Best Free E-Mail Sites

Trusted, secure and most popular e-mail service providers.

There are many free e-mail services some are very popular. We will try to guide the reader to select the best free email accounts among those listed here depending on the features that make these e-mail set-up the best for his personal or official use.

When choosing a free email account we look for a few characteristics that help us determine which one is best for our use.

The free email accounts will differ in how much email storage one can get, what the interface will look like and how we can customize it,

and what types of advanced features are included, like instant messaging, mail filters, size of contact list and the ability to import data from other sources.

It also sometimes important that what our actual email address looks and feels like. When we can't find one good user id that we like in our first pick for a free email account, we can always move onto another free email to see if it's available there. We can try different combinations and variations to get an address we like and that's not been taken.

Normally we should never reveal personal information in our email address/email id, like our home address or phone number. Email addresses can be a name with a couple numbers or just any beautiful word or phrase that means something meaningful.

The list of free email sites with some of their features is listed below for reference. Same you can visit these sites and enquire in more detail once you short list from some of the main criteria listed here like :-

Storage Space
Number of Contacts that can be stored
Calendar Synchronization
Cloud Synchronization
Mobile App
Security features
Speed of site in uploading data
etc.

GOOGLE'S GMAIL.COM

Link to go directly to sign-up page is given below.

https://accounts.google.com/

As it works seamlessly with android operating system on mobiles and windows operating system on a PC Gmail makes the top for the majority of people around you as one of the best free email accounts. Android has become very-very popular in use helping Gmail to gain more popularity. Gmail is Google's free email service that has a really nice and modern feel to it, and there are numerous shortcuts one can use to make it even easier to work with.

There are different themes you can apply to Gmail's interface to customize how it appears, tons of advanced settings, and the ability to create labels and filters, import email in from other email accounts, use a chat client, and, among other features, install gadgets (add-ons) to extend Gmail's functionality.

You can even view your Gmail messages without an internet connection if you install Gmail Offline.
Gmail shares a massive 15 GB of email storage with other Google services, which makes it super easy to share files with email recipients straight from your Google Drive account without having to leave Gmail, even files as large as 10 GB!

Since Google Calendar is another part of Google's list of services, it's equally as easy to integrate it with your emails, like to instantly add events taken from messages.

MICROSOFT'S OUTLOOK.COM

Link to go directly to sign-up page is given below.

https://signup.live.com/

Outlook.com (Outlook Mail) is Microsoft's free email service that, like Gmail, has a solid interface that's easy to work with.

Free email accounts created with Outlook.com are configured as example@outlook.com.
Changing how you work with Outlook Mail couldn't be easier. You can very quickly change the color scheme of the page and choose where the reading pane should display.

I like how intuitive Outlook.com is - it's as easy as right-clicking an email to find further options like moving/deleting messages and searching for every email from that one sender, for example.

Email rules are supported with Outlook.com, which means you can set new messages to automatically move to a specified folder, be categorized, flagged or even forwarded if certain conditions are met.

In addition to regular mail features, you can also connect to Skype, Facebook and a couple other messaging services so you can stay connected without having to leave Outlook.com.
Like Gmail, Outlook Mail is closely related to Outlook Calendar so that events can be shared between the two. Also, add-ins are supported in the email service too, ones like PayPal, DocuSign, Trello, Boomerang, GIPHY and many others.

Users can enjoy easy access to other free Microsoft services through Outlook Mail because it's part of Microsoft Office Online.

Note: Microsoft's email addresses used to be setup as @hotmail.com and @live.com. If you have one of those addresses you can still login to Outlook.com, but any new accounts set up will include the newer @outlook.com.

YAHOO INC'S YAHOO.COM

Link to go directly to sign-up page is given below.

https://login.yahoo.com/

As would seem obvious, Yahoo Mail is the free email account offered by Yahoo!. Each new user gets a whopping 1 TB of free storage for email!

Yahoo Mail email addresses are set up as example@yahoo.com.

Yahoo Mail is the free email account offered by Yahoo!. Each new user gets a whopping 1 TB of free storage for email! The compose window when making new emails is a bit similar to Gmail. One notable difference is that Yahoo Mail lets you attach files from Dropbox and recent emails without having to leave your message.

Several awesome themes are available with Yahoo Mail that changes the entire background and color scheme of the website, which makes for a pretty unique design.

Yahoo Mail lets you import contacts from a file on your computer as well as from your Facebook, Google or Outlook.com account. This makes it easy to transfer contacts from a different email provider to Yahoo Mail.

Yahoo Mail lets you create up to 500 disposable addresses that are linked to your main email address but don't contain your name or any other personal data. This is extremely useful if you're often signing up for web accounts and don't wish to have your regular inbox spammed or filled with useless email; just delete the disposable address if the spam becomes too overwhelming.

Yahoo Mail also gives you access to an online calendar, a note taking application and an instant messaging service. You can even connect external email accounts to Yahoo Mail so you can use one interface to manage all your mail, even from services like Gmail and Outlook Mail.

AOL INC. [US]    AOL.COM

https://my.screenname.aol.com/_cqr/login/login.psp?

Like some email providers, you can quickly filter your messages to only show unread or read emails, or flagged or unflagged messages.

Many advanced settings are customizable like changing the spam filter's sensitivity, controlling who (if anyone) can you send you mail, enabling a reading pane and blocking mail containing specific words.
In your mail settings, you can clearly read the IMAP and POP server settings, which are very useful if you're using your AOL email address with offline email clients. Most other email providers don't display this information, so that's a positive for sure.

I also like the fact that you can configure an alert to have AOL send you a text message when certain criteria are met, such as if an email from a specific contact that includes a certain word in the subject or body is delivered to your inbox.

Also included is a to-do list and calendar, and even a background changer so your emails can have a nice background image. You can import contacts in the CSV, TXT or LDIF file formats.

An AOL email address gives you an email like example@aol.com, but you can also receive mail if someone sends you messages at example@aim.com.

EMAIL FROM YANDEX.COM

https://mail.yandex.com/

Yandex is a Russian company that provides many tools in addition to free email accounts, such as an internet browser, 10 GB of cloud storage service and search engine.

Similar to Google, your Yandex email account makes it possible to access all of these services using one login.
The interface for Yandex Mail is very nice to work with. It's easy to read and provides a very simple layout while still keeping all the necessary tools intact.
Like most of the other email providers on this list, Yandex.Mail supports email filters, contact importing and exporting, tasks and hotkeys.

However, unlike most others, you can forward multiple messages with ease; they'll send as file attachments, import files directly from Yandex.Disk, send an SMS copy of an email, import images by their URL, download emails to EML files, delay when the email should send, get notified when the message sends and even be reminded later if you don't get a reply.

There are also dozens of themes you can choose from to instantly transform the entire page. Some of the themes can even be interacted with, such as the Weather theme, which shows local weather below your mail.

You can add other email accounts to Yandex.Mail if you prefer to read all your mail here. This means you could make a Gmail and Yahoo Mail account, for example, and just read all of them at Yandex.Mail.

Something interesting about Yandex Mail is that when you receive an email from someone, their online profiles are also shown, such as their Facebook account. This is very helpful if you receive email from someone that's not in your contact list.

Another feature I like is that, to combat spam and phishing attempts, Yandex Mail shows a green checkmark next to an email who's digital signature has been validated.

Email accounts created at Yandex end with @yandex.com.

PROTON MAIL

https://protonmail.com/

When you're ready to send an encrypted message, be sure to click that button before you send the message. That is, unless you send a message to another ProtonMail user, in which case it's always encrypted.
If you choose to encrypt the message, you can also set an expiration time so that the message is destroyed and unreadable after the duration you specify (the time starts the moment you send the message).

The maximum expiration time is four weeks (28 days) but you can choose something sooner too, like 1-6 days or 1-23 hours, or a combination of both (e.g. one day and four hours).
If you send the message to a non-ProtonMail user and don't define an expiration time, the message will still expire in 28 days.

Recipients who receive encrypted messages open the message through a link that asks for the password, where it's decrypted and displayed in the browser. They can reply through an encrypted channel via the same message they decrypted, and don't even need to have a ProtonMail account.

You can choose to have a @protonmail.com or @protonmail.ch email address.
Since there is a premium plan available, the free one is limited to 500 MB of storage space and can only send up to 150 messages per day (which is more than enough for most people anyway).
The main difference between ProtonMail and the other email services above is that this one is centered around encryption. The idea is that you can send mail without fear that the people at ProtonMail, or anyone else besides the recipient, can read the message.

ZOHO MAIL

https://www.zoho.com/mail/

Though Zoho Mail does have a free email service, Zoho as a whole is like an online suite of several apps that are centered around business use.
The first thing I noticed about Zoho Mail when composing a message is how minimal the design is, which can be a great thing. When you make a new message, you can quickly switch between the new message and the rest of your mail through the small tabs on the right side of the page.

All the standard compose tools are included in this email service. You can even add images from a URL and include tables in your messages.
It's easy to create new notes, tasks, calendar events, contacts and bookmarks in Zoho Mail since it's closely connected with some of those other Zoho apps.

Streams is a feature in Zoho Mail that makes it easy to create groups where you and your team members can interact with shared messages and attachments. It works a bit like a private social media site.

Another great thing about this email service is that you can truly customize a lot of what you see on the page, as well as use keyboard shortcuts, filters, a vacation reply and add domains to the white list and/or black list.

MAIL.COM

https://www.mail.com/int/

The major difference I find in Mail.com versus the other providers in this list is that you can choose between over 200 free domains. Instead of being stuck with one, like @outlook.com or @gmail.com, you can pick from a huge list.
The email domains are categorized into sections so it's easy to find one that relates to certain jobs, hobbies, tech and music. There are also US, world and spiritual domains.

Some of the other top choices include mail.com, email.com, usa.com, myself.com, post.com, dr.com, techie.com, engineer.com, cheerful.com and writeme.com.

Once you create your email account, you can even build up to 10 alias addresses that work with your "main" address. For example, if you were to build a doglover.com address as your main one, and then use an asia.com address as an alias, any messages sent to either address will go to your doglover.com inbox.

Besides the extreme flexibility to choose a custom domain name for your email address, there really isn't much else to be excited about when it comes to creating a Mail.com email account.
You can, however, connect other email addresses to it so that you can send and receive those messages through Mail.com. There's also an email filter, calendar and file storage vault with 2 GB of free space.

Note: Mail.com uses the exact same interface and features as GMX.com. You can create an email account at GMX too but you're only given the option to have it end in @gmx.us or @gmx.com. However, you do get unlimited storage space with GMX. GMC we will discuss later.

TUTONOTA

https://tutanota.com/

Tutanota (Latin for "tuta nota", meaning "secure message") is similar to the ProtonMail service above in that it automatically encrypts all your emails. However, you can disable end-to-end encryption if you'd like.

The first thing that stood out with this email service is that you can't proceed with creating your account until you make a really secure password. Some places will urge you to make your password stronger but still accept it; Tutanota requires it.

The web interface is really easy to use and provides nice menu transitions that really bring together the mail folders and email settings.

When sending messages to non-Tutanota users, you can choose to make them password protected or to keep them unencrypted. If a password is chosen, the recipient will get a custom link to open the message, where they must enter the password to read and reply.

Probably the nicest feature about this is that when the Tutanota user responds back to the user not using Tutanota, the messages are still contained within the temporary account. This means you can have back and forth communication with any other email service and they can keep the link open the whole time.
Even though it isn't as well known as Gmail, Yahoo, etc., Tutanota supports an email signature, mobile apps for Android and iOS, 1 GB of email storage, automatic contact creation for recipients you email, spam rules, and premium features for a cost.

You can make an account with any of these domains: tutanota.com, tutanota.de, tutamail.com, tuta.io, keemail.me.

Many people are creating one e-mail account daily to self follow in various referral sites and apps.

What is Artificial Turf, its uses and applications.

Artificial turf is a surface of synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well. The main reason is maintenance—artificial turf stands up to heavy use, such as in sports, and requires no irrigation or trimming.

Partially covered stadiums may require artificial turf because of the difficulty of getting grass enough sunlight to stay healthy.

But artificial turf does have its downside: limited life, periodic cleaning requirements, petroleum use, toxic chemicals from infill, and heightened health and safety concerns.

Artificial turf is a surfacing material used to imitate grass. It is generally used in areas where grass cannot grow, or in areas where grass maintenance is impossible or undesired.

Artificial turf is used mainly in sports stadiums and arenas, but can also be found in other spaces.

Artificial turf has been manufactured since the early 1960s, and was originally produced by Chemstrand Company (later renamed Monsanto Textiles Company).

It is produced using manufacturing processes similar to those used in the carpet industry. Since the 1960s, the product has improved through new designs and better materials. The newest synthetic turf products have been chemically treated to be resistant to ultraviolet rays and the materials have been improved to be more wear-resistant, less abrasive and are more similar to natural grass.

Artificial turf was first installed in 1964 on a prep school recreation area in Rhode Island.The material came to public prominence in 1966, when AstroTurf was installed in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The state-of-the-art indoor stadium had attempted to use natural grass during its initial season in 1965, but this failed miserably. The use of AstroTurf and similar surfaces became widespread in the U.S. and Canada in the early 1970s, installed in both indoor and outdoor stadiums used for baseball and football.

Most synthetic turf systems installed today include a drainage layer, a multi-layered backing system, and resilient "grass" blades that are infilled with a granular filler to resemble natural turf. "Infilled" means that the man-made grass blades are interspersed with a top soil created with sand and/or granulated recycled tire rubber or other infill materials that provide the necessary stability, uniformity, and resiliency. Each blade customarily stands above the infill material. The typical blade length and system characteristics are determined by the specific activity requirements. In some applications, the synthetic turf system includes a pad or elastic layer underneath the turf, often in combination with lower pile height and less infill.

The quality of the raw materials is crucial to the performance of turf systems. Almost anything used as a carpet backing has been used for the backing material, from jute to plastic to polyester. High quality artificial turf uses polyester tire cord for the backing.

The fibers that make up the blades of "grass" are made of nylon or polypropylene and can be manufactured in different ways. The nylon blades can be produced in thin sheets that are cut into strips or extruded through moulds to produce fibers with a round or oval cross-section. The extruded product results in blades that feel and act more like biological grass.

Cushioning systems are made from rubber compounds or from polyester foam. Rubber tires are sometimes used in the composition of the rubber base, and some of the materials used in backing can come from plastic or rubber recycling programs. The thread used to sew the pads together and also the top fabric panels has to meet the same criteria of strength, colour retention, and durability as the rest of the system. Care and experience must also be applied to the selection of the adhesives used to bond all the components together.

Infill Materials:-

Crumb Rubber:

Crumb Rubber is derived from scrap car and truck tires that are ground up and recycled. Two types of crumb rubber infill exist: Ambient and Cryogenic. Together these make up the most widely used infill in the synthetic sports field and landscape market. Crumb rubber infill is substantially metal free, and, according to the STC (Synthetic Turf Council) Guidelines for Crumb Rubber Infill, should not contain liberated fiber in an amount that exceeds .01% of the total weight of crumb rubber.

Coated Rubber Infill:

Both ambient and cryogenic rubber can be coated with colorants, sealers, or anti-microbial substances if desired. Coated rubber provides additional aesthetic appeal, reduction of dust by products during the manufacturing process and complete encapsulation of the rubber particle.

EPDM Infill:

EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is a polymer elastomer with high resistance to abrasion and wear and will not change its solid form under high temperatures. Typical EPDM colours are green and tan. EPDM has proven its durability as an infill product in all types of climates. Its excellent elasticity properties and resistance to atmospheric and chemical agents provide a stable, high performance infill product.

Organic Infill:

There are several organic infills available in the North American market, all utilizing different organic components, such as natural cork and/or ground fibers from the outside shell of the coconut. These products can be utilized in professional sports applications as well as for landscaping. At the end of its life cycle it can be recycled directly into the environment.

Sand (Silica) Infill:

Pure silica sand is one of the original infilling materials utilized in synthetic turf. This product is a natural infill that is non-toxic, chemically stable and fracture resistant. Silica sand infills are typically tan, off-tan or white in colour and - depending upon plant location – may be round or sub-round in particle shape. As a natural product there is no possibility of heavy metals, and the dust/turbidity rating is less than 100. It can be used in conjunction with many other infills on the market to provide a safe and more realistic playing surface. The round shape plays an integral part in the synthetic turf system. It is important that silica sand have a high purity (greater than 90%) to resist crushing and absorption of bacteria and other field contaminants. Silica sand can either be coated with different materials as a standalone product or can be used to firm up in combination with traditional crumb rubber infill systems.

Coated Silica Sand Infill:

his class of infill consists of coated, high-purity silica sand with either a soft or rigid coating specifically engineered for synthetic turf. These coatings are either elastomeric or acrylic in nature (non-toxic) and form a bond with the sand grain sealing it from bacteria to provide superior performance and durability over the life of a field. Coated sand is available in various sizes to meet the application’s needs.


Depending on the amount and type of infill, coated sands can either be used with or without a pad and are available in various colours. All of the coatings are non-toxic and are bonded to the quartz grain for superior performance and durability over the life of your field. These materials are typically used as a homogenous infill which provides both ballast and shock absorbing qualities to a synthetic turf application.

TPE Infill:

hermo plastic elastomer (TPE) infill is non-toxic, heavy metal free, available in a variety of colours that resist fading, very long lasting, and 100% recyclable and reusable as infill when the field is replaced. TPE infill, when utilizing virgin-based resins, will offer consistent performance and excellent g-max over a wide temperature range.

Manufacturing of Grass:-

 The "grass" part of a turf system is made with the same tufting techniques used in the manufacture of carpets.

1. The first step is to blend the proprietary ingredients together in a hopper. Dyes and chemicals are added to give the turf its traditional green color and to protect it from the ultraviolet rays from the sun.

2. After the batch has been thoroughly blended, it is fed into a large steel mixer. The batch is automatically mixed until it has a thick, taffy-like consistency.

3. The thickened liquid is then fed into an extruder, and exits in a long, thin strand of material.

4. The strands are placed on a carding machine and spun into a loose rope. The loose ropes are pulled, straightened, and woven into yarn. The nylon yarn is then wound onto large spools.

5. The yarn is then heated to set the twisted shaped.

6. Next, the yarn is taken to a tufting machine. The yarn is put on a bar with skewers (a reel) behind the tufting machine. It is then fed through a tube leading to the tufting needle. The needle pierces the primary backing of the turf and pushes the yarn into the loop. A looper, or flat hook, seizes and release the loop of nylon while the needle pulls back up; the backing is shifted forward and the needle once more pierces the backing further on. This process is carried out by several hundred needles, and several hundred rows of stitches are carried out per minute. The nylon yarn is now a carpet of artificial turf.

7. The artificial turf carpet is now rolled under a dispenser that spreads a coating of latex onto the underside of the turf. At the same time, a strong secondary backing is also coated with latex. Both of these are then rolled onto a marriage roller, which forms them into a sandwich and seals them together.

8. The artificial turf is then placed under heat lamps to cure the latex.

9. The turf is fed through a machine that clips off any tufts that rise above its uniform surface.

10. Then the turf is rolled into large v/lengths and packaged. The rolls are then shipped to the wholesaler.

Installation of Grass:-

Artificial turf installation and maintenance is as important as its construction.

1. The base of the installation, which is either concrete or compacted soil, must be levelled by a bulldozer and then smoothed by a steam roller. Uneven surfaces will still be evident once the turf is applied.

2. For outdoor applications, intricate drainage systems must be installed, since the underlying surface can absorb little, if any, rainwater.

3. Turf systems can be either filled or unfilled. A filled system is designed so that once it is installed, a material such as crumbled cork, rubber pellets, or sand (or a mixture) is spread over the turf and raked down in between the fibers. The material helps support the blades of fiber, and also provides a surface with some give, that feels more like the soil under a natural grass surface. Filled systems have some limitations, however. Filling material like cork may break down or the filling material can become contaminated with dirt and become compacted. In either case the blades are no longer supported. Maintenance may require removing and replacing all of the fill.

Cost of maintenace and advantages :-

A synthetic turf field usually has a higher upfront cost, but the field often pays for itself over 3-4 years, proving to be a highly cost-effective investment. Synthetic turf fields are typically utilized for about 3,000 hours of play per year, with no "rest” required, the equivalent of three to four well-maintained natural turf fields. In addition, synthetic turf maintenance costs are two to three times less than natural turf, since no mowing, irrigation or chemicals are needed. Because of its consistent availability, a synthetic turf field is also a reliable source of rental revenue for schools and communities.

According to Cory Jenner, a landscape architecture professional in Syracuse, N.Y., the cost of installing and maintaining a synthetic turf sports field over a 20-year period (including one replacement field) is over three times less expensive per event than the cost of a grass field over the same period of time. This is because many more events can be held on a synthetic turf sports field. "Financially speaking, artificial turf is more cost-effective over time,” Jenner said. This cost per event advantage is validated by other authorities and field owners.

Synthetic turf has ability to hold up under very heavy use. While natural turf shouldn’t be played on during or immediately after a rain storm, after the application of pesticides and fertilizers, or during the months when grass doesn’t grow, synthetic turf is always ready for play. Regular maintenance is important to enable synthetic turf to withstand the heavy use that it is often subjected to.

Artificial grass is often seen in playgrounds and parks. It is a recent trend to have artificial grass in lawns and outdoor spaces. It is a replacement to natural grass. The reason why turf is used is that it is easy to maintain. Natural grass grows fast and needs regular chopping and maintenance. Apart from this, artificial turf always looks fresh and has no effect of the changing seasons. They do not need to be watered like natural grass in order to remain new and fresh.

Artificial turf is an excellent option in places where it is not possible to have natural grass growth. This is why more people are choosing an artificial turf over natural grass. Artificial turf consists of synthetic fibers. Artificial turf first gained importance in the 1960s. Since then its popularity and liking has increased among people. Today, artificial turfs offer sand and recycled rubber. In many sports like football, baseball and field hockey we see the use of artificial turf in the stadium. These grass substitutes also have some downsides. These include: use of petroleum, limited life and toxic as components. Artificial turf continues to grow in its use with many people trying it as a substitute to natural grass.

The demerits of older turfs can be prevented by taking correct measures as:

1.Test turf that has fibers that are abraded, faded or broken, contains visible dust, and that is made from nylon or nylon-blend fibers.

2.If the dust contains more than 400 ppm lead, do not allow turf access to children under the age of 6 years.

3.After playing on the field, individuals are encouraged to perform aggressive hand and body washing for at least 20 seconds using soap and warm water.

4. Eating while on the field or turf product is discouraged.