u/killmelyrics

it just has to be FREE.

I started on Upwork about a month ago and set up my profile, portfolio projects, and even recorded an intro video for my profile. After that, I earned the Availability Badge and decided to try the Boost Profile feature.

I used 5 connects per day, with a total of 50 connects, and included the video I mentioned on my profile. I also used the rest of my connects to apply for jobs. Surprisingly, I got a contract out of nowhere, but none of the jobs I applied to responded. So now I’m wondering if the contract came because my profile was boosted and clients found me that way.

My rate was $3/hour for that first job. After that, I bought more connects and started applying again, but still got nothing.

Now I’m thinking about turning Boost Profile off and just applying to jobs instead, because it feels like boosting might be a waste of money.

Has anyone here experienced something similar on Upwork? Did boosting your profile actually help you go from 0 to 100, or is it better to spend connects only on job applications?

https://preview.redd.it/f9pbjiftt29h1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=435843968f7c760f38b576a7b3d1044c6444a486

Hey everyone, I wanted to share a development journey that I think this community will appreciate, especially if you've ever tried to squeeze professional RAW footage out of low-end hardware.

I’ve been shooting with MotionCam Pro for a long time, but on my budget Redmi 12C (Helio G85, eMMC 5.1 storage, limited RAM), I was constantly hitting a wall. No matter what I did, I couldn't get past a strict 15fps limit, and the storage bottleneck would constantly drop frames. I got obsessed with the idea of bypassing this limitation. I wanted to see if I could write a custom, lightweight camera engine tailored specifically to squeeze every drop of performance out of budget sensors. That obsession turned into a year-long development cycle building HeliosCam.

It turned out to be an absolute nightmare of a journey. The Redmi 12C is entry-level hardware, and handling RAW16 Bayer frames at high throughput on it is incredibly hostile. At first, doing any frame queueing in the Java/Kotlin heap led to instant OutOfMemory (OOM) crashes and garbage collection spikes that ruined the framerate. I had to rip out the standard Android pipeline and build a native C++ recorder engine from scratch. I mapped the camera's Direct ByteBuffers straight into C++ memory, bypassing the Java heap entirely.

https://preview.redd.it/9w2dzl4wt29h1.png?width=403&format=png&auto=webp&s=772f5daddb06003c00d154fe97fadfb979e0c03a

To solve the slow eMMC 5.1 storage write speeds, I implemented a multi-threaded, native Zstandard (Zstd) compression pipeline. I spent weeks fine-tuning CPU cache utilization because running too many compressor threads actually choked the MediaTek processor, dropping performance to single digits. I limited the native thread pool to exactly 3 uncontended threads running Zstd level 1.

But here’s the kicker: after a year of agonizing optimizations, native memory mapping, and thread tuning... I still only achieved 15fps max. The hardware limitations of the sensor readout and bus bandwidth on the Redmi 12C are simply set in stone.

Even though I couldn't break the physical 15fps ceiling on this specific phone, the journey wasn't a waste. The architecture I built to survive the Redmi 12C ended up making the engine incredibly fast on mid-range and flagship devices. Because the backend is lightweight, I was able to build out a custom container format (HelRAW01) that mirrors .mcraw, and just shipped on-device CinemaDNG sequence conversions and ProRes 422 exports. I also built a free C++ desktop utility called HeliosStudios to offload heavy post-production, including GPU grading and AI upscaling.

https://preview.redd.it/zk7523ext29h1.png?width=1002&format=png&auto=webp&s=4de430cbb40522518e9cd7341c07b054fab6d099

Since the format structure was heavily inspired by the open discussions and workflows pioneered here, I’d love to get the community's feedback. I’m curious if anyone wants to test the .helios containers or DNG sequence grading workflows on their own devices.

Let me know what you think, and I'm happy to answer any questions about the struggles of writing a custom Camera2 pipeline for low-end MediaTek chips!

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Hey r/smallbusiness,

I've just released SleekPOS, a Point of Sale (POS) application designed specifically for Android users who prioritize speed, simplicity, and most importantly, privacy.

Why SleekPOS?

• 100% Offline: No internet connection required. Your data never leaves your device.
• Privacy-First: No accounts, no tracking, and no hidden data collection.
• Blazing Fast: Designed to handle transactions quickly, even on older devices.
• Clean UI: A modern, intuitive interface that doesn't get in your way.
• Completely Free: No subscriptions or hidden fees.

Whether you're running a small stall, a pop-up shop, or just want to keep track of your personal inventory, SleekPOS is built for you.

Check it out on the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sleekpos.app

I'd love to hear your feedback or any features you'd like to see in future updates!

Hey everyone, I've been using SleekPOS for my small business and it's been a game-changer. It's easy to use, affordable, and has all the features I need. Highly recommend checking it out if you're in the market for a new POS system!