Monday 27 June 2016

Kitesurfing


Kitesurfing is a form of kiteboarding wind powered surface water sport. It harnesses the power of wind through a large kite and a regular surfboard . There are various surfboards available and depending on the type of surfing there is difference between kite surfing boards which we will cover in this article. The kites are parachute like with inflatable tubes. The size of the kites depend on the strength of the wind and size of the rider. Although a surfing sport , the factor propelling the surfing is wind and not waves.



Apart from being an adventure sport , kitesurfing has a host of health benefits too .Your whole body is is used and exercised while surfing . It also increases improves the balancing act of the body and synchronization among various senses. The equipment required for this sport are portable , light and cost effective.
If we talk about the kite surfing boards then there are a variety of them available:

  • Twin-tip
  • Wake-style
  • Wake-skates.
  • Wave
  • Directional or Race



Here we will talk about the difference between twin tips and directional boards .
A twin board is called so because the bottom half (tail) and top half (nose) are mirror images of each other and the flex is exactly the same on both ends. The nose and tail are symmetrical and are therefore of the same shape, flex and same camber profile. Directional boards on the other hand have the same tail and nose width but there is usually a very noticeable difference in shape and length. The side cut is also different and favors directional riding.
Twin tips are designed symmetrically from nose to tail being the same whichever direction you are traveling in. They are similar to wake boards. Directional boards on the other hand are not symmetric as the twin tips. The nose is longer on directional boards and the tail is stiffer so you can load up on hard turns.
Twin tips has symmetrical, side cuts, flex whereas Directional has asymmetrical side cuts and flex.
Additionally twin tip has centered stance whereas directional boards have setback stance because the tip and tail are not geometric but is tapering towards the tail.
Riding a switch is easier in a directional board than a twin tips board.
At higher speeds, directional boards are preferred over twin tips as they provide more stability and control. Since the nose is longer it provides better stability during high speed surfs.
Directional boards have more wind range as compared to twin tips.
Twin tips on the other hand are easy for jumping and turning without switching feet in comparison to directional boards.
Free ride boards are directional and freestyle boards are generally twin tipped.
If you ride park and land switch frequently then for you twin tip is recommended. If you’re just cruising and carving on trail then a directional board is preferable.

As most things the type of snowboard you choose is based on personal preference and the kind of surfing you would want to enjoy.


Thursday 23 June 2016

Money for everyone : Universal Basic Income


Universal Basic income or unconditional basic income is a form of social welfare system which aims at distribution of unconditional and equal income to all the citizens. All citizens benefit from it regardless of their skill , requirement of work or other sources of income.
The idea behind the concept was that Universal Basic income will help reducing inequalities and bridge the ever increasing gap between the rich and the poor.
It is a form of minimum guaranteed income which differs from other similar concepts in the following ways :

  • It is paid to individuals and not households
  • It is not dependent on an individual's alternate sources of income
  • It is not dependent on any kind of work done or willingness to work .

The idea of universal basic income was first proposed in the 16th century . Discussed and debated through the centuries which followed on grounds of social dividend and national dividend by the economists and socialists views , the 20th century saw the emergence of a full fledged universal basic income scheme called the Alaska Permanent Fund. It is an annual dividend payed to all the citizens of Alaska.
The idea was then well received and considered for discussions in other parts of the world including Europe. Basic Income European Network (BIEN) was founded in 1986 with a purpose to serve as a bridge between individuals or groups interested and in support of Universal basic Income, i.e. an income unconditionally granted to all on an individual basis, without means test or work requirement. It also aims at promoting discussions on this topic in the countries of Europe.
In 2008 an official petition for basic income was started in Germany by Susanne Wiest which was later closed by the German Parliament. In 2015, a citizen's initiative in Spain aimed at a similar movement with a signature campaign but was not able to gather the required number of signatures. Switzerland managed the required signature numbers and will hold the world's first universal basic income referendum in June 2016.
The last two decades have witnessed an increase in the willingness of states to adopt this idea fully or partially. The discussions from various social , political and economical perspectives have been going around for its implementation. A growing number of scholars and social researchers see it as a way to tackle the increasing unemployment.
It is also seen as a measure to distribute the wealth produced by the society back to the people ensuring the benefits reach everyone.
Social policy and economic policy aiming reforms are dependent on each other and basic income is one viable way of reconciling two of their respective central objectives: poverty relief and full employment.


Wednesday 8 June 2016

Bejeweled Blue : Tanzanite gemstone


Tanzanite is a variety of zoisite mineral which comes in spectacular specimens of blue , bluish purple and bluish violet colors. Discovered in the 1960s ,Tiffany called it as the “ most beautiful blue stone to be discovered in 2000 years”. Embedded in jewelry , the price of Tanzanite stones ranges from $100 to $10,000.





Prices for small sizes of Tanzanite typically lesser than 1 carat is around $100 -$200.
Prices of original 3 - 5 carat size range have been seen at between $550-$700 per carat.
Adorned with other metals and jewelry the price of 3-5 carats can be as much as $900.
The US alone buys 80% of the Tanzanite produces in the world and the prices at high-end stores can be up to $1000 per carat.

You can buy a decent 3-5 carat size in the range of around $600 per carat. This price although is on the lower side in Tanzania , the country being the source of this stone. The stones are however sent to Thailand for finishing from where its is exported to other countries.
There have been constant rise and fall in the price of Tanzanite stones due to limited number of mines and restricted available geographical locations for extraction of this mineral stone. Back in the late 90's prices were as low as $200 per carat. In the early 2000's, this value surged to the $700-$800 per carat range. With modern mining techniques and a control over prices , the prices of Tanzanite is however now stabilized.

What makes Tanzanite so special and popular is its dazzling colors ranging from blue to blue with hues of purple and violet . The most remarkable color however is blue mixed with purple which has a beautiful effect in sizes over 10 carats. It is a also rare stone considering its is found only in Mererani Hills near the city of Arusha in the country of Tanzania. Owing to its limited availability, sparkling and unique color and exceptional aura the stone was promoted by the New York based Tiffany and company and thus became one of the most coveted gemstones of our times.




Tanzanite is available with many brands and jewelers . Toptanzanite is however the world leader with its expertise in designs and stone sizes to suit everyone and every occasion.
This blue color magnificent stone is calibrated into various shapes like Cushion , Marquise , Pear , Round , Emerald Cut , Oval , Princess and Trillion with A ,AA, AAA, AAAA, D and SD grading.

Implanted with the rich blue colored stone , various jewelry items like rings , earrings , pendants and studs are available. Rings are the most popular form of ornament orchestrated with Tanzanite stone .The price for rings range from $ 175 to $11,000.
For a pair of designer earrings the price starts from $ 200 and can go up to $6000.
Pendants can be brought for as low as $30 and the price can go up to $ 14000 depending upon the size and clarity of the stone.
Tanzanite studs can cost from a humble $100 to a whopping $17,000.




Tuesday 7 June 2016

Project Management Simplified : Hive Home


Overview Presentation

Hive is project management and portfolio management platform that enables business and users to form an interaction between messages , action list and files. Hive provides a integration of all tools on a single platform without the need to switch windows. Hive also automates team workflow for the enterprise.


Features, Benefits, Product Strengths

  • Portfolio management

Hive provides a single dashboard view for all messages , actions and files in a glance . The actions and files can be easily exchanged in a conversation by just clicking on the icon and dragging and dropping into the message window.
  • Resource management
Hive enables the ease of actions assignment to the team . You can also add labels , attachments and comments for every action. Hive also provides a cockpit view using the project calendar. You can get updates from the other tools you use. You can create groups for different projects and people and can communicate with them using the computer or the phone.
  • Workflow management
For tasks with same set of actions , you can create a template of the steps involved along with the name of the person the task is assigned to and the date of completion. It can be triggered as per need from other tools too.



Pricing

Hive is offered as a free software with features including Unlimited messages ,Unlimited actions , All your content available,Mobile and desktop apps and Two integrations.
The professions version is available for $8 per user per month and included add on features like Unlimited integrations, Single sign-on,Data export and Priority support.
The Enterprise edition comes with more advanced features including Custom integrations ,Compliance exports,Consolidated billing,Custom reporting and 24 hr response line with 2 hr SLA

Social Network Presence

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/hiveteams
Twitter - https://twitter.com/hiveteams
LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hivetechnology

Target Market

Hive is an ideal project and portfolio management tool for any organization which works on multiple projects , tools and line of business . Resources , actions and projects of any number and magnitude can be managed easily through Hive.

Supported Languages

The Hive software supports English language.

Some of their Clients

Since its available as a free download with features like Unlimited messages and Unlimited actions , the client base is huge. Our other clients include Envato.

Why Hive

With Hive's all-in-one dashboard, team members have their actions , files and messages at the same page and can prioritize their tasks. Hive automates team workflow for the enterprise. It pulls all your team's actions from across all the tools you use, and automatically creates & manages actions lists for your team
Hive also Integrates with over 90 popular tools, like Hubspot, Google Apps, Salesforce, Marketo and WordPress. It also supports integrations for files from Box, Google Drive and Dropbox. It is also available for Mac , IOS and android.

Company Info

Founded in 2015 , hive is a privately held organization which operates from New York ,USA . With an ever growing but dedicated team , Hive specializes in SaaS, Collaboration, Mobile and Team Management.


Thursday 2 June 2016

How to track your lost Mobile Phone


A mobile phone is undoubtedly one of the things people cannot function without these days. Apart from being a handy solution to umpteen everyday problems and tasks , it is also the black book of our lives. Personal conversations , emails , bank details , credit card details , photographs , contacts all reside safely under the umbrella of this device. Now imagine a scenario where you are no longer in possession of your mobile phone . In other words you have lost it and cant find it anywhere.
However disheartening the event maybe be , thankfully there are ways by which you can find your phone. Read on the top 5 ways to find a lost phone.

  1. Call
When you cannot find your phone around , then the first step is to place a call to your phone to track it. If you don't have another phone around then you can use websites like wheresmycellphone.com or make a skype call to hear your phone ring. If you are lucky enough then either your phone would be around and you will hear it ring or your phone call would be received by someone from whom you can know the whereabouts of your phone.
  1. Contact service provider
Service providers can track your phone's location through your sim. If your phone is switched on and active , then with the help of your phone number or sim number , they can easily track the location of your lost phone.
  1. Find my phone app/Device Manager
If you have an apple phone or an android phone then there are some apps using which you can track the location of your phone. Using apples's “Find my Phone” app you can find out the location of your phone , ring your phone , display a message on your phone and also lock the phone and delete all data from it . For android users , “device manager” comes to rescue. Its is similar to the find my phone app except that you cannot remotely lock your phone.
  1. Anti-theft apps
Apart from the above mentioned free apps some paid anti theft apps by Avast , AVG , Bit Defender and Gadget Track provide continuous anti theft security. These come with add on features like force the phone to get answered , email pictures when phone is accessed trying incorrect passwords or remotely wipe the contents of your phone using a SMS command.
If you do not have any of these pre-installed apps then you can make use of Plan B. Using your Google play account from your computer you can install this app on your phone. You then have to SMS “locate' to your number to know the latest position of your mobile phone.
  1. Track through IMEI number

If none of these things work or your sim is on longer in use in the phone for you to call or SMS to track , then its best to lodge a complaint with the police department. Each phone has a unique IMEI number which can easily be found on the box of the phone in which it came or by dialing *#06# from your phone. You can save this number and provide it to the authorities in an unlikely event like this. This number will help them to trace your mobile phone.



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