#there are 288 options so you should probably do this on a computer and not a phone

[nightofnetter]

https://tiermaker.com/create/fraggle-rock-songs-ranked-15817884 all fraggle songs tier list. have fun

[ntrending]

Why you might want a NAS drive

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/why-you-might-want-a-nas-drive/

Why you might want a NAS drive

A NAS drive gives you a central repository for all your files. (Alex Cheung via Unsplash/)

They don’t get as much attention as smart speakers or fitness trackers, but network attached storage (NAS) drives are still worth a place in your smart home.

Essentially, NAS drives are hard drives that connect to the web, making them extremely versatile and presenting a host of useful applications.

The basics

NAS drives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. (Western Digital/)

You’re probably familiar with the hard drive inside your computer that stores all your files, including the operating system that runs everything, the applications you use, and anything you create.

A NAS drive takes one or more of that type of hard drive and puts them in a separate enclosure that connects directly to the internet, typically via an Ethernet cable plugged into your router. It also has its own power source and some basic on-board components and software to handle the transfer of files to and from the device.

The main advantage of a NAS drive is that it’s accessible from anywhere on your local Wi-Fi network, meaning you can download and upload files with your phone, tablet, and laptop. It’s always on and always available. Most NAS drives let you access your files over the internet, too, so you can get at your data from the office or while you’re on vacation.

Another reason to get a NAS drive is the extra backup potential. Many of them come with multiple bays for multiple disks, so you can set up two disks stocked with the exact same data—technically known as a RAID 1 configuration. With this setup, if one drive fails, your files are still available on the second one. Alternatively, you could manage two disks as one large drive (RAID 0). Don’t worry if all this is starting to sound too complicated—the on-board software handles everything.

If this is the first time you’ve heard of NAS drives, a couple examples might give you a better idea of what we’re talking about. The My Cloud EX 2 NAS from Western Digital ($309 on Amazon) comes with either two or four disk bays, and can handle up to 20TB of storage. The specs—a 1.3GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM—show this to be a mid-range NAS in terms of how how quickly file transfers and other operations, such as video encoding, will be carried out.

The Buffalo TeraStation 1200D NAS ($288 on Amazon) is similar, with two bays for disks, but it has a smaller maximum storage capacity of 8TB. The specs are slightly less powerful, too. You get a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and 512MB of RAM, but if you’re just transferring files, rather than streaming audio, for example, it won’t make much of a difference.

How it works

Dedicated apps typically handle mobile access. (Synology/)

You might not be familiar with NAS drives, but Windows and macOS are. Once you’ve run through the installation process using the software that comes with your NAS, you’ll see it listed as a networked drive in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS). You’ll be able to transfer and edit files just like on any other drive.

Usually, you’ll be able to access files remotely over the internet through a web browser on the computer you’re connecting from, via a URL assigned to your NAS when you set it up. Mobile devices can connect this way too, or through the dedicated apps manufacturers such as Synology have built for Android and iOS to access their drives.

This might sound complex and technical, but when you actually start using it, it’s pretty straightforward. Modern-day NAS drives are built to be as user-friendly as possible, so most of the heavy lifting happens behind the scenes—you just get the benefits of networked storage without having to worry too much about the details.

One drawback is speed, because sending files to and from a NAS via Wi-Fi takes a few seconds longer than communicating with a drive that’s actually inside your computer. You won’t want to edit large files like photos and videos directly on your NAS, because these slower speeds can cause problems with files not opening or saving correctly. It’s better if you think of NAS drives more as long-term storage for files you won’t need to change often, but might want to access quickly.

You can buy NAS drives with hard disks already installed, or fit your own (either traditional hard drives or newer solid-state drives), but it’s best to go with those specifically designed to be used in NAS enclosures—the documentation included with the enclosure you buy should tell you the types of drive you’re looking for.

What they’re good for

You can use a NAS drive as a Plex server to stream media around your home. (Plex/)

A NAS is ideal when multiple devices—managed by one or several people—need to easily access the same set of files. Those might be photos, financial documents, or music files—whatever you need, it’s all in one place. Anytime you need to work on files in collaboration with other people, a NAS drive can come in handy.

A common use for NAS drives is video and audio streaming around the house. Plex is a popular software option for this, and works well from a NAS drive. Videos, photos, and music saved to your NAS can be beamed to any device around the home, or even streamed over the web.

This is when NAS drive specs actually do matter, because the audio and video you’re streaming might need to be encoded differently depending on the device you’re watching on. A NAS with more RAM and a faster processor will get this done more quickly and smoothly. If this use interests you, Plex has lots more information here.

If you often need to get at your personal or work files from remote locations, a NAS is an effective, straightforward solution. You can always access a home or office computer remotely, but that means you have to leave it switched on while you’re traveling. A NAS drive, meanwhile, will account for a much lower percentage of your electricity bill. Just make sure your NAS of choice has a remote access feature before you buy it.

To some extent, cloud services such as Dropbox and Google Drive have taken over some of the roles of NAS drives when it comes to sharing files between devices. Remember though, NAS drives often offer much larger capacities than cloud storage accounts, and they only require the upfront cost of the disks—you are not required to pay for another monthly subscription.

Written By David Nield

[demikbrayus]

Credit Card Reconsideration Lines

This article first appeared on aaacreditguide.com at AAACreditGuide.

No one likes having a credit card application denied. In a best case scenario, it leaves you unable to take advantage of a rewards program you’ve been eyeing. In a worst case scenario, it leaves you cash-strapped when you need that extra credit line to cover a financial emergency.

You might be surprised to hear that hearing an initial “no” on your application isn’t necessarily the final word on your eligibility for a credit card. Major credit card companies have what is known as a reconsideration line. Read on to find out what it is and how you can use it actually get approved for a credit card.

What is a credit card reconsideration line?

Much like it sounds, a credit card reconsideration line is a phone number you can use to call the credit card company and ask them to reconsider your application. It gives you the chance to offer fresh context beyond the application form as to why you are indeed worthy of a credit card. When you first applied for the card, you probably went through either an online form or maybe even a paper version. These forms are sent through an automated approval process, done entirely by a computer — not by a human being.

So the success of your original application primarily depends on an automatic pull and analysis of your credit report and score. It also considers your stated income and compares that to other outstanding debts listed on your credit report. Since all of this is performed by a computer, however, there’s no personal (and sometimes logical) thought behind it. Instead, your chances of being approved are pretty much determined by an algorithm, whether it’s deserved or not.

When you choose to follow up through a credit card reconsideration line, however, you get the chance to discuss your situation with an actual person. While you don’t want to overwhelm them with a sob story, you can be successful by giving them concrete reasons as to why you are credit-worthy.

It’s best to do some planning in advance, so check out the next section for some strategic tactics. When you’re informed and prepared, you can help make the customer service rep’s job much easier for them. Even if you don’t, you still have options available to get an approval.

How can you contact your specific credit card company’s reconsideration line?

Most major credit cards have a variety of customer service phone numbers to help you with your questions and concerns. Here are some of the most common reconsideration lines to help you move your credit card application forward. They may change frequently, so be prepared to do some digging if needed. Also, be prepared to have your zip code and social security number on hand.

American Express Reconsideration Line

(866) 314-0237

Bank of America Reconsideration Line

(866) 458-8805

Barclaycard Reconsideration Line

(888) 232-0780

Capital One Reconsideration Line

(800) 625-7866

CitiBank Reconsideration Line

(800) 695-5171 for personal credit cards (800) 288-4653 for business credit cards

Chase Reconsideration Line

(888) 270-2127

Discover Reconsideration Line

(888) 676-3695

Wells Fargo Reconsideration Line

(866) 412-5956

What should you do before calling the credit card reconsideration line?

Before you pick up the phone, gather your thoughts and do a little bit of research. Start off by finding out why you were denied a credit card in the first place. If you’re not sure of what might be lurking on your credit report, request a copy to review.

Once you’ve got your report in hand, look at it closely for anything that would be a red flag to a credit card company. Do you have a lot of outstanding debt? Are there multiple late payments from other accounts? It might be hard to plead your case on the reconsideration line if any of these situations are applicable to you. However, you might be able to explain late payments if you had a period of temporary financial hardship that has now been resolved. And there are a few other situations that may warrant a change of heart from creditors.

Some automated approval systems, for example, tend to deny applications that have too many inquiries already listed on their credit report. But if you were shopping for a mortgage or car loan, or simply wanted to compare rates on other credit cards, you may be able to explain that roadblock away.

Another reason for initial denial is if you already hold several cards from a particular issuer. In these cases, a fresh set of human eyes may be all it takes to change that denial to an approval. Prepare some talking points about your situation before picking up the phone.

What are some tips when you call the credit card reconsideration line?

First things first when asking something of any customer service representative: always be polite and respectful. This holds true even if you don’t agree with what the person is saying. When you start your conversation, begin with examples of your loyalty and responsibility. You can do so in one of two ways. If you’re already a customer of the company, talk about how long you’ve been with them and all the timely payments you’ve made. If you’ve been a long term customer elsewhere, tempt them with the opportunity to take business away from a competitor.

Next, use some negotiating tactics. There are a few different things you can offer in exchange for the credit card approval so that both you and the creditor benefit. One option is to transfer an outstanding balance from a different account. This limits your open lines of credit and keeps your overall available line of credit the same amount.

It also gives the creditor automatic business from the interest charged on your transferred balance. This tactic is a great way to get a card with better rewards or different rates and terms from your existing cards.

Another option is to offer closing an existing account, especially if you have multiple cards with the same company. Make this suggestion and see how your customer service rep responds. They may have a clearer idea of the winning combination of accounts and credit lines. Don’t be afraid to make this a conversation, rather than listing out your demands.

Explain rationally why you want the credit card and ask what you can do to make that happen. The creditor should want your business if they believe you’re going to pay your bills on time.

What to do when you still get a “no”

After all your explanations and negotiations, you may still find yourself hearing a “no” from the customer service representative. Fear not, you still have options to try out directly through the reconsideration line! First, try to escalate the call to a manager or senior representative. Just as before, you don’t need to be rude to make this happen. Politely ask to speak to someone with more authority and thank the original person for their time. Review your talking points while you’re on hold, then try it again with the next level up.

If you’re not gaining any traction with the person you’re speaking with, you can always hang up and call the reconsideration line again. Call centers are large and you’ll almost certainly talk to another representative by dialing once more. Know that most places keep notes on each call received, so it won’t be a completely fresh slate. But you may have a more sympathetic ear this time around.

Try your luck again because there’s really no downside. At worst, you’ll still get another no. At best, you’ll hang up with a new credit card on its way in the mail.

When you’re on the phone with either the first representative or their superior, ask someone why exactly you were denied credit. This helps you negotiate because you know what the better bargaining chip may be. Even if you don’t get approved immediately for that specific credit card, knowledge is power. You can take the information and start making changes to address them. Then, you can start applying for the credit cards you want once you’ve resolved those issues, whether it’s improving your credit score or paying down existing debt.

What other options do you have after your credit card application is denied?

Whether calling the reconsideration line didn’t work, or you simply want other ideas on how to turn that denial into an approval, you still have options. After your initial application has been denied, the credit card company has to mail you a letter explaining why. Review that letter and then send an actual response using the address provided.

You can then respond directly to their concerns and again, get your side of the story in front of a fresh face. It’s not guaranteed to work, but it certainly can’t hurt. Follow the same rules of being polite with this method.

You can also contact the credit card company using their online tools. If you’re already a customer with an online account, send a note through their messaging portal. Oftentimes, these messages are read by more senior customer service representatives. Explain your predicament in just a few lines. It’s also good to mention that you’d like your message forward to someone who can help if need be. In this situation, you may very likely receive a phone call directly from a bank employee.

Another option is to utilize the company’s online chat feature, especially if you don’t have an existing account. This is probably the least likely case to result in a successful credit card application, simply because of the hierarchy of customer service reps.

Online chat reps are usually at the bottom of the ladder. But again, for just a few minutes of your time (and likely while you’re doing something else), it’s worth trying this avenue. If nothing else, the employee you’re chatting with might be able to put you in touch with the right person to get your request approved.

Bottom Line

A credit card company’s reconsideration line is one of many tools in your belt to push your application forward, even after an initial denial. Always remain polite, but don’t be afraid to ask for someone with more authority if you don’t receive the answer you want. As with most things in life, persistence is key. And if calling the reconsideration line doesn’t work for you, there are still even more options. Know what they are, how to prepare for them, and get the credit card that works best for you.

from Credit And Credit Repair https://aaacreditguide.com/credit-card-recon-lines/

[charllieeldridge]

Teach English Online Salary: How Much Can You Really Make?

There are countless reasons that teaching English online is a great remote job. Working from home with flexible scheduling and limited prep work is a dream, but at the end of the day, everyone wants to know how much an online teaching salary actually is.

You’re likely interested in teaching English to make money. That, or you just really love singing the ABC song, which I highly doubt!

In this post, you’ll learn all about the teaching English online salary, how many hours you will work, what sort of expertise you should have, and finally, your financial FAQ’s will be answered.

Teach English Online Salary: How Much Money Can I Make? 

The simple answer? Most teaching English online salaries are between $10 and $20 USD per hour. I know that’s a huge range, so below we will talk about some of the factors that play into that amount.

Your Base Pay

When you get hired with an online English company, you’ll be offered a base pay rate. This is the amount you will make per class you teach.

Usually, classes are either 25 minutes or 55 minutes long.  For most companies, the base rate for a 25-minute class is between $6 and $9 USD per class.

Your base pay can be impacted by your credentials, past experiences, and performance on your interview or demo lesson. With most companies, a combination of all three will result in the highest salary.

The following attributes will help you ensure you make the most money as your base rate: 

Level of education: With some companies, higher levels of education could result in higher base pay amounts.

Your certifications and teaching experience: If you have more years of experience and certifications like a TEFL certification, you could end up making more money.

How you perform in your interview or demo lesson: Most online teaching companies require that you submit some kind of teaching sample or demonstration lesson at the beginning of the hiring process. Your performance in this demo lesson could be used to determine your pay rate for the company. Practice the lesson they give you to teach and have your classroom all set up for your interview. This will give you a better chance of getting the highest base rate possible.

Some Companies Have Bonuses and Incentives

Many companies have activities throughout the year that allow teachers to make some extra money.

For example, one company offers an incentive where anyone who opens a certain number of classes during the week of Chinese New Year will earn a small bonus.

You can choose to participate in these activities if you want to but you’re not required to do so.  Companies like VIPKID offer additional bonuses when teachers open classes “short notice.”

Normal classes can be booked by a parent up to 24 hours in advance. A short notice class is a time slot that can be booked up to one hour in advance.

If a teacher opens a class “short notice” and it’s booked in the short notice window of 24 hours to one hour in advance, the teacher will receive a $2 USD bonus.

If the teacher opens two short notice classes in an hour and gets booked for both of them, they would earn a $4 USD bonus on top of their base pay and other incentives.

Some companies also do incentives like an on-time bonus and additional pay if you teach a certain amount of classes per month.

These bonuses can be as high as $1 USD per class, so it’s worth striving for these incentives if you can.

Sample Teaching Schedules and Estimated Income

Let’s look at some examples to see how much money you can make teaching English online with a few different schedules. 

Example 1: Teaching Online 4 Hours Per Week

If you were making a base rate of $8 USD per class and classes were 25 minutes long, you would be making $16 USD per hour.

With most companies, you also get a $1 USD bonus per class if you start and end on time, so we will assume that you earned that bonus as well.

Now your hourly rate is $18 USD per hour.  If you were only teaching online as a side hustle to make some extra cash, you might just open up a few time slots on the weekends.

Let’s assume you taught 2 hours in the morning on Saturday and Sunday.  At 4 hours per week at a rate of $18 USD per hour, you would be earning $72 USD per week or $288 USD dollars per month.

That’s not bad for a little weekend side gig! 

Example 2: Teaching Online 15 Hours Per Week

For this example, we will use the same rate as above: $18 USD per hour.

But, now let’s assume that you wanted this to be a more substantial source of income for you. Maybe you plan to travel or are saving up for a big expense. 

If you taught every weekday from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, you would be working 15 hours per week. At $18 USD per hour, you would earn $270 USD per week.

You would be making $1080 USD a month, just by teaching 3 hours in the mornings.&nbsp

Example 3: Teaching Online 26 Hours Per Week

Now let’s assume that the same company also has a $1 USD bonus if you teach a certain number of classes per month. Many companies do this to encourage teachers to open more spots.

You’ve hit that number so you now earn an extra $1 USD per class, so your hourly rate is now $20 USD per hour. 

In this example, we will assume that you are trying to live off your online teaching job as your main source of income.

You teach classes from 5:00 am – 9:00 am every weekday and on Friday night and Saturday night, you teach from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

These weekend evening spots are popular since they correlate to Saturday and Sunday morning in China.  With that schedule, you would be working 26 hours per week.

At a rate of $20 USD per hour, you would make $520 USD per week. Your monthly earnings would be $2080 USD, and that’s with mostly part-time hours. 

That’s pretty good for a job where you can work from home in your pajamas! 

Example 4: Teaching Online 40 Per Week

Just for fun, let’s calculate how much you could make if you really hit it hard as an online English teacher.

I’m talking about pulling multiple all-nighters and working full-time hours.

We’ll stick to the same base rate as the examples above, including the incentive teachers get for opening a high number of classes each month.

Your base rate is $8 USD per class. You also get a $1 USD incentive for starting on time and ending on time, as well as a $1 USD incentive for opening a high number of classes.

This means that you’re earning $10 USD per class. If you teach two classes per hour, that’s $20 USD per hour. If you teach from 3:00 am until 9:00 am Monday through Friday you will be teaching 30 hours per week.

On Saturday night, you pull an all-nighter and teach from 10:00 pm until 9:00 am with a one-hour break in the middle. Phew!!

You’ve just taught for 40 hours. At a rate of $20 USD per hour, you’ll earn $800 USD per week. That means you’ll earn $3200 USD per month.

A Word Of Caution

Now, before we go any further, I don’t recommend you try to recreate the schedule above often. Teaching online can get very tiring and if you push yourself too hard, especially at first, you could get burned out quickly.

Also, if you were to do this from North America, you would be working through the night most nights which could mean a wacky sleep schedule.

But if one month you needed a boost in income or just wanted to push your teaching stamina a bit, it’s fun to consider what you would make if you taught English online with full-time hours.

Teach English Online Salary: How Do Teachers Get Paid?

With most online English companies, your salary is paid either weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. Some companies pay through direct deposit to your bank account.

If this is the case for you, you will need to provide your company with your banking details when you sign your contract. Other companies pay through third-party apps like PayPal and Payoneer.

Most companies pay in United States Dollars, but some of the companies geared to the Chinese market pay in Chinese currency.

Check the conversion rates before signing up to get a more accurate picture of what your payment will be.

What Are The Expenses As An Online English Teacher?

While you can make a pretty solid income as an online ESL teacher, there are some expenses you’ll need to consider when doing your financial planning.

Classroom Supplies

Teachers usually need classroom supplies and decorations to make their online classrooms fun and inviting for students.

This means you’ll have some upfront expenses like wall decorations, puppets, flashcards, and a dry erase board. Luckily, you’ll probably have to make these purchases only once.

Technology And Home Office Space

Online English teachers spend a lot of time with their technology, so you’ll need to invest some money in the appropriate gear.

Make sure you have the following online teacher technology:

Laptop or Tablet with webcam

Headset with microphone

Ring light or ample room lights

Ethernet cord to connect the computer to the router if possible

You’ll also need a quiet space to set up a desk and comfortable desk chair if you plan to do lots of teaching. If your internet in your home isn’t very fast, you might need to pay for an upgrade to teach English online.

Additional Certifications and Training

Many online teaching jobs require that teachers have a TEFL certificate. If you aren’t already certified, getting your TEFL could be an additional expense. TEFL courses range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars depending on the program you choose. You can read about a few solid TEFL course options in this post.

Other Financial Considerations

There are a few other financial things you need to keep in mind.

Health Insurance

As an online English teacher, you’ll very likely be classified as an independent contractor or freelancer. This means that you won’t receive any health care benefits from your online teaching company.

You’ll need to sort out your own health insurance and other types of insurance that a traditional teaching job might cover. Keep this in mind as you calculate your estimated online teaching salary. 

You’ll Need To Take Out Your Own Taxes

Since most online ESL teachers are independent contractors or freelancers, you’ll likely need to pay your own taxes.

I don’t know of any online ESL companies that withhold taxes for their teachers, so you’ll have to file and report your income independently. 

Since taxes are highly personal and vary depending on your financial situation, you should talk to a tax professional if you need help with this. I’m sure you know this, but this blog post doesn’t constitute tax advice. 

Save For Retirement 

Freelance and independent contractor online English teachers don’t get any kind of retirement benefits from their online ESL company. If you choose to save for retirement, you’ll need to set that money aside independently.

You Usually Aren’t Guaranteed Bookings

While some online teaching companies will guarantee payment for any spot you open, most companies don’t offer this kind of compensation.

You’ll only be paid for classes that actually get booked, not time spots you opened.  This means that when you’re first starting out, you might not get fully booked at first.

It takes most teachers between two and three months before they can regularly fill their schedules, so keep this in mind when planning your finances.

One tip is to apply to be an online teacher a few months before you’d actually like to start making consistent income.

For example, if you want to become a digital nomad teacher in August, go ahead and sign up for an online teaching job in April.

Applying to teach online early gives you plenty of time to build up loyal students, process all the required paperwork, and get plenty of parent reviews in the system.

All these factors will make it easier for you to get consistent bookings when you need them.

Teach English Online Salary and Hours: Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions about the financial aspects of teaching English online. Remember that for specific questions about taxes and insurance, it’s best to speak to a professional in those fields.

Why do online English teachers have to work so early in the morning?

Right now, the highest demand for online English lessons is in China.

If you’re teaching from North America, you will be in a time zone almost opposite from China. Luckily, with VIPKID, you can work from anywhere in the world — meaning, you could be in a time zone similar to Asia.

Most parents want their students to take online ESL lessons in the early evening on weekdays and at any time of day on weekends.

For teachers in North America, there is the highest demand for classes in the early mornings on weekdays and overnight on Friday and Saturday.

Can I teach English online full time?

With most companies, there are no minimum or maximum teaching hours. This means that in theory, you could teach online 40 hours a week.

However, if you were to teach online full time from North America, you would very likely be working overnight to fulfill those hours.

This is because there is no demand for classes during the hours that students are sleeping on the other side of the world.

Keep in mind that even though you might be teaching full-time hours, you still won’t receive full-time employee benefits.

I don’t know of any online ESL companies that provide benefits to their contractors, regardless of the number of hours they teach.

How many hours do most online teachers work per week?

Almost all of the online English teachers I know fall into two camps: they either teach as a side hustle in addition to a traditional job, or they’re using online teaching as their main income.

For those who teach as a side hustle, teaching three to five hours a week is normal. Often, these people will do an occasional class before work in the morning or on the weekend if they want a bit of extra income.

For those who teach as their main income, most teach between twenty and twenty-five hours per week.

This workload is enough to still keep a semi-regular sleep cycle and make a decent amount of money.

Do I have to pay taxes as an online English teacher?

Yes, you very likely will have to pay taxes as an online English teacher.

Your online teaching company won’t take them out for you, so you’ll need to set money aside from each paycheck to account for this.

Do I have to work on the same schedule each week?

For most companies, no you don’t need to keep the same schedule every week. You are free to change up your teaching hours from week to week as necessary.

Since most companies don’t have a weekly minimum or maximum teaching hour requirement, you could even take weeks off at a time without penalties.

How many vacation days or sick days do you get as an online English teacher?

Unfortunately, you won’t get any paid vacation or sick leave days as an online ESL teacher.

Since you get to make your own schedule, you simply wouldn’t schedule yourself to teach during a vacation or at a time when you have a doctor’s appointment.

If you get sick, you’ll need to provide a doctor’s note to cancel already booked classes. You won’t be paid for these classes.

Can I get a raise as an online English teacher?

Whether or not you can get a raise as an online English teacher depends on which company you’re with.

Some companies keep teachers at the same base rate as when they started and some offer opportunities for raises.

The raise criteria are set by each individual company and automatically applied to your contract when you qualify.

For example, with VIPKID, teachers are eligible for a raise after a year of teaching on the platform as long as they have a certain percentage of positive parent feedback, a high volume of classes taught, and a limited number of cancelations and no shows.

Are there any websites where I can set my own pay rate?

There are some online English platforms that allow you to set your own pay rate for your teaching/tutoring services. Websites like SkimaTalk, Palfish Freetalk, and iTalki are popular choices.

For these platforms, it’s recommended that you start out by pricing your services lower so that you can attract more clients. After you have several positive client reviews on the platform, you can up your prices accordingly.

Now You Know How Much Online English Teachers Make!

Online English teachers can actually make quite a decent living, even while working part-time hours.

Since online teaching is one of the most flexible remote jobs around, you can work as many hours as you need to generate the income you desire.

Learn more about teaching online in our comprehensive post: Top 10 Companies to Teach English Online

The post Teach English Online Salary: How Much Can You Really Make? appeared first on Goats On The Road.

Teach English Online Salary: How Much Can You Really Make? published first on https://travelaspire.weebly.com/

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Inside the 2019 Ferrari Pista, a supercar built for the racetrack

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/inside-the-2019-ferrari-pista-a-supercar-built-for-the-racetrack/

Inside the 2019 Ferrari Pista, a supercar built for the racetrack

“What can you even do with that?”

That was the question, asked by a local police officer who had motioned for me to lower the window of a supercar I was driving not long ago. Indeed, where can a car nut properly exercise thoroughbred machinery that is built to go 200 mph?

The answer is, “Where there are no police officers handing out speeding tickets; the race track.” Driving on a track can be a daunting experience for drivers whose speed background is limited to beating a red light. And it can also be a tough place for production street cars, even pretty red ones from Maranello.

That’s because street tires and brakes wilt under the relentless strain of lapping a track. Shock absorbers get hot and lose effectiveness too, leaving the car free to bounce around more than it should, with the total effect being a car that is challenging to control.

Ferrari aims to address these quandaries with the Pista, a track-centric version of the company’s blazing quick 488 GTB and with Corso Pilota, the company’s $10,000, two-day program with professional coaching and data analysis to help Ferrari owners enjoy their cars.

Divers can choose the 488 GTB or the 812 Superfast, but the Pista is the most prepared for the track. Corso Pilota instructors’ success in developing you into the lean, mean, driving machine you imagine yourself to be probably depends a bit on your aptitude and your responsiveness to instruction. The car, however, remains a constant.

The Pista’s suitability as a track weapon is unquestioned, starting from the solid foundation of the 488 GTB.

Boost engaged

The 488 is Ferrari’s first production mid-engine sports car to use turbocharging to boost power. The 288 GTO of the 1980s also featured forced induction, but that was a limited production model based on Magnum P.I.’s famous 308 GTS.

To start, the Pista’s version of the 3.9-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine from the 488 is pumped up to 710 horsepower, making it the most powerful Ferrari V8 ever. The 49-horsepower increase in power compared to the 488 represents the biggest bump for Ferrari’s track variant yet.

Official performance numbers are 2.85 second 0-62 mph (100 kph) acceleration and a top speed higher than 211 mph.

One source of the Pista’s added power is enlarged turbochargers that can spin faster than those on the 488 because engineers installed sensors that directly measure their rpm. Normally, carmakers estimate turbos’ speed, so they leave a cushy safety margin rather than spinning them right up to their maximum to avoid accidentally going over. By sensing their speed directly, Ferrari can spin the Pista’s turbos right up to their limit, extracting maximum possible boost.

Of course, the rest of the engine also has to be able to withstand the resulting stress of the higher boost, so those are racing-grade titanium connecting rods in there now, and the crankshaft and flywheel are lighter. Ferrari also shaved mass from the powertrain by installing a carbon fiber intake plenum and using Inconel alloy for the exhaust.

Can’t hardly weight

Inconel doesn’t save weight by being very light, like say, titanium. Instead, its advantage is extreme strength and heat tolerance, which permit it to be used in paper-thin thicknesses that save weight.

The thinness is also key to the Pista’s mission of preserving Ferrari’s signature exhaust wail. Ferraris have traditionally been naturally aspirated, which meant there were no spinning turbocharger vanes clogging the exhaust system to impede the aural flow from the fire inside the engine.

Using very thin Inconel in the exhaust helps the Pista project what voice its turbocharged engine does have, giving it a more invigorating sound that is 8 decibels louder than the 488, even if it still falls short of the sonic perfection of its 458 Speciale predecessor.

The sum of these many exotic parts is an as-tested price of $345,300, thanks to a pile of lightweight carbon fiber options and a disappointing $15,000 charge for the Pista’s cool center stripes.

Inner workings

Approaching the Pista and opening the driver’s door, there’s none of the gimmickry of gull wing or scissor doors, but the heavily bolstered, alcantara-wrapped seats are the norm for helping occupants stay in place inside super sports cars. I appreciate the adjustable seat back angle of the Pista’s carbon fiber seats, rather than the one-piece fixed-back seats of Porsche’s track models, the 911 GT3 RS and GT2 RS, which are uncomfortably upright.

The thick-rimmed steering wheel frames the large circular analog tachometer whose white face shows the Pista engine’s 8,000 rpm redline. The wheel is backed by left and right shift paddles protruding from the steering column.

The Pista’s paddles are a warm-to-the-fingertips carbon fiber in place of the cool metallic magnesium paddles of the 488. The are fixed in place, so the driver can easily find the upshift paddle while unwinding the wheel when accelerating out of corners, in contrast to the more common steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

A row of LED shift lights across the top of the wheel provides notice when it is time to squeeze the right paddle for a redline upshift. Ferrari’s manettino drive mode selector mounts on the face of the steering wheel, just like the proliferation of inscrutable knobs and buttons on the steering wheels of the company’s Formula 1 racecars.

Invisible assistance

The Pista’s manettino positions are Wet, Sport, Race, CT Off (traction control) and ESC Off (stability control). South Florida weather granted us the opportunity to try the wet setting on a slalom course, and then compare that to the sliding that becomes increasingly possible with the Sport and Race settings thanks to the less-strict limits applied by the traction and stability control computers.

Out on the race track after things had dried out, I went through the same progression from Sport, to Race and then CT Off. “ESC Off” is a good way to crash someone else’s expensive machine, so that position went untested.

In Sport mode, and to a lesser degree in Race, the stability control system automatically modulates throttle input to keep the car pointed straight, while in CT Off, the driver must tread lightly on the accelerator pedal and make occasional snap steering corrections to keep the Pista in line. This has the advantage of letting you drive faster, as the electronic systems maintain a bit of a margin as they reign in the Pista’s horses.

Meanwhile, even in CT Off mode, the Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer works invisibly to assist the driver by analyzing the car’s situation and gently squeezing a brake caliper when appropriate to stabilize the car.

Rocketing around Homestead Miami Speedway’s “roval,” a high-speed oval track combined with an infield road course, the Pista demonstrates the precise steering and powerful brake capability necessary for a track car. Through the twisty infield turns, the Pista has the control and feedback to let the driver adeptly balance braking and turning when trail braking toward the apex, and then balancing throttle and steering as the car accelerates out of turns.

The Pista employs subtle aerodynamic aids rather than garish wings and such, yet it achieves a 20 percent improvement in stability-enhancing downforce at speed. This added high-speed stability boosts the driver’s confidence when making turns such as the very fast left-handers diving off of Homestead’s oval track and into the infield road course portions.

That’s because it feels like the hand of God pressing the car to the pavement to keep it from sliding unnervingly through these high-speed sections where the stakes of making a mistake are the highest. Imagine having a Mario Kart option that is less prone to falling off the cliff on Rainbow Road than the regular karts.

The Pista’s springs are also 10 percent stiffer than the road-friendly 488’s to resist the pressure of this downforce, and they help (along with the car’s recalibrated magnetically adjustable shock absorbers) maintain an even keel when braking and turning.

Track day

For our experience testing the Pista at Homestead Miami Speedway, Corsa Pilota instructor Todd Snyder rode along in the right seat, as seen in the in-car video above. That video also provides a data overlay that ostensibly shows the car’s performance, but which really shows the driver’s performance exploiting the Pista’s capabilities.

Those capabilities are extreme. The Pista follows in the smoking wheel tracks of the 360 Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia and the 458 Speciale, each a successive generation of hot rod track models from the Prancing Horse. Sixty percent of today’s Pista buyers already participate in track events, and they’ll surely be happier doing that now in a car that is optimized for the purpose.

The Corsa Pilota program provides helmets for drivers and onboard video with an overlay of the car’s performance, which makes for a perfect training tool between track sessions. And the video file on the SD card is a fun souvenir for drivers to take home.

Written By Dan Carney