Voice chat provides an effective means of online communication. This article discusses the challenges and benefits of voice communication in online games.
Online games have become rapidly popular over the last few years. In fact, it has become a multi-billion dollar industry. These massive virtual worlds provide a realistic, engaging environment in which people can play and interact. It has been a fertile ground for gamers from all walks of life to come together. As a result, these games have produced large and vibrant online communities.
In these virtual worlds, you can choose an avatar or character that represents you. The latest games offer the ability to customize these characters in unlimited ways; you can change your character’s hairstyle, facial features, size, weight, and clothing. How about the ability to change your voice to match your online personality? That is currently not a standard feature in games. But I do see technology stepping in and providing a solution.
Think of the possibilities: gamers could now change their voice to sound like a troll, giant, dwarf or dark lord. They've spent many hours making their online character to look a certain way, why not change their voice to match? It is products like MorphVOX by Screaming Bee that can fill this need. MorphVOX is voice-changing software specifically designed for online games. This tool allows gamers to role-play more effectively. Not only can they look the part, they can also have a voice to match.
Voice communication in games has been around for quite some time, but only recently has gained popularity in online games. Much of this may have to do with the increase in the number of people who now have broadband Internet connections instead of dial-up. This provides the extra precious bandwidth to cover an additional voice channel. As voice chat is becoming increasingly prevalent in online game use, companies like Xfire, TeamSpeak, and Ventrillo have emerged to meet the needs.
One company, Xfire, demonstrates the popularity of voice chat. Xfire provides a free application that can be used by gamers to easily find friends online and communicate in game. Starting in 2004, the company’s market share has rapidly grown to almost four million users.
Many gamers are finding voice chat to be a superior way to communicate as opposed to the slower process of typing messages on a keyboard. If a monster jumps out, there is no need for fumbling with the keys when you need to shout for help. Voice chat also lets gamers coordinate large groups of people effectively in large raids.
What about role-playing and voice communication? There is some reluctance to use voice communication in online role-playing games. Much of this issue stems from the lack of good voice-changing tools in the past that can work effectively with games. In addition, there is less control of good content on voice chat. External noises, such as other people talking in the same room, are very distracting and can’t be easily masked over a microphone. Also, some less helpful gamers could use voice chat to taunt or annoy other people, who may be unable to turn off an in-game voice channel. And role-playing over live voice communication poses a challenge for most people of finding the right thing to say at the right time. Most of us aren’t very good at extemporaneous acting – improvising in real-time.
However, new online games such as Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO) provide in-game voice capabilities that are adding a new life to role-playing. Many people are now starting to adopt voice chat as an important part of their in-game experience. As games like DDO become more common, I foresee brighter days ahead for voice communication. By providing a rich auditory experience, voice chat will improve realism for gamers. This is part of the never-ending process of adding more immersion to these virtual worlds.
Monday, December 25, 2006
The Ubiquitous Cell Phone an Evolution in Telecommunications
The ubiquitous cell phone has revolutionized the way people communicate. Communication has become more efficient, and way more accessible. Gone are the days of searching for a pay phone, and then searching for those evasive quarters. Cell phones have evolved from a large, one-dimensional device to its present multi dimensional, small form. They keep millions of people in touch with business, family and friends. In addition, they are proven to be very valuable during times of emergency. Contemporary cell phones perform many functions, access to the Internet, access to streaming data, video cameras, and entertainment. They are clearly a great way to communicate, and in some cases are replacing traditional telephones.
In 1843 Michael Faraday did a series of experiments that ultimately lead to the underlining principals of today’s cell phones. By 1947, a crude mobile phone was developed, and in 1977 cell phones went public. The city of Chicago was where the first service was started with around 2000 subscribers. The term cell phone originated from the use of many base stations to divide service areas into multiple cells. These multiple cells allowed for a wider range of coverage, and a greater call volume. The 1980’s saw a genuine proliferation of cell phone use, and by the 1990s analog signals were being replaced by digital signals.
Like televisions, computers, and all other electrical devices, mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation. The fear was that these devices were being held to close to an individual’s head, and this radiation could cause some form of brain cancer. In a 1999 study, investigators at the Orebro Medical Centre in Sweden compared the past mobile phone use of 209 Swedish brain tumor patients and 425 healthy people. The study found no mobile phone/brain cancer link in virtually all respects, cancer researcher John E. Moulder, Ph.D., says. All the available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones in adults, children, and teenagers. In spite of this, prudent precautions should be exercised. These include taking measures to move the cell phone antenna at least eight inches away from your head by using hands-free sets, remote earpieces and microphones, or installing radiation shields for hand held phones.
In spite of the unbelievable demand for cell phones, it took cellular phone service 37 years total to become commercially accessible in the US, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Today there are more than 60 million customers with cell phones, in spite of the fact that wireless service was just developed nearly 50 years ago. The cellular business was a $3 million market 25 years ago and has grown exponentially to close to a $30 billion per year industry, and projections far exceed those numbers.
In 1843 Michael Faraday did a series of experiments that ultimately lead to the underlining principals of today’s cell phones. By 1947, a crude mobile phone was developed, and in 1977 cell phones went public. The city of Chicago was where the first service was started with around 2000 subscribers. The term cell phone originated from the use of many base stations to divide service areas into multiple cells. These multiple cells allowed for a wider range of coverage, and a greater call volume. The 1980’s saw a genuine proliferation of cell phone use, and by the 1990s analog signals were being replaced by digital signals.
Like televisions, computers, and all other electrical devices, mobile phones emit electromagnetic radiation. The fear was that these devices were being held to close to an individual’s head, and this radiation could cause some form of brain cancer. In a 1999 study, investigators at the Orebro Medical Centre in Sweden compared the past mobile phone use of 209 Swedish brain tumor patients and 425 healthy people. The study found no mobile phone/brain cancer link in virtually all respects, cancer researcher John E. Moulder, Ph.D., says. All the available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems are associated with using wireless phones in adults, children, and teenagers. In spite of this, prudent precautions should be exercised. These include taking measures to move the cell phone antenna at least eight inches away from your head by using hands-free sets, remote earpieces and microphones, or installing radiation shields for hand held phones.
In spite of the unbelievable demand for cell phones, it took cellular phone service 37 years total to become commercially accessible in the US, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Today there are more than 60 million customers with cell phones, in spite of the fact that wireless service was just developed nearly 50 years ago. The cellular business was a $3 million market 25 years ago and has grown exponentially to close to a $30 billion per year industry, and projections far exceed those numbers.
Profile Of The Wireless Telecommunications Industry
We are also a repository of telecommunications industry reports and market research, and hosts one of the most comprehensive database of telecommunications company profiles. The model acts as a value-added tool to initiate discussions of critical issues in today's telecommunications industry. Quality Teaching staff are drawn primarily from the School of Technology and include experienced academic staff and recent recruits from the telecommunications industry. Profile of the wireless telecommunications industry and the telecommunications tower industry.
A gin pole is a device unique to the telecommunication tower industry. National Telecom Search Specializes in the hi-tech environment of the telecommunications industry, placing professionals in sales, management, marketing and technical careers. Average earnings in telecommunications greatly exceed average earnings throughout private industry. All of the major sectors of the telecommunications industry are or will increasingly use VoIP. Industry consolidation and strong price competition among telecommunications firms will decrease employment as companies try to reduce their costs.
State Legislation The telecommunications industry has recognized the potential threat of competition from public utilities and local governments in general. and NEC, TTIC is a leading company in the telecommunication industry. The FCC, consumer groups and the telecommunications industry are now discussing plans for educating the public about this cell phone/hearing aid compatibility standard. Xicom has developed solutions specifically for the telecommunications industry to complement Xicom's traditional information technology solutions. The telecommunication services industry is made up of businesses mainly providing telecommunication services to the public by wire, cable or radio.
WTC has been providing professional consulting services focused on the special needs in telecommunications, networks, and information technology since its inception in 1983. The latest telecommunication technology can be installed on your premises with the help of telecommunication consultation. This text is a part of a course-study in telecommunications technology. Programs in telecommunication management or telecom management address changing technology advances in system design and the implications this has on modern life. The course also will address telecommunications and networks, electronic commerce, decision support systems, security and ethical challenges, and global management of e-business technology.
Modern telecommunication systems make extensive use of time synchronization, and there is a link between the development of communications and time-keeping technology. However, the increasing standardization of telecommunications technology will limit their employment. Therefore the criticism that Marx makes of industrial technology does not apply to computer managed telecommunication technology. Long Island JobsSearch or browse local jobs in information technology, telecommunications and new media, post your resume, and find career events and other resources. The programme also addresses such areas as telecommunication architecture evolution, digital communication and radio technology. The rapid evolution of telecommunications technology demands a broad educational background including today's technological breakthroughs. Communication technology and policy have increased in importance in recent years because of rapid technical progress and massive global investment in telecommunication infrastructure.
A gin pole is a device unique to the telecommunication tower industry. National Telecom Search Specializes in the hi-tech environment of the telecommunications industry, placing professionals in sales, management, marketing and technical careers. Average earnings in telecommunications greatly exceed average earnings throughout private industry. All of the major sectors of the telecommunications industry are or will increasingly use VoIP. Industry consolidation and strong price competition among telecommunications firms will decrease employment as companies try to reduce their costs.
State Legislation The telecommunications industry has recognized the potential threat of competition from public utilities and local governments in general. and NEC, TTIC is a leading company in the telecommunication industry. The FCC, consumer groups and the telecommunications industry are now discussing plans for educating the public about this cell phone/hearing aid compatibility standard. Xicom has developed solutions specifically for the telecommunications industry to complement Xicom's traditional information technology solutions. The telecommunication services industry is made up of businesses mainly providing telecommunication services to the public by wire, cable or radio.
WTC has been providing professional consulting services focused on the special needs in telecommunications, networks, and information technology since its inception in 1983. The latest telecommunication technology can be installed on your premises with the help of telecommunication consultation. This text is a part of a course-study in telecommunications technology. Programs in telecommunication management or telecom management address changing technology advances in system design and the implications this has on modern life. The course also will address telecommunications and networks, electronic commerce, decision support systems, security and ethical challenges, and global management of e-business technology.
Modern telecommunication systems make extensive use of time synchronization, and there is a link between the development of communications and time-keeping technology. However, the increasing standardization of telecommunications technology will limit their employment. Therefore the criticism that Marx makes of industrial technology does not apply to computer managed telecommunication technology. Long Island JobsSearch or browse local jobs in information technology, telecommunications and new media, post your resume, and find career events and other resources. The programme also addresses such areas as telecommunication architecture evolution, digital communication and radio technology. The rapid evolution of telecommunications technology demands a broad educational background including today's technological breakthroughs. Communication technology and policy have increased in importance in recent years because of rapid technical progress and massive global investment in telecommunication infrastructure.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
VoIP voice of the future
There are a lot of questions to be asked about VoIP, the new technology of future. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it represents a cost-effective way of placing calls over the Internet. The beauty of VoIP lies in the fact that it combines both voice and data communications on a single network.
VoIP is quite new on the telecommunications market and it was until only recently that consumers started to consider this technology worthy of replacing everyday phone use. The basic requirement for VoIP is a broadband connection and a speed up to 90kbps depending on the voice compression algorithm chosen by the service provider.
There are many services included with VoIP: call waiting, voice messaging and three-way calling for conferences. You can store incoming calls to voice mail if you do not want to be disturbed by the telephone. The vast array of features that VoIP has to offer allows the technology to be used in a multitude of ways.
Also, you have additional options such as travel global feature or call transfer. The first allows you to take your IP ready phone or ATA (adaptor) and plug it into your broadband connection around the world. By doing that you will have the same service and features you are accustomed to at home. Be patient and search thoroughly for internet telephony service providers that support this feature. Call transfer is a special option for businessmen and it is quite beneficial; you are able to transfer a call you have already answered to another number.
The introduction in recent years of the IP ready phone, which has the ATA built in, offers consumers a whole host of new features and applications for the VoIP technology. VoIP is expanding at an exponential rate and one of its main advantages is portability. Many internet telephony service providers also offer area code selection, stating that if you move to another city, through the use of VoIP technology you can still keep the area code if you desire and the charges are for local calls.
Another great feature of VoIP technology is the one with extra virtual numbers; allows one to add extra phone numbers to the primary line with any area code selected. A toil free number is a useful VoIP application if you decide to move and want to keep in contact with your friends and family. Internet telephony service providers charge a small amount of money for this option.
More and more specialists try to implement soft dialer technology with VoIP. A soft dialer is installed to improve productivity when compared with manual dialing environments. For a long time, researchers looked for new and better ways to integrate the soft dialer with the software collection. They successfully connected the soft dialer with Voice over Internet Protocol technology in order to complement the automation and permit one to do more with fewer resources.
Many people wonder what a soft dialer really is. Well, a soft dialer is when the algorithms interface via a CTI port on a switch that does the calling. There are a few requirements for a soft dialer: up-to-date software, good operating system, hardware with a sound card and microphone/speakers. Also a soft dialer needs a processor with multimedia capacity, a sound card with speakers and headphone. Keep in mind that a high speed Internet connection is a must.
A soft dialer is capable of functioning at its best capacity in power dialer mode and it is perfect capable of Voice over Internet Protocol interface. Besides the obvious cost benefit in saving another reason for using a soft dialer is the answering machine detection.
VoIP is quite new on the telecommunications market and it was until only recently that consumers started to consider this technology worthy of replacing everyday phone use. The basic requirement for VoIP is a broadband connection and a speed up to 90kbps depending on the voice compression algorithm chosen by the service provider.
There are many services included with VoIP: call waiting, voice messaging and three-way calling for conferences. You can store incoming calls to voice mail if you do not want to be disturbed by the telephone. The vast array of features that VoIP has to offer allows the technology to be used in a multitude of ways.
Also, you have additional options such as travel global feature or call transfer. The first allows you to take your IP ready phone or ATA (adaptor) and plug it into your broadband connection around the world. By doing that you will have the same service and features you are accustomed to at home. Be patient and search thoroughly for internet telephony service providers that support this feature. Call transfer is a special option for businessmen and it is quite beneficial; you are able to transfer a call you have already answered to another number.
The introduction in recent years of the IP ready phone, which has the ATA built in, offers consumers a whole host of new features and applications for the VoIP technology. VoIP is expanding at an exponential rate and one of its main advantages is portability. Many internet telephony service providers also offer area code selection, stating that if you move to another city, through the use of VoIP technology you can still keep the area code if you desire and the charges are for local calls.
Another great feature of VoIP technology is the one with extra virtual numbers; allows one to add extra phone numbers to the primary line with any area code selected. A toil free number is a useful VoIP application if you decide to move and want to keep in contact with your friends and family. Internet telephony service providers charge a small amount of money for this option.
More and more specialists try to implement soft dialer technology with VoIP. A soft dialer is installed to improve productivity when compared with manual dialing environments. For a long time, researchers looked for new and better ways to integrate the soft dialer with the software collection. They successfully connected the soft dialer with Voice over Internet Protocol technology in order to complement the automation and permit one to do more with fewer resources.
Many people wonder what a soft dialer really is. Well, a soft dialer is when the algorithms interface via a CTI port on a switch that does the calling. There are a few requirements for a soft dialer: up-to-date software, good operating system, hardware with a sound card and microphone/speakers. Also a soft dialer needs a processor with multimedia capacity, a sound card with speakers and headphone. Keep in mind that a high speed Internet connection is a must.
A soft dialer is capable of functioning at its best capacity in power dialer mode and it is perfect capable of Voice over Internet Protocol interface. Besides the obvious cost benefit in saving another reason for using a soft dialer is the answering machine detection.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Network Centric Warfare a newly emerging military doctrine
Aeronautics is closely involved in the development of Network Centric Warfare (NCW), or Network Centric Operations (NCO), a newly emerging military doctrine that aims to exploit technical advances in information technology and telecommunications to improve situational awareness and the speed of decision-making.
The vision for Network Centric Warfare is to provide seamless access to timely information to all war fighters and decision-makers at every echelon in the military hierarchy. This enables all elements, including individual infantry soldiers, ground vehicles, command centers, aircraft and naval vessels, to share the information collected to be combined into a coherent, accurate picture of the battlefield.
Having rapid access to reliable situational awareness and a relevant common operational picture results in faster strategic planning and more effective tactical decisions. Targets can be more rapidly detected and intercepted, and tragic "friendly fire" events can be more successfully avoided.
Aeronautics develops and supplies many of the advanced systems and communications setups, which form key elements for achieving the Network Centric Warfare goal, including:
Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, mounted on manned or unmanned airborne, ground or seagoing platforms. These ISR sensors may operate in the visible, infrared or radar spectra.
Control stations for the operation of unmanned platforms and distribution of tactical data.
Reliable communications links.
Sophisticated control software interface, enabling all tactical elements to be located on continuously updated digital map.
Integration of surveillance video, from manned or unmanned ISR platforms, with digital map.
Man-portable or vehicle installed Remote Video Terminals (RVT), for direct reception of ISR video and telemetry by mobile ground forces
Airborne Radio Frequency (RF) relay systems for range extension.
Central to the Network Centric Warfare concept is system compatibility and interoperability. The different elements in a Network Centric Warfare system must be able to interface and 'talk' to each other if the system is to be effective. Aeronautics achieves this through unified systems architecture, based on the outstanding UMAS�, a universal unit that combines all full flight control, navigation, payload control and communications functions on one 32-bit processor. The UMAS� is featured in all Aeronautics' ISR platforms and control stations.
Network Centric Warfare is a major tactical and strategic concept that requires careful, detailed planning, integration and training. Aeronautics' personnel include experienced engineers and expert Israeli Defense Forces' Reserve Officers who use their unique knowledge to build the optimal solutions to customer requirements.
It should be noted that the principles and systems of Network Centered Warfare are applicable to all levels of conflict, from Full Scale Land Battles through to Low Intensity Conflict, and also to civilian scenarios, including such situations as Border Security, Pursuit of Suspects, Traffic Control and Search and Rescue.
One example a Network Centered Warfare systems is the Tactical UAV.
Aeronautics Defense Systems was recently awarded a contract by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems for provision of a UAV Control System and operation of the Aerostar Tactical UAV. The system will be deployed at Las Cruces, New Mexico, as part of the NMSU UAV Technology Analysis and Applications Center (TAAC). The Aerostar will support UAV Operations, Training/Certification, and Sensor Technology Development. Aeronautics Defense Systems has a strategic alliance with General Dynamics in ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, USA for unmanned systems
The vision for Network Centric Warfare is to provide seamless access to timely information to all war fighters and decision-makers at every echelon in the military hierarchy. This enables all elements, including individual infantry soldiers, ground vehicles, command centers, aircraft and naval vessels, to share the information collected to be combined into a coherent, accurate picture of the battlefield.
Having rapid access to reliable situational awareness and a relevant common operational picture results in faster strategic planning and more effective tactical decisions. Targets can be more rapidly detected and intercepted, and tragic "friendly fire" events can be more successfully avoided.
Aeronautics develops and supplies many of the advanced systems and communications setups, which form key elements for achieving the Network Centric Warfare goal, including:
Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, mounted on manned or unmanned airborne, ground or seagoing platforms. These ISR sensors may operate in the visible, infrared or radar spectra.
Control stations for the operation of unmanned platforms and distribution of tactical data.
Reliable communications links.
Sophisticated control software interface, enabling all tactical elements to be located on continuously updated digital map.
Integration of surveillance video, from manned or unmanned ISR platforms, with digital map.
Man-portable or vehicle installed Remote Video Terminals (RVT), for direct reception of ISR video and telemetry by mobile ground forces
Airborne Radio Frequency (RF) relay systems for range extension.
Central to the Network Centric Warfare concept is system compatibility and interoperability. The different elements in a Network Centric Warfare system must be able to interface and 'talk' to each other if the system is to be effective. Aeronautics achieves this through unified systems architecture, based on the outstanding UMAS�, a universal unit that combines all full flight control, navigation, payload control and communications functions on one 32-bit processor. The UMAS� is featured in all Aeronautics' ISR platforms and control stations.
Network Centric Warfare is a major tactical and strategic concept that requires careful, detailed planning, integration and training. Aeronautics' personnel include experienced engineers and expert Israeli Defense Forces' Reserve Officers who use their unique knowledge to build the optimal solutions to customer requirements.
It should be noted that the principles and systems of Network Centered Warfare are applicable to all levels of conflict, from Full Scale Land Battles through to Low Intensity Conflict, and also to civilian scenarios, including such situations as Border Security, Pursuit of Suspects, Traffic Control and Search and Rescue.
One example a Network Centered Warfare systems is the Tactical UAV.
Aeronautics Defense Systems was recently awarded a contract by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems for provision of a UAV Control System and operation of the Aerostar Tactical UAV. The system will be deployed at Las Cruces, New Mexico, as part of the NMSU UAV Technology Analysis and Applications Center (TAAC). The Aerostar will support UAV Operations, Training/Certification, and Sensor Technology Development. Aeronautics Defense Systems has a strategic alliance with General Dynamics in ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, USA for unmanned systems
Satellite Telephones Saving the World
Communication is the way of man's expressing thoughts and opinions. It involves sharing the message that you want to impart to other people. It is the tool for understanding each other.
What would be the world be like if human beings were unable to communicate with one another? A world of chaos.
People used to communicate simply by talking at each other, but they found it difficult if the message had to be transmitted to far places.
But as time went by, through the utilization of the modern day technology, things become easy. Started from the telephones at home, down to the cellular phones and the recent invention, the satellite phones.
How do these satellite phones work?
Satellite phones are invented in case of emergency and unexpected circumstances. They allow you to have voice and data communication for instances that the local landline and the cellular systems are disrupted. This will serve as your ultimate resort for communication in the event that the telephone infrastructure cannot manage to handle the volume of calls or there is a disruption that occurred to the network.
Satellite phones are very different from cellular phones. Unlike the latter, it does not make use of the call towers. Rather, they use Low Earth Orbiting Satellites. The moment that you turn on the satellite phone, it will already connect to the any number of satellites that shows compatibility to yours.
When you make a call the signal of the phone goes to a satellite that is directed down to a ground station or a gateway that is also directed to your call destination. The gateway processes will take care of the switching of the phone rather than the cellular network. This is the solution for those who worry about places that do not have network. The gateway allows you to use your phone even if when you are in an area that is far from any cell tower.
See how convenient satellite phones are. In event of an emergency a satellite phone is a valuable asset and could mean the difference between life and death where communication is critical. It will be an instrument towards saving the world, because despite the odds you can still communicate with others.
Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news, views and information about communications and Satellite Phones at Satellite Telephones Information.
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Satellite-Telephones.info
What would be the world be like if human beings were unable to communicate with one another? A world of chaos.
People used to communicate simply by talking at each other, but they found it difficult if the message had to be transmitted to far places.
But as time went by, through the utilization of the modern day technology, things become easy. Started from the telephones at home, down to the cellular phones and the recent invention, the satellite phones.
How do these satellite phones work?
Satellite phones are invented in case of emergency and unexpected circumstances. They allow you to have voice and data communication for instances that the local landline and the cellular systems are disrupted. This will serve as your ultimate resort for communication in the event that the telephone infrastructure cannot manage to handle the volume of calls or there is a disruption that occurred to the network.
Satellite phones are very different from cellular phones. Unlike the latter, it does not make use of the call towers. Rather, they use Low Earth Orbiting Satellites. The moment that you turn on the satellite phone, it will already connect to the any number of satellites that shows compatibility to yours.
When you make a call the signal of the phone goes to a satellite that is directed down to a ground station or a gateway that is also directed to your call destination. The gateway processes will take care of the switching of the phone rather than the cellular network. This is the solution for those who worry about places that do not have network. The gateway allows you to use your phone even if when you are in an area that is far from any cell tower.
See how convenient satellite phones are. In event of an emergency a satellite phone is a valuable asset and could mean the difference between life and death where communication is critical. It will be an instrument towards saving the world, because despite the odds you can still communicate with others.
Nicola Kennedy publishes articles and reports and provides news, views and information about communications and Satellite Phones at Satellite Telephones Information.
This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Satellite-Telephones.info
Data Backup Do you have a backup and recovery plan
Data backup is rarely a part of a home computer user's or business IT administrator's plans, �we all say it will never happen to me or my company, but in reality we are just mentally preparing for the time we lose our data.� Its like trying to stop smoking, we all know we should do it but will find every excuse not to.� So be honest with yourself and ask yourself the question, do you have a backup plan for your data, or more importantly, do you have a restore plan which will protect your business should something go wrong? All business leaders and owners will now tell you that computers are way past being a useful part of our lives, but now they are an absolute necessity.�� We acknowledge the data which resides on our computer infrastructure is the most important asset of any organization.� I ask again, what would happen if you lost your data and what are you doing to protect it?The reasons for data loss are endless, human intervention, hardware failure,software failure, natural disaster, loss, theft, we can go on, but we can besure of one thing, as time goes by the list will get longer and longer.
Ever had anything stolen or lost anything before?
I have been in the IT industry for some 25 years now, and as you can imagine, I have heard some bizarre stories of how computers and servers have been stolen.�
Laptops stolen from back seats of cars (data lost), a colleague forgot he left his laptop on the roof of his car; problem is he realized when he was 160 miles down the road (lost data).� My friend's office was broken in twice in two nights, first time resulted in loss of desktop computers and totally trashed alarm system (some data loss), and second night was to take the servers along with the backup device and media!� Apparently the heavy stuff was stolen the second night as the thief's had more time due to the alarm not being repaired quickly enough (total data loss and company ceased trading within 8 months). �Save yourself money; prevent data loss in the first place by implementing a data backup plan.
If you have managed to never lose your laptop or have you whole IT infrastructure stolen then well done, so now let's prepare ourselves for hardware failure.� There are mainly only three mechanical parts within a laptop, computer or server; 1) hard drive, 2) backup drive 3) CD or DVD.�� Hard drives do fail and if it has not happen yet it will.� Don't get me wrong, if you take a failed drive to an expert, they will probably get most of your data back (phew) but expect to pay in excess of �5000 for the pleasure (not phew).� Save yourself money; prevent data loss in the first place by implementing a data backup plan.
Fire or Disaster (natural or not).I live in the UK, it's a lovely place as we don't have issues with forest fires, earth quakes, and hurricanes etc. so there will never be any large natural disaster which will wipe out the majority of a city.�� This is what I thought until the Bunsfield oil refinery blew up and flattened everything within a 3 mile radius.�� There are a million and one reasons and scenarios I can give you illustrating why you should backup your business data.� We all know the practice of data backup is nothing more than good common sense. Mission critical or sensitive data you don't want or can not afford to lose should be secured.� PROTECT YOUR DATA! �If you honestly think you do not need to backup your data because you will never lose it, please stop reading this article now and go and do something less boring.
Let's talk about the various ways of securing your data and other backup services.� If you take the following on board you will be able to find the solution which will best suit you or your company.Backup to CD solution.
To backup your file data to CD is easy, it may be time consuming to do every night and you will have to be disciplined to put up to an hour aside to carry out this task every night. To backup data to a CD drive is not anautomated process and we all know people get busy.�� Once you havebacked your data to CD please always verify that the data is actually on the CD and then take it home with you.� There is no point leaving it to be stolenor destroyed by fire along with your hardware.Please do not us a CD to archive data (safe documents for a long time) as I would not expect this form of media to remain stable for more than 2 years.�
Backing up to CD has many limitations but it is certainly better than not backing up your data at all.�
RAID � Not backup but will protect your server disks.All servers should be given every opportunity to stay alive, running a RAID configuration will help prevent data loss due to hard drive failure.� Ifyou have 3 drives running in a RAID 5 configuration, your server will tolerate asingle drive failure.� RAID will not protect you from fire, flood, theft orany other disaster waiting to happen, but does offer business continuity.This solution doesn't usually protect you from theft as the extra hard drives for RAID storage are usually installed in your computer or in other equipment on site. It usually won't protect you from fire either so this method does have its limitations.
Secure Offsite Data Backup and Recovery via a third party organization.Offsite Backup or Backing up via the Internet methods are usually associated with larger enterprise companies.� In the past the high cost of high speed connectivity has been prohibitive to smaller companies.
This method of data backup is now become totally accepted and is gaining momentum around the globe.� The main reason for such grown is because the price of high speed internet connections has greatly reduced, virtually every business and home is connected to the internet via a minimum 2MB pipe as a result it is now possible to backup high volumes of data to a secure offsite data centre.�
For me, the best element of an offsite backup solution is not the high encryption security levels in place, the price or the purpose designedreplicated infrastructure where your data is stored, but it is the fact that anoffsite backup solution is a totally automated process.� Set and forget,once you have set the software to backup your data at a certain time of everyday you can just forget it and let it get on with its job of protecting your data.If I controlled your backup process, I would implement all three of the options mentioned.� A RAID system for business continuity, offsite backup to securely protect all my business data, and to enable a quick restore, a CD backup of just my mission critical data which will keep my business running.
Data Shredder and Data Recovery Utilities
Critical Information every PC user must know! Did you know that files you have previously deleted are not actually removed from your PC, and can easily be seen, retrieved and viewed?. Windows does not remove deleted files, they remain and kept in a hidden area on your hard drive and can be easily recovered and retrieved exposing your privacy and security.
Everything you have deleted in the past including any file, movie, clip, document, financial information, private information, contact information, internet history, pictures and images, programs, e-mails, cookies, spyware/adware and anything else you have previously deleted, still remain on your hard drive.
Windows marks files for deletion and removes them from the file system database when you delete them. This doesn't mean they are immediately gone. In fact, all that initially happens when you delete a file is Windows makes note that the space occupied by the file is listed as available space for storing new information. Until something new is written to the part of the drive where that old file was stored, your file is still there. Depending on how many sectors that file occupies, pieces of the file could exist on your drive for a very long time. If you very recently deleted the file, there's an excellent chance you will recover it, especially if you haven't downloaded a bunch of new files or created several gigabytes of data. The trick is finding the right tool to get them back.
Everything you have deleted in the past including any file, movie, clip, document, financial information, private information, contact information, internet history, pictures and images, programs, e-mails, cookies, spyware/adware and anything else you have previously deleted, still remain on your hard drive.
Windows marks files for deletion and removes them from the file system database when you delete them. This doesn't mean they are immediately gone. In fact, all that initially happens when you delete a file is Windows makes note that the space occupied by the file is listed as available space for storing new information. Until something new is written to the part of the drive where that old file was stored, your file is still there. Depending on how many sectors that file occupies, pieces of the file could exist on your drive for a very long time. If you very recently deleted the file, there's an excellent chance you will recover it, especially if you haven't downloaded a bunch of new files or created several gigabytes of data. The trick is finding the right tool to get them back.
IP Telephony the big wave of global communication systems
IP Telephony -the big wave of global communication systems?
IP telephony, or Internet Protocol telephony deploys the Internet infrastructure to transmit voice and fax calls. IP phone systems digitize voice and transmit it in the form of packets to unique IP addresses designated by the user. Slow to get off the blocks, Internet phone systems have gained significant ground in the recent years. This is largely due to the rapid rise of convergence as the ultimate destination for communication technology. In this context, voice over ip phone systems are seen as a crucial first step in the march towards achieving seamless low-cost connectivity by integrating data, voice, and video onto a single Internet based platform.
Enterprise communications at the cross-roads
A recent study by META group, a subsidiary of the global consultancy major Gartner, indicates that convergence is fast catching up among businesses across the globe. As per the study, 26 per cent of the Global 2000 Enterprises are in the process of migrating to converged networks, whereas another 42 per cent will be taking it up in the next one to two years. Impressive figures indeed! In the same vein it predicts that the IP lines deployed by the hybrid 'computer phone systems', are bound to see a 50 per cent growth annually in the coming years. One reason why enterprises are boarding the IP telephony bandwagon is that it enables them to generate substantial cost-savings by using their existing IP infrastructure for voice traffic. Plus, prominent communication equipment vendors, such as UK based Actimax Plc, have clearly cast their mandate in favor of the Internet phone system. Going by the Actimax Web site, the benefits of adopting an IP phone system include:
1. Connecting remote workers at no extra cost
2. Integrating IP applications with telephones to harness the best of two technologies
3. Connecting geographically disparate sites together at no extra call cost
IP telephony - the roadblocks
From the above, the IP phone systems appear simply unstoppable and clearly the future of the global communications. But then why is it still moving at a relatively slow pace? For example, an overwhelming majority of enterprises in upcoming markets still remain unconvinced by its efficacy. In the developed world too the picture is not so rosy. As per estimates put forward by world telecoms major Ericsson, 'pure-play VOIP phone system PBXs account for less than five per cent of customer premises equipment (CPE) shipments' across the globe. Apart from this, businesses implementing VOIP phone systems too prefer to remain on line with the traditional wire line telephony. The reasons are not hard to find. META group studies point towards the a still lingering adverse public perception about reliability, degree of integration with legacy systems, and the money that needs to be pumped into the new applications.
Besides, a number of countries, including India and China, are still to recognize IP telephony, which puts a big question mark over its usability in these fast growing markets. Apart from this, convergence require a high degree of customization for companies in different sectors. Experts also point out that converged networks are still to come up with common technical standards that are essential to make the technology ubiquitous.
An idea whose time is nigh
Despite the remaining hurdles, it clearly emerges that the future belongs to converged networks, which means that we are in for a greater proliferation of voice over IP phone systems both at the workplace and in life away from office. The technology has got too many things going for it. After all how can we turn away a system that offers advantages such as greater efficiency and productivity while lowering your total cost of ownership? Those of you who have had a feel of concepts such as 'Computer Telephone Integration' will know what we are talking about. And, to those still to get a taste of this upcoming communication revolution, we can only say: Go out and try it for yourself. It makes more sense to be an active participant in the technology sweepstakes than to wait and let the convergence wave sweep you off your feet.
IP telephony, or Internet Protocol telephony deploys the Internet infrastructure to transmit voice and fax calls. IP phone systems digitize voice and transmit it in the form of packets to unique IP addresses designated by the user. Slow to get off the blocks, Internet phone systems have gained significant ground in the recent years. This is largely due to the rapid rise of convergence as the ultimate destination for communication technology. In this context, voice over ip phone systems are seen as a crucial first step in the march towards achieving seamless low-cost connectivity by integrating data, voice, and video onto a single Internet based platform.
Enterprise communications at the cross-roads
A recent study by META group, a subsidiary of the global consultancy major Gartner, indicates that convergence is fast catching up among businesses across the globe. As per the study, 26 per cent of the Global 2000 Enterprises are in the process of migrating to converged networks, whereas another 42 per cent will be taking it up in the next one to two years. Impressive figures indeed! In the same vein it predicts that the IP lines deployed by the hybrid 'computer phone systems', are bound to see a 50 per cent growth annually in the coming years. One reason why enterprises are boarding the IP telephony bandwagon is that it enables them to generate substantial cost-savings by using their existing IP infrastructure for voice traffic. Plus, prominent communication equipment vendors, such as UK based Actimax Plc, have clearly cast their mandate in favor of the Internet phone system. Going by the Actimax Web site, the benefits of adopting an IP phone system include:
1. Connecting remote workers at no extra cost
2. Integrating IP applications with telephones to harness the best of two technologies
3. Connecting geographically disparate sites together at no extra call cost
IP telephony - the roadblocks
From the above, the IP phone systems appear simply unstoppable and clearly the future of the global communications. But then why is it still moving at a relatively slow pace? For example, an overwhelming majority of enterprises in upcoming markets still remain unconvinced by its efficacy. In the developed world too the picture is not so rosy. As per estimates put forward by world telecoms major Ericsson, 'pure-play VOIP phone system PBXs account for less than five per cent of customer premises equipment (CPE) shipments' across the globe. Apart from this, businesses implementing VOIP phone systems too prefer to remain on line with the traditional wire line telephony. The reasons are not hard to find. META group studies point towards the a still lingering adverse public perception about reliability, degree of integration with legacy systems, and the money that needs to be pumped into the new applications.
Besides, a number of countries, including India and China, are still to recognize IP telephony, which puts a big question mark over its usability in these fast growing markets. Apart from this, convergence require a high degree of customization for companies in different sectors. Experts also point out that converged networks are still to come up with common technical standards that are essential to make the technology ubiquitous.
An idea whose time is nigh
Despite the remaining hurdles, it clearly emerges that the future belongs to converged networks, which means that we are in for a greater proliferation of voice over IP phone systems both at the workplace and in life away from office. The technology has got too many things going for it. After all how can we turn away a system that offers advantages such as greater efficiency and productivity while lowering your total cost of ownership? Those of you who have had a feel of concepts such as 'Computer Telephone Integration' will know what we are talking about. And, to those still to get a taste of this upcoming communication revolution, we can only say: Go out and try it for yourself. It makes more sense to be an active participant in the technology sweepstakes than to wait and let the convergence wave sweep you off your feet.
Choosing Among the Many Available VOIP Phone Services
Making telephone calls over the Internet is an exciting and cost saving technology that is taking a position to completely change voice communications forever. VOIP, or voice over Internet protocol, is not a brand new technology, having been around the business world for several years. But in the last few years, it has begun to catch on with consumers as a way to combine all forms of their communications in their homes (voice, email, etc.) and beat the high fees that long distance companies on their customers. There are many VOIP phone services around now that offer the moon and more in order to get business. It is important to carefully weigh the options so that you don't go to the trouble of switching from traditional landline phone service to VOIP only to get stuck without phone service when the provider goes under, or to get poor quality service and features just to save money or get "free" VOIP service.
As a subscriber to VOIP phone services, there are a multitude of options available to you. You can opt to simply talk through a specially equipped microphone at your home computer, kind of like a speakerphone. You can use your traditional home telephone with the service, as long as you purchase a telephony adapter that will convert the analog audio into digital data packets. You can also choose to buy an IP phone that is ready to plug into your computer and use right away. You can even go wireless. Don't be intimidated if you think that there is a lot of strange equipment to set up or that you will be uncomfortable talking on some "new" kind of phone. VOIP phone service is really no different than the phone service that you are used to, it's just the wiring is different.
The low subscription price is first and foremost what is drawing consumers to VOIP phone services. Depending on the provider you choose, monthly charges range from $19.95 - $34.99 per month. This usually includes free domestic calls (including Canada) and very low International rates (often .03 - .04 per minute). And features that you might be accustomed to paying extra monthly fees for, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three-way Calling are often bundled in with the standard services and standard monthly charge. And don't worry about calling people outside of the service. Most providers have the capabilities to let you do that. And, calling people within your service is often free of charge. There really seems like there is no reason not to switch to VOIP phone services, right?
There are some issues to think about before making the switch to VOIP phone service. You need to consider the provider you choose. Some services offer "free" VOIP service. This is often a gimmick, and what you are not paying for in phone service is apparent in the poor quality reception and limited calling capabilities that you will have to deal with. Some newer providers are often not established enough to handle high volumes of traffic, and often go under, leaving customers in the dark without any phone service at all. It is smart to choose a well-established provider with a good reputation for quality and customer service, in addition to competitive rates and features. Also, it might be a good idea to consider switching only one phone in your home to VOIP. That way, if your provider does go out of business, you have a backup phone line to communicate with.
Don't be too concerned about losing your phone service or getting swindled by a fly-by-night VOIP phone service provider. There are several reputable providers on the market, and a testament to that is the continuing growth of the technology. In addition to the money you will save by subscribing to VOIP service, you will have the freedom of being able to travel with your phone and phone number and make calls anywhere you go. If you have access to a broadband Internet connection, you can make and receive calls by simply plugging in. This is ideal if you travel a lot for business. Besides the obvious money savings involved with VOIP phone service, it is a convenient technology that gives you a lot of options and freedom that traditional telephone services just can't provide.
As a subscriber to VOIP phone services, there are a multitude of options available to you. You can opt to simply talk through a specially equipped microphone at your home computer, kind of like a speakerphone. You can use your traditional home telephone with the service, as long as you purchase a telephony adapter that will convert the analog audio into digital data packets. You can also choose to buy an IP phone that is ready to plug into your computer and use right away. You can even go wireless. Don't be intimidated if you think that there is a lot of strange equipment to set up or that you will be uncomfortable talking on some "new" kind of phone. VOIP phone service is really no different than the phone service that you are used to, it's just the wiring is different.
The low subscription price is first and foremost what is drawing consumers to VOIP phone services. Depending on the provider you choose, monthly charges range from $19.95 - $34.99 per month. This usually includes free domestic calls (including Canada) and very low International rates (often .03 - .04 per minute). And features that you might be accustomed to paying extra monthly fees for, such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, and Three-way Calling are often bundled in with the standard services and standard monthly charge. And don't worry about calling people outside of the service. Most providers have the capabilities to let you do that. And, calling people within your service is often free of charge. There really seems like there is no reason not to switch to VOIP phone services, right?
There are some issues to think about before making the switch to VOIP phone service. You need to consider the provider you choose. Some services offer "free" VOIP service. This is often a gimmick, and what you are not paying for in phone service is apparent in the poor quality reception and limited calling capabilities that you will have to deal with. Some newer providers are often not established enough to handle high volumes of traffic, and often go under, leaving customers in the dark without any phone service at all. It is smart to choose a well-established provider with a good reputation for quality and customer service, in addition to competitive rates and features. Also, it might be a good idea to consider switching only one phone in your home to VOIP. That way, if your provider does go out of business, you have a backup phone line to communicate with.
Don't be too concerned about losing your phone service or getting swindled by a fly-by-night VOIP phone service provider. There are several reputable providers on the market, and a testament to that is the continuing growth of the technology. In addition to the money you will save by subscribing to VOIP service, you will have the freedom of being able to travel with your phone and phone number and make calls anywhere you go. If you have access to a broadband Internet connection, you can make and receive calls by simply plugging in. This is ideal if you travel a lot for business. Besides the obvious money savings involved with VOIP phone service, it is a convenient technology that gives you a lot of options and freedom that traditional telephone services just can't provide.
Voicestream Wireless Change Their Name
The Voicestream Wireless Corporation has long been a leader in the world of wireless communications, including one way radio applications such as paging and beeper services, as well as two way radio communications like cellular and PCS. When Voicestream planned to become a leader in the cellular arena it became T-Mobile which is one of the fastest growing cellular service providers. They offer all digital voice messaging and high speed wireless data to about 10 million subscribers.
The Get More business strategy has been the cornerstone of T-Mobile's (formerly Voicestream) success, which is manifested in an ever growing customer base. The idea behind this strategy is more minutes, more features and more service than what is being offered by the competition, and at very competitive prices.
Currently considered the value leader among cell phone providers, T-Mobile Wireless/Voicestream Wireless offers some of the lowest per minute rates available today. T-Mobile/Voicestream cell phone plans are available for a basic monthly fee as low as $30.00 a month. This includes 300 peak minutes and unlimited off peak minutes, with a 40 cents per minute charge for over limit minutes. T-Mobile Get More 300 plan, at around $60.00 a month, includes 3000 total minutes peak and off peak, with 30 cents a minute for over limit minutes. Long distance calls are 20 cents a minute. Roaming checks in at a hefty 49 cents a minute. You may want to think about a different plan if you make a lot of long distance calls or travel out of area.
T-Mobile's Family Time Plan includes two lines and then just $10.00 for each additional line. At jus under $100.00 a month, this plan allows 800 shared peak minutes and unlimited non-peak minutes. Roaming is still 49 cents a minute and over limit calls are 35 cents per minute. Be cautious with roaming and over limit calls, a 10 minute out of area call will cost you close to $5.00.
In between T-Mobile's (Voice stream) basic plan and Family Time plans, is T-Mobile's Get More Plus plan for about $80.00. This plan gives you 1000 peak minutes, unlimited off peak minutes. Long distance and roaming charges are about the same as with other T-Mobile plans.
If you compare T-Mobile's Family Plan at $70.00 a month with Nextel's Get More Connected 600 plan at $56.00 a month, T-Mobile's plan is actually cheaper when you take into consideration the minutes offered by each, the two lines from T-Mobile and the fact that T-Mobile's additional lines are $10.00 cheaper then Nextel. All of this makes T-Mobile about $65.00 a month less than Nextel's plan. It is even slightly cheaper than Cingular's Family Talk $50.00 a month family plan. Again because of the cost of additional lines and the difference in allowable minutes.
Recently the pocket PC phone joined the T-Mobile family of unique phones. With strong PC capabilities including a full color touch screen, Microsoft Mobile 2003 OS, email, Pocket Word, Excel, an Intel processor, 32mb Ram, and international phone for travel in over 130, this is an amazing phone. Other T-Mobile phones by Nokia, Samsung and Motorola come in flip and standard phone styles, and have a wide selection of features such as camera phone, ring tone composer, MIDI or MP3 formats built in.
With these pricing plans it may be worth your while to look into a T-Mobile plan for your family.
The Get More business strategy has been the cornerstone of T-Mobile's (formerly Voicestream) success, which is manifested in an ever growing customer base. The idea behind this strategy is more minutes, more features and more service than what is being offered by the competition, and at very competitive prices.
Currently considered the value leader among cell phone providers, T-Mobile Wireless/Voicestream Wireless offers some of the lowest per minute rates available today. T-Mobile/Voicestream cell phone plans are available for a basic monthly fee as low as $30.00 a month. This includes 300 peak minutes and unlimited off peak minutes, with a 40 cents per minute charge for over limit minutes. T-Mobile Get More 300 plan, at around $60.00 a month, includes 3000 total minutes peak and off peak, with 30 cents a minute for over limit minutes. Long distance calls are 20 cents a minute. Roaming checks in at a hefty 49 cents a minute. You may want to think about a different plan if you make a lot of long distance calls or travel out of area.
T-Mobile's Family Time Plan includes two lines and then just $10.00 for each additional line. At jus under $100.00 a month, this plan allows 800 shared peak minutes and unlimited non-peak minutes. Roaming is still 49 cents a minute and over limit calls are 35 cents per minute. Be cautious with roaming and over limit calls, a 10 minute out of area call will cost you close to $5.00.
In between T-Mobile's (Voice stream) basic plan and Family Time plans, is T-Mobile's Get More Plus plan for about $80.00. This plan gives you 1000 peak minutes, unlimited off peak minutes. Long distance and roaming charges are about the same as with other T-Mobile plans.
If you compare T-Mobile's Family Plan at $70.00 a month with Nextel's Get More Connected 600 plan at $56.00 a month, T-Mobile's plan is actually cheaper when you take into consideration the minutes offered by each, the two lines from T-Mobile and the fact that T-Mobile's additional lines are $10.00 cheaper then Nextel. All of this makes T-Mobile about $65.00 a month less than Nextel's plan. It is even slightly cheaper than Cingular's Family Talk $50.00 a month family plan. Again because of the cost of additional lines and the difference in allowable minutes.
Recently the pocket PC phone joined the T-Mobile family of unique phones. With strong PC capabilities including a full color touch screen, Microsoft Mobile 2003 OS, email, Pocket Word, Excel, an Intel processor, 32mb Ram, and international phone for travel in over 130, this is an amazing phone. Other T-Mobile phones by Nokia, Samsung and Motorola come in flip and standard phone styles, and have a wide selection of features such as camera phone, ring tone composer, MIDI or MP3 formats built in.
With these pricing plans it may be worth your while to look into a T-Mobile plan for your family.
Samsung E900 Bringing cutting edge mobility in your life.
Sophisticated simple design with advanced features, Samsung E900 is sure to enrich your mobile communications. With appealing colours and seducing surface, the handset invites you to hold and flaunt it. A range of intuitive and indulging features to help you do more than talk on your mobile phone has made this handset an attention-grabber.
This ultra–slim mobile phone from Samsung has a slide open design. Slide it and you will find an extremely attractive touch-screen keypad underneath. Move further and you will find a range of multimedia and smart business functions, to charm you no end. With an intuitive user interface, swiftly navigating in your Samsung E900, is not a problem.
Your Samsung E900 comes with a 2-megapixel camera equipped with flash and 4x digital zoom;to help you capture those precious moments and freeze it. The quality of the images taken by this mobile phone is highly impressive. A CMOS image sensor allows you to take snaps comparable with high-class digital cameras. The handset also has a provision to take self-images, all thanks to a mirror by the camera lens.
The handset also boasts of groovy music to enthrall any music lover. The music player supports all popular music file formats. With Samsung E900, you get additional space to store your favourite songs and videos. with a built-in memory of 80 MB as well as additional storage space with Micro SD cards, the handset makes it possible for you to carry a huge collection of your favorite images, tracks and other mobile content.
Offering seamless connectivity and other entertaining features, Samsung E900 has all to make you stand out of the crowd. All in all, its a handset which looks good and is reach in features-in tune with the demands of modern-day communications.
This ultra–slim mobile phone from Samsung has a slide open design. Slide it and you will find an extremely attractive touch-screen keypad underneath. Move further and you will find a range of multimedia and smart business functions, to charm you no end. With an intuitive user interface, swiftly navigating in your Samsung E900, is not a problem.
Your Samsung E900 comes with a 2-megapixel camera equipped with flash and 4x digital zoom;to help you capture those precious moments and freeze it. The quality of the images taken by this mobile phone is highly impressive. A CMOS image sensor allows you to take snaps comparable with high-class digital cameras. The handset also has a provision to take self-images, all thanks to a mirror by the camera lens.
The handset also boasts of groovy music to enthrall any music lover. The music player supports all popular music file formats. With Samsung E900, you get additional space to store your favourite songs and videos. with a built-in memory of 80 MB as well as additional storage space with Micro SD cards, the handset makes it possible for you to carry a huge collection of your favorite images, tracks and other mobile content.
Offering seamless connectivity and other entertaining features, Samsung E900 has all to make you stand out of the crowd. All in all, its a handset which looks good and is reach in features-in tune with the demands of modern-day communications.
Free VoIP
Free VoIP
Free VoIP is here now, are you prepared for this service? In a matter of minutes you could be set-up and making calls with your free Voip service. Voip is the future for telecommunication, its taking the internet and business communities by storm.
VOIP vs Traditional Telephones
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology of taking audio and transmitting it as data over the Internet. Traditional telephone lines use Circuit Switching, like switchboard operators, which is an electric current. VoIP uses Packet Switching that converts audio into data packets and transfers them over the Internet.
Free Voip being used now!
VoIP is the technology used behind combining Instant Messaging and voice. Many companies are now incorporating free VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. All that is required is that the group are using the same application. For instance, the new Yahoo Messenger will let you call your friends on the buddies list. All you will need is a microphone and speakers attached to your computer to get free voip experience. MSN, AOL Instant and Yahoo Messengers are all integrating with VoIP. This gives people a taste of free VoIP, before going out and purchasing VoIP services for their homes or offices.
Getting connect to free Voip
It is simple to download any of these free VoIP enabled Instant Messengers. You simply go to their websites, and click on installation/download links for the applications and follow the instructions. You will need speakers and a microphone-and of course, a soundboard. If you would like to incorporate video with your Instant Messaging, you can hook up a small digital camera or web cam. By combining your audio and video with your free Voip Instant Messenger program, you will have a full quality experience.
This is just a precursor of what the future of VoIP will unveil. There are simply a few glitches as 911 and wireless hotspot issues, for the long run, we can tell that by companies incorporating VoIP shows that they at least believe it will be a strong force.
Benefits of Voip
One of the benefits of free VoIP and instant messaging is that it is absolutely free to call anyone, anywhere, worldwide. Companies are that still offer free VoIP programmes like Skype and Ad Calls. These applications will allow you to call using free VoIP programming. Ad Calls will allow you to call a telephone for free. Calls are unlimited and you will be able to make free voip long distance calls in the long run.
VoIP does offer many advantages that aren't available with land line phones or with cellular. Some of these include the ability to talk with multiple people at once; many of the standard features bundled with normal telephone services come with VoIP packages, and the ability to speak unlimited (many services enable unlimited calling worldwide).
Disadvantage of free Voip service!
However, there are a few disadvantages with Voip. The major one using 911 with VoIP because the call is made from your data network and not a conventional land line. 911 will not be able to trace the phone call made from your free VoIP phone and obtain your address. Also, the operator will not receive any of your location information. FCC has issued rulings pertaining to this. Some options include registering with 911, when you call 911 giving them your location information right away, or keeping a land line telephone or mobile phone available for use in case of an emergency. The latter may be the best solution for enjoying the best of both worlds.
In Conclusion Voice over IP is becoming increasingly popular and powerhouses like AOL and Verizon are offering various packages. Though free VoIP is still a widely popular choice, it is increasingly harder to find. For people who aren't ready to make the switch, they will continue to take advantage of the options available with instant messaging. As free VoIP continues to grow and more people embrace the technology of combining their telecommunication needs, such as audio, data, E-mail, video and Web services into one applications, VoIP will continue to develop new products and become more readily accessible to business and the general public.
Free VoIP is here now, are you prepared for this service? In a matter of minutes you could be set-up and making calls with your free Voip service. Voip is the future for telecommunication, its taking the internet and business communities by storm.
VOIP vs Traditional Telephones
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology of taking audio and transmitting it as data over the Internet. Traditional telephone lines use Circuit Switching, like switchboard operators, which is an electric current. VoIP uses Packet Switching that converts audio into data packets and transfers them over the Internet.
Free Voip being used now!
VoIP is the technology used behind combining Instant Messaging and voice. Many companies are now incorporating free VoIP with their Instant Messaging programs. All that is required is that the group are using the same application. For instance, the new Yahoo Messenger will let you call your friends on the buddies list. All you will need is a microphone and speakers attached to your computer to get free voip experience. MSN, AOL Instant and Yahoo Messengers are all integrating with VoIP. This gives people a taste of free VoIP, before going out and purchasing VoIP services for their homes or offices.
Getting connect to free Voip
It is simple to download any of these free VoIP enabled Instant Messengers. You simply go to their websites, and click on installation/download links for the applications and follow the instructions. You will need speakers and a microphone-and of course, a soundboard. If you would like to incorporate video with your Instant Messaging, you can hook up a small digital camera or web cam. By combining your audio and video with your free Voip Instant Messenger program, you will have a full quality experience.
This is just a precursor of what the future of VoIP will unveil. There are simply a few glitches as 911 and wireless hotspot issues, for the long run, we can tell that by companies incorporating VoIP shows that they at least believe it will be a strong force.
Benefits of Voip
One of the benefits of free VoIP and instant messaging is that it is absolutely free to call anyone, anywhere, worldwide. Companies are that still offer free VoIP programmes like Skype and Ad Calls. These applications will allow you to call using free VoIP programming. Ad Calls will allow you to call a telephone for free. Calls are unlimited and you will be able to make free voip long distance calls in the long run.
VoIP does offer many advantages that aren't available with land line phones or with cellular. Some of these include the ability to talk with multiple people at once; many of the standard features bundled with normal telephone services come with VoIP packages, and the ability to speak unlimited (many services enable unlimited calling worldwide).
Disadvantage of free Voip service!
However, there are a few disadvantages with Voip. The major one using 911 with VoIP because the call is made from your data network and not a conventional land line. 911 will not be able to trace the phone call made from your free VoIP phone and obtain your address. Also, the operator will not receive any of your location information. FCC has issued rulings pertaining to this. Some options include registering with 911, when you call 911 giving them your location information right away, or keeping a land line telephone or mobile phone available for use in case of an emergency. The latter may be the best solution for enjoying the best of both worlds.
In Conclusion Voice over IP is becoming increasingly popular and powerhouses like AOL and Verizon are offering various packages. Though free VoIP is still a widely popular choice, it is increasingly harder to find. For people who aren't ready to make the switch, they will continue to take advantage of the options available with instant messaging. As free VoIP continues to grow and more people embrace the technology of combining their telecommunication needs, such as audio, data, E-mail, video and Web services into one applications, VoIP will continue to develop new products and become more readily accessible to business and the general public.
A Brief history of Internet Telephony
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the technology that allows voice communications over the Internet. The quality of voice over IP now is crystal clear and rivals the one of traditional telephone. The VoIP services from leading provider Vonage are subscribed by over one million users by 2006. It all started back in 1995 when a few hobbyists developed software for sending voice data packets over the Internet rather than communicating through standard telephone service, so they could make long distance calls free of charges. Early VoIP were marked by poor sound quality and connectivity. Besdies, it required both callers to have a computer equipped with the same software, the same sound card and the same microphone. In 1996, Vocaltec was the first company that released a commercial VoIP product found on the shelves of Compusa and other retail outlets.
By 1998, a caller could make calls to any standard phones from a PC with right hardware and software. Phone to phone service soon followed, but the phones were required to connect to PCs to establish the Internet connection. The same year, the VoIP landscape changed drastically when both the Internet hardware giant Cisco and major communication hardware manufacturer Nortel entered the VoIP market with hardware equipment that allowed easy switch between standard phones and the voice data packets on the Internet. The new hardware made the VoIP hardware less computer dependent. Eventually, the connection to VoIP with a router is just as easy as to connect to a standard phone outlet.
VoIP finally took off in 2000. It has become a mainstream alternative to standard telephone service since then. The growing acceptance of VoIP in both business and residential phone use is evidential in the phenomenal success of Vonage, a major player in VoIP market today. Vonage offered VoIP service to business communities in 2001 and signed its first residential customer in 2002. Year 2003 was marked by the first platform for 911 calls on VoIP software. Between 2004 to 2005, Vonage VoIP was launched in Canada, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom and other European countries. Vonage phone service charges a monthly service fee, and calls (local, long distance or international) are technical free or unlimited. With more than one million subscribers this year, Vonage continues to offer new services and plans to meet the needs of both business and residential markets. Some small businesses have started to take the advantage of the flat fee of VoIP plans. They now have an alternative to 1-800 numbers to interact with their customers.
By 1998, a caller could make calls to any standard phones from a PC with right hardware and software. Phone to phone service soon followed, but the phones were required to connect to PCs to establish the Internet connection. The same year, the VoIP landscape changed drastically when both the Internet hardware giant Cisco and major communication hardware manufacturer Nortel entered the VoIP market with hardware equipment that allowed easy switch between standard phones and the voice data packets on the Internet. The new hardware made the VoIP hardware less computer dependent. Eventually, the connection to VoIP with a router is just as easy as to connect to a standard phone outlet.
VoIP finally took off in 2000. It has become a mainstream alternative to standard telephone service since then. The growing acceptance of VoIP in both business and residential phone use is evidential in the phenomenal success of Vonage, a major player in VoIP market today. Vonage offered VoIP service to business communities in 2001 and signed its first residential customer in 2002. Year 2003 was marked by the first platform for 911 calls on VoIP software. Between 2004 to 2005, Vonage VoIP was launched in Canada, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom and other European countries. Vonage phone service charges a monthly service fee, and calls (local, long distance or international) are technical free or unlimited. With more than one million subscribers this year, Vonage continues to offer new services and plans to meet the needs of both business and residential markets. Some small businesses have started to take the advantage of the flat fee of VoIP plans. They now have an alternative to 1-800 numbers to interact with their customers.
Eltima Software releases advanced Serial Port Terminal Software.
Advanced Serial Port Terminal is a session-based, multi-purpose application that provides simple communication interface to connect to any serial port device (modem;fax;GPS;mouse;printer and so on). Whether you want to connect to remote computer using null-modem cable, send or receive various types of data (ASCII string, binary, octal and hexadecimal) over a serial line, redirect input or output data streams into a specified file, monitor data exchange between serial devices, troubleshoot and test modem settings, Advanced Serial Port Terminal by Eltima Software is just for you. Advanced Serial Port Terminal allows you to open as many serial ports as you like (including virtual serial ports); dynamically change serial port settings without necessity to close and reopen current port; adjust baudrate, databits, parity, stop bits, flow control parameters; save all received bytes into a file for later analysis and lots more. Being a session-based tool, Advanced Serial Port Terminal allows creation of options set and saving them under individual session names for different hosts. Unlike other terminals you may not only send, but also receive and view data in hexadecimal format, switch between dump and terminal view modes, etc, which could be very useful for debugging and testing serial port connections. Highly customizable interface lets you easily customize program interface to your taste and needs.
Emails Vs eCards In Romance
What are emails? A tool of communication.
What are eCards? A tool for communication.
So what is the difference between the two?
What do we mean by communication? A simple communication may mean asking someone to fetch something. That is probably one of the simplest communication. In our life some of our communications are very simple and some very complicated. Some leaders do not know how to communicate to their voters. They fail to get elected. In these types of communications the effectiveness depends upon the kind of impact it will have on the recipient.
Communication is not science. It is an art. In love, communication is very crucial. A bad communication can kill the love. Am I telling you what I mean? Are you able to understand what I mean? If any misunderstanding occurs in the chain described before, the communication will fail. I never said, what you understood. But I thought that you meant this! Bad communication results in breaking relationships.
This is where ecards score over emails in love. You may have the best software for sending a mail. But the very simple look of the mail will kill the message. How does it feel to read I Love You on a common mail? Definitely not very impressive! Look at some eCards on Love here and probably you will get my point better. Please view Darling, I Love You , Life Is A Pleasure With You and You Give Me So Much Love
View more greetings on love on www.ecarduniverse.com to find out how a communication can be made very effective with ecards.
What are eCards? A tool for communication.
So what is the difference between the two?
What do we mean by communication? A simple communication may mean asking someone to fetch something. That is probably one of the simplest communication. In our life some of our communications are very simple and some very complicated. Some leaders do not know how to communicate to their voters. They fail to get elected. In these types of communications the effectiveness depends upon the kind of impact it will have on the recipient.
Communication is not science. It is an art. In love, communication is very crucial. A bad communication can kill the love. Am I telling you what I mean? Are you able to understand what I mean? If any misunderstanding occurs in the chain described before, the communication will fail. I never said, what you understood. But I thought that you meant this! Bad communication results in breaking relationships.
This is where ecards score over emails in love. You may have the best software for sending a mail. But the very simple look of the mail will kill the message. How does it feel to read I Love You on a common mail? Definitely not very impressive! Look at some eCards on Love here and probably you will get my point better. Please view Darling, I Love You , Life Is A Pleasure With You and You Give Me So Much Love
View more greetings on love on www.ecarduniverse.com to find out how a communication can be made very effective with ecards.
Wireless Broadband
To understand Wireless Broadband it is essential to understand the terms broadband and wireless separately first.
Wireless technology is a technology used for communication, where-in; to transmit data between two devices, low�powered radio waves are used. Communication is facilitated, chiefly using radio frequency and infrared waves. And no chord or cables are used.
Wireless technology, today has grown into a large industry carrying thousands of broadcasts around the world. Optimal bandwidth routing with-in wireless networks has given way to a new wireless broadband technology.
Broadband is the system of sending and receiving small packets of data, from one computer to a server computer and hence forth. Conventionally this data would get transferred using cables with high optical fiber. Data would flow via these cable wires like packets of information and get delivered and vise versa
Now a relatively new technology known as wireless broadband is catching up. It aims at providing wireless access to data networks .However from the point of view of connectivity it is at par with broadband wired access, such as cable modems or ADSL. This technology is still being worked upon; hence to form an opinion about it at this stage would be incorrect.
The advantages of a wireless system are many. It is being speculated that, with in a few years wireless broadband is estimated to have a potential to connect in a range for over 30 miles and several such features that will change the whole scenario of "being online"
Although the setting up cost and equipments required for wireless broadband technology are very expensive Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) are a popular option is rural areas where DSL`s or Cables are not available.
Wireless technologies have always caught the fancy of man , however at this stage of infancy that wireless broadband today stand at , ADSL , regular wired broadband connections are a safer bet . As they are secure , reliable and most widely used .
Wireless technology is a technology used for communication, where-in; to transmit data between two devices, low�powered radio waves are used. Communication is facilitated, chiefly using radio frequency and infrared waves. And no chord or cables are used.
Wireless technology, today has grown into a large industry carrying thousands of broadcasts around the world. Optimal bandwidth routing with-in wireless networks has given way to a new wireless broadband technology.
Broadband is the system of sending and receiving small packets of data, from one computer to a server computer and hence forth. Conventionally this data would get transferred using cables with high optical fiber. Data would flow via these cable wires like packets of information and get delivered and vise versa
Now a relatively new technology known as wireless broadband is catching up. It aims at providing wireless access to data networks .However from the point of view of connectivity it is at par with broadband wired access, such as cable modems or ADSL. This technology is still being worked upon; hence to form an opinion about it at this stage would be incorrect.
The advantages of a wireless system are many. It is being speculated that, with in a few years wireless broadband is estimated to have a potential to connect in a range for over 30 miles and several such features that will change the whole scenario of "being online"
Although the setting up cost and equipments required for wireless broadband technology are very expensive Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) are a popular option is rural areas where DSL`s or Cables are not available.
Wireless technologies have always caught the fancy of man , however at this stage of infancy that wireless broadband today stand at , ADSL , regular wired broadband connections are a safer bet . As they are secure , reliable and most widely used .
Data Backup the Harsh Reality and the Facts.
There are many facts and statistics which try to enforce the importance of your data, for example, 80% of companies who lose data will cease to trade within 2 years, or, 93% of companies who suffer total data loss will be out of business within 5 years. There are many more facts out there, most of them probably are not true, but we cannot get away from the fact that your data is the very foundation on which your business is built. Given the increase of severe events around the world, the threat of disaster is increasing to unprecedented levels.
Resulting from the above, protection of your business data or disaster recovery and business continuity has now become one of the important tasks. This is not just for the large corporate business world; it is for every company who holds data on a server or PC.
The emergence of new technologies such as online or offsite backup are now allowing smaller businesses to prepare for disasters with the same efficiently as large corporate companies. Many years ago, this backup solution was not a viable option, but since the dawn of low cost high performance internet connectivity and reduced hardware costs backup to a secure offsite location is now almost the most sensible option. It is estimated that use if remote backup will increase three fold in 2006.
There are many reasons why traditional backup solutions are becoming less suitable for today’s business environments, for example, disparate data spread across multiple sites makes local backups a major cost and resource issue, low volume of high importance data create a very high cost per MB backed up ratio and finally cost of staff who can administer such an infrastructure are expensive and should be utilized with more revenue generating tasks.
There are now many reasons why an online backup solution is a more cost effective and better fit solution than traditional tape solutions:-
Cost - the initial cost of a tape solution is in the region of £3000, plus you have ongoing media cost. Please note that you will have to replace your tape equipment every 3 years. If you are backing up 10GB of data this initial cost is very high compared to a monthly cost of £90.00 for offsite backup.
Human Intervention – Tape solutions will always require human intervention. Someone to make sure the tape is in the drive, someone to instigate the backup process, someone to verify the data has been copied and someone to remove the tapes offsite. Online backup solutions are a purely automated process, I call it set and forget. Once the software is configured your data will be automatically backed up to a secure offsite location, no intervention required.
Security – When you have backed up your data to tape it is not encrypted. That leaves you in a catch 22 scenario. You are either exposing your unsecured data to the outside world or you have to place your tapes in a fire and water proof safe in your office. The latter was a viable option until the Bunsfield Oil Refinery in the UK blew up and flattened buildings within a 3 mile radius. The unfortunate thing was there were many fire proof safes buried under many tones of rubble for 4 months.
Online backup will encrypt your data to the same levels used by your national bank, compress and then transmit to remote storage facilities. Your data will remain in the same encrypted state until you restore. Remember, the only person who can see the data is the holder of the encryption key.
Data Retention – You can decide how long you wish to keep old files or data for, or how many versions would like to keep. This functionality can only be achieved for tape solutions if you spend another £4,000 on archiving software.
Flexibility – If you outgrow your tape backup device, you have to do one of two things, 1) Replace your existing backup device, 2) re-assess your back and cut down the amount of data to be backed up. In my eyes, neither option is acceptable. Online backup offers the flexibility were should your data grow, all you need to do is upgrade your package. No need to through away perfectly good hardware.
Resulting from the above, protection of your business data or disaster recovery and business continuity has now become one of the important tasks. This is not just for the large corporate business world; it is for every company who holds data on a server or PC.
The emergence of new technologies such as online or offsite backup are now allowing smaller businesses to prepare for disasters with the same efficiently as large corporate companies. Many years ago, this backup solution was not a viable option, but since the dawn of low cost high performance internet connectivity and reduced hardware costs backup to a secure offsite location is now almost the most sensible option. It is estimated that use if remote backup will increase three fold in 2006.
There are many reasons why traditional backup solutions are becoming less suitable for today’s business environments, for example, disparate data spread across multiple sites makes local backups a major cost and resource issue, low volume of high importance data create a very high cost per MB backed up ratio and finally cost of staff who can administer such an infrastructure are expensive and should be utilized with more revenue generating tasks.
There are now many reasons why an online backup solution is a more cost effective and better fit solution than traditional tape solutions:-
Cost - the initial cost of a tape solution is in the region of £3000, plus you have ongoing media cost. Please note that you will have to replace your tape equipment every 3 years. If you are backing up 10GB of data this initial cost is very high compared to a monthly cost of £90.00 for offsite backup.
Human Intervention – Tape solutions will always require human intervention. Someone to make sure the tape is in the drive, someone to instigate the backup process, someone to verify the data has been copied and someone to remove the tapes offsite. Online backup solutions are a purely automated process, I call it set and forget. Once the software is configured your data will be automatically backed up to a secure offsite location, no intervention required.
Security – When you have backed up your data to tape it is not encrypted. That leaves you in a catch 22 scenario. You are either exposing your unsecured data to the outside world or you have to place your tapes in a fire and water proof safe in your office. The latter was a viable option until the Bunsfield Oil Refinery in the UK blew up and flattened buildings within a 3 mile radius. The unfortunate thing was there were many fire proof safes buried under many tones of rubble for 4 months.
Online backup will encrypt your data to the same levels used by your national bank, compress and then transmit to remote storage facilities. Your data will remain in the same encrypted state until you restore. Remember, the only person who can see the data is the holder of the encryption key.
Data Retention – You can decide how long you wish to keep old files or data for, or how many versions would like to keep. This functionality can only be achieved for tape solutions if you spend another £4,000 on archiving software.
Flexibility – If you outgrow your tape backup device, you have to do one of two things, 1) Replace your existing backup device, 2) re-assess your back and cut down the amount of data to be backed up. In my eyes, neither option is acceptable. Online backup offers the flexibility were should your data grow, all you need to do is upgrade your package. No need to through away perfectly good hardware.
Recovery of Data Made Easy: Step No. 1 - Backups
Computers are a vital part of almost everyone's lives in today's society. Less associated problems enables people and businesses to concentrate on other more pressing issues. The unfortunate fact of life is that computers do from time to time have their data corrupted. Many people leave themselves open to large bills for recovery experts or data recovery software purchases from trying to solve the problem. If they had backed up their data quickly and efficiently much stress and time would not have been spent on retrieving their data. Sometimes data is irretrievable, causing maximum heartache! Improved knowledge of how to backup your computer data is a sure fire way of making your life much easier!
The old adage that 'prevention is better than a cure' is very much a serious point with regards to data recovery. By simply backing up your data frequently in a sensible, logical, easy to find location you are able to hugely improve your efficiently at finding a solution to a data loss crisis. Time and stress with locating and re-loading your saved data will be far less than if you hadn't taken the short time and effort to produce the back-ups and/ or program files from the originals.
Computer files can be backed up onto any of the large selection of media available today, e.g. CDs, external or internal hard drives, DVDs, tape drives or specifically designed removable media such as the Iomega REV drive. Optical media usage (e.g. DVD's, CD's) is believed to be far less reliable in terms of a backing-up data. This media is typically more prone to surface errors. The advantages and disadvantages (regards capacity/ ease of use, etc) of each specific media form should be chosen with regards to your personal situation. Importantly each media type will tend to perform efficiently, its best to try and stick to the media type that you find works best.
Many very reliable back-up programmes are in existence, one of the most well acknowledged is included in Microsoft Windows back-up software. Microsoft Windows XP users will know this programme as NTBackup. If your computer doesn't already have this installed all you have to do is simply place your Windows CD in your computer disc drive and find the file called 'ValueAddMSFTntbackup'. This is a file can that can then be run in the folder with which it was originally found, i.e. ntbackup.msi. Rapidly this file will create the backup software you require, wizards ever present to help lead you through the file backup and restoration protocol.
With all the important backup software installed and fully functional it is imperative that you make use of it frequently. Making backups of your work should be done at least once daily ideally. If at all possible a separate backup drive or disc should be used for every day of the week. This will provide that extra added security and peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on more pressing issues. The majority of businesses, from the large to tiny, adopt this basic and also fundamental data loss prevention method, and for a very good reason, it really works and can save a huge amount of stress, time and often vitally, money.
The old adage that 'prevention is better than a cure' is very much a serious point with regards to data recovery. By simply backing up your data frequently in a sensible, logical, easy to find location you are able to hugely improve your efficiently at finding a solution to a data loss crisis. Time and stress with locating and re-loading your saved data will be far less than if you hadn't taken the short time and effort to produce the back-ups and/ or program files from the originals.
Computer files can be backed up onto any of the large selection of media available today, e.g. CDs, external or internal hard drives, DVDs, tape drives or specifically designed removable media such as the Iomega REV drive. Optical media usage (e.g. DVD's, CD's) is believed to be far less reliable in terms of a backing-up data. This media is typically more prone to surface errors. The advantages and disadvantages (regards capacity/ ease of use, etc) of each specific media form should be chosen with regards to your personal situation. Importantly each media type will tend to perform efficiently, its best to try and stick to the media type that you find works best.
Many very reliable back-up programmes are in existence, one of the most well acknowledged is included in Microsoft Windows back-up software. Microsoft Windows XP users will know this programme as NTBackup. If your computer doesn't already have this installed all you have to do is simply place your Windows CD in your computer disc drive and find the file called 'ValueAddMSFTntbackup'. This is a file can that can then be run in the folder with which it was originally found, i.e. ntbackup.msi. Rapidly this file will create the backup software you require, wizards ever present to help lead you through the file backup and restoration protocol.
With all the important backup software installed and fully functional it is imperative that you make use of it frequently. Making backups of your work should be done at least once daily ideally. If at all possible a separate backup drive or disc should be used for every day of the week. This will provide that extra added security and peace of mind, allowing you to concentrate on more pressing issues. The majority of businesses, from the large to tiny, adopt this basic and also fundamental data loss prevention method, and for a very good reason, it really works and can save a huge amount of stress, time and often vitally, money.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Why Basic Writing Skills are Essential for Your Business Sucess
Few organizations exist in order to communicate. Most have another purpose ; to sell a product or service , to supply a social need , to implement plans and policies. Yet to do those things ,organizations spend an enormous amount of time , energy and money communicating.
People in organizations communicate in many ways : face-to-face in two person discussions, in informal groups, in meetings , by email, in old fashioned letters ormemos and in reports.
All of these methods are verbal communications, or communications that uses words. Nonverbal communication does not use words . Pictures , computer graphics and company logos are examples of non - verbal communications. Interpersonal nonverbal signals including smiles, who sits where at a meeting, the size , location and window access of an office and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting.
Studies have found that people generally spend 70 to 85 % of their work time deliberately communicating , writing , reading , speaking and listening . Often most of an executive's day is spent in communication modes.
Your technical skill whether it be in accounting , marketing , sales or computer technology may get you your first job. The ability to speak and write effectively may help you keep it as well as prospe . A major study showed that the inability to write was a major reason that accounts were fired As you rise in an organization , technical skills matter less and more general skills including the ability to write and speak will determine how fast and far you go.
Most students understand the importance of effective oral communication skills. But some are not convinced that they need to be able to write well to succeed professionally. They may think that a secretary or technical writer will do their writing , or think that they can use form letters if they have to write. Each of these claims has fundamental flaws in their logic.
Today , many workers in business and government still have their letters , memos and reports typed on a computer by someone else.
However this situation is changing rapidly as more and more business's realize the economy and simplicity of the prevalence and standardization of computerized office software packages.
You may be lucky to still have someone else type out your letters . However this is not going to last long. And the best secretary , cannot compensate for fundamental errors in organization, logic, audience, analysis or tone.
Sometimes you may finish a letter after five o'clock . Sometimes you may need to work on weekends or be " on the road ". You will most likely need to put the finishing touches on a report that is due at 9 a.m. Monday. The ability to write well makes you much more independent and versatile.
You may think that you can use form letters that are widely available for the office software packages.
A form letter is a prewritten fill-in-the-blank setup designed to fit standard situations. The writer can personalize a form letter or report by having it individually filled out with the recipients.
Using a form letter is Ok but some of those available are dreadfull and will leave a very bad impression of you .
Even good form letters cover only routine situations. The higher you rise in your organiation , the more frequently you will face situations that are not routine and demand creative and more specific solutions. If you develop the skills necessary for good writing and original thinking , you are far more likely to realize your potential and reach your career goals.
Many people in business and government routinely write from 10 pages of letters and memos a week and in some cases it not uncommon for 20 to 35 pages a day. Most people find speaking easier than writing. The phone is faster and usually cheaper than than a letter or memo. Email is of course is among the cheapest means to communicate both in time spent in delivery , effectiveness and cost.
People in organizations put things in writing , rather than depend exclusively on oral communication to create a record , to convey complex data , to make a message to multiple recipients succinctly , efficiently and effectively.
People in organizations communicate in many ways : face-to-face in two person discussions, in informal groups, in meetings , by email, in old fashioned letters ormemos and in reports.
All of these methods are verbal communications, or communications that uses words. Nonverbal communication does not use words . Pictures , computer graphics and company logos are examples of non - verbal communications. Interpersonal nonverbal signals including smiles, who sits where at a meeting, the size , location and window access of an office and how long someone keeps a visitor waiting.
Studies have found that people generally spend 70 to 85 % of their work time deliberately communicating , writing , reading , speaking and listening . Often most of an executive's day is spent in communication modes.
Your technical skill whether it be in accounting , marketing , sales or computer technology may get you your first job. The ability to speak and write effectively may help you keep it as well as prospe . A major study showed that the inability to write was a major reason that accounts were fired As you rise in an organization , technical skills matter less and more general skills including the ability to write and speak will determine how fast and far you go.
Most students understand the importance of effective oral communication skills. But some are not convinced that they need to be able to write well to succeed professionally. They may think that a secretary or technical writer will do their writing , or think that they can use form letters if they have to write. Each of these claims has fundamental flaws in their logic.
Today , many workers in business and government still have their letters , memos and reports typed on a computer by someone else.
However this situation is changing rapidly as more and more business's realize the economy and simplicity of the prevalence and standardization of computerized office software packages.
You may be lucky to still have someone else type out your letters . However this is not going to last long. And the best secretary , cannot compensate for fundamental errors in organization, logic, audience, analysis or tone.
Sometimes you may finish a letter after five o'clock . Sometimes you may need to work on weekends or be " on the road ". You will most likely need to put the finishing touches on a report that is due at 9 a.m. Monday. The ability to write well makes you much more independent and versatile.
You may think that you can use form letters that are widely available for the office software packages.
A form letter is a prewritten fill-in-the-blank setup designed to fit standard situations. The writer can personalize a form letter or report by having it individually filled out with the recipients.
Using a form letter is Ok but some of those available are dreadfull and will leave a very bad impression of you .
Even good form letters cover only routine situations. The higher you rise in your organiation , the more frequently you will face situations that are not routine and demand creative and more specific solutions. If you develop the skills necessary for good writing and original thinking , you are far more likely to realize your potential and reach your career goals.
Many people in business and government routinely write from 10 pages of letters and memos a week and in some cases it not uncommon for 20 to 35 pages a day. Most people find speaking easier than writing. The phone is faster and usually cheaper than than a letter or memo. Email is of course is among the cheapest means to communicate both in time spent in delivery , effectiveness and cost.
People in organizations put things in writing , rather than depend exclusively on oral communication to create a record , to convey complex data , to make a message to multiple recipients succinctly , efficiently and effectively.
Online Security for Business User access threats
The biggest security threat to your company is you and your staff - not the internet.
The internet is merely a communications channel for data - it's how you manage that channel and that data that is important.
With computing, shared networking, and internet connections, it means that information can flow more easily between PCs.
But that also brings with it added security risks - it's easier for people to find your logins and try and force them, and opportunists will try and steal your passwords where they can.
Ultimately, it's not up to the internet or existing software to reactively protect you against every instance of a security threat - you need to take proactive action in the first place to minimise those threats.
This really needs underlining, because even the most sophisticated security equipment will not protect you as required if it is poorly used.
Ultimately, protecting your business can be as easy as using common sense and following very basic steps.
Here are a few basic tips on how to protect against these user access threats:
The internet is merely a communications channel for data - it's how you manage that channel and that data that is important.
With computing, shared networking, and internet connections, it means that information can flow more easily between PCs.
But that also brings with it added security risks - it's easier for people to find your logins and try and force them, and opportunists will try and steal your passwords where they can.
Ultimately, it's not up to the internet or existing software to reactively protect you against every instance of a security threat - you need to take proactive action in the first place to minimise those threats.
This really needs underlining, because even the most sophisticated security equipment will not protect you as required if it is poorly used.
Ultimately, protecting your business can be as easy as using common sense and following very basic steps.
Here are a few basic tips on how to protect against these user access threats:
- Don't use the passwords manager on Internet Explorer to save passwords. If your PC is infected with a trojan or virus, this is often one of the first places they check.
- If you save your passwords to a file - a text or Word document - don't name it something obvious like "passwords". If an unauthorised user got into your PC, you want to make it hard for them to locate your passwords. .
- Again, if you save passwords in a file, don't use the word "password" in such a file either. Otherwise an unauthorised user could simply use your computer's "search" facility for that word, and go straight to them. Simply use the initials "U" and "P" for "username" and "password" - that will be much harder to search out.
- Only provide password information to people who need to use them - and if someone needs to use a password protected feature temporarily, then change the password afterwards. After all, you cannot be certain how well third-parties will protect your important security details.
- Have different levels of passwords for different operations. For example, have a different password for accessing your e-mail, and a different password for accessing your website. That way, if someone somehow finds out one of your passwords, they cannot access all of your business operations.
- Create really secure passwords by mixing up letters, numbers, and using upper and lower case, and even punctuation marks. Make passwords memorable by basing them on acronyms - ie, this is an article called "Online Security for Business: User access threats" and is written in 2006 - so an acronym from that could be: OS4Buat2006. That's a strong password, and it's much easier to remember as an acronym.
- Don't install desktop search applications, even by reputable vendors such as Google or Yahoo!, as they will not only help you find information quickly, but will also be invaluable to a hacker looking for sensitive information on your computer system. Instead, keep your files organised on your PC so you don't need to resort to a desktop search tool in the first place.
- Ensure you install anti-virus, a firewall, anti-spyware and anti-adware - and keep them up to date. This will make it far harder for anyone to access your machine without authorisation, The best of these software types will also keep checking the internet for updates.
- You should ensure you make regular hard-copy back-ups of your computer data. And store them safely and securely, in a restricted place - such as a safe. You can make these backups to computer tape, DVD or CD media, or even just save everything to a USB stick at the end of the day.
- Ensure you have off-site back-ups of all physical and electronic data essential to your business. In the event of catastrophic damage to your premises, you can at least restore basic business operations.
The Interactive Map Meets the Data Visualization Needs of the 21st Century
Data Visualization
Data visualization seems to be the trend of 21st century business. Since the internet has taken a leading role in everything from information to advertising to commerce, companies use interactive data visualization to reach out to consumers.
Data visualization reaches into every aspect of business. Sales reports, inventory management, financial reports, and more are created with data visualization tools which make information interactive.
By interactive, I mean that a user can click on a piece of information displayed in order to learn more details about it. This is called drilling down into an interactive map. Data visualization is created with mapping software and provides real-time, interactive information to users. This brings businesses and consumers together over the internet.
Interactive Map
So how does this all come together? The answer is interactive mapping. An interactive map is just that, a visual display that is interactive. Businesses use interactive maps, interactive charts, and other forms of interactive mapping to interact with consumers and with departments within the business.
Tracking, reporting, and a myriad of other possibilities are now available to businesses to help them share information and open up more business transaction.
Mapping Software
Business mapping software was built specifically to meet business needs. Not only can inventory be tracked and managerial statements compiled, but businesses can effectively convey large quantities of information to consumers in a non-intimidating way.
Consider the following examples:
Airlines continually use business mapping software in order to create data visualization that is user friendly and consumer interactive. Consumers can drill down through flight information as well as through seating information. With data visualization, created from business mapping software, the airlines allow consumers to interact with the airline over the internet.
With respect to researching information from annual snowfall at your favorite ski resorts to the average per capita PhD population in Kochi, India, interactive data visualization presents even complex levels of information in a digestible manner.
Think about what data visualization can do for businesses. Businesses already take advantage of mapping software to track multiple levels of consumer information, even to the point of recognizing purchasing trends among middle-aged blue collar working men at a branch in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Data visualization seems to be the trend of 21st century business. Since the internet has taken a leading role in everything from information to advertising to commerce, companies use interactive data visualization to reach out to consumers.
Data visualization reaches into every aspect of business. Sales reports, inventory management, financial reports, and more are created with data visualization tools which make information interactive.
By interactive, I mean that a user can click on a piece of information displayed in order to learn more details about it. This is called drilling down into an interactive map. Data visualization is created with mapping software and provides real-time, interactive information to users. This brings businesses and consumers together over the internet.
Interactive Map
So how does this all come together? The answer is interactive mapping. An interactive map is just that, a visual display that is interactive. Businesses use interactive maps, interactive charts, and other forms of interactive mapping to interact with consumers and with departments within the business.
Tracking, reporting, and a myriad of other possibilities are now available to businesses to help them share information and open up more business transaction.
Mapping Software
Business mapping software was built specifically to meet business needs. Not only can inventory be tracked and managerial statements compiled, but businesses can effectively convey large quantities of information to consumers in a non-intimidating way.
Consider the following examples:
Airlines continually use business mapping software in order to create data visualization that is user friendly and consumer interactive. Consumers can drill down through flight information as well as through seating information. With data visualization, created from business mapping software, the airlines allow consumers to interact with the airline over the internet.
With respect to researching information from annual snowfall at your favorite ski resorts to the average per capita PhD population in Kochi, India, interactive data visualization presents even complex levels of information in a digestible manner.
Think about what data visualization can do for businesses. Businesses already take advantage of mapping software to track multiple levels of consumer information, even to the point of recognizing purchasing trends among middle-aged blue collar working men at a branch in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
First Call Business Communications First for all UK based live call handling needs
First Call Business Communications provide a host of live call handling services. Based in the UK with over 40 years operating experience, First Call are the first stop for all business call handling needs. Operating two call centres in prime UK locations and having access to a modern network of over 30 call centres nationwide, First Call provide fast, efficient and effective call handling solutions for a diverse range of businesses and industry. First Call has an impressive reputation not only for its call centre efficiency and reliability but also as a Communications task force with teams of employees who knowledgably understand all aspects of business communication services. Some of First Calls many call management facilities are explained below.
Message handling
First Call Business Communications have been providing 24hr message handling and phone answering services for more than 40 years for wide ranging industries. Offering a tailor made phone-answering service, First Call ensures that in today’s competitive and voracious market, your business never misses an important call. This service is also useful to deal with busy periods of business, enquiry or advertising response. Call centre agents can respond to enquiries, process customer orders and process secure payments in a style and manner that reflects your individual company brand.
Call Monitoring
First Call’s call has developed its expertise in call monitoring in the sensitive area of medical response handling. Initiative, politeness, discretion and accuracy are vital skills, readily applied throughout the company Ãs services. With First Call’s call monitoring service, messages are filtered, passed on by phone or fax or stored for collection. All incoming calls are answered by live call centre operators and not by answering machines, providing that personal touch for clients and customers alike.
Lone worker protection
An innovative call handling service offered by First Call is Lone Worker Protection. Many businesses and organisations require their staff to work alone or out of hours from time to time. First Call Business Communications provide a monitoring service which minimises risk and provides a quick response if there is an accident or if a dangerous situation arises. First Call’s operators are on call 24hrs a day, 365days a year to ensure the safety of lone workers and personnel in order to provide employers and staff with peace of mind.
Whatever your call management requirements, First Call offer tailor made call centre solutions and bespoke call-handling facilities for businesses large and small. Utilising advanced call handling technology within their two main centres of operation they provide a prompt, personable 24hr, 365day call management facility.
Message handling
First Call Business Communications have been providing 24hr message handling and phone answering services for more than 40 years for wide ranging industries. Offering a tailor made phone-answering service, First Call ensures that in today’s competitive and voracious market, your business never misses an important call. This service is also useful to deal with busy periods of business, enquiry or advertising response. Call centre agents can respond to enquiries, process customer orders and process secure payments in a style and manner that reflects your individual company brand.
Call Monitoring
First Call’s call has developed its expertise in call monitoring in the sensitive area of medical response handling. Initiative, politeness, discretion and accuracy are vital skills, readily applied throughout the company Ãs services. With First Call’s call monitoring service, messages are filtered, passed on by phone or fax or stored for collection. All incoming calls are answered by live call centre operators and not by answering machines, providing that personal touch for clients and customers alike.
Lone worker protection
An innovative call handling service offered by First Call is Lone Worker Protection. Many businesses and organisations require their staff to work alone or out of hours from time to time. First Call Business Communications provide a monitoring service which minimises risk and provides a quick response if there is an accident or if a dangerous situation arises. First Call’s operators are on call 24hrs a day, 365days a year to ensure the safety of lone workers and personnel in order to provide employers and staff with peace of mind.
Whatever your call management requirements, First Call offer tailor made call centre solutions and bespoke call-handling facilities for businesses large and small. Utilising advanced call handling technology within their two main centres of operation they provide a prompt, personable 24hr, 365day call management facility.
Dont be a fool when following up
Don't be a fool when following up Copyright 2005 Cherry Communications/Be Heard Solutions
So you've sent out your press release about your online business and want to know if it's going to be published. How do you follow up without making a pest of yourself?
People who just call over and over again are considered amateurs in the news business. And being a pest almost always guarantees your releases will never see the light of day on a news professional's desk.
To follow up without looking like an amateur, you need a little patience. If you've e-mailed or faxed your press release and didn't receive an error message, you can assume it was received. If you did your homework and called before sending it to make sure it was delivered to the
right person, you can assume it got to your chosen reporter.
After you send the release, you need to just sit back and wait. Contacting the reporter or editor too soon after it has been sent is a great way to get your press release deleted. Being an amateur-like pest is a good way to prevent any future releases from getting published as well.
But that doesn't mean you should never call a journalist. Eventually calling to make sure it was received is the responsible thing to do. Sending another e-mail might hit a nerve, so after a few days have gone by pick up the phone and call.
Be aware of a reporter's deadlines. Knowing the best time to call is just as important as finding the right reporter to send the release to.
When making your calls, just remember the following tips:
1) The amount of time you wait after sending the release depends on the publication's schedule and how time sensitive your release is. Use common sense when deciding the best time to follow up.
2) Once you have the editor or reporter on the phone, get to the point without being rude. First, always check if he or she has time to talk to you. If not, ask when is a good time to call back.
3) If your journalist has a 'few minutes' (which in the news business means 'please keep it brief'), introduce yourself.
4) Summarize the news hook. (If it's longer than a sentence, your summary is too long.)
5) Ask if he or she thinks it sounds like something of interest.
6) If you get a positive response, say that you sent a press release a couple of days before, but you'd be happy to resend it.
7) If you get a negative response, and you sense that the journalist has a few more moments, ask either how this could be a story he or she would be more interested in or what kind of stories would he or she like to see from you in the future.
So you've sent out your press release about your online business and want to know if it's going to be published. How do you follow up without making a pest of yourself?
People who just call over and over again are considered amateurs in the news business. And being a pest almost always guarantees your releases will never see the light of day on a news professional's desk.
To follow up without looking like an amateur, you need a little patience. If you've e-mailed or faxed your press release and didn't receive an error message, you can assume it was received. If you did your homework and called before sending it to make sure it was delivered to the
right person, you can assume it got to your chosen reporter.
After you send the release, you need to just sit back and wait. Contacting the reporter or editor too soon after it has been sent is a great way to get your press release deleted. Being an amateur-like pest is a good way to prevent any future releases from getting published as well.
But that doesn't mean you should never call a journalist. Eventually calling to make sure it was received is the responsible thing to do. Sending another e-mail might hit a nerve, so after a few days have gone by pick up the phone and call.
Be aware of a reporter's deadlines. Knowing the best time to call is just as important as finding the right reporter to send the release to.
When making your calls, just remember the following tips:
1) The amount of time you wait after sending the release depends on the publication's schedule and how time sensitive your release is. Use common sense when deciding the best time to follow up.
2) Once you have the editor or reporter on the phone, get to the point without being rude. First, always check if he or she has time to talk to you. If not, ask when is a good time to call back.
3) If your journalist has a 'few minutes' (which in the news business means 'please keep it brief'), introduce yourself.
4) Summarize the news hook. (If it's longer than a sentence, your summary is too long.)
5) Ask if he or she thinks it sounds like something of interest.
6) If you get a positive response, say that you sent a press release a couple of days before, but you'd be happy to resend it.
7) If you get a negative response, and you sense that the journalist has a few more moments, ask either how this could be a story he or she would be more interested in or what kind of stories would he or she like to see from you in the future.
When it comes to good publicity say cheese
A key principle of marketing is to find something unique about what you offer and make this the basis of your sales message. Even if what you offer is a commodity, there is always one thing unique in your business - you.
People don't buy a product or service from a company; they buy from a person. They want to get to know and trust you - that is, they want to have a relationship with you.
That's why having a good publicity photo or head shot is essential in your marketing efforts. You'll need it for your press kits, marketing materials, websites and for journalist to use.
That's right. Many times a media outlet � especially a small newspaper or trade magazine - wants to do a story about you but doesn't have a photographer available to take a photo. So having one that you like available on a moment's notice is essential.
How you look in your photos tells the world a lot about how you do business. So shouldn't you make sure yours convey who you are?
Here are some tips to make sure your photos are deal makers, not deal breakers:
1) Meet with several photographers to get an idea of his or her style and personality. Does it mesh with what you want to convey? Are you comfortable with the photographer and have a good rapport? Is he or she willing to work with you to look your best? This last question may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times I've seen professional photos with the subjects hair sticking out of place, wrinkled clothing, or even worse, lipstick on the teeth!
2) Bring examples of photos and poses of others you like. This will help the photographer get an idea of exactly what you have in mind.
Bring a couple of different outfits to change into that express your personality. I recommend bringing one a 'business-like' outfit such as a suit, and another more 'business casual.' If you have a signature accessory, such as a tie, scarf or pin, make sure you bring it along.
3) Have fun. Bring music if it helps you. Laugh and enjoy yourself. It's what makes an otherwise boring photo have personality.
Keep your outfits simple. Avoid lots of patterns and stripes or too many accessories. And don't wear all white.
4) Apply your make up a bit darker than you normally would. The bright lights can make anyone look pale. (Men should dust on a bit of powder to eliminate shine.)
The final tip is also very useful to remember when you are scheduled to do a TV interview.
People don't buy a product or service from a company; they buy from a person. They want to get to know and trust you - that is, they want to have a relationship with you.
That's why having a good publicity photo or head shot is essential in your marketing efforts. You'll need it for your press kits, marketing materials, websites and for journalist to use.
That's right. Many times a media outlet � especially a small newspaper or trade magazine - wants to do a story about you but doesn't have a photographer available to take a photo. So having one that you like available on a moment's notice is essential.
How you look in your photos tells the world a lot about how you do business. So shouldn't you make sure yours convey who you are?
Here are some tips to make sure your photos are deal makers, not deal breakers:
1) Meet with several photographers to get an idea of his or her style and personality. Does it mesh with what you want to convey? Are you comfortable with the photographer and have a good rapport? Is he or she willing to work with you to look your best? This last question may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times I've seen professional photos with the subjects hair sticking out of place, wrinkled clothing, or even worse, lipstick on the teeth!
2) Bring examples of photos and poses of others you like. This will help the photographer get an idea of exactly what you have in mind.
Bring a couple of different outfits to change into that express your personality. I recommend bringing one a 'business-like' outfit such as a suit, and another more 'business casual.' If you have a signature accessory, such as a tie, scarf or pin, make sure you bring it along.
3) Have fun. Bring music if it helps you. Laugh and enjoy yourself. It's what makes an otherwise boring photo have personality.
Keep your outfits simple. Avoid lots of patterns and stripes or too many accessories. And don't wear all white.
4) Apply your make up a bit darker than you normally would. The bright lights can make anyone look pale. (Men should dust on a bit of powder to eliminate shine.)
The final tip is also very useful to remember when you are scheduled to do a TV interview.
Latest Teleconferencing News You Can Use
In the fast-growing industry of telecommunications, teleconferencing has become a staple of the way we do business as well as a way we keep in touch with those who matter to us the most.
It's no surprise therefore that with the advent of the Internet and with the increasing availability of digital devices, telecommunications and teleconferencing, specifically, has exploded the number of to keep touch, as well as to build rich communications and relationship with people regardless of where they are physically situated.
Just thinking about the technologies tying teleconferencing and telecommunications will boggle even the greatest of minds. What makes these interconnected technologies possible is a complex web of systems consisting of all sorts of technologies, processes, bureaucracies of people and exchanges etc. etc.
There are just so many different inputs into this vast web of technology that makes our lives so much more easier. And yet it's something that we take for granted every single day.
Teleconferencing has come a long way from simply being a specialized phone feature where you would dial into your host parties extension.
On the contrary, it is actually become a much more mature medium for communication supporting all sorts of data feeds, such as audio, video, and traditional telephone, telegraph radio and television and teletype related services.
As you can probably tell by now teleconferencing is a very complicated (behind the scenes) yet very user-friendly innovation. There is so much to be gained from using this for your business or for your home.
Let's say you're on vacation and you want to keep in touch your family from long-distance or if you need to visit your client from a remote site- teleconferencing certainly can bring you closer to the action, as it were.
Learn more about teleconferencing at our site, where you can find the latest teleconferencing technology news and services!
It's no surprise therefore that with the advent of the Internet and with the increasing availability of digital devices, telecommunications and teleconferencing, specifically, has exploded the number of to keep touch, as well as to build rich communications and relationship with people regardless of where they are physically situated.
Just thinking about the technologies tying teleconferencing and telecommunications will boggle even the greatest of minds. What makes these interconnected technologies possible is a complex web of systems consisting of all sorts of technologies, processes, bureaucracies of people and exchanges etc. etc.
There are just so many different inputs into this vast web of technology that makes our lives so much more easier. And yet it's something that we take for granted every single day.
Teleconferencing has come a long way from simply being a specialized phone feature where you would dial into your host parties extension.
On the contrary, it is actually become a much more mature medium for communication supporting all sorts of data feeds, such as audio, video, and traditional telephone, telegraph radio and television and teletype related services.
As you can probably tell by now teleconferencing is a very complicated (behind the scenes) yet very user-friendly innovation. There is so much to be gained from using this for your business or for your home.
Let's say you're on vacation and you want to keep in touch your family from long-distance or if you need to visit your client from a remote site- teleconferencing certainly can bring you closer to the action, as it were.
Learn more about teleconferencing at our site, where you can find the latest teleconferencing technology news and services!
Ofcom Safeguarding the Future of Telephone Numbering
Ofcom, the regulator for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services, made public its future approach to telephone numbering in the UK. Ofcom is responsible for managing the UK National Telephone Numbering system. Telephone numbers are a critical national resource, for consumers, businesses and the delivery of key public services.
Ofcom's statement follows a full public consultation earlier this year and sets out the strategic decisions about how telephone numbers will be managed over the next five to ten years.
Some of the most important goals to be fulfilled by Ofcom's approach are: no changes to be made to geographic numbers, a single national point to be offered by new UK-wide 03 number range, clearer and simpler prices for 08 numbers and assuring protection for consumers from telephone scams.
Ofcom does not intend to change the geographic telephone numbers starting with 01 and 02 traditionally used by most households and businesses and further more Ofcom will simplify the non-geographic numbers currently beginning with '08' and '09' that are used by certain businesses and public services. This will be achieved by improving the efficiency with which numbers are allocated as from now on Ofcom allocates blocks of numbers to communications providers, who in turn allocate them to customers.
Another thing Ofcom will take in consideration is to assess five years in advance where numbers will be in most demand and allocate numbers in blocks of one thousand instead of ten thousand numbers. It will also avoid the waste of numbers by reclaiming the unused ones.
Trying to fulfil the need of the customers no matter if they are businesses, public services or voluntary services, that want a common national number, but who do not wish to charge consumers a premium for contacting them' Ofcom will allocate a new type of number� starting with '03'. Calls to 03 numbers will cost the same as calls to geographic numbers, and be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes for geographic calls. This will apply to calls from any line and no revenue sharing will be permitted on calls to 03 numbers.
The pricing for numbers beginning 08 will be clarified in a more understandable manner for callers too. Ofcom will move to three clear categories of 08 numbers: 080 - Freephone (including current 0800 and 0808 numbers); 084 - Up to a lower rate (5p per minute from BT lines); 087 - Up to a higher rate (10p per minute from BT lines). One of the Ofcom's goals is to reclassify premium rate 09 numbers so people can tell how much they will be charged by different services by looking at the number immediately after the 9.
Maybe one of the most important policies Ofcom will apply is the process for allocating numbers to communications providers to increase consumer protection. Ofcom will be using a consumer protection test when allocating telephone numbers, which should permit to cut off the supply of telephone numbers to those communications providers that persistently and/or seriously abuse consumers.
Ofcom is also taking specific action to protect against abuse of existing 'personal numbering' services by applying a ceiling to call prices for all calls, whether from fixed lines, mobiles or payphones. Calls costing more than this will require a free announcement to the caller before the call begins. Ofcom will end 070 personal numbering allocations from the end of 2007 in order to avoid confusion with mobile numbers. Next year Ofcom will review what genuine personal numbering services exist, and may at that point enable them to be provided on numbers starting with '06'. The 06 numbers will also be reserved for potential use for 'individual numbers' and for direct allocation to consumers.
Ofcom's statement follows a full public consultation earlier this year and sets out the strategic decisions about how telephone numbers will be managed over the next five to ten years.
Some of the most important goals to be fulfilled by Ofcom's approach are: no changes to be made to geographic numbers, a single national point to be offered by new UK-wide 03 number range, clearer and simpler prices for 08 numbers and assuring protection for consumers from telephone scams.
Ofcom does not intend to change the geographic telephone numbers starting with 01 and 02 traditionally used by most households and businesses and further more Ofcom will simplify the non-geographic numbers currently beginning with '08' and '09' that are used by certain businesses and public services. This will be achieved by improving the efficiency with which numbers are allocated as from now on Ofcom allocates blocks of numbers to communications providers, who in turn allocate them to customers.
Another thing Ofcom will take in consideration is to assess five years in advance where numbers will be in most demand and allocate numbers in blocks of one thousand instead of ten thousand numbers. It will also avoid the waste of numbers by reclaiming the unused ones.
Trying to fulfil the need of the customers no matter if they are businesses, public services or voluntary services, that want a common national number, but who do not wish to charge consumers a premium for contacting them' Ofcom will allocate a new type of number� starting with '03'. Calls to 03 numbers will cost the same as calls to geographic numbers, and be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes for geographic calls. This will apply to calls from any line and no revenue sharing will be permitted on calls to 03 numbers.
The pricing for numbers beginning 08 will be clarified in a more understandable manner for callers too. Ofcom will move to three clear categories of 08 numbers: 080 - Freephone (including current 0800 and 0808 numbers); 084 - Up to a lower rate (5p per minute from BT lines); 087 - Up to a higher rate (10p per minute from BT lines). One of the Ofcom's goals is to reclassify premium rate 09 numbers so people can tell how much they will be charged by different services by looking at the number immediately after the 9.
Maybe one of the most important policies Ofcom will apply is the process for allocating numbers to communications providers to increase consumer protection. Ofcom will be using a consumer protection test when allocating telephone numbers, which should permit to cut off the supply of telephone numbers to those communications providers that persistently and/or seriously abuse consumers.
Ofcom is also taking specific action to protect against abuse of existing 'personal numbering' services by applying a ceiling to call prices for all calls, whether from fixed lines, mobiles or payphones. Calls costing more than this will require a free announcement to the caller before the call begins. Ofcom will end 070 personal numbering allocations from the end of 2007 in order to avoid confusion with mobile numbers. Next year Ofcom will review what genuine personal numbering services exist, and may at that point enable them to be provided on numbers starting with '06'. The 06 numbers will also be reserved for potential use for 'individual numbers' and for direct allocation to consumers.
VoIP A new telecommunication mantra
What is VOIP?
In the coming years, voice over internet protocol (VOIP) is going to dominate the communication world with its technological advantages. In fact, many communication companies have started using VOIP technology for their long distance calls. You may have used this service unknowingly since many companies use VOIP to route long distance calls through a circuit switch into an IP phone, and another IP phone at the other end receives calls for another local circuit switch.
For a novice it is must to know what VOIP is and how it works. A device converts large amount of analogue signals to be compressed and transmitted, then uncompressed and delivered into digital data. It is cheaper then a traditional land phone, especially if you want extra facilities such as call forwarding and caller ID.
How it works?
VoIP is a unifying stand for treatment and supporting modified, intelligent, and strategic uses of voice communications. What makes it so effective is that it turns speech into digital data that can be stored, browsed, copied, combined with other data, and distributed to any device that connects to the Internet. VOIP has a few features that provide different technical modes such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Transfer, Repeat Dialing and Return Call. These features enable you to give the caller a busy signal, send the call directly to voicemail, and forward the call to a particular number. Soft phone is another distinguishing feature of VOIP service. It is specially developed software that installs the VOIP service into your computer.
Others majors are:
Analogue telephone adaptor: It is also called gateway and works with your already existing phone. You have to attach your phone to this device then this is connected to computer. Computer carries VOIP calls over internet. This system changes analogue signals of your phone into digital signals. Some time software is required to be installed on your computer before it is ready to be used.
IP phone- this type of phone is different from traditional phone in a manner that it has an Ethernet connector instead of Jack connector. It allows you not to install any software as is required in ATA.
Computer to computer: Easiest and cheapest way to use VOIP service. Usually even for long distance calls the only charge you pay is the monthly charge for your internet service. It only requires microphone, speakers, a sound card and a software.
With VOIP's technical advantages now, let us see a few problems that are still at its way.
The biggest problem is VOIP exist in the form of digital phone and if your power goes out, you service get disconnected. Second, right now you cannot have an access to emergency service. Voice over IP calls often have a buzzing tone in the background and it has delay up to 400 milliseconds, means that users cannot hear each other with normal conversation flow. For better use of VoIP, you need to have a high-speed Internet connection; otherwise, you have to pay quite more than what you are currently paying.
In the coming years, voice over internet protocol (VOIP) is going to dominate the communication world with its technological advantages. In fact, many communication companies have started using VOIP technology for their long distance calls. You may have used this service unknowingly since many companies use VOIP to route long distance calls through a circuit switch into an IP phone, and another IP phone at the other end receives calls for another local circuit switch.
For a novice it is must to know what VOIP is and how it works. A device converts large amount of analogue signals to be compressed and transmitted, then uncompressed and delivered into digital data. It is cheaper then a traditional land phone, especially if you want extra facilities such as call forwarding and caller ID.
How it works?
VoIP is a unifying stand for treatment and supporting modified, intelligent, and strategic uses of voice communications. What makes it so effective is that it turns speech into digital data that can be stored, browsed, copied, combined with other data, and distributed to any device that connects to the Internet. VOIP has a few features that provide different technical modes such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Transfer, Repeat Dialing and Return Call. These features enable you to give the caller a busy signal, send the call directly to voicemail, and forward the call to a particular number. Soft phone is another distinguishing feature of VOIP service. It is specially developed software that installs the VOIP service into your computer.
Others majors are:
Analogue telephone adaptor: It is also called gateway and works with your already existing phone. You have to attach your phone to this device then this is connected to computer. Computer carries VOIP calls over internet. This system changes analogue signals of your phone into digital signals. Some time software is required to be installed on your computer before it is ready to be used.
IP phone- this type of phone is different from traditional phone in a manner that it has an Ethernet connector instead of Jack connector. It allows you not to install any software as is required in ATA.
Computer to computer: Easiest and cheapest way to use VOIP service. Usually even for long distance calls the only charge you pay is the monthly charge for your internet service. It only requires microphone, speakers, a sound card and a software.
With VOIP's technical advantages now, let us see a few problems that are still at its way.
The biggest problem is VOIP exist in the form of digital phone and if your power goes out, you service get disconnected. Second, right now you cannot have an access to emergency service. Voice over IP calls often have a buzzing tone in the background and it has delay up to 400 milliseconds, means that users cannot hear each other with normal conversation flow. For better use of VoIP, you need to have a high-speed Internet connection; otherwise, you have to pay quite more than what you are currently paying.
How to Communicate Clearly and Professionally Online
Some people enjoy writing. Some, like me, are even driven to write. Others hate it. They hate words. They hate writing them down, and they hate typing them. Some people even hate reading them. Regardless, the written word is a necessary part of our daily lives, particularly in a world that has become less face-to-face and more virtual. We communicate not only through the Web but through our e-mail communications, instant messengers and online chat. As a result, the words and images we use must be carefully chosen to not only convey our meaning but our tone as well.
Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward in your online communications:
� "Internet speak" (LOL, b4, np, ty, etc.) is fine for casual communications with friends, but it should not be used on your company Web site or in any other professional communications. Words should not have to be deciphered to be understood.
� Always use appropriate punctuation and grammar � these tried and true rules will never go out of style. Need a refresher course? Pick up a resource guide the next time you visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore. I like Punctuation Simplified and Applied by Geraldine Woods (Webster's New World, 2006).
� For those who didn't get the memo yet, PLEASE don't use ALL CAPS to convey a message. This is akin to shouting in the online world.
� Befriend the "spell check" tool and buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. Spelling errors create the perception that a person is too busy to proofread his own work or to pay attention to little details.
� To present content that is easily understood, write in clear, simple language. The benchmark is to write for an audience of 10th graders.
� When possible, add descriptive modifiers (i.e., adjectives) to convey degree and tone. Compare these two ideas: 1) "With our experience, our Web design team can create Web pages quickly." 2) With more than 50 years of combined Web design experience, our creative team can develop an attractive, functional page design within 72 hours." Sentence 2 shares the same idea, but is much clearer.
� Always proofread and edit your work to be sure it is error free and easily understood. For larger projects with a long-term impact, like Web copy, consider hiring a professional writer or editor to be sure your story gets told in a way that adequately shares the value of your company with others.
Here are some tips to help you put your best foot forward in your online communications:
� "Internet speak" (LOL, b4, np, ty, etc.) is fine for casual communications with friends, but it should not be used on your company Web site or in any other professional communications. Words should not have to be deciphered to be understood.
� Always use appropriate punctuation and grammar � these tried and true rules will never go out of style. Need a refresher course? Pick up a resource guide the next time you visit Amazon.com or your local bookstore. I like Punctuation Simplified and Applied by Geraldine Woods (Webster's New World, 2006).
� For those who didn't get the memo yet, PLEASE don't use ALL CAPS to convey a message. This is akin to shouting in the online world.
� Befriend the "spell check" tool and buy a good dictionary and thesaurus. Spelling errors create the perception that a person is too busy to proofread his own work or to pay attention to little details.
� To present content that is easily understood, write in clear, simple language. The benchmark is to write for an audience of 10th graders.
� When possible, add descriptive modifiers (i.e., adjectives) to convey degree and tone. Compare these two ideas: 1) "With our experience, our Web design team can create Web pages quickly." 2) With more than 50 years of combined Web design experience, our creative team can develop an attractive, functional page design within 72 hours." Sentence 2 shares the same idea, but is much clearer.
� Always proofread and edit your work to be sure it is error free and easily understood. For larger projects with a long-term impact, like Web copy, consider hiring a professional writer or editor to be sure your story gets told in a way that adequately shares the value of your company with others.
Unlocking the Myth of Hypnotic Communication
Unquestionably when the word hypnosis pops-up in a conversation or in the mainstream press, nostrils flair, minds conjure up strong reactions of parlor tricks and pictures of late night scary movies where starry-eyed maidens are seduced to carry out satanic acts.
Here we are, in modern times, where we have set foot on the moon, (ops � better watch my words � there are people who still think the earth is flat) broke the sound barrier, communicate wireless with the most modern technology and still people see hypnosis has a hoax. Even the well educated are not off the hook from such lack of knowledge and ignorant responses.
Altered states and trance experiences have been around long before the word hypnosis. What is unique about hypnotic communications is that it's truly magical and at the same time clearly explainable and understandable.
Regardless, of the mystique surrounding hypnotic communication, there is no hocus-pocus involved, and the only tool you will need is your MIND. Sound too easy?
Follow along and prepare yourself to be amazed - both by the power of your mind to shape who you can become, and by the power you have to guide it.
First, Lets' remove a couple of old misconceptions that you're supposed to talk in a monotone when you do hypnosis and that you are under control of someone's power.
A more accurate way to channel the thought that others can control us would be to restate that hypnosis is powerful communication to influence others as well as the self.
That is clearly evident in advertising communications � persuasive salespeople, politicians, religious leaders, and business leaders just to name a few. The hypnotist may take you into an altered state by using a monotone voice for getting a particular outcome or result. Similarly, a more animated approach, just like a glib politician, can wow you into the same altered state through their mesmerizing performance.
And, as for the self � we are masters at entering altered states many times a day � programming with hypnotic communications for what we can't do rather than what we can do. (Just listen and catch yourself every time you say "I can't", "No", or "That was Stupid")
Parents are excellent at using hypnotic communications for getting an unwanted response from a child � Don't spill your milk! � Turn your back and the next thing you hear is the child's glass of milk falling on the floor.
If I tell you "don't get to excited about my free no obligation gift offer at end of this article -- Or, if I say, "I don't want you to worry about what happens after reading this article". You and the child are stuck with trying to understand what was just said. Unsuspectingly, an unwanted behavior occurs in the child -- spilling the milk -- and you, the reader, somehow wanting to understand what "don't want you to worry" means, will momentarily fall into an altered state conjuring up in your mind all kinds of possibilities.
Hypnotic communications is a very natural process that we all do all the time -- some have just learned to do it more eloquently for positive outcomes and others sabotage themselves. It's a skill that you can develop to be a very powerful communicator for changing yourself and influencing others.
The challenge that people have is they don't recognize, understand or notice the natural flow of hypnotic communication. And, therefore is very transparent and goes undetected by the incomprehensible person.
Here is an everyday example: Put yourself in this scene � you're driving down a freeway or highway and surprisingly you pass an intended off-ramp or street that you were going to exit onto. For a split second you may have been startled upon discovering that you passed the exit and said something like � "dam" or "stupid me" how did I miss that?
Unknowingly you were experiencing hypnotic communications with yourself � an altered state of consciousness - focused in a hyper state of awareness in your subconscious mind on something other than paying attention to your driving � daydreaming as some would describe it.
Watch out for the pink elephant behind you. � Got you! � for a split second did you visualize a pink elephant? Now I can just hear the skeptics saying, this hypnosis stuff doesn't work. Clearly it works! And, it has programmed you into the person you are today.
Habits of behavior are learned through hypnotic communications and work specifically for changing any unwanted behaviors in life. You can learn to eliminate habits of behavior that would enable you to stop smoking, eliminate weight, overcome fears, and to create new habits of behavior for greater success in life.
The mind is much more malleable than we thought and marketers are learning to understand and capitalize on what influences consumers unconscious minds as much as their conscious minds do.
Learning hypnotic communications through self-hypnosis will clearly help guard your mind against self-sabotaging acts and bring strength and awareness of external influence. And, you will experience harmonious balance and control in your life.
Here we are, in modern times, where we have set foot on the moon, (ops � better watch my words � there are people who still think the earth is flat) broke the sound barrier, communicate wireless with the most modern technology and still people see hypnosis has a hoax. Even the well educated are not off the hook from such lack of knowledge and ignorant responses.
Altered states and trance experiences have been around long before the word hypnosis. What is unique about hypnotic communications is that it's truly magical and at the same time clearly explainable and understandable.
Regardless, of the mystique surrounding hypnotic communication, there is no hocus-pocus involved, and the only tool you will need is your MIND. Sound too easy?
Follow along and prepare yourself to be amazed - both by the power of your mind to shape who you can become, and by the power you have to guide it.
First, Lets' remove a couple of old misconceptions that you're supposed to talk in a monotone when you do hypnosis and that you are under control of someone's power.
A more accurate way to channel the thought that others can control us would be to restate that hypnosis is powerful communication to influence others as well as the self.
That is clearly evident in advertising communications � persuasive salespeople, politicians, religious leaders, and business leaders just to name a few. The hypnotist may take you into an altered state by using a monotone voice for getting a particular outcome or result. Similarly, a more animated approach, just like a glib politician, can wow you into the same altered state through their mesmerizing performance.
And, as for the self � we are masters at entering altered states many times a day � programming with hypnotic communications for what we can't do rather than what we can do. (Just listen and catch yourself every time you say "I can't", "No", or "That was Stupid")
Parents are excellent at using hypnotic communications for getting an unwanted response from a child � Don't spill your milk! � Turn your back and the next thing you hear is the child's glass of milk falling on the floor.
If I tell you "don't get to excited about my free no obligation gift offer at end of this article -- Or, if I say, "I don't want you to worry about what happens after reading this article". You and the child are stuck with trying to understand what was just said. Unsuspectingly, an unwanted behavior occurs in the child -- spilling the milk -- and you, the reader, somehow wanting to understand what "don't want you to worry" means, will momentarily fall into an altered state conjuring up in your mind all kinds of possibilities.
Hypnotic communications is a very natural process that we all do all the time -- some have just learned to do it more eloquently for positive outcomes and others sabotage themselves. It's a skill that you can develop to be a very powerful communicator for changing yourself and influencing others.
The challenge that people have is they don't recognize, understand or notice the natural flow of hypnotic communication. And, therefore is very transparent and goes undetected by the incomprehensible person.
Here is an everyday example: Put yourself in this scene � you're driving down a freeway or highway and surprisingly you pass an intended off-ramp or street that you were going to exit onto. For a split second you may have been startled upon discovering that you passed the exit and said something like � "dam" or "stupid me" how did I miss that?
Unknowingly you were experiencing hypnotic communications with yourself � an altered state of consciousness - focused in a hyper state of awareness in your subconscious mind on something other than paying attention to your driving � daydreaming as some would describe it.
Watch out for the pink elephant behind you. � Got you! � for a split second did you visualize a pink elephant? Now I can just hear the skeptics saying, this hypnosis stuff doesn't work. Clearly it works! And, it has programmed you into the person you are today.
Habits of behavior are learned through hypnotic communications and work specifically for changing any unwanted behaviors in life. You can learn to eliminate habits of behavior that would enable you to stop smoking, eliminate weight, overcome fears, and to create new habits of behavior for greater success in life.
The mind is much more malleable than we thought and marketers are learning to understand and capitalize on what influences consumers unconscious minds as much as their conscious minds do.
Learning hypnotic communications through self-hypnosis will clearly help guard your mind against self-sabotaging acts and bring strength and awareness of external influence. And, you will experience harmonious balance and control in your life.
Take Care when Communicating
Welcome to another week of self-discovery and universal understanding. This week's forecast begins on Wednesday when the Sun, your source of vitality and light at 20� Taurus will square Neptune, the planet of universal love at 20� Aquarius. The energy of this square will make you will make you feel emotionally vulnerable today. Neptune on the Sun will weaken your ego demands for independence which can distort your reality of self, making you feel dreamy and unsure of your reality. Sometimes these feelings of inadequacy can create images of failure and you will construct impossible dreams to justify your inability to succeed. If you are to become independent and express yourself with confidence in this life, you must be willing to risk failure if you are to gain from the experience of living. With time you will grow more aware of your abilities and and will be able to accept full responsibility for your creative reality.
On Thursday Mercury, the planet of communication at 13� Taurus will be in opposition to Jupiter, the planet of expansion and growth. The energy expressed from this opposition of Mercury with Jupiter will make you think in grand terms. With this transit you can plan details with precision and clarity. Because you are looking at the greater whole which includes the finer details of your perception, communications with others today will have a touch of arrogance and cocksureness. Try to remain flexible enough to others' points of view or you could find yourself engaged in a heated debate.
On Friday Mercury, the planet of communications at 14� Taurus, will sextile Uranus, the planet of unexpected change at 14� Pisces. The energy expressed from this sextile of Mercury with Uranus will have you seeking excitement and change. You can expect a change in direction and your travel, and in communications with others today. All around you today, pleasant surprises will influence the direction of your comings and goings that will give you new insights into your world.
Late Saturday night, the Moon at 22� Scorpio will be in opposition to the Sun at 22� Taurus. This opposition of the Moon and Sun is known as the Full Moon. This month's full moon will focus her light on your value system versus your resources. Since the Taurus (Sun) and Scorpio (Moon) polarity is connected with desire, your misuse of these energies can create trouble with regard to the objects you own, or wish to make your own. The Taurus desire to accumulate material goods for emotional security can lead to Scorpionic pride as well as jealousy under this month's Full Moon. This Full Moon Taurus-Scorpio polarity is concerned with what what you value. The problem of values is that they are connected with your Scorpio desire. Desire is also associated with sex, which will also be the focus of today's Full Moon. Scorpio is associated with sex and all forms of letting go. Elimination, ejaculation, and death are all expressions of Scorpio's energy. This Full Moon will create confrontations that will intensify your awareness and appreciation of Earth's securities. The lesson of the Full Moon is not to become unduly attached to the physical gifts of Earth's abundance, which are given to use and discard.
On Saturday Mercury, the planet of communications at 17� Taurus will sextile Mars, the planet of personal energy and ego drive at 17� Cancer. The energy expressed from this sextile of Mercury with Mars will make for an extremely busy day. Mentally you are ready for any opportunities that arise today. You should take the initiative and don't hesitate to display your skills and know-how. Under this influence you will be successful.
On Sunday, Mercury, the planet of communications at 20� Taurus will square Neptune, the planet of universal love at 20� Aquarius. The energy of this square of Mercury with Neptune will cloud your judgment. Today's communications are hopelessly misunderstood or perhaps not even delivered. Don't believe all of what you hear today; truth will be distorted or misrepresented. What you think will be challenged by what you feel, and what you feel is only a fantasy of what you desire. Are you confused? You should be. Just stay in touch with the real world and maintain control over your fantasies today.
On Thursday Mercury, the planet of communication at 13� Taurus will be in opposition to Jupiter, the planet of expansion and growth. The energy expressed from this opposition of Mercury with Jupiter will make you think in grand terms. With this transit you can plan details with precision and clarity. Because you are looking at the greater whole which includes the finer details of your perception, communications with others today will have a touch of arrogance and cocksureness. Try to remain flexible enough to others' points of view or you could find yourself engaged in a heated debate.
On Friday Mercury, the planet of communications at 14� Taurus, will sextile Uranus, the planet of unexpected change at 14� Pisces. The energy expressed from this sextile of Mercury with Uranus will have you seeking excitement and change. You can expect a change in direction and your travel, and in communications with others today. All around you today, pleasant surprises will influence the direction of your comings and goings that will give you new insights into your world.
Late Saturday night, the Moon at 22� Scorpio will be in opposition to the Sun at 22� Taurus. This opposition of the Moon and Sun is known as the Full Moon. This month's full moon will focus her light on your value system versus your resources. Since the Taurus (Sun) and Scorpio (Moon) polarity is connected with desire, your misuse of these energies can create trouble with regard to the objects you own, or wish to make your own. The Taurus desire to accumulate material goods for emotional security can lead to Scorpionic pride as well as jealousy under this month's Full Moon. This Full Moon Taurus-Scorpio polarity is concerned with what what you value. The problem of values is that they are connected with your Scorpio desire. Desire is also associated with sex, which will also be the focus of today's Full Moon. Scorpio is associated with sex and all forms of letting go. Elimination, ejaculation, and death are all expressions of Scorpio's energy. This Full Moon will create confrontations that will intensify your awareness and appreciation of Earth's securities. The lesson of the Full Moon is not to become unduly attached to the physical gifts of Earth's abundance, which are given to use and discard.
On Saturday Mercury, the planet of communications at 17� Taurus will sextile Mars, the planet of personal energy and ego drive at 17� Cancer. The energy expressed from this sextile of Mercury with Mars will make for an extremely busy day. Mentally you are ready for any opportunities that arise today. You should take the initiative and don't hesitate to display your skills and know-how. Under this influence you will be successful.
On Sunday, Mercury, the planet of communications at 20� Taurus will square Neptune, the planet of universal love at 20� Aquarius. The energy of this square of Mercury with Neptune will cloud your judgment. Today's communications are hopelessly misunderstood or perhaps not even delivered. Don't believe all of what you hear today; truth will be distorted or misrepresented. What you think will be challenged by what you feel, and what you feel is only a fantasy of what you desire. Are you confused? You should be. Just stay in touch with the real world and maintain control over your fantasies today.
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