developers won’t have any other way to generate revenue, which may hinder them from further improving the app and releasing better features. Moreover, apps that have been added with add-blockers may be rendered useless in the long run.

Rooting your Android gives you software update issues

On unrooted devices, software updates come easy. All users need to do is accept the update, and then they can enjoy a fully refreshed system with impressive new features. On rooted devices, these automated software updates may not work on them anymore. Rooting the device entails modifications made to necessary system files, which can prevent the update from installing.

Ultimately, the choice to root or not root your device rests upon your personal needs as a smartphone or tablet user. If you want a device that can extend its functionality, and if you want to experience tweaking your phone, then rooting is the smart way to go. If you’re more concerned about warranties and playing it safe, then you won’t get to experience the freedom of rooting. Most of the disadvantages to rooting your Android device can be avoided anyway, only if you root your device the right way. This is why it’s recommended to leave the rooting to the pros.

Author: Mia Johnson

Mia Johnson is a content crafter at Safe Root. She writes about rooting and jailbreaking. Mia knows how to root your device without bricking it.

5 reasons why taking an online course is a good idea

With the growth of digitalisation, online courses are becoming increasingly popular and varied.

With the growth of digitalisation, online courses are becoming increasingly popular and varied. People still hold notions about online courses not being sufficient. However, taking these courses is the best thing you can do as they come with a variety of benefits.

Here are a few benefits of taking these online courses:

i. Convenience

Online free courses are more convenient as compared to normal courses as you can avail them from the comfort of your home anytime you want to. To avail them, you do not need to go through the hassle of transportation and sharing a classroom with fifty others.

ii. Cost-efficient

Online courses compared to normal courses are more cost-efficient as you save up a lot on conveyance and are often bombarded with discounts which make them a feasible option. Also, sometimes courses are located far from your place so you might have to avail accommodation. However, nothing of that sort is an issue with online courses, so, you can avail a more cost-efficient course which is convenient.

iii. Varied

With the growth of the digital world, it is easier to connect people. you can learn from the best teachers from around the world about subjects that intrigue you. Also, the varied number of courses available online makes them a better choice.

iv. Option of personalised help

Most courses are designed to help you personally regarding a subject or a course and you can use features like chat room or Skype calls to clear any doubts. This personalised help is something which is lacking in normal offline courses.

v. Time to do other things

An online course a day might just take up two hours which leaves you free for the rest of the day and with the choice to do anything you want to. however, for normal courses you might have travel to and from the coaching centre which makes you tired and eats up a lot of time.

5 Productivity apps everyone should have on their phone

Since apps are now more powerful than ever, they can easily help us with our day-to-day business activities.

In the last couple of years, we experienced a massive technology growth of our mobile devices. In the early 2000s we could barely send an email with them, but now we can browse the Internet, take pictures, do some complex work, and much more.

With freelance and remote working becoming a trend, our mobile devices have never been more useful. Because they are now packed with strong processors, we can do almost everything that we used to do on our desktop computers, but at the same time not being tied to our offices.

With the emergence of the apps, everything has changed. Remember that saying there is an app for everything? Well, there is! Since apps are now more powerful than ever, they can easily help us with our day-to-day business activities.

The only drawback is that there are apps that will save our time, but on the other hand there are others that will completely waste it. You could easily stretch a 1-hour assignment to a whole day event especially with the combination of browsing the Internet and spending time in those apps.

Here is the list of the apps that will make you more productive, save your time and at least take away some of the stress from your life.

Tide: Focus, Relax, Meditation

Tide helps you stay focused by providing ambient noise and a timer based on the Pomodoro technique. This app is great if nature sounds help you focus. You can choose five natural scenarios: ocean, rain, forest, meditation, and coffee. Also, there is an option to customise the sounds by mixing music and white noise.

The app has a minimalist design with simple and elegant interface. They even carefully picked font types for the app.

Price: Free, Available on iOS and Android

PDF Converter Ultimate

As the name suggests it, this is the ultimate app for quickly and accurately converting your documents on the go. For example, whenever you need to edit some PDFs, instead of retyping them all over again, this app lets you convert them to over 20 different file types like MS Office files, XPS, Image file types and many others.

The one neat feature is that you can convert Gmail attachments and files from Google Drive Dropbox, Box, iCloud, and OneDrive directly from the app which can be beneficial for people who like to keep everything on the cloud. You can even convert scanned and complex PDFs with the industry-leading OCR technology.

Since all conversions are done on the servers, the app won’t drain your battery. Additionally, if you are worried that your documents may be compromised, don’t be, because after the conversion is complete all documents are being deleted from the servers.

Price: Free, Available on iOS and Android

Spark

If you are a type of person that doesn’t want to waste their time every morning by going through your crowded mailbox, then this app is a perfect fit for you. Spark sorts your inbox for you and with its “Smart Inbox”, it automatically detects whether an email is an important or not.

It has quick reply option which enables you to quickly reply to an email with just one tap. Also, you can use natural language to search for emails which is one of my favorite features. We all love the feeling of accomplishment when we have finally dealt with our inbox. The Spark lets you feel like that every day.

Price: Free, Available on iOS

Trello

Trello is a customized digital bulletin board where you can set up almost anything: from notes, tasks, to to-do lists and much more. With this app you can manage team workflows with ease. Tasks are presented as cards which can be grouped to boards and appointed to individuals, so at the same time you can see who is working on what.

You can also update cards with links, comments, and other important information. Likewise, you can set up notifications to ensure you never miss anything. There is also a paid version of the app which brings improved security and larger attachments sizes but, the free version should be enough for most people.

Price: Free, Available on iOS and Android

Related Post: How successful people are more productive

IFTTT

If you never heard of IFTTT then you’re in for a treat. With this app you can incorporate various services and apps in order to get more things done. Combined services and apps are called applets and you can also create your own ones. Over 500 apps work with IFTTT.

For example, you can turn on applets and get an alert as soon as there’s a new Craigslist listing that matches your search, post all your Instagrams as Twitter photos or Pinterest pins, trigger events based on your current location and much more. The only limitation is your own imagination and your creativity. Play around and who knows how many great applets you can create!

Price: Free, Available on iOS and Android

Obviously, this is just the beginning. You will need all kind of apps and tools in order to cross out everything from your busy daily schedule. I hope these apps will at least make your life a little bit easier. If I forgot to mention some of your favorite apps, please let me know in the comments below.

One skill is all you need to become a better professional and friend

One can master this skill, s/he can hope to improve every relation in the personal and professional sphere.

Every human being has the innate desire to be heard by the world. S/he wants to voice her/his opinions, views and thoughts to an audience and garner positive feedback regarding them. This desire is the reason why social media is such a popular concept as you can voice your opinions to a large set of audience who can give you feedback.

However, listening is a quality which most human beings lack. Most human beings just gather parts of a conversation they are most interested in and form an opinion or a judgement based on that. Otherwise, we just hear out a person which is an involuntary action.

Hence, being a good listener is a life skill which most people lack but if one can master the art of listening, s/he can hope to improve every relation in the personal and professional sphere. Since, listening is such a difficult skill to master, we have a few tips on how you can actually become a good listener.

Try to comprehend before offering solutions

Everyone wants to be heard out first before receiving a bag of suggestions from the other person. Hence, it is necessary to first offer empathy to their story by simply listening to it and not interrupting. Also, once there story is over, try and go through the whole thing all over again mentally before offering a solution. It might seem like a time-taking task, but, this exercise will definitely help you come up with a more comprehensive and all-round solution for the other person. Sometimes, your friend or co-worker just needs to know that you’re there, so, all you can do is assure them the same.

Don’t interrupt but ask questions one they are done

This is a very easy method through which you can gain the other person’s trust. All you need to do is ask some questions once they are done telling you whatever they needed to. However, don’t interrupt them while they are speaking because it irritates the speaker and makes him/her lose track of what they were saying.

Asking questions after they are done speaking will make them feel like you were actually listening and the attention is bound to flatter them. Asking questions will also make them trust and like you more as a person, in general.

90% of new internet users in India are non-English speaking; English user growth has stalled: Google

There is a secret reason why Google is rigorously pushing for Non-English apps, tools and features on their platform – both search and Android.

In the last few years, they have added Hindi voice dictation, Hindi research tools in their search options, Android has been empowered with 11 Indian languages; Google search results are now appearing in vernacular languages; even Google Allo is offering assistance in Hindi language; Hindi AdSense advertisements are now a reality; massive Internet alliance has been launched for vernacular languages and Google maps is also available in Hindi.

Not only Google, but Facebook has also jumped into providing their features in Hindi. MakeMyTrip too offering Hindi assistance for their app users.

Why are such mega-portals pushing Hindi and vernacular languages on their platform?

Because the future of Internet is not English, but it is vernacular languages. And in a recent event, Rajan Anandan, VP for Google’s India and South-East Asian operations has made it clear that growth of English speaking Internet users in India is now over.

Non-English speaking Internet users are the flag bearers of growth, and they will carry the momentum now.

Bye, Bye English… Welcome Indian Languages!

As per Rajan, 9 out of 10 new users who are being introduced to the Internet for the first time, are the non-English speaking users.

He said, “English is over. There are only 200 million Indians who are proficient in English and they are already on the internet. Almost every new user that is coming online-roughly nine out of ten — are not proficient in English. So, it is fair to say that almost all the growth of usage is coming from non-English users.”

Hence, Google has understood that saturation has already arrived for English speaking users’ growth, as almost everyone is now on the Internet. And growth happens when new users join the platform.

And thus, future lies in non-English speaking users.

Rajan said, “Almost every new user that is coming online-roughly nine out of ten — are not proficient in English. So, it is fair to say that almost all the growth of usage is coming from non-English users.”

In association with KPMG, Google conducted a study and found that there are 234 million non-English speaking users on the Internet as of now, compared to 175 million English speaking users.

As per Google, by 2021, Hindi would be a bigger content market on the Internet, compared to English. “This is just four years away,”, says Rajan. In the next 4 years, userbase of non-English speaking users would expand to 534 million, which is an increase of 18% this year.

Here is a breakdown of vernacular users, of different digital mediums:

Messaging app: 169 million
Digital entertainment: 167 million
Social media: 115 million
Online news: 106 million

As per Google’s study, major vernacular languages which are witnessing incredible growth in content consumption are Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati and Malayalam.

Out of these, 30% of the growth is being carried over by speakers of 4 regional languages: Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu.

Affordable Internet A Major Catalyst for Growth?

The KPMG-Google report also highlights the fact that introduction of super-cheap Internet plans, thanks to Jio, has acted as a catalyst for triggering this massive growth of non-English speaking Internet users.

And this is the reason that 99% of local languages users are coming online from their mobile. Overall, 78% of all users (English + non-English) are accessing the Internet using mobile.

The report mentions that a drop in the price of 4G handsets would trigger another wave of massive growth, as hardware is the only limiting factor for the expansion of the Internet in India.

Rajan said, “For this growth to continue, you need good-quality smartphones at Rs 3,000, and even lower at Rs 2,000.”

In 2015, Google had declared that Hindi content consumption on the Internet is growing at a rate of 94%; and the recent findings of their report clearly confirms the fact that the next billion Internet users from India would be those, who don’t speak English.

5 ways to combat the blank page syndrome

If you are in the creative field of work, you are bound to encounter a mental, creative block at some point of your career.

If you are in the creative field of work, you are bound to encounter a mental, creative block at some point of your career. This condition is known as the blank page syndrome. The blank page syndrome can be due to mental burnouts or lack of inspiration.

However, there are a few effective ways in which you can get over blank page syndrome:

i. Add minor alterations to your routine

Following the same, monotonous routine daily can hamper your creative cells and cause a mental roadblock. However, by making simple changes in your daily routine, you can combat this syndrome and start producing ideas again. For instance, instead of typing out your content, use a pen and paper to write it down or start working outdoors for natural inspiration.

ii. Take a break

Just like your body needs a break when there is physical exertion, your mind needs one too. It is you duty to give your brain some time off so that the cells can relax and start thinking in a creative manner again. During your break, get rid of anything related to work and start doing things you love like take a walk, paint, sing etc.

iii. Interact with people

During a creative roadblock, interacting with people can be particularly helpful as there are points or ideas you might have overlooked and the other person hasn’t. The other person might also be able to give you a new and fresh perspective which can serve as the basis to a new idea you could build upon. However, you should talk to people outside your workspace for this jumpstart.

iv. Induce some caffeine into your bloodstream

This tip might or might not work for you. However, a lot of creative people claim that when they are going through a mental slump, caffeine helps in reenergising them and enhancing short term memory. Caffeine also helps in increasing concentration and problem-solving skills which in turn boosts productivity.

v. Be optimistic

Just because you are experiencing a creative slump doesn’t mean that it is the end of your career. Not being able to produce creative thoughts at the moment doesn’t mean that you will not be able to do it in future. Embrace your flaws instead of criticising them and accept the fact that you are going through this syndrome which your can try and get out of with utmost optimism.

8 freelance skills which are in high demand

With the growth of virtual options, freelancing has become a common option for people who do not want to confined to an office space or prefer working from home.

With the growth of virtual options, freelancing has become a common option for people who do not want to confined to an office space or prefer working from home. Growth of websites like freelancer.com and odesk.com have also lead to the growth of the number of freelancers in the country.

Here are some skills which are in high demand in the Indian market:

I. Photography

Not everyone with a camera is a photographer, however, if you believe you can take amazing photographs and edit them, you can find yourself great high-paying assignments. Start-ups and companies are constantly looking for amateur but talented photographers for product photography, covering weddings and events.
The pay scale ranges as per your experience and talent.

II. Lead generation

Because big brands are constantly coming out with new products to sustain in the market and are preoccupied with other work, they outsource the job of lead generation to freelancers. If you can prospect and qualify people as leads via social media and e-mail, this is a great money-making option for you.

III. Video editing

The visual medium has grown leaps and bounds over time and videos are a powerful medium of story-telling. Companies are often looking for editors to stitch raw images and stock footage to make a compelling video. The video editor is also supposed to rectify errors is the video.

IV. Content writer

If words have always been your forte, why not make some extra income by using it to your benefit? Companies often need bloggers and writers for their webpage and since it is expensive to hire one on payroll, they turn to freelancers. Freelance writing is a very popular field and pays well if you have some prior experience.

V. Virtual assistant

Top managers and CEOs are always busy and are now outsourcing the duties of an assistant to freelancers. If you have internet connection, you can sit in remotest corners and earn a quick buck by replying to their mails, scheduling meetings and accepting or declining meetings.

VI. Graphic designing

If you have learnt Photoshop, CorelDraw and Illustrator and can create kickass vector images, this job is perfect for you. Almost all start-ups and companies require designs for brochures, social media posts and logos. Graphic designing is one skill which lets you improvise and helps you earn really well.

VII. App development

This freelancing job requires skills such as understanding of UI/UX interface and coding as you need to build the backend of an app. But, it has immense potential since almost all brands, companies, websites etc have apps of their own. Majority of e-commerce transactions happen via apps so you can imagine the kind of demand that exists.

VIII. AutoCAD

Again because the visual media is so popular, people who can simulate and animate are in demand. If you can animate 2D and 3D designs well, this is your calling. This is a skill which needs to be learnt and with practice, a person gets better at it.

Why Investing In Cannabis Is Your Best Bet If Canada Legalizes Recreational Marijuana Use

What it could potentially mean for investors looking for a way to reap benefits and grow some major capital could be exponential.

As the Canadian people wait for the courts to decide about the legalities of pot, many think that it is highly probable that the Trudeau government will legalize marijuana for recreational use nationwide. Following the example of many states in the US, the entire Canadian countryside might soon be free to smoke at will without any legal repercussions. What that means for the average citizen is a whole lot more freedom of choice. What it could potentially mean for investors looking for a way to reap benefits and grow some major capital could be exponential.

The red-hot market of Canadian real estate is not making many forecasters comfortable. Even with measures taken by the government to cool things down and to slow the bubble from growing, there seems to be no end of growth in sight. But what economists know about investing Winnipeg, is that what goes up must come down, and as quickly as the real estate market has increased, it is likely to crash in just as fast. That has many investors wanting to put their money elsewhere.

If the government does legalize recreational marijuana usage, that could mean a huge supply problem in the future. That could translate to the fact that those who get in on the ground floor, while all the specifics are being sorted out, could stand to make a whole lot of money. If there is an end to prohibition, Canada will become the second country in the world to legalize weed for recreational purposes, with the only other being Uruguay. What that also means is that the production of it is going to increase tenfold.

A lot of legalities such as who can use pot, and at what age, all need to be answered; it won’t be an immediate switchover from one policy to another. But if the policy is set in motion, things are going to move very fast, and if you want to get on the train, then the quicker you do the more you stand to profit.

If Canada goes green, the first place that investors should look is in stocks. According to the latest statistics, if Canada legalizes recreational pot usage, then the government could potentially generate as much as $5 to $7 billion in annual revenue and sales. Three established medical cannabis companies are already supplying Canada and the US, and they could find themselves in an instant windfall and in need of some capital to keep up. The three marijuana stocks already set in place are Aphria, Canopy Growth Corporation and Aurora Cannabis.

The companies differ in the production methods of the cannabis they produce. Canopy Growth has expanded their operations by acquiring smaller growers, while the other two have chosen a more organic path to growth.

Canopy Growth is responsible for the largest percentage of the cannabis stock market. Just last year the company announced its intention to acquire Mettrum Health to the tune of over $430 million. That would give them access to as much as 50% of the medical cannabis user population, and would also give them the capacity to expand to fill the need for the recreational crowd if it becomes legal.

Aurora and Aphria Cannabis are also working on a substantial expansion of their current operations. They are increasing their growing space and expanding their facilities to keep up with both their current demand, and potential growth in the near future. These companies are great stock bets because, unlike other facilities that will try to jump on the bandwagon, they have the equipment and are already in production. With record sales, they are already profitable, and the proof is there that there is no stopping them once the floodgates open.

What any investor knows is that if you don’t buy at the bottom of the rise, you are buying too late. Taking a gamble on the legalization of pot for recreational use in Canada might be a risk, but one that is well worth taking. With assets already accumulating and profits expanding even if marijuana doesn’t go legal, it is still a winning proposition for medical purposes. If it doesn’t expand exponentially, it is still a safer bet than avenues like the real estate market.

All you need to know about the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana

The yojana looks to facilitate development and economic help to the non-corporate and non-agro sectors whose credit requisites are below 10 lakhs.

The current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has always stressed on the fact that the youth of the country should be job creators as opposed to job seekers. By supporting small scale industries, it ensures their survival as well as paves the way to success and prosperity of the country. This also allows a certain majority of the population to become self-sufficient and independent and set up their own businesses.

As opposed to large scale industries which employ a little more than a crore people, small scale industries employ almost twelve crore people in the country. Keeping these small scale industries in mind, the Government has come up with the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) bank.

About the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana:

The yojana looks to facilitate development and economic help to the non-corporate and non-agro sectors whose credit requisites are below 10 lakhs. All Non-Corporate Small Business Segment (NCSBS) such as food service units, food processors, machine operators, small shopkeepers etc will be eligible for economic support under MUDRA bank.

There are a few eligibility criteria that a person needs to meet before availing these loans:

• Applicant must be an Indian citizen and should be above 18 years of age.

• The business plan must contain the structure, investment plans, nature of product, marketing and future results as well.

• The type of industry should be non-agricultural.

• Other guidelines are same as the ones of RBI and MUDRA bank.

The segments:

The three types of schemes that have been devised to provide the small scale industries with loans are:

• Shishu scheme: Loans up to INR 50,000

• Kishore scheme: loans between INR 51,000 to INR 5,00,000

• Tarun: Loans between INR 5,00,000 to 10,00,000

Hello Web: the global web literacy movement you should be aware of

HelloWeb, to make more children aware of the web and internet literate.

With the current Prime Minister trying to bring in digitalisation to the country, we forget to look into more important matters like over 288 million kids who have no idea what the internet is or how it functions. With people advancing more on the virtual front, the bridge between the two groups is increasing further. However, a group of students, branched across different cities of the country have come together to give rise to a global movement called Hello Web to make more children aware of the web and internet literate.

Hello Web is a project which is basically a global web literacy movement. It aims to make the web more understandable, accessible and usable for around 288 million children who are deprived of the largest platform of knowledge in this century. Hello Web has managed to successful reach out over 5,000 children across different cities in India in the past one year. The children of Kolkata, Siliguri, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai have been amongst the first ones to be touched and educated by volunteers of this well-thought of and inspirational movement, which was the need of the hour.

The torchbearers of the Hello Web movement are also part of the Mozilla Community. Mozilla, a popular browser, is also the largest open source platform for free information sharing and has been a key motivation behind this movement.

Arkodyuti Saha working with learners during the Hello Web campaign 2016

“This collaboration is another step for HelloWeb to reach out to 103 more children – that’s 103 more curious minds we can build,” Arkodyuti Saha was quoted saying on Hello Web’s recent collaboration with the Bagheera Project to help the rag picking community in Bhagar, Howrah.

Adbins: The social enterprise looking to make Kolkata cleaner

Adhering to the spirit of Swachh Bharat, two youngsters, Joy Pansari and Ankit Agarwal, based out of Kolkata, launched Green Clean Media Works and started installing free bins with advertisements in and outside apartments. They managed to create a revenue generating business successfully called “AD MY BIN” which is a environment friendly and economical solution to the various problems in the country.

Green Clean Media Works has been providing innovative solutions to expensive advertising and garbage strewn across the country by setting up these adbins outside complexes and in strategic locations. A simple vinyl sticker is put on the board which is attached to the dustbin. The boards for advertising are of two different sizes: 18*12 inch and 24*18 inch. One type of board on the Adbin consists of a flipper which allows both side advertisements. These type of adbins come with an in-built LED light and placed amidst events and crowded areas.

The co-founders claim that even though the concept of Adbins is relatively new in India, it is a kind of advertising which is very popular in the United States. Initially, they faced a huge issue getting advertisers to believe in their project as most brands didn’t want to get associated with dustbins or trash. However, when companies saw how well the company managed their dustbins by washing them each week, they started getting new offers.

Started with an meagre investment of INR 2 lakhs, this company earn over a lakh in a month.

Related Post: Helpmebuild: revolutionising homes

Gradually, this idea by the two graduates from Kolkata turned out to be a huge success and gained fans from different industries. With around 25 clients including Phantom Production house, United bank of India, Gupta Brothers, Mera tiffin, My service tax, Speed Medicine and Fab Grocery, they are slowly growing bigger by the day. In the future, Adbins plans on expanding to other areas in Kolkata like metro stations, colleges, schools and railway stations and also to other cities across the country.

LinkedIn signs a MoU with the HRD Ministry to provide more opportunities for the youth

The popular, global professional network, LinkedIn, has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the HRD Ministry to provide more job opportunities for Indian students.

The popular, global professional network, LinkedIn, has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Government (Human Resource Development Ministry) to provide more job opportunities for Indian students. Mentioned as a clause in the MoU, LinkedIn’s “Placements” will be adopted by all colleges in India which are affiliated with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and provides a level field for all students irrespective of their college or location to take an online assessment test which allows them to apply to over 25 corporates in India.

“We’re excited to work with the HRD ministry and AICTE to help students get greater access to the ‘Placements’ product. Our objective with ‘Placements’ is to help the country’s best talent get access to job opportunities, regardless of their location. We hope to bring students closer to their dream jobs through this platform.” -Akshay Kothari, LinkedIn India Country Manager and Head of Product

The “placements” tab was piloted back in November, 2015 and was open to students of all colleges and universities across India only in September 2016. The platform has got a terrific response since the launch and they have received over two lakh registrations and 1.2 million applications since their inception.

Giphy to offer tools to convert vines into GIFs

Vine is headed towards a complete shutdown, however, the six second videos have a huge internet following which is why the Twitter owned company, Giphy, claims that the most popular clips will continue to survive even after the discontinuation of the app.

Giphy has also announced that they are currently working on a conversion tool for Vine clips which they are scheduled to launch very soon. Existing Vine users can convert the videos into GIFs. However, the company hasn’t mentioned whether you need to import the Vine video from the app or the website for the conversion.

“We value you, your Vines, and are going to do this the right way. You’ll be able to access and download your Vines. We’ll be keeping the website online because we think it’s important to still be able to watch all the incredible Vines that have been made.” – Vine team and Twitter in a blog post

Twitter’s recent announcement regarding the shutting down of Vine came as a shock to most people who followed or featured in Vine videos routinely. This coupled with an announcement of Twitter planning to lay off 9% of their work staff as a part of company restructuring wasn’t very pleasantly accepted globally.

Giphy isn’t the only company which is striving to save Vines; PornHub VP, C.price, also stated in a letter that he was willing to purchase the looping video service.

“Upon purchasing Vine, we would restore it back to its NSFW glory. After all, 6 seconds is more than enough time for most people to enjoy themselves.” – C.Price said in his letter