Technology

Have you every shopped from a small business? If you haven’t, you definitely should because, not sure about you but I definitely feel good after shopping from a small business. Small businesses have a lot to offer on the plate, but they sometimes fail when competing against the massive corporations. Small businesses are different as they offer a lot of customization options with a touch of personalization and creativity. When shopping small, you can almost be sure that the product that is being sent your way is not produced in masses and will make you stand apart in the crowd. Things that keep the small businesses behind in the race are the hefty appliances and personnel available to the large MNCs. The MNCs have the capital that they can use for buying any appliances that they require or even for hiring more work personnel. Small businesses are not able to catch up to the MNCs as they do have the capital to buy important stuff or for even paying wages for extra staff. One such understaffed department in many small businesses is the accounts department. For most of the small businesses, the founders only take care of the accounts. And as boring as it sounds, it is one important task, because hello we are talking about money! It is also not necessary that all small businesses would need a separate accounts department, but all of them certainly need a bill counter. via GIPHY So here we are with 7 best bills counters for you to choose from: What is a Bill Counter? As the name suggests, a bill counter is a machine that either just counts the number of currencies or gives you the total value of the currencies. No science there! This simple device is very essential for small businesses because the money that comes in needs to be counted and accounted for, right? On a serious note, counting money is one of the most tedious tasks for small business owners which is why we are here to help you choose a bill counter. Continue reading to find out the 7 best bill counter that are suitable for small businesses. 7 Best Bill Counters for Small Businesses Kolibri UV The number one on the list is light-weight cash counter Kolibri UV. It can be used by those looking for a machine that can tally up their green notes (spelled as money). It retails for a price of $145, but buying it on Amazon will always save you some bucks. The device can count up to 1400 bills per minute, (Isn’t that amazing?), and comes with a detachable cord. Pros Compact-design suitable for small businesses Budget-friendly Comes with a one year-warranty Has no continuous run-time limit Con Does not give you the total dollar amount Pyle-PRMC500 This next bill counting machine is something that can save you from counterfeits, because let’s be honest, we’ve all been there and hate it when we are on the receiving end of a fake currency. The Pyle PRMC500 will give you accurate and reliable results and retails for $168.93 on Walmart. Pros Audible alarm function for fake currency detection Compatible with American, Canadian, European, and British currencies Has a detachable LED screen Comes with a strong feeding mechanism and bill thickness adjustment screw Works with varying condition bills such as old, new, wrinkled, ripped, bent, fatigued bills Con Might spit out the bill instead of stacking them Goplus Worldwide This bill counter is inspired from the FRIENDS character Monica Geller and comes with dust-cleaning bush for itself, because cleanliness is a priority (insert: I KNOWW in Monica’s voice). The Goplus Worldwide is a great tool if you’re looking for a device that can help you with batching and counting bills. It retails for $48.24 on various online shopping sites. via GIPHY Pro Fast, accurate, and budget-friendly Comes with a dust-cleaning brush Has a double-LED display Comes with a one-year warranty Compatible with international currencies Con Does not give you the total dollar amount Cassida 6600 If you were looking for something that could give you cumulative total, Cassida 6600 is the one for you. It has a dual screen display and uses ultraviolet and magnetic sensors to authenticate bills, ensuring no counterfeit bills are included in the total. It retails for $277 on Amazon. Pros Can stack up to 250 bills Has a compact size Comes with a retractable handle which makes it easy to transport Con Counterfeit detection is not quite accurate Royal Sovereign RBC 650 Pro This one comes with 6-button interface and has a sleek design. The Royal Sovereign RBC 650 Pro retails for around $200 on Amazon. Pros Holds up to 200 notes Can stack batches of 999 notes at a time Has automatic start and stop function Cons Occasionally shoots cash everywhere Cassida Professional Scale Cassida Professional Scale is one of the most viable options for cashiers as it is quick and accurate, just as their job requires them to be. It retails for around $250 for Amazon. It has a relatively small footprint and counts by denomination. Pros Measures bills and coins both Can be connected to a printer to issue invoices Ideal for a small business with less workload Cons Can only handle 15 bills at a time Domens Portable Mini For those who like to go on workcations, we have a match for you. The Domens Portable Mini is ideal for anyone looking for a compact bill counter. It retails for around $48 on Amazon and is small enough to fit into a backpack or briefcase. Pros Weighs less than a pound Can be charged from an AC adapter or even four AA batteries Cons Not good with worn-out notes Cannot detect counterfeits Conclusion Small businesses are changing the way markets function by actually respecting customers’ choices and providing the most value for their money. They are paving the way for new competitors in the market. Small businesses fulfill our needs with a touch of

The recent upsurge of cryptocurrency brought forth prominent players & investors. This inadvertently also led to the rise of fake investors & crypto exchanges. But as of 2022, the market revenue of crypto has plummeted significantly. And the main reason for this is the crypto scam plaguing investors. Because cryptocurrencies are relatively new in the market, inexperienced investors are often falling prey to such swindles amidst its nonchalant hype and promise of quick & easy returns. It was only in 2021 that a Singapore-based blockchain data platform got robbed out of a record $14 billion, whereas Axie Infinity got hacked and was robbed out of a whopping $615 million. With a little bit of research and googling about Crypto frauds, you will come across hundreds of other such reported cases of crypto scams. The most infamous crypto scam so far has been the Squid Game token. Crypto has created the Fear of Missing Out syndrome among gullible investors who invest in these speculative schemes and are left with nothing. The reason is mainly because of a lack of regulation in the crypto market. Does that mean should we stop investing in cryptocurrencies? No! There are many genuine crypto platforms where you can invest safely. We just need to be more cautious and learn how to differentiate between a fake and a genuine crypto project! This guide will help you navigate the same. To start with, let us understand what the methodology of a fraud cryptocurrency is: The whole saga starts usually with a launch of a new cryptocurrency platform with exaggerated and promising returns. Then an Initial Coin Offering is held to procure money from a pool of investors. This is followed by halting the operations. And finally, the individuals holding the ICOs vanish in thin air leaving the investors high and dry. Usually, the scammers conceal their identity, conduct business in a decentralized and anonymous virtual currency environment, and make it difficult for individuals to track and trace. This charade continues if investors keep falling for these without proper background checks and research. So, how to identify fake crypto projects from a real one? 1. Documentation (White Papers) A white paper is easily one of the sure-shot ways to differentiate a fake crypto project from a genuine one. It is a critical marketing document that pitches the idea to prospects and potential investors. A white paper will have all the details and fundamentals of the token you are about to purchase. The white paper will also cover the blockchain design, the name of the token, the address of the creator, the contact source, and other minute details. If any of these details are missing, it can serve as a red flag, raising questions about the legitimacy and transparency of the crypto. But here is the deal: Having a white paper does not on its own justify the legitimacy of the currency. For example, Bitconnect’s Ponzi scheme did not have any white paper that extracted $2.6 billion as project value. Whereas Plexcoin, on the other hand, had very convincing white papers and yet managed to swindle $15 million. Hence, we need other checks to ensure the crypto we are investing in is genuine. 2. Detailed Road Map Peer into the intricate details of the crypto you are planning to invest in. Learn about the purpose, method, USPs, and utilities of the crypto you are interested in. If you come across a project that does not specify solving a definite problem, you can skip that one. 3. Exaggerated Promises, Ludicrous Claims The niche term is “Rug-Pull”. A scheme where scammers launch a new coin, promote it aggressively with the promise of high returns and as soon as investors spend their money, the platform dissolves and its participants go AWOL. Phishing emails and social media handles are targeted to trap gullible first timers. Patience is the key and anyone promising easy and high return should raise suspicions. And hence, to be avoided. 4. Tracking the Team: Gather as much information as you can about the creators and the team managing it. From websites to social handles, dig deep into the background of the creators to authenticate. Scammers often leverage the name of a celebrity and create fake accounts. Always keep an eye out for the responses on these posts. Another way of doing this is to keep a tab on their mutuals and connection and reach out to other people who are following them. Also, cross-refer with your friends, family, or any expert to corroborate. 5. Token Sales: Most fraud companies will hide the token sale progress from the investors. By doing so, they create a sense of urgency as investors have no clue when the deal is going to close. This lack of transparency is a tell-tale sign, something is not right. Usually, for any new projects, ICOs have a large audience on social handles, creating a platform for transparent and open discussions. Without such transparency and real-time updates on token sales, investors must be cautious to avoid these. 6. Marketing Strategy: Usually, a genuine project would adopt long-term methodologies. However, a fake crypto project will aggressively push its products with quick returns and no long-term planning. Do consult among your friends and experts before committing to a project. 7. Be Cautious: Swindlers will create fake accounts, use fake videos with prominent faces and lead the investors astray. If such is the case, make sure to trace the information to its source to establish credibility. 8. Fraudulent URLs: Most hoaxes start with a fraudulent website. If the website is not secured and lacks the “lock icon” in its URL, chances are the website is unsafe and the project is an outright scam. Also, ensure the new coin is trading on popular exchanges. Vigilance is the key to avoiding getting scammed. While scammers and fraudsters are always looking for new ways to swindle people of their money, investors should leverage digital platforms and the incessant information access to effective use. Before

From posting pictures on Facebook, to maintaining streaks on Snapchat, to posing stories on Instagram, it can be easily presumed that we live in a digitized world. Every event, party, success story, achievement, moments of joy are shared on these social media apps. Now, these apps come with integrated filters and editing tools that urge you to put up the best version of yourself, or you may think so. Consequently, people only tend to like and get attracted to the good things, the pretty things. Let’s BeReal- No one wants to see failures, the reality of the world. BeReal changes this whole concept. You see a post of a woman so beautiful that you forget that it’s the filters that are giving her the perfectly smooth skin with the perfectly-shaped nose. Whereas in reality, she most definitely has a few pimples or freckles, marks, eye bags or uneven skin. We do not get to see her real self, we see what she wants the world to perceive- a woman with no flaws, which, to be honest, it not very authentic and the sad reality is that she is probably much more beautiful without the filters. We see her perfect, flawless self, and we unnecessarily question ourselves- Why can’t I be like her? What is BeReal? BeReal is Gen-Zs latest social media hype. ‘What’s the catch’ you ask? Well, it has no filters or any editing tools to oomph up your photos. The idea is, as you may have guessed, to BE REAL, to be your true, authentic self. Created by a former employee of GoPro, Alexis Barreyat and his companion Kevin Perraeu, it is a French social media app. Though it was put in motion in 2020, it started getting attention in early 2022. As of now, it has more than 10 million active daily users. It claims to be a platform that provides “A new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” How do you use it? Using the app is very easy. As it does not have any filters or image editing tools, all one has to do is take a picture at the right time. You have to start by creating your account and then adding your friends. The app will immediately give you suggestions on who to add as it will give you friend recommendations from your contact list who have a BeReal account. Whether to add them or not is a choice you will have to make. You can also add friends who may not be in your contact list by simply searching for their BeReal username and then adding them. Anytime during the day, you will get a notification from the app to post a picture. You need to post a picture within two minutes and share it with your friends. This time limit prompts you to share a picture of whatever you might be doing at the moment. For instance, you might be reading a book, cooking or even doing your college assignments. Just take a pick and share it with your friends. One thing to be noted is that you do not compulsorily have to post a picture every time you get a notification, you can just post one the next time you get the chance. Another great feature of this app is its use of both front and rear cameras. When you take a picture, you capture both yourself and your surroundings. This lets your friends see what’s happening in your life at that moment. When you share your picture to your friends, you can add a caption if you like. There are no hashtags or trending keywords as this app does not work on such algorithms. You can download the app on your Android or Apple phone from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store respectively. Moreover, it is completely free of cost! Why BeReal? Because it urges you to be real. It encourages you to put yourself out there, your true, original self. It is not just any social media app. In today’s world, where people focus so much on showing only their ‘good’ side, BeReal reminds you that your real self is your good side. You don’t have to be flawless or immaculate to be accepted or liked by others; you just have to BeReal.