There comes a time when the internet bug hits us all and we tend
to acquire a wealth of domain names and web sites to feed our
frenzy.
We start out with the best intentions, set up a personal home
page with a few details about ourselves, then create more for our
family, then our business and before we know it we have several
domain names and web sites spread across several web hosting
companies.
A more convenient approach would be to set yourself up with a
reseller account with one hosting company.
Most people assume that to have a reseller account, you need to
be in the business of selling hosting. This is not true. Anyone
can set up a reseller account and enjoy the benefits of saving
money and also having the convenience of only dealing with one
company for all your hosting needs.
I'll take my hosting reseller http://www.HostingRevolution.com as
an example. They provide a very competitive reseller account
priced at $35. Their Reseller's Package allows you to host 100
Domains. You are allowed to give every Domain you host up to
20GB's of monthly transfer and up to 2.5GB of storage.
Previously I had over ten domain names and associated web sites
that were costing me around $5 - $10 a month to host. The average
months hosting costs were around $50 - $60. Therefore, by setting
up a reseller account and transferring my domains and web sites
over to my reseller account I made an instant saving of $15 a
month.
Now, another extension of this would be to start selling hosting
to your friends, after all, you have a reseller account. So if
you have ten friends, ask them if they would like web hosting on
your server, maybe offer it free to them and ask them to
recommend your services to their friends, these can then become
"paying" customers. Now YOU can get people to pay for hosting and
make back the monthly reseller fee. Just sell ten accounts for $3
a month and you have instant income of $30 to offset the $35
reseller fee you are paying. So you get hosting for $5 a month
for as many domains and sites as you like.
So, with the reseller account you have helped yourself, helped
your friends, and possibly started making money as well
Read More!
How to register your domain
When you launch a new website you must register a unique domain name with an authorized registrar. When the internet was first starting, all domain names and IP addresses were registered through one organization, Internic. Eventually Network Solutions took over the role as “keeper” of the internet domain names. Today, there are hundreds of websites where you can register your domain name but Network Solutions still maintains the main database of domain names. Some websites charge as little as $2.95 per year for your domain name while others charge as much as $35 per year for the exact same service. Some even offer one year free if you register your domain name with them and host your website on their servers. Why pay $35 when you can register your domain name for much less at another website?
So why does Network Solutions charge $35 a year if they are the keeper of the database and their resellers charge a fraction or even nothing? Who knows and who cares! Register your domain with one of the cheaper providers and you'll be fine. A word caution - be care who you choose to host your website. Getting a free year of your domain name isn't worth it if your webhost is unreliable and your website is down more than it's up.
You pay for your domain name on a yearly basis. It's a separate charge from your webhosting bill. When you register your domain name choose the autorenewal option if it's available. This way your domain name will not expire if you forget to renew it. If your domain name expires, it's free for anyone else to register so you need to stay on top of when it's expiring. Also registering your domain name for a 3 to 5 year term will often save you money. For example, godaddy.com charges $8.95 a year for your domain name but only $7.25 a year if you register for a 5 year term.
When you register your domain you can create different contact names. The three contacts are Administrator, Technical and Billing. Most of the time the same person is all 3 contacts. If you web designer registers your domain name for you, make sure you are designated as the Administrative contact. This gives you control over the domain name and you must be notified if someone is trying to make changes to your record. If you aren't one of the contacts then someone can transfer ownership of the domain name without your permission.
To see a record of your domain name, go to www.networksolutions.com and use their WHOIS utility which is located in the bottom left corner of their home page. Simply enter your domain name and click Search. You'll see the complete record of your domain name, where it's registered and where your website is hosted. For a complete video of how to use WHOIS, visit www.valiss.com/video/whois/whois.html.
When you register your domain name you'll have to the option of making it a private registration. I highly recommend paying the additional fee to make your information private. If you leave your registration public anyone can look up your domain information which includes your home or business address and your email address. Many spammers scan public domain registration records to find valid email addresses to spam.
I always use a yahoo or hotmail email account when registering my domains. This way if spammers to find my email address, I can just get a new “throwaway” email address and I won't receive spam at my primary email address.
Always make sure your domain record remains locked. Locking your domain name is a feature implemented a few years ago. When you want to transfer your domain name to a different registrar you must unlock it. Once it's unlocked the new registrar can “pull” your domain name from your current registrar. Once the transfer is complete, the domain name will be locked to prevent anyone else from “pulling” your domain away from you.
About the author:
Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular One. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides personalized web design and small business marketing solutions. Visit http://www.valiss.comfor lots of free “how to” articles about marketing your business online.
Copyright 2005 Valiss IT, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted only if it remains unchanged.
Read More!
So why does Network Solutions charge $35 a year if they are the keeper of the database and their resellers charge a fraction or even nothing? Who knows and who cares! Register your domain with one of the cheaper providers and you'll be fine. A word caution - be care who you choose to host your website. Getting a free year of your domain name isn't worth it if your webhost is unreliable and your website is down more than it's up.
You pay for your domain name on a yearly basis. It's a separate charge from your webhosting bill. When you register your domain name choose the autorenewal option if it's available. This way your domain name will not expire if you forget to renew it. If your domain name expires, it's free for anyone else to register so you need to stay on top of when it's expiring. Also registering your domain name for a 3 to 5 year term will often save you money. For example, godaddy.com charges $8.95 a year for your domain name but only $7.25 a year if you register for a 5 year term.
When you register your domain you can create different contact names. The three contacts are Administrator, Technical and Billing. Most of the time the same person is all 3 contacts. If you web designer registers your domain name for you, make sure you are designated as the Administrative contact. This gives you control over the domain name and you must be notified if someone is trying to make changes to your record. If you aren't one of the contacts then someone can transfer ownership of the domain name without your permission.
To see a record of your domain name, go to www.networksolutions.com and use their WHOIS utility which is located in the bottom left corner of their home page. Simply enter your domain name and click Search. You'll see the complete record of your domain name, where it's registered and where your website is hosted. For a complete video of how to use WHOIS, visit www.valiss.com/video/whois/whois.html.
When you register your domain name you'll have to the option of making it a private registration. I highly recommend paying the additional fee to make your information private. If you leave your registration public anyone can look up your domain information which includes your home or business address and your email address. Many spammers scan public domain registration records to find valid email addresses to spam.
I always use a yahoo or hotmail email account when registering my domains. This way if spammers to find my email address, I can just get a new “throwaway” email address and I won't receive spam at my primary email address.
Always make sure your domain record remains locked. Locking your domain name is a feature implemented a few years ago. When you want to transfer your domain name to a different registrar you must unlock it. Once it's unlocked the new registrar can “pull” your domain name from your current registrar. Once the transfer is complete, the domain name will be locked to prevent anyone else from “pulling” your domain away from you.
About the author:
Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular One. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides personalized web design and small business marketing solutions. Visit http://www.valiss.comfor lots of free “how to” articles about marketing your business online.
Copyright 2005 Valiss IT, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted only if it remains unchanged.
Read More!
Five effective ways of making money out of web templates
Web templates are the in-thing now-a-days and most of them are selling like hot cakes resulting into huge profits for web template providers. You too can cash-in on this web template craze and make money. Discussed in this article are five effective ways of making money out of web templates.
Five effective ways to make money out of web templates
1.) Creating turnkey pages from web templates
Turnkey websites are the hottest resource on the internet. If you are a web designer, web hosting company or simply own a website you can make good money by creating turnkey websites from readymade web templates.
What are turn key websites?
Turnkey websites are completely functional websites having relevant content, domain names and hosting. Depending on the type, turnkey websites can have shopping carts, interactive scripts, graphics forms, forums, live chats etc. All that a buyer needs to do is buy the website and he is ready to do business.
What you need to do?
In order to set up a turn key website business, you need to do the following;
1) Purchase professional looking web templates with resell rights or join a template membership program
2.) Modify the web templates by adding relevant content, links, images and graphics
3.) Purchase domain names and hosting accounts
4) Host the completed web templates as websites
5) Advertise/promote your websites for sale/rent by SEO and Email marketing
What will be your ROI?
You ROI Will surely be very high. This is because of the fact that the retail value of turnkey websites is around $200 - $500 per website and can also go higher based on the website quality. You can also go for renting your websites instead of selling them. As you will be purchasing web-templates for a cheaper cost your ROI will be higher. The best way to go about it is by joining membership programs that will give you access to a host of http://www.buytemplates.netweb templates at a low one time cost. Also make sure to host your sites with hosting service providers who offer unlimited domain name hosting. One good example of a turnkey website service is ready-set-web.com.
2.) Joining an affiliate program
Affiliate programs are quite popular over the net. If you have a well ranking website with a good traffic margin then you can very well join an affiliate program offered by many if not all web template providers. All that you need to do is promote their templates and you can make easy money in the form of commissions.
What you need to do?
In order to join an affiliate program you need to register yourself for the program. As soon as the registration process is over you will receive a link or banner advert that you can place on your website at strategic places. In case your website visitor clicks the banner and makes the purchase you get a part of the commission. Commissions can range from 2% to 10% of the actual sales proceeds. Most companies use tracking software programs or individual services like clicksgalore, commission junction etc. for tracking sales.
Some good web template providers who offer affiliate programs are buytemplates.net, templatehunter.com, templatemagic.net and webzonetemplates.com Before joining an affiliate program make sure that the template provider offers allied/complimentary services like web hosting, search engine optimization, content insertion, domain name registration, template customization etc. In fact the more the complimentary services offered the better will be your returns.
3.) Reselling/redistributing web templates
If you own a website that attracts good traffic or is likely to attract traffic in the future, you can go for purchasing templates as a bulk and reselling them. To get redistribution rights all that you need to do is purchase reseller templates that many web template providers offer today. Some good web template vendors who offer reseller templates are http://www.buytemplates.net , http://www.templatemagic.net and freewebsitetemplates.com. Purchasing reseller templates on your own and reselling them can fetch you more returns than by joining an affiliate program.
What you need to do?
All that you need to do is purchase web templates that come with resell rights. You can then modify the templates and sell them to potential customers with non-exclusive rights. You certainly need not be a html pro to start this business; instead you can partner with template providers who offer related services like template customization, hosting, SEO etc. and earn good commissions by referring your customers to them.
4.) Joining Referral based programs
Referral programs are very unlike affiliate programs in the sense that they do not involve you to place links or banner ads on your site. This is basically a word of mouth program and requires you to promote products by word-of-mouth. In case a customer referred by you joins a membership program or buys a web template and refers your name in the referral section, you get a commission. But such referral programs are offered by very few template vendors today.
5.) Web designing with web templates
If you are a professional web designer you can earn higher returns by making use of web templates. Firstly you can satisfy your clients with the speed at which you complete the work and at the same time get more ROI as the readymade website templates are way cheap. All that you need to do is buy exclusive templates and resell them after making modifications. One way to go about it is by joining membership programs offered by web template providers. This will give you access to a host of web templates at a one time cost. Most web designers can almost double their profits, take care of multiple projects and also retain customers by making use of this technique. Also web designers can attract new customers by lowering their service charges.
So what if you can’t make web templates on your own, you can still cash in on web templates by making use of these sales techniques. Read More!
Five effective ways to make money out of web templates
1.) Creating turnkey pages from web templates
Turnkey websites are the hottest resource on the internet. If you are a web designer, web hosting company or simply own a website you can make good money by creating turnkey websites from readymade web templates.
What are turn key websites?
Turnkey websites are completely functional websites having relevant content, domain names and hosting. Depending on the type, turnkey websites can have shopping carts, interactive scripts, graphics forms, forums, live chats etc. All that a buyer needs to do is buy the website and he is ready to do business.
What you need to do?
In order to set up a turn key website business, you need to do the following;
1) Purchase professional looking web templates with resell rights or join a template membership program
2.) Modify the web templates by adding relevant content, links, images and graphics
3.) Purchase domain names and hosting accounts
4) Host the completed web templates as websites
5) Advertise/promote your websites for sale/rent by SEO and Email marketing
What will be your ROI?
You ROI Will surely be very high. This is because of the fact that the retail value of turnkey websites is around $200 - $500 per website and can also go higher based on the website quality. You can also go for renting your websites instead of selling them. As you will be purchasing web-templates for a cheaper cost your ROI will be higher. The best way to go about it is by joining membership programs that will give you access to a host of http://www.buytemplates.netweb templates at a low one time cost. Also make sure to host your sites with hosting service providers who offer unlimited domain name hosting. One good example of a turnkey website service is ready-set-web.com.
2.) Joining an affiliate program
Affiliate programs are quite popular over the net. If you have a well ranking website with a good traffic margin then you can very well join an affiliate program offered by many if not all web template providers. All that you need to do is promote their templates and you can make easy money in the form of commissions.
What you need to do?
In order to join an affiliate program you need to register yourself for the program. As soon as the registration process is over you will receive a link or banner advert that you can place on your website at strategic places. In case your website visitor clicks the banner and makes the purchase you get a part of the commission. Commissions can range from 2% to 10% of the actual sales proceeds. Most companies use tracking software programs or individual services like clicksgalore, commission junction etc. for tracking sales.
Some good web template providers who offer affiliate programs are buytemplates.net, templatehunter.com, templatemagic.net and webzonetemplates.com Before joining an affiliate program make sure that the template provider offers allied/complimentary services like web hosting, search engine optimization, content insertion, domain name registration, template customization etc. In fact the more the complimentary services offered the better will be your returns.
3.) Reselling/redistributing web templates
If you own a website that attracts good traffic or is likely to attract traffic in the future, you can go for purchasing templates as a bulk and reselling them. To get redistribution rights all that you need to do is purchase reseller templates that many web template providers offer today. Some good web template vendors who offer reseller templates are http://www.buytemplates.net , http://www.templatemagic.net and freewebsitetemplates.com. Purchasing reseller templates on your own and reselling them can fetch you more returns than by joining an affiliate program.
What you need to do?
All that you need to do is purchase web templates that come with resell rights. You can then modify the templates and sell them to potential customers with non-exclusive rights. You certainly need not be a html pro to start this business; instead you can partner with template providers who offer related services like template customization, hosting, SEO etc. and earn good commissions by referring your customers to them.
4.) Joining Referral based programs
Referral programs are very unlike affiliate programs in the sense that they do not involve you to place links or banner ads on your site. This is basically a word of mouth program and requires you to promote products by word-of-mouth. In case a customer referred by you joins a membership program or buys a web template and refers your name in the referral section, you get a commission. But such referral programs are offered by very few template vendors today.
5.) Web designing with web templates
If you are a professional web designer you can earn higher returns by making use of web templates. Firstly you can satisfy your clients with the speed at which you complete the work and at the same time get more ROI as the readymade website templates are way cheap. All that you need to do is buy exclusive templates and resell them after making modifications. One way to go about it is by joining membership programs offered by web template providers. This will give you access to a host of web templates at a one time cost. Most web designers can almost double their profits, take care of multiple projects and also retain customers by making use of this technique. Also web designers can attract new customers by lowering their service charges.
So what if you can’t make web templates on your own, you can still cash in on web templates by making use of these sales techniques. Read More!
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Forex Market Overview
The global marketplace has changed dramatically over the past several years. New investment strategies are becoming more important in order to minimize risk, as well as to maintain high portfolio returns. Among the most rewarding of the markets opening up to traders is the Foreign Exchange market. Identifiable trading patterns, as well as comparatively low margin requirements, have rewarding trading opportunities for many.
In contrast to the world’s stock markets, foreign exchange is traded without the constraints of a central physical exchange. Transactions are instead conducted via telephone or online. With this transaction structure as its foundation, the Foreign Exchange Market has become by far the largest marketplace in the world. Average volume in foreign exchange exceeds $1.5 trillion per day versus only $25 billion per day traded on the New York Stock Exchange. This high volume is advantageous from a trading standpoint because transactions can be executed quickly and with low transaction costs (i.e., a small bid/ask spread).
As a result, foreign exchange trading has long been recognized as a superior investment opportunity by major banks, multinational corporations and other institutions. Today, this market is more widely available to the individual trader than ever before.
Spot foreign exchange is always traded as one currency in relation to another. So a trader who believes that the dollar will rise in relation to the Euro, would sell EURUSD. That is, sell Euros and buy US dollars. Forex-Training.com has compiled the following guide for quoting conventions:
| Symbol | Currency Pair | Trading Terminology | ||
| GBPUSD | British Pound / US Dollar | "Cable" | ||
| EURUSD | Euro / US Dollar | "Euro" | ||
| USDJPY | US Dollar / Japanese Yen | "Dollar Yen" | ||
| USDCHF | US Dollar / Swiss Franc | "Dollar Swiss", or "Swissy" | ||
| USDCAD | US Dollar / Canadian Dollar | "Dollar Canada" | ||
| AUDUSD | Australian Dollar / US Dollar | "Aussie Dollar" | ||
| EURGBP | Euro / British Pound | "Euro Sterling" | ||
| EURJPY | Euro / Japanese Yen | "Euro Yen" | ||
| EURCHF | Euro / Swiss Franc | "Euro Swiss" | ||
| GBPCHF | British Pound / Swiss Franc | "Sterling Swiss" | ||
| GBPJPY | British Pound / Japanese Yen | "Sterling Yen" | ||
| CHFJPY | Swiss Franc / Japanese Yen | "Swiss Yen" | ||
| NZDUSD | New Zealand Dollar / US Dollar | "New Zealand Dollar" or "Kiwi" | ||
| USDZAR | US Dollar / South African Rand | "Dollar Zar" or "South African Rand" | ||
| GLDUSD | Spot Gold | "Gold" | ||
| SLVUSD | Spot Silver | "Silver" |
Spot Forex versus Currency Futures
Many traders have made the switch from currency futures to spot foreign exchange ("forex") trading. Spot foreign exchange offers better liquidity and generally a lower cost of trading than currency futures. Banks and brokers in spot foreign exchange can quote markets 24 hours a day. Furthermore, the spot foreign exchange market is not burdened by exchange and NFA ("National Futures Association") fees, which are generally passed on to the customer in the form of higher commissions. For these reasons, virtually all professional traders and institutions conduct most of their foreign exchange dealing in the spot forex market, not in currency futures.
The mechanics of trading spot forex are similar to those of currency futures. The most important initial difference is the way in which currency pairs are quoted. Currency futures are always quoted as the currency versus the US dollar. In Spot forex, some currencies are quoted this way, while others are quoted as the US dollar versus the currency. For example, in spot forex, EURUSD is quoted the same way as Euro futures. In other words, if the Euro is strengthening, EURUSD will rise just as Euro futures will rise. On the other hand, USDCHF is quoted as US dollars with respect to Swiss Francs, the opposite of Swiss Franc futures. So if the Swiss Franc strengthens with respect to the US dollar, USDCHF will fall, while Swiss Franc futures will rise. The rule in spot forex is that the first currency shown is the currency that is being quoted in terms of direction. For example, "EUR" in EURUSD and "USD" in USDCHF is the currency that is being quoted.
The table below illustrates which spot currencies move parallel to the futures contract and which move inversely (opposite):
| Forex Symbol | Currency Pair | Futures Symbol | Directional Relationship | |||
| GBPUSD | British Pound / US Dollar | BP | Parallel | |||
| EURUSD | Euro / US Dollar | EU | Parallel | |||
| USDJPY | US Dollar / Japanese Yen | JY | Inverse | |||
| USDCHF | US Dollar / Swiss Franc | SF | Inverse | |||
| USDCAD | US Dollar / Canadian Dollar | CD | Inverse | |||
| AUDUSD | Australian Dollar / US Dollar | AD | Parallel | |||
| NZDUSD | New Zealand Dollar / US Dollar | ND | Parallel |
Prophetic Nerds
I am an Internet creative writer and journalist and yet knowledge of the technical side of computers still eludes me. As I work with tech-heads I've always had a feeling that they were a different breed of people, with their strange language of numbers and abbreviated terminology. I've also had the egotistical belief that because they are always sitting at their computers, that somehow they were missing out on life, as opposed to people like me who try to spend as much time in fresh air as possible. Well, I had a wake up call today when I asked a few of my colleagues about the changing world of communication, television, film, and advertising that has begun to evolve at an alarming rate since the advent of the Internet.
First of all, after a short discussion I realized these people are just like me, they do all the things I do in their spare time. Secondly, I came to understand that a lot of these so-called 'nerds' are actually at the forefront of this revolution of technology and ideas that are changing our world for the better. Their well-kept secret is this: As they are the people designing these technologies that harness the power of the human imagination, they are actually prophets who can see into the future. I'm not saying that they are gurus who have mastered all aspects of life, on the contrary, I still believe that most of contemporary society still needs to focus much more time and attention on internal growth and understanding of our emotions and thought processes. However, as the tech-head jobs are usually based around ideas about how to make the world function better, they are miles ahead when it comes to knowing about which systems are going to implemented in the future.
Take communication for example. When the telephone was first invented by Alexander Graham Bell a lot of people questioned the worth of being able to speak to someone that they couldn't see face-to-face. Of course after the benefits were discovered, the whole paradigm of communication drastically changed. Everyone now felt that it was 'necessary' to have a telephone. Many, many years later came satellites and with them the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world. Recently we've had huge cables constructed of optical fiber laid along the ocean floor, and with them came light-speed telephone and Internet connections. Well, the future of communication is now on the verge of a new revolution in paradigm as voice-over-Internet communication comes into existence and evolves.
A good example of this technology in its early stages can be found at http://www.skype.com/. Skype is a company whose service of computer-to-computer and even computer-to-phone communication has already had around 115 million downloads off the Internet. The reason that it is so popular now is that compared to a normal landline phone call, it is super cheap! A few of my friends and colleagues use it regularly so I'll tell you how it works. In the case of computer-to-computer voice communication, each person needs either a headset with built-in microphone and headphones, or a combination of microphone and computer speakers/headphones. At this stage you both also need a Broadband Internet connection, but let me tell you, until the big telephone and Internet corporations put a block on the current system (some US companies already have), you can now talk to people on the other side of the world for relatively free! The only cost seen is where the amount of time you speak is subtracted from your allowable download limit. Talking to someone for an hour on the other side of the globe hardly takes any download usage and as the Internet is the medium, the 'phone call' is actually better quality than a landline but with equal speed so there's no time delay of speaker to listener like in the days of satellites.
The computer-to-phone service does have a fee but it still costs less than the rates on a normal telephone, although my friend says that the quality isn't as good as the other Skype method yet. What does this mean for future communication in our world? It means eventually telephone companies will probably have to become Internet communication providers, and by that stage they will probably raise prices, as they will be losing so much of the revenue that they make now from overcharging on telephone services. It's kind of like the situation we have with fossil fuels versus environmentally friendly energy production. Even though the technology exists, the oil companies aren't going to bring it out until they've made every cent they can from the old technology.
However, as the Internet is a new medium where the general public has much more power and freedom from corporation and government constraints, this new technology has a much better chance of being implemented into our society straight away. 115 million downloads of Skype alone means that if the phone companies try and block this sort of communication completely, people probably won't stand for it. This is also an important fact as it means that Internet nerds have a much better chance of bringing their ideas to reality, compared with nerds in other areas of human progress that are controlled more by big money-makers. As for now, if I were you I'd get onto Skype or another Internet voice communication provider and save your hard earned cash for as long as you can.
First of all, after a short discussion I realized these people are just like me, they do all the things I do in their spare time. Secondly, I came to understand that a lot of these so-called 'nerds' are actually at the forefront of this revolution of technology and ideas that are changing our world for the better. Their well-kept secret is this: As they are the people designing these technologies that harness the power of the human imagination, they are actually prophets who can see into the future. I'm not saying that they are gurus who have mastered all aspects of life, on the contrary, I still believe that most of contemporary society still needs to focus much more time and attention on internal growth and understanding of our emotions and thought processes. However, as the tech-head jobs are usually based around ideas about how to make the world function better, they are miles ahead when it comes to knowing about which systems are going to implemented in the future.
Take communication for example. When the telephone was first invented by Alexander Graham Bell a lot of people questioned the worth of being able to speak to someone that they couldn't see face-to-face. Of course after the benefits were discovered, the whole paradigm of communication drastically changed. Everyone now felt that it was 'necessary' to have a telephone. Many, many years later came satellites and with them the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world. Recently we've had huge cables constructed of optical fiber laid along the ocean floor, and with them came light-speed telephone and Internet connections. Well, the future of communication is now on the verge of a new revolution in paradigm as voice-over-Internet communication comes into existence and evolves.
A good example of this technology in its early stages can be found at http://www.skype.com/. Skype is a company whose service of computer-to-computer and even computer-to-phone communication has already had around 115 million downloads off the Internet. The reason that it is so popular now is that compared to a normal landline phone call, it is super cheap! A few of my friends and colleagues use it regularly so I'll tell you how it works. In the case of computer-to-computer voice communication, each person needs either a headset with built-in microphone and headphones, or a combination of microphone and computer speakers/headphones. At this stage you both also need a Broadband Internet connection, but let me tell you, until the big telephone and Internet corporations put a block on the current system (some US companies already have), you can now talk to people on the other side of the world for relatively free! The only cost seen is where the amount of time you speak is subtracted from your allowable download limit. Talking to someone for an hour on the other side of the globe hardly takes any download usage and as the Internet is the medium, the 'phone call' is actually better quality than a landline but with equal speed so there's no time delay of speaker to listener like in the days of satellites.
The computer-to-phone service does have a fee but it still costs less than the rates on a normal telephone, although my friend says that the quality isn't as good as the other Skype method yet. What does this mean for future communication in our world? It means eventually telephone companies will probably have to become Internet communication providers, and by that stage they will probably raise prices, as they will be losing so much of the revenue that they make now from overcharging on telephone services. It's kind of like the situation we have with fossil fuels versus environmentally friendly energy production. Even though the technology exists, the oil companies aren't going to bring it out until they've made every cent they can from the old technology.
However, as the Internet is a new medium where the general public has much more power and freedom from corporation and government constraints, this new technology has a much better chance of being implemented into our society straight away. 115 million downloads of Skype alone means that if the phone companies try and block this sort of communication completely, people probably won't stand for it. This is also an important fact as it means that Internet nerds have a much better chance of bringing their ideas to reality, compared with nerds in other areas of human progress that are controlled more by big money-makers. As for now, if I were you I'd get onto Skype or another Internet voice communication provider and save your hard earned cash for as long as you can.
About the Author
Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer doesn't like being called a nerd, but if nerds are creating a better life for the world, he might just deal with it.
Packet8 is broadband telephone and videophone service using
Packet8 is broadband telephone and videophone service using VoIP offering a Virtual Office for both Business and Residential maybe used via International Plans.
Taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones
More about Packet8 at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Packet8 is a broadband telephone and videophone service like no other. Taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones.
Packet8 offers a Virtual Office for both Business and Residential maybe used via International Plans.
Packet8 is an affordable and easy-to-use broadband telephone and videophone service. Designed with both residential and business customers in mind, Packet8 allows anyone with broadband (high-speed) Internet access to use their regular phone to make UNLIMITED calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
What do I get?
Unlimited calling for one low monthly rate.
When you subscribe to a Packet8 plan using our online store, you will be shipped a broadband telephone adapter (at no extra cost) or a standalone videophone (at a greatly discounted price) depending upon the plan. Along with the equipment, you will receive a 10-digit activation code. Packet8 will transfer your existing number or give you a new telephone number from the area code of your choice.
Packet8 offers several residential and business plans that are feature rich and include unlimited calling options. All plans include more cool features than are available from your old telephone company. Our retailer sellers may offer different packages, including free service months and rebates.
How does it work?
Packet8 routes your calls over the Internet.
By taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones, Packet8 is the complete voice and video communication service. Packet8 sends all calls to and from you through the broadband phone adapter or the videophone, which then route the calls over the Internet, instead of using the traditional public telephone network. There are no extra numbers to dial, no special instructions and no talking through your computer. Just pick up your phone, hear a dial tone and dial any phone number. Incoming calls ring your phone the same as any traditional phone.
Packet8 Broadband Phone Service offers two VoIP business plans:
Virtual Office, our most comprehensive business platform, is a hosted Internet PBX solution comprised of powerful business class features including a customizable auto-attendant, 3-digit extension to extension dialling, 3-way conferencing, conference bridge, multiple call handling, business-class voicemail, hunt groups, that come with a superior business-quality phone with feature rich controls and unlimited calling plans to the United States and Canada. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Business 2000, a VoIP telephone service that includes a single direct-inbound-dial line, has a basic business feature set including voicemail, 3-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID and call waiting.
Broadband Phone Service - Residential Plans at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Consumers can now enjoy unlimited local and long distance calling by adding Packet8 Broadband Phone Service (VoIP) to their high-speed Internet connections. There are several residential plans from which to choose, starting with Freedom Unlimited.
For consumers who live outside the U.S., the Freedom International plan allows you to have a U.S. phone number and make up 1000 minutes of calling to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers.
Residential subscribers who want to add pictures to their words, they can subscribe to the Freedom Unlimited VideoPhone plan. Using Packet8 VideoPhones and video and voice over Internet protocol technology, allows consumers unlimited time to see and hear loved ones.
Video in Color find out more at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Make Unlimited Video and Regular Phone Calls With Packet8 VideoPhone!
As Simple to Use as a Traditional Phone.
With the same ease as making a regular telephone call, Packet8 VideoPhone delivers high-quality, full-motion video and clear, delay-free audio over any broadband (high-speed Cable or DSL) Internet connection. Designed with both residential and business customers in mind, this powerful standalone videophone will enhance your calls immeasurably while saving you money on your phone bill. Speak with color and see what you've been missing!
Using 8x8's Packet8 broadband phone service, Packet8 VideoPhone subscribers receive UNLIMITED video calling and regular calling in the U.S. and Canada for a low monthly flat-rate as well as enjoying UNLIMITED worldwide video and audio-only calling to other Packet8 subscribers.
KEY VIDEOPHONE FEATURES
Plug-and-play device has no need for monitor or TV, keyboard, mouse, microphone, speakers or computer!
Regular dialling to other Packet8 VideoPhone for video calling or any regular telephone for traditional audio-only call
High-quality CCD camera
Auto-focus range: 2" to infinity
Up to 30 frames per second video quality
5" High-quality LCD screen
Audio/Video output for larger, external screen display
And many, many more
International Plans
International Plans are great programs to keep in touch with family, friends and schoolmates across the globe. Programs include flat rate pricing for unlimited calling to US, Canada and specified countries with all the great Packet8 features.
http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Virtual Office
Hosted PBX with a Powerful Feature Set for Small/Medium-Sized Organizations
Sound big at any size! That's the power and appeal of Packet8 Virtual Office, the broadband Internet-based PBX service for small and mid-sized organizations with big ambitions.
Virtual Office allows Packet8 subscribers anywhere in the world to employ a hosted PBX that permits an unlimited number of extensions for staff located in the same building or spread far and wide around the world. In addition to enjoying unlimited calls anywhere in the United States and Canada for a flat monthly fee, as well as rock bottom per-minute international rates, Virtual Office provides smaller enterprises with numerous corporation-class PBX features.
Sounding gigantic while paying puny! Virtual Office gives your small organization geographic independence and flexibility, providing you with feature-rich telephones that bring together dispersed staff to sound like one office location or to appear as satellites offices located all over the world. Virtual Office virtually eliminates large long-distance telephone costs for intra-organization phoning.
All Packet8 subscribers get world wide UNLIMITED calling to other Packet8 subscribers at no extra charge. Calls to non-Packet8 international numbers (outside the U.S. and Canada) are charged at a very low per minute rate. Check our international rates at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Signing up for Packet8 is simple. Setting up and using Packet8 is even easier.
http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Packet8
Taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones
More about Packet8 at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Packet8 is a broadband telephone and videophone service like no other. Taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones.
Packet8 offers a Virtual Office for both Business and Residential maybe used via International Plans.
Packet8 is an affordable and easy-to-use broadband telephone and videophone service. Designed with both residential and business customers in mind, Packet8 allows anyone with broadband (high-speed) Internet access to use their regular phone to make UNLIMITED calls to anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.
What do I get?
Unlimited calling for one low monthly rate.
When you subscribe to a Packet8 plan using our online store, you will be shipped a broadband telephone adapter (at no extra cost) or a standalone videophone (at a greatly discounted price) depending upon the plan. Along with the equipment, you will receive a 10-digit activation code. Packet8 will transfer your existing number or give you a new telephone number from the area code of your choice.
Packet8 offers several residential and business plans that are feature rich and include unlimited calling options. All plans include more cool features than are available from your old telephone company. Our retailer sellers may offer different packages, including free service months and rebates.
How does it work?
Packet8 routes your calls over the Internet.
By taking advantage of a technology called VoIP (voice over internet protocol), high-speed Internet connections and 8x8's expertise in designing videophones, Packet8 is the complete voice and video communication service. Packet8 sends all calls to and from you through the broadband phone adapter or the videophone, which then route the calls over the Internet, instead of using the traditional public telephone network. There are no extra numbers to dial, no special instructions and no talking through your computer. Just pick up your phone, hear a dial tone and dial any phone number. Incoming calls ring your phone the same as any traditional phone.
Packet8 Broadband Phone Service offers two VoIP business plans:
Virtual Office, our most comprehensive business platform, is a hosted Internet PBX solution comprised of powerful business class features including a customizable auto-attendant, 3-digit extension to extension dialling, 3-way conferencing, conference bridge, multiple call handling, business-class voicemail, hunt groups, that come with a superior business-quality phone with feature rich controls and unlimited calling plans to the United States and Canada. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Business 2000, a VoIP telephone service that includes a single direct-inbound-dial line, has a basic business feature set including voicemail, 3-way calling, call forwarding, caller ID and call waiting.
Broadband Phone Service - Residential Plans at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Consumers can now enjoy unlimited local and long distance calling by adding Packet8 Broadband Phone Service (VoIP) to their high-speed Internet connections. There are several residential plans from which to choose, starting with Freedom Unlimited.
For consumers who live outside the U.S., the Freedom International plan allows you to have a U.S. phone number and make up 1000 minutes of calling to U.S. and Canadian phone numbers.
Residential subscribers who want to add pictures to their words, they can subscribe to the Freedom Unlimited VideoPhone plan. Using Packet8 VideoPhones and video and voice over Internet protocol technology, allows consumers unlimited time to see and hear loved ones.
Video in Color find out more at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Make Unlimited Video and Regular Phone Calls With Packet8 VideoPhone!
As Simple to Use as a Traditional Phone.
With the same ease as making a regular telephone call, Packet8 VideoPhone delivers high-quality, full-motion video and clear, delay-free audio over any broadband (high-speed Cable or DSL) Internet connection. Designed with both residential and business customers in mind, this powerful standalone videophone will enhance your calls immeasurably while saving you money on your phone bill. Speak with color and see what you've been missing!
Using 8x8's Packet8 broadband phone service, Packet8 VideoPhone subscribers receive UNLIMITED video calling and regular calling in the U.S. and Canada for a low monthly flat-rate as well as enjoying UNLIMITED worldwide video and audio-only calling to other Packet8 subscribers.
KEY VIDEOPHONE FEATURES
Plug-and-play device has no need for monitor or TV, keyboard, mouse, microphone, speakers or computer!
Regular dialling to other Packet8 VideoPhone for video calling or any regular telephone for traditional audio-only call
High-quality CCD camera
Auto-focus range: 2" to infinity
Up to 30 frames per second video quality
5" High-quality LCD screen
Audio/Video output for larger, external screen display
And many, many more
International Plans
International Plans are great programs to keep in touch with family, friends and schoolmates across the globe. Programs include flat rate pricing for unlimited calling to US, Canada and specified countries with all the great Packet8 features.
http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Virtual Office
Hosted PBX with a Powerful Feature Set for Small/Medium-Sized Organizations
Sound big at any size! That's the power and appeal of Packet8 Virtual Office, the broadband Internet-based PBX service for small and mid-sized organizations with big ambitions.
Virtual Office allows Packet8 subscribers anywhere in the world to employ a hosted PBX that permits an unlimited number of extensions for staff located in the same building or spread far and wide around the world. In addition to enjoying unlimited calls anywhere in the United States and Canada for a flat monthly fee, as well as rock bottom per-minute international rates, Virtual Office provides smaller enterprises with numerous corporation-class PBX features.
Sounding gigantic while paying puny! Virtual Office gives your small organization geographic independence and flexibility, providing you with feature-rich telephones that bring together dispersed staff to sound like one office location or to appear as satellites offices located all over the world. Virtual Office virtually eliminates large long-distance telephone costs for intra-organization phoning.
All Packet8 subscribers get world wide UNLIMITED calling to other Packet8 subscribers at no extra charge. Calls to non-Packet8 international numbers (outside the U.S. and Canada) are charged at a very low per minute rate. Check our international rates at http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Signing up for Packet8 is simple. Setting up and using Packet8 is even easier.
http://tinyurl.com/59llv
Packet8
About the Author
None
Read More!My Trusty Predictions for 2005
Since this is my last column of the year, I will use this space to give you my trusty predictions for 2005. While none of these are guaranteed and any predictions are always fraught with risks, I'm reasonably sure the majority of them will prove to be quite accurate. They are based on my analysis of the personalities involved and the outcomes of similar situations from the past.
(1) The Iraqi elections will go on as scheduled. This is the one I'm the most sure of. Barring some kind of cataclysmic event,Iraqis will go to the polls on January 30. Because of terrorist activity, which will only intensify as that date draws closer, it is anyone's guess as to how many Iraqis will actually go to the polls. However, President Bush is bound and determined that these
elections will take place on schedule, come hell or high water. I doubt if anyone, other than God Himself, would be capable of changing the President's mind on this issue.
(2) Michael Jackson will be acquitted. Despite how bad Jackson might look, there's just not enough evidence linking him to the crime he's be accused of. Most of the stuff that makes him look so bad has nothing to do with this case. If he is acquitted, he should then do the "moonwalk" on the courtroom steps to rub Jane
Velez-Mitchell's nose in it.
(3) Gas prices will continue to drop. This is simply a matter of supply and demand. Oil and gas prices were way too high for way too long. This caused oil producing nations to cheat on their quotas and export more crude. Refiners increased their output as well to take advantage of the higher prices. As a result, there's now an oil glut, despite OPEC's announced cut in production. This will
continue to put heavy downward pressure on oil prices. I expect the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. to dip to $1.30 sometime in 2005 before recovering a little.
(4) Al Gore will re-emerge onto the political scene. He will start making more high visibility speeches as well as more appearances on the TV talk show circuit, in preparation for his run for the presidency in 2008. Gore will once again become a formidable candidate for the highest office in the land.
(5) Progress will be made in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will go on as planned. The new Palestinian Authority leader not be anywhere near the hard-liner that Arafat was. In response, Ariel Sharon will take less of a hard line toward the Palestinians. I'm not saying that 2005 will bring
peace between Israel and the PLO, but a step in the right direction will be taken. However, given their history, any progress could be just temporary.
(6) Bush will tackle tax reform, but chicken out on Social Security reform. Social Security reform, at least for 2005, will prove to be too much of a hot potato for the President and for Congress. Tax reform, although difficult itself, is the path of least resistance. I don't foresee a major overhaul, though. Look for some kind of simplification of the current tax code, along with some version of
the Lifetime Savings Account. The Roth 401(k) might finally become a reality as well.
(7) VoIP will start to take off. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology allows consumers to make phone calls over their broadband internet connections. It is much cheaper and less restrictive that standard phone service. Most people are still not familiar with it but the major phone companies, along with some smaller companies which specialize in that technology, will start to change that in 2005. They are already heavily advertising it on the internet. I expect a major TV, radio, and newspaper ad blitz to begin in early 2005.
(8) The Florida Marlins will stay put, but the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins will start looking elsewhere. The Marlins will finalize their deal with the city of Miami for a new baseball stadium. They will then change their name to the Miami Marlins. However, the A's and the Twins won't be so fortunate. The A's will start serious negotiations with San Jose. The Twins will start looking at Las Vegas, Portland, Norfolk, or Monterrey, Mexico as a possible new venue. The Expos' relocation to Washington was Major
League Baseball's first relocation in 33 years. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, there could be several more in the next five years.
(9) The NHL season will be partially saved. There is no way the NHL wants to become the first major North American sports league to lose an entire season due to a labor dispute. Commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners will temporarily drop their demands for a salary cap and accept a modified version of the players' latest offer. This will allow the last 35-40% of the season, along with the playoffs, to proceed as scheduled. However, this will just be a short-term deal that will only take the league through the end of the 2005-06 season. Then they'll be right back to the drawing board.
(10) Next season's flu shot supply will be plentiful by October. I expect that everyone has learned their lesson from this year's fiasco. There will be at least one company, possibly two, producing the vaccine in the United States. Congress will pass legislation to ensure that the production and distribution of the vaccine will be
less risky for American companies. Also, the FDA will probably do a better job of monitoring worldwide supplies. Enough will be available for anyone in the U.S who wants one.
(1) The Iraqi elections will go on as scheduled. This is the one I'm the most sure of. Barring some kind of cataclysmic event,Iraqis will go to the polls on January 30. Because of terrorist activity, which will only intensify as that date draws closer, it is anyone's guess as to how many Iraqis will actually go to the polls. However, President Bush is bound and determined that these
elections will take place on schedule, come hell or high water. I doubt if anyone, other than God Himself, would be capable of changing the President's mind on this issue.
(2) Michael Jackson will be acquitted. Despite how bad Jackson might look, there's just not enough evidence linking him to the crime he's be accused of. Most of the stuff that makes him look so bad has nothing to do with this case. If he is acquitted, he should then do the "moonwalk" on the courtroom steps to rub Jane
Velez-Mitchell's nose in it.
(3) Gas prices will continue to drop. This is simply a matter of supply and demand. Oil and gas prices were way too high for way too long. This caused oil producing nations to cheat on their quotas and export more crude. Refiners increased their output as well to take advantage of the higher prices. As a result, there's now an oil glut, despite OPEC's announced cut in production. This will
continue to put heavy downward pressure on oil prices. I expect the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. to dip to $1.30 sometime in 2005 before recovering a little.
(4) Al Gore will re-emerge onto the political scene. He will start making more high visibility speeches as well as more appearances on the TV talk show circuit, in preparation for his run for the presidency in 2008. Gore will once again become a formidable candidate for the highest office in the land.
(5) Progress will be made in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel's withdrawal from Gaza will go on as planned. The new Palestinian Authority leader not be anywhere near the hard-liner that Arafat was. In response, Ariel Sharon will take less of a hard line toward the Palestinians. I'm not saying that 2005 will bring
peace between Israel and the PLO, but a step in the right direction will be taken. However, given their history, any progress could be just temporary.
(6) Bush will tackle tax reform, but chicken out on Social Security reform. Social Security reform, at least for 2005, will prove to be too much of a hot potato for the President and for Congress. Tax reform, although difficult itself, is the path of least resistance. I don't foresee a major overhaul, though. Look for some kind of simplification of the current tax code, along with some version of
the Lifetime Savings Account. The Roth 401(k) might finally become a reality as well.
(7) VoIP will start to take off. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology allows consumers to make phone calls over their broadband internet connections. It is much cheaper and less restrictive that standard phone service. Most people are still not familiar with it but the major phone companies, along with some smaller companies which specialize in that technology, will start to change that in 2005. They are already heavily advertising it on the internet. I expect a major TV, radio, and newspaper ad blitz to begin in early 2005.
(8) The Florida Marlins will stay put, but the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins will start looking elsewhere. The Marlins will finalize their deal with the city of Miami for a new baseball stadium. They will then change their name to the Miami Marlins. However, the A's and the Twins won't be so fortunate. The A's will start serious negotiations with San Jose. The Twins will start looking at Las Vegas, Portland, Norfolk, or Monterrey, Mexico as a possible new venue. The Expos' relocation to Washington was Major
League Baseball's first relocation in 33 years. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, there could be several more in the next five years.
(9) The NHL season will be partially saved. There is no way the NHL wants to become the first major North American sports league to lose an entire season due to a labor dispute. Commissioner Gary Bettman and the owners will temporarily drop their demands for a salary cap and accept a modified version of the players' latest offer. This will allow the last 35-40% of the season, along with the playoffs, to proceed as scheduled. However, this will just be a short-term deal that will only take the league through the end of the 2005-06 season. Then they'll be right back to the drawing board.
(10) Next season's flu shot supply will be plentiful by October. I expect that everyone has learned their lesson from this year's fiasco. There will be at least one company, possibly two, producing the vaccine in the United States. Congress will pass legislation to ensure that the production and distribution of the vaccine will be
less risky for American companies. Also, the FDA will probably do a better job of monitoring worldwide supplies. Enough will be available for anyone in the U.S who wants one.
About the Author
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, and trivia buff from Hopewell, VA. He also serves as a political columnist for American Daily and operates his own website - http://www.commenterry.com - on which he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.
Read More!My Online Crystal Ball
Most people making predictions about the future never face accountability for their erroneous or vague forecasts.
"Experts" predict future developments, especially online, and only follow up if they happen to hit correctly.
I, however, will gladly hold myself accountable for the following forecast of exciting developments that will revolutionize use of the Internet for all of us within the next twelve to thirty six months.
Entertainment
Download movies through your computer? YES.
With more than 50% of all online access in the U.S. now at broadband speed, the infrastructure for downloading movies exists. Combine that with the availability of cheap CD- burners, TiVo, and portable players like the new Sony PSP, and all the ingredients now exist for movies on-demand over the Internet.
Live performances by famous and unknown artists? YES.
Emerging talents will get "discovered" by the popular culture through live broadcasts, "Podcasting" and other "events" over the Internet.
"Podcasting" in particular will drive the social network effect of people passing along new music and content to friends.
Business
True freedom and mobility through video conferencing? NO.
About 3 years ago, I predicted that individuals providing personal services such as bookkeeping, accounting, writing, computer programming or other consulting functions would use inexpensive and highly portable video conferencing access and equipment to provide face-to-face personal interaction.
I was wrong. People have discovered that, with some things, it's just plain easier to pick up the phone and talk to someone.
I now doubt that more traditional functions like this will adopt video conferencing.
The "little guy" will get completely swallowed up by big business? NO.
Enhancements in technology will allow creative and innovative companies to compete on a scale with enormous companies.
New ideas, innovations and the ability to bring them to market quickly through powerful online channels will dictate the initial success or failure in business.
However, once the business gets established, the "little guy" will always lose to the "business" that operates like a business.
Companies large and small learned how to market online correctly in the last few years, so now long-term success directly relates to the ability to operate like a business, not a "lone gun" operating from an Internet connection in a spare room.
Social
An increasing feeling of loneliness and isolation for people who work online? YES.
It rates much easier for people to retreat into a "virtual" world, filled with virtual friends and relationships, than to face reality in the offline world.
I think this trend of psychic disconnect will continue until people realize they need a balance of offline friends and interests too.
Three general developments will drive this next wave of technological innovation: faster, cheaper computer processors; increased access to broadband Internet; and cheap data storage devices with huge capacity.
I also think one of the most important developments to watch in the next year involves any portable device that allows the user to take digital media with them.
In particular, portable MP3 players and portable digital video players, present the most exciting and explosive possibilities for growth.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website or affiliate links...
Simple "Traffic Machine" brings Thousands of NEW visitors to your website for weeks, even months... without spending a dime on advertising! ==> http://www.turnwordsintotraffic.com
Read More!
Microsoft Windows XP Launch: The eXPerience, or eXtra Painki
Article Title: Microsoft Windows XP Launch: The eXPerience, or eXtra Painkillers Required for Small Businesses? You Decide
Author: Joshua Feinberg
Contact/Author: mailto:customersvc@smallbiztechtalk.com
Joshua Feinberg
[Please DO NOT PUBLISH THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS. Your readers can easily contact us from http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com - this will help cut down on our "spam overhead".]
Web Site Address: http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com
Publisher of "Tips":
KISTech Communications - Morganville, N.J., USA
Word: 1,128 words
This article is also available online at http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com/news/archives/tips071601-bn1.htm
Keywords: Microsoft Windows XP Launch Product Activation for Small Businesses
=========================================
Microsoft Windows XP Launch: The eXPerience, or eXtra Painkillers Required for Small Businesses? You Decide
Focus on Windows XP Product Activation
By Joshua Feinberg, Editor of Smallbiztechtalk.com http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com
Copyright (C) 2001, KISTech Communications Corporation
Deck:
"Don't let the slick marketing presentations fool you. All the Microsoft Windows XP controversy in the media over the past several weeks does impact your small business computer support costs."
July 16, 2001
Morganville, NJ
How many Microsoft marketing MBAs (oops, I mean "product managers") does it take to release Microsoft Windows XP?
Give up?!? - One hundred
One to create all the sleep-inducing PowerPoint slideshows
One to click the mouse, advancing the canned slides during the demo
One to write the fairy-tale (sorry another slip, I mean "press release")
And another 97 to generate the truckloads of white papers that are supposed to brainwash you into believing that last year's version of Microsoft Windows, you know the one you just finished installing, stinks like rotten eggs
If you've been closely following the "soap opera" that industry pundits refer to as the weeks leading up to the Microsoft Windows XP launch, you're probably getting dizzy just trying to follow the abundant controversy and scandals. And that's even ignoring the more closely followed news of Microsoft's antitrust ruling and the MSN Messenger outage. It's almost a full-time job, just trying to keep up with the Jerry Springer-like drama surrounding the anticipated release of Microsoft Windows XP.
But before we go any further, and get any closer to Microsoft's planned October 25th Windows XP release date, let's take a few minutes to regroup and look at how some of these Windows XP issues will impact your small business computer support costs. And for those of you fortunate enough to have missed the current events as they were unfolding, consider this a quick rundown.
In this issue, we'll look at Windows XP Product Activation. Next time, I'll continue to analyze how at least another half-dozen other related issues might impact your small business computer support costs with Microsoft Windows XP.
Smart Tags - Microsoft Windows XP & IE 6
As discussed in our July 2nd issue of "Tips", Mossberg Rattles Microsoft into Reversing Stance on Windows XP IE 6 Smart Tags (see http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com/news/archives/tips070201-bn1.htm), Microsoft had planned on using its dominant market share in the web browser space to hijack web traffic, via "Smart Tags", to its own or preferred web sites.
Microsoft Windows XP Product Activation
For years, most of us have wisely ignored PC hardware and software vendors' annoying Warranty or User Registration postcards. Regardless of whether we swept this administrative minutiae under the rug because we were lazy, didn't sense a compelling or serious risk, or just wanted to avoid getting hammered with "special offers" (marketing-speak for junk-mail), I don't know many who feared retaliation for refusing to turn over personal demographic data.
Background
It's a whole new story for Microsoft Windows XP. It seems that the soon-to-be-released operating system will literally go "on strike" and refuse to continue working if you don't "activate" the product during the allowed grace period.
Early reports promise that large corporate customers on enterprise site license agreements will be exempt, as well as people purchasing PCs from certain OEMs. What about the rest of us mere mortals in the small business world?
Now as a freelance writer, I'm one of the first to condemn both casual and planned software piracy. But Windows Product Activation is a draconian way of enforcing compliance. Here's why.
What if Microsoft controlled ________? (fill in the blank)
Imagine the public outcry if this logic were applied in other situations.
What if, for example, a paroled felon, under house arrest and being monitored by one of those "ankle bracelet" contraptions, fails to call in to their parole officer during a "configuration change" - such as moving from room to room, changing clothing, or bathing? Should the ankle bracket automatically inject the person with a heavy dose of tranquilizers that can only be countered by "reactivation"?!?
What if you forget to return an overdue video rental on time? Should the videotape sitting in your VCR be able to disable your VCR until the rental is returned?
I can think of only one example where this logic applies --- parking tickets. In many large cities, if you have a sizable amount of unpaid parking tickets, the police can immobilize your car with a "boot" until the summonses are paid.
So, we're now at the point where Microsoft's power over our daily lives rivals a major city's police force.
How does Windows Product Activation affect small business PC support costs?
So, how does Windows Product Activation impact small business computer support costs?
Every time a major configuration change is made to a PC, your internal guru or small business computer consultant will need to call into Microsoft Sales and plead your case for getting an unlock code. So the Inside Sales Rep becomes the judge, jury, and executioner.
And this whole process adds time (which of course means money) onto any major installation and troubleshooting efforts surrounding Microsoft Windows XP.
Or plan B, if your hard drive rolls over due to mechanical failure, or your new PC hard drive just needs a routine "rebuild" to continue functioning at peak levels, you can just throw away the copy of Microsoft Windows XP that you already own and buy another!
Concerns over privacy abuse with Windows Product Activation
Also consider the privacy issues. When you initially activate Microsoft Windows XP, Microsoft takes a "snapshot" of your hardware baseline configuration. Think of it like a fingerprint.
Posted privacy policies not withstanding, do you really think Microsoft won't be tempted to "sell" or "barter" a list of millions of people who are activated for Windows XP, but have a sub-optimal amount of RAM?
I know if I were VP of marketing at a company like Kingston Technology, I'd love to get my hands on that database.
What about people who activate Microsoft Windows XP with broadband Internet access and no personal firewall? Forgetting about hackers who would eat that stuff up alive, think about the ISVs who sell personal firewall software. What a scandal that breach of privacy would be!
Note: Microsoft's official statement on Windows XP Product Activation is located at http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWSXP/guide/activation.asp
The Bottom Line
Microsoft Windows XP may offer some features that ultimately reduce your small business computer support costs. However, don't let the slick marketing presentations fool you. All the Windows XP controversy in the media over the past several weeks does impact small businesses.
In the last issue of "Tips", we recapped how The Wall Street Journal's award-winning Personal Technology columnist Walter Mossberg raised public awareness of the dangers of "Smart Tags" in Windows XP and Internet Explorer 6. This week, we looked at Windows XP Product Activation and how Microsoft's latest attempt at combating software piracy means major headaches for small business internal gurus and computer consultants.
In the next installment of "Tips", we'll continue to focus on the upcoming Microsoft Windows XP product launch and how various third party news stories provide a valuable glimpse into what to expect from Microsoft Windows products going forward.
Copyright (C) 2001, KISTech Communications Corporation
You have permission to reprint this article from "Tips" in your newspaper, magazine, trade publication, e-zine or web site as long as you use the article in its entirety, without editing and you include the following information:
Copyright (C) 2001, KISTech Communications Corporation, Used by Permission
AND
Joshua Feinberg is an internationally recognized small business technology expert, consultant, columnist, author, keynote speaker, and trainer. He is a published Microsoft Press author, as well as the creator of and two-year veteran writer of the Microsoft Direct Access
"VAPVoice: Notes From the Field" column. Learn what your highly paid computer consultant doesn't want you to know! Subscribe to Joshua Feinberg's FREE bi-weekly Smallbiztechtalk.com "Tips" e-zine at http://www.smallbiztechtalk.com and receive two FREE mini-reports by e-mail.
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Read More!Medical Insurance Billing Software
Medical insurance billing software, also called electronic claims software, is now one of the most important elements of a successful medical practice. Medical insurance billing is no longer as time consuming as it once was. Now you have the opportunity to electronically file insurance claims quickly and resolve issues easily. You can spend more time processing the claim and less time in follow-up. This will keep costs down, as insurance processing will now run more efficiently and administrative work will be reduced. You will receive payments more quickly and spend less time on accounts receivable follow-up calls.
Many medical offices utilize the power of the Internet to conduct everyday transactions more efficiently, more accurately, and less expensively than ever before. Some of the functions that can be performed via the Internet include checking eligibility and claims status, receiving referrals and authorizations, and acquiring pre-certifications.
A popular option that many experts recommend is web-based software. All you need is an average computer and a broadband Internet connection. Web-based companies offer many services, such as software support, security, database management and training. Some of the specific services offered for medical insurance billing are the fact that claim files are automatically generated at scheduled times and submitted to the carriers and clearinghouses without user intervention, and automatically downloaded responses that are interpreted and converted into word processing format and claims marked as submitted when the response file is received from the carrier instead of when the biller saves the claim. The web-based option eliminates the burden of maintaining network servers, backup tapes, upgrades or modems. Discover if the software package will fill all the medical insurance needs of your practice by finding providers who are experienced in health care management solutions and issues specific to medical insurance claims.
When searching for the appropriate medical insurance billing software, consider if the software makes the incomprehensible simple. Medical insurance software systems should include a comprehensive selection of features to ensure that you can manage your practice files, claims and billing with maximum ease and efficiency. Some important features to look for are access to the latest forms and guidelines, a step-by-step procedure that will prompt you through the claims process with relative ease, and features that will automatically print the proper forms, documents and bills when complete.
Why waste time on phone calls to insurance companies when medical insurance billing software can provide quick access to claims management. Let your medical insurance billing software interface directly with the carrier and your practice. Medical insurance billing software is just one of the many options now available that make operating a medical practice easier than ever before. Medical Billing Software Info provides comprehensive information about medical insurance billing software, HIPAA compliant medical billing software, easy and free medical billing software, and medical billing software prices and reviews. Medical Billing Software Info is the sister site of Medical Billing Web.
Many medical offices utilize the power of the Internet to conduct everyday transactions more efficiently, more accurately, and less expensively than ever before. Some of the functions that can be performed via the Internet include checking eligibility and claims status, receiving referrals and authorizations, and acquiring pre-certifications.
A popular option that many experts recommend is web-based software. All you need is an average computer and a broadband Internet connection. Web-based companies offer many services, such as software support, security, database management and training. Some of the specific services offered for medical insurance billing are the fact that claim files are automatically generated at scheduled times and submitted to the carriers and clearinghouses without user intervention, and automatically downloaded responses that are interpreted and converted into word processing format and claims marked as submitted when the response file is received from the carrier instead of when the biller saves the claim. The web-based option eliminates the burden of maintaining network servers, backup tapes, upgrades or modems. Discover if the software package will fill all the medical insurance needs of your practice by finding providers who are experienced in health care management solutions and issues specific to medical insurance claims.
When searching for the appropriate medical insurance billing software, consider if the software makes the incomprehensible simple. Medical insurance software systems should include a comprehensive selection of features to ensure that you can manage your practice files, claims and billing with maximum ease and efficiency. Some important features to look for are access to the latest forms and guidelines, a step-by-step procedure that will prompt you through the claims process with relative ease, and features that will automatically print the proper forms, documents and bills when complete.
Why waste time on phone calls to insurance companies when medical insurance billing software can provide quick access to claims management. Let your medical insurance billing software interface directly with the carrier and your practice. Medical insurance billing software is just one of the many options now available that make operating a medical practice easier than ever before. Medical Billing Software Info provides comprehensive information about medical insurance billing software, HIPAA compliant medical billing software, easy and free medical billing software, and medical billing software prices and reviews. Medical Billing Software Info is the sister site of Medical Billing Web.
Read More!
Medical Billing Software: An Overview
Medical billing software, also referred to as electronic medical billing software, is now one of the most important components of a successful medical practice. Healthcare professionals from many different specialties can benefit from some level of medical billing software. Innovations in the field of medical billing software have created a new standard of digital precision. Many software packages in general can now fill all the needs of your practice; you can easily locate vendors who know about health care management solutions and will work with your practice to maintain your lead in the business.
When investigating possibilities for your billing software, ask questions such as how and for whom the system was designed, and whether the data will be safe and secure on backed-up, protected, HIPAA-compliant servers accessible only to authorized persons. (“HIPAA” is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.) Then you can ask for the total price (including ongoing costs like software upgrades) of the entire software package. Some vendors will allow you to build your own medical billing software quote by providing you with a series of questions that will identify your essential needs. Moreover, look for companies who offer free updates to ensure continued efficiency and HIPAA compliance.
To figure out your software requirements, you can either assess them for yourself if you have excellent computer and software knowledge, or contact one of the many medical practice software providers who can assist you in comparing features, prices, and services. There are many companies that will do this free of charge.
One popular option that some electronic medical billing software experts will recommend is to use web-based software. These are companies that maintain practice management programs, electronic medical records, and various software programs on remote computers. All of your data is web-based and accessible through the Internet. These companies are commonly referred to as application service providers (ASPs). All you need to use an ASP is an ordinary computer and a broadband Internet connection. Most packages include software support, security, database management and training. This eliminates the burden of maintaining network servers, backup tapes, upgrades or modems. Additionally, search for software providers (web-based or otherwise) who will consistently upgrade their products in a timely manner, anticipate future developments, and translate those advances into system features.
Because dynamic, scalable software is now readily available to the modern medical establishment, even the most humble doctor’s office can install a fluid software system that everybody can use. Further, as the demand for electronic medical billing software has blossomed, so have the available choices. Medical billing software is just one of the many options now available that make operating a medical practice easier than ever before. Medical Billing Software Info provides comprehensive information about medical insurance billing software, HIPAA compliant medical billing software, easy and free medical billing software, and medical billing software prices and reviews. Medical Billing Software Info is the sister site of Medical Billing Web.
When investigating possibilities for your billing software, ask questions such as how and for whom the system was designed, and whether the data will be safe and secure on backed-up, protected, HIPAA-compliant servers accessible only to authorized persons. (“HIPAA” is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.) Then you can ask for the total price (including ongoing costs like software upgrades) of the entire software package. Some vendors will allow you to build your own medical billing software quote by providing you with a series of questions that will identify your essential needs. Moreover, look for companies who offer free updates to ensure continued efficiency and HIPAA compliance.
To figure out your software requirements, you can either assess them for yourself if you have excellent computer and software knowledge, or contact one of the many medical practice software providers who can assist you in comparing features, prices, and services. There are many companies that will do this free of charge.
One popular option that some electronic medical billing software experts will recommend is to use web-based software. These are companies that maintain practice management programs, electronic medical records, and various software programs on remote computers. All of your data is web-based and accessible through the Internet. These companies are commonly referred to as application service providers (ASPs). All you need to use an ASP is an ordinary computer and a broadband Internet connection. Most packages include software support, security, database management and training. This eliminates the burden of maintaining network servers, backup tapes, upgrades or modems. Additionally, search for software providers (web-based or otherwise) who will consistently upgrade their products in a timely manner, anticipate future developments, and translate those advances into system features.
Because dynamic, scalable software is now readily available to the modern medical establishment, even the most humble doctor’s office can install a fluid software system that everybody can use. Further, as the demand for electronic medical billing software has blossomed, so have the available choices. Medical billing software is just one of the many options now available that make operating a medical practice easier than ever before. Medical Billing Software Info provides comprehensive information about medical insurance billing software, HIPAA compliant medical billing software, easy and free medical billing software, and medical billing software prices and reviews. Medical Billing Software Info is the sister site of Medical Billing Web.
Read More!
Make That 3 Billion
MAKE THAT 3 BILLION
My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion"
attracted quite some attention, the downloads through all
the article syndication services has been astronomical
compared to any other articles I wrote which are still with
them.
It seems the numbers game is popular not only with the
accountancy profession, but with just about anyone running
a website who is interested in more sales from anywhere in
the world.
The internet has proved to be the great leveller, even a
grandmother I know has made hundreds of thousands of dollars
just from publishing a couple of e-books, business of that
magnitude is not now confined to those people with large
sums of investment capital, teams of accountants, planners,
secretaries, swanky offices etc. Anyone, even you, can make
money regularly on the internet, just aim for a goal and
'go for it!'
The costs of setting up have never been lower, the ease of
making web pages has never been easier, ( I make my web
pages in Notepad, which is on every Windows computer), and
the potential audience for your web pages has never been
larger. So what are you waiting for?
The sheer mountain of information available through e-books
on any subject and especially on setting up a business on
the internet would take you a lifetime to read through, so
just be selective and read only what you need to know about
and get started in that business. Businesspeople who have
'been there-done that', have written up an enormous amount
of e-books to pass on their knowledge and experience,
pitfalls to avoid, how to spend your advertising dollars,
and just about everything else you need to know about to
ensure success. So profit from their experience, avoid the
pitfalls, do what they say you should do, and you should be
in a profitable business in no time, just the way they did it.
No large sums of investment are needed, just time and
dedication.
If you provide an excellent service that benefits all your
clients, they will recommend you to their friends,if on the
other hand you want to be a 'scammer' and a 'fly by night'
operator determined to 'rip-off' as many people as possible,
you will come to grief. You will find your web hosting
account rapidly terminated, your e-mail account likewise, and
your name plastered all over the forums and newsgroups.
You get out of life exactly what you put in.
There are still mysteries about life we still don't understand
and this is the reason we come to grief, but on the other hand,
if you work for the benefit of others, this 'mystery of life',
for want of a better name,cuts in and helps us along, we go
with the flow and good things start to happen.
I could tell you of many experiences I have had, both good and
bad, which I have learnt a great deal from, but space precludes
that, maybe one day.
All right, you win, I will tell you of one particular incident
more recently and then move on with this article.
I carried a St.Christopher medallion on a gold chain in my wallet
for six years, given to me by the wife of a good friend overseas,
'it will keep you safe' she said. I received a new wallet for a
Christmas present and changed everything in the old wallet into the
new one, except the St. Christopher medallion, it was looking a
bit 'worse for wear' and I decided to put it in the cupboard.
That day I lost my mobile phone!
For two whole days I felt a loss which can only be described as
a 'bereavement'. I had lost touch with the network I was attached
to night and day, seven days a week, I felt bereft. I did not know
if someone was trying to ring me, whether something was urgent I
had to know about, my sense of loss was total.
Was this to do with the St. Christopher medallion?
I thought surely not.
That was on the Tuesday, by Thursday morning I had decided to put
that 'good luck' St. Christopher medallion into my new wallet.
My mobile phone turned up via a 'good samaritan' who would take no
money as a reward whatsoever.
I was never more pleased to see my mobile phone.
So what happened here?
Was it something to do with the St. Christopher medallion?
Was it because I had 'bad thoughts' that it was the 'worse for wear'
so discard it as inconsequential?
I don't know the answer.
There have been too many such incidents in my life it would take
volumes to relate the details.
We don't know these 'mysteries of life' but one thing is important
-keep a positive outlook to everything and everyone and good things
will happen for you.
It's difficult to visualize how many people that are out there who can
log on to your website. It's also difficult to understand what kinds
of people they are, what background and education they have had. Why
they are logging on to your new site. What do they expect to see, or
learn, or buy?
How will they benefit from visiting your site?
Will they buy a good product, or learn something, or get some amusement
or entertainment from it?
Here are some figures to think about:-
1. Adults aged 65 and over are the fastest growing age group taking
to the internet, according to Nielsen/Netratings.
The number of adults from around the world over 65 who use the internet
has grown by 25% over the past twelve months, with 9.6 million now
accessing the web.
The number of female seniors has seen the most significent growth,
jumping 30%. Male seniors jumped by 20%.
2. 44% of Western European internet users shopped online during 2003.
(Jupiter Research).
3. 55% of the population of Spain are expected to be using Broadband
internet by the end of this year.
(Jupiter Research).
4. 50% of the U.S. population expect to be using Broadband internet
by 2008.(Jupiter Research)>
5. 1 in 5 internet users download music according to Nielsen.
6. Online shoppers in Australia for DVDs. is now the fifth fastest
growing online purchase category after travel, concert tickets,
accomodation, and books, growing by 30%
(ACNielsen Consult).
7. 22% of U.S. consumers shop online at work.
8. 67% of 12 to 24 year olds online in the U.S. have downloaded music
from the net.
9. 40 million Americans have downloaded music from the net, equivalent
to one-fifth of the U.S.
It's not hard to see that the net is a hive of activity and people are
paying for things they want, music in particular.
Content has not been a thing that people have been keen to pay for
except sex sites, one of the most successful ecommerce businesses of
all time. Newspapers online charge for content with some success, but
a survey by Jupiter Media Metrix claims that 70% of adult online users
don't see why they should pay for content. The researchers project that
revenues will only grow to $US5.8 billion by 2006 for online content!
Of that revenue the highest earners will be "Audio and Video
Entertainment and Games'. This survey also shows that 42% of net users
grudgingly expect that over time they will have to pay for content on
the net.
So, which way will you go?
Will your site be a subscription only site charging a monthly fee to
access the content? Look at the history of one such subscription only
site called Salon Magazine. They changed to a subscription only site
and over the first six months only signed up 25,000 users, out of
3.8 million users per month who used the site previously.
Statistics are a wonderful thing as many accountants know too well. Will
you be guided by all the statistics available through all the research
companies out there when you build your website?
Yes, the numbers game attracts a lot of attention has I stated at the
beginning of this article. Always remember though, that all these users
in these stats are only human beings and want, need, and desire pretty
much the same things you do, and set up your website accordingly. There
are enough humans out there to visit your website, whatever you decide to do.
Oh, and did I mention?
The worlds population of humans is now 3 BILLION! Read More!
My previous article I wrote called "One Point Two Billion"
attracted quite some attention, the downloads through all
the article syndication services has been astronomical
compared to any other articles I wrote which are still with
them.
It seems the numbers game is popular not only with the
accountancy profession, but with just about anyone running
a website who is interested in more sales from anywhere in
the world.
The internet has proved to be the great leveller, even a
grandmother I know has made hundreds of thousands of dollars
just from publishing a couple of e-books, business of that
magnitude is not now confined to those people with large
sums of investment capital, teams of accountants, planners,
secretaries, swanky offices etc. Anyone, even you, can make
money regularly on the internet, just aim for a goal and
'go for it!'
The costs of setting up have never been lower, the ease of
making web pages has never been easier, ( I make my web
pages in Notepad, which is on every Windows computer), and
the potential audience for your web pages has never been
larger. So what are you waiting for?
The sheer mountain of information available through e-books
on any subject and especially on setting up a business on
the internet would take you a lifetime to read through, so
just be selective and read only what you need to know about
and get started in that business. Businesspeople who have
'been there-done that', have written up an enormous amount
of e-books to pass on their knowledge and experience,
pitfalls to avoid, how to spend your advertising dollars,
and just about everything else you need to know about to
ensure success. So profit from their experience, avoid the
pitfalls, do what they say you should do, and you should be
in a profitable business in no time, just the way they did it.
No large sums of investment are needed, just time and
dedication.
If you provide an excellent service that benefits all your
clients, they will recommend you to their friends,if on the
other hand you want to be a 'scammer' and a 'fly by night'
operator determined to 'rip-off' as many people as possible,
you will come to grief. You will find your web hosting
account rapidly terminated, your e-mail account likewise, and
your name plastered all over the forums and newsgroups.
You get out of life exactly what you put in.
There are still mysteries about life we still don't understand
and this is the reason we come to grief, but on the other hand,
if you work for the benefit of others, this 'mystery of life',
for want of a better name,cuts in and helps us along, we go
with the flow and good things start to happen.
I could tell you of many experiences I have had, both good and
bad, which I have learnt a great deal from, but space precludes
that, maybe one day.
All right, you win, I will tell you of one particular incident
more recently and then move on with this article.
I carried a St.Christopher medallion on a gold chain in my wallet
for six years, given to me by the wife of a good friend overseas,
'it will keep you safe' she said. I received a new wallet for a
Christmas present and changed everything in the old wallet into the
new one, except the St. Christopher medallion, it was looking a
bit 'worse for wear' and I decided to put it in the cupboard.
That day I lost my mobile phone!
For two whole days I felt a loss which can only be described as
a 'bereavement'. I had lost touch with the network I was attached
to night and day, seven days a week, I felt bereft. I did not know
if someone was trying to ring me, whether something was urgent I
had to know about, my sense of loss was total.
Was this to do with the St. Christopher medallion?
I thought surely not.
That was on the Tuesday, by Thursday morning I had decided to put
that 'good luck' St. Christopher medallion into my new wallet.
My mobile phone turned up via a 'good samaritan' who would take no
money as a reward whatsoever.
I was never more pleased to see my mobile phone.
So what happened here?
Was it something to do with the St. Christopher medallion?
Was it because I had 'bad thoughts' that it was the 'worse for wear'
so discard it as inconsequential?
I don't know the answer.
There have been too many such incidents in my life it would take
volumes to relate the details.
We don't know these 'mysteries of life' but one thing is important
-keep a positive outlook to everything and everyone and good things
will happen for you.
It's difficult to visualize how many people that are out there who can
log on to your website. It's also difficult to understand what kinds
of people they are, what background and education they have had. Why
they are logging on to your new site. What do they expect to see, or
learn, or buy?
How will they benefit from visiting your site?
Will they buy a good product, or learn something, or get some amusement
or entertainment from it?
Here are some figures to think about:-
1. Adults aged 65 and over are the fastest growing age group taking
to the internet, according to Nielsen/Netratings.
The number of adults from around the world over 65 who use the internet
has grown by 25% over the past twelve months, with 9.6 million now
accessing the web.
The number of female seniors has seen the most significent growth,
jumping 30%. Male seniors jumped by 20%.
2. 44% of Western European internet users shopped online during 2003.
(Jupiter Research).
3. 55% of the population of Spain are expected to be using Broadband
internet by the end of this year.
(Jupiter Research).
4. 50% of the U.S. population expect to be using Broadband internet
by 2008.(Jupiter Research)>
5. 1 in 5 internet users download music according to Nielsen.
6. Online shoppers in Australia for DVDs. is now the fifth fastest
growing online purchase category after travel, concert tickets,
accomodation, and books, growing by 30%
(ACNielsen Consult).
7. 22% of U.S. consumers shop online at work.
8. 67% of 12 to 24 year olds online in the U.S. have downloaded music
from the net.
9. 40 million Americans have downloaded music from the net, equivalent
to one-fifth of the U.S.
It's not hard to see that the net is a hive of activity and people are
paying for things they want, music in particular.
Content has not been a thing that people have been keen to pay for
except sex sites, one of the most successful ecommerce businesses of
all time. Newspapers online charge for content with some success, but
a survey by Jupiter Media Metrix claims that 70% of adult online users
don't see why they should pay for content. The researchers project that
revenues will only grow to $US5.8 billion by 2006 for online content!
Of that revenue the highest earners will be "Audio and Video
Entertainment and Games'. This survey also shows that 42% of net users
grudgingly expect that over time they will have to pay for content on
the net.
So, which way will you go?
Will your site be a subscription only site charging a monthly fee to
access the content? Look at the history of one such subscription only
site called Salon Magazine. They changed to a subscription only site
and over the first six months only signed up 25,000 users, out of
3.8 million users per month who used the site previously.
Statistics are a wonderful thing as many accountants know too well. Will
you be guided by all the statistics available through all the research
companies out there when you build your website?
Yes, the numbers game attracts a lot of attention has I stated at the
beginning of this article. Always remember though, that all these users
in these stats are only human beings and want, need, and desire pretty
much the same things you do, and set up your website accordingly. There
are enough humans out there to visit your website, whatever you decide to do.
Oh, and did I mention?
The worlds population of humans is now 3 BILLION! Read More!
International Telephone Calling Tips
If your business requires overseas communications with suppliers or customers; or if you have a loved one living or traveling abroad; you know that the cost for overseas calls can come as a shock to your budget and cause you heartburn if you think what the future may have in store. Calling rates vary from country to country, so the impact on your telephone bill could be dramatic, but there are a few things that you can do to help lessen the costs in the future.
• Calling Overseas Mobile Devices:
Be very careful when placing telephone calls to mobile devices overseas. There are many overseas carriers that use a "calling party pays" system when calling mobile devices (cell phone, pager, etc.) originating from within the United States. It is entirely possible that the tariff rate for an overseas wireless phone might be considerably higher compared to a call placed to a land-line in the same country. This surcharge is referred to as an “International / Special Services Termination Rate”. It should be listed on your carrier’s International calling plan rate schedule. U.S. carriers do not have a choice in this matter and it does you no good to complain to your local provider regarding what you may perceive as excessive charges that appear on your telephone bill.
• Direct Dialing or Dialaround:
Depending upon the country you are calling, you may get an overall attractive calling rate by dialing direct; accessing the network by dialing 011 + country code + city code plus the local number. However, you may want to consider using a dialaround service if your local plan charges a high tariff for a country you intend to call regularly. These services are also referred to as a 10-10 number. You do not need to switch long distance carriers to use a dialaround number and it can be used in many foreign countries as well to call home. These services usually have very competitive International rates and can save you considerable sums. Be advised, however, that you will not be able to use a dialaround service if you must dial 8 or 9 to access your dial tone, such as from an office or hotel.
• Operator Assistance To Place Calls:
Never, ever, use an operator to place an International call unless it is an absolute emergency. Obviously for every rule there are exceptions, collect calls, person-to-person and third party billing are examples, but whenever possible dial direct or use a dialaround service. When I first moved to Indonesia several years ago I called my son on his birthday using the local operator and we talked for about an hour. This was before I got into this business. My phone bill was in excess of $100. A dialaround service, which was not available at the time, would have cost me about $15.00 or less.
When using the operator to place your call here are some helpful hints.
The best way to place your call is to dial “0” followed by the number you wish to call, such as 0-123-456-7890. This will help make the connection faster. This method could be less expensive depending upon the carrier.
The standard way is to dial “0” or “00” for International calls and tell the operator the number you wish to call and any special instructions such as collect or person-to-person.
• Prepaid Calling Cards:
Using a prepaid card is yet another way to save money on International calls. Prepaid calling cards are portable and provide some protection against unseemly practices by the telecoms. You need to consider if there are any extra charges for the time and place of your call such as connection fees, maintenance or monthly fee, the billing increment of your call, and expiration date of the card. If you intend to use calling cards on a regular basis then consider a rechargeable card that will not expire.
• Calling FROM a U.S. Based Cell Phone:
There are countless horror stories on the Internet about how much some consumers have been “charged” (ripped off) by cellular providers for International calls. Fortunately, you can save substantial sums of money on these types of calls by planning ahead. You need to look for "stand alone" International calling plans that allow you to dialaround your cellular carrier, essentially bypassing their network for the International part of the call. The stand alone plan provides a substantial discount off the cellular provider’s rates for International calls. The best part is that you do not need to change your cellular carrier to use the system. Simply register your cell phone number with the system provider and dial their U.S. access number provided to you before making your International call.
• Placing Your Call:
As mentioned above, if you are dialing direct you would dial: 011 + country code + city code + number. On the other hand, if you are using a dialaround provider, you would dial: 10-1x-xxx + 011 + country code + city code + number. In addition, keep in mind that there are about 20-countries outside of the U.S. where you would just dial 1+ without dialing the 011.
The “10-1x-xxx” represents the specific dialing code for the provider that you have selected. Contact your selected dialaround provider for the exact dialing requirements to access their system.
• Voice over IP (VoIP):
Voice over IP (VoIP) stand for Voice over Internet Protocol and can be a very inexpensive way to handle International calls. You need to have a broadband Internet connection available, such as a DSL or cable connection, and a touch tone phone. Using VoIP can also provide unlimited long distance service as well. Plans can be obtained for about $50.00 or less per month. For more information about VoIP, go to http://www.globalvalueconnect.com/VoIP.htm
Read More!What are Your Internet Connection Solutions?
Of primary concern to all internet users is their actual connection to the internet.A user needs to look at all the factors and weigh the benefits and costs
Read More!
Reliability - is the connection available 24/7, or do you get a busy signal? Speed - at what speeds can a user upload and download files? Costs - what are the setup and monthly costs for the internet connection service? Support - is support available 24/7 and is it free or is there a cost associated with it? Availability - is the desired service available at your location? Available options with good and bad features include:Local dial up with phone company (local isp) - While this many times is the simplest, often times, they are the most costly and support can be an issue. Speeds are typically the slowest at 26k to 56k connection speeds. Software file compression- If you only have 26k dialup isp connections available to you or you want to speed up your DSL connections, this is an important option you should take a look at. With this type of software you can increase your internet connection speeds by as much as five times for very little money. Popular software products that accomplish this are ActiveSpeed, PropelAccelerator, Dr. Speed, and SuperSpeeder, Highly recommended solution to increasing your browsing experience. Local dial up with national firm - This is by far the most popular with companies like AOL, People PC, Juno, EarthLink, and Netzero providing this service to millions of users. These certainly are the most cost effective and provide excellent 24/7 support. With the high speed upgrade options you can approach 112 k speeds. If the company has a local or toll free number available in your area, then this alternative provides the lowest cost isp internet connection. Cable connection - If cable TV is available in your area, many firms also provide an internet connection for an additional fee. Requires special cable modem. Speeds are anywhere from 512k to 10Mps. DSL or digital service line - Many local phone companies are providing this service to selected areas. Requires installation of DSL modem on your computer and speeds typically are from 512k to 9Mps. The distance from the local hub also affects your speed. You will pay 2 to 3 times the costs of basic dial up. Broadband - Is a term loosely thrown around that is applied to a DSL, cable, wireless, or satellite internet connections. Technically broadband is a minimum of 1.5Mbs but is used to market products with bandwidth as low as 512k. When you hear the term broadband used, think like "health food", an undefined marketing catch word. Wireless internet connection - This option is available in limited area's and requires a wireless modem on your computer. Speeds typically are 2Mbps and this is a flexible approach as you do not need to be hardwired or plugged in. Available in many metro area's. Satellite internet connection - This is the perfect solution for remote area's if you require a high speed internet connection. Upload and download speeds are different and in some cases you can only download via satellite and are required to upload via dial up. This is the most expensive alternative, but you can get service basically anywhere in the world. Speeds starting at 500k are available. Contact Directway for dependable and fast satellite internet connections. About The Author Ray LaFoy has been providing professional web and software development services since 1999. Living in Montana, he has made a career of excelling in marketing. Copyright 2004 - All rights reserved worldwide |
If You Had Problems in the Past with a Computer Virus, Then
“If You Had Problems in the Past with a Computer Virus,
Then You'll Want to Know How Easy it is to Setup Firewall
Protection”
By Steven Presar
You know the basics of computer virus protection -- don't
open email attachments' from senders that you do not know.
If you follow this simple rule, your computer will be safer
than most.
But a few weeks ago, a computer worm called “sasser”, caused
havoc with Microsoft Windows computers throughout the world.
This sasser worm spread in a completely different way, not
bothering with email (the way most viruses spread) but
instead exploited a security hole in Microsoft Windows.
This security hole allowed any computer connected to the
internet to be infected. The worm spread and infected
computers almost invisibly, thus many people were caught by
surprise when their computer problems began.
A computer virus is a set of computer program instructions
that attaches itself to programs in other computers. Viruses
are often parts of documents that are transmitted as
attachments to e-mail messages. A worm is similar to a virus
but is a self-contained program that transports itself from
one computer to another through networks.
The most obvious symptom of sasser worm was that the
infected computer would automatically shut down – thus
making troubleshooting this worm a challenge to those
infected.
A Plan of Action for Small Business
One of the ways to prevent your computer from becoming
infected by a virus or worm like sasser would be by
installing a “firewall” on your computer system.
Any computer connected to the Internet, is vulnerable to
electronic worm or virus attacks. You are protecting your
computer system by setting a firewall between your computer
or networked computers (LAN) and the Internet.
A firewall examines, filters, and reports on the
appropriateness of all information that passes through your
computer network. A firewall may ensure that information
received from an outside source is as expected and does not
contain computer a virus or worm.
This protective barrier between your computer and the
Internet will monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic
and warned you of virus or worm before your computers became
infected.
Microsoft Windows XP includes a firewall, but it may not be
enabled on your machine because Microsoft turns it off by
default.
If you have Microsoft Windows XP and would like to activate
your software firewall, follow these steps:
~ Within Microsoft Windows XP
~ Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel
~ Click the Network and Internet Connections category (If
you do not see the Network and Internet Connections
category, click Switch to Category View under Control Panel
on the left side of the Control Panel window.)
~ Choose Network Connections.
~ Right-click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet
connection(s) that you use to connect to the Internet
~ Click Properties from the menu
~ On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall,
select "Protect my computer and network"
~ Then click OK.
You have now enabled your Windows XP firewall.
With your firewall now working, you will see a warning pop
up on screen if a virus or worm is trying to infect your
computer. You will be able to block them by denying them
access.
You'll find your access to the internet a little more
complicated now. The first time you run any internet related
program after activating the Microsoft firewall, it will
alert you again and ask you if it is OK for your Internet
Browser to connect to the Internet.
There are some computer security experts have criticized the
shortcomings of the Microsoft’s Windows XP firewall. Thus,
there may be other software firewall packages that you may
want to look at. Some of the other firewall software
packages that you may want to look at are: Norton
(www.symantec.com), McAfee (us.mcafee.com), and ZoneAlarm
(www.zonelabs.com) software firewall packages.
What to look for in a Software Firewall
When choosing a firewall, consider such factors as:
~ ease of use,
~ cost,
~ technical support
~ control of incoming content (such as cookies, pop-ups,
JavaScript, ActiveX, etc.), and
~ the ability to control the firewall for access to more
trusted individual websites
Most firewall software packages can do the basic port
blocking needed to protect against typical virus or worm
that try to probe your system (like sasser). Other software
firewalls do not have important features like, allowing you
to control which websites that you will accept active
content (like cookies and pop-ups).
A good firewall program will also alert you when a software
application on your computer is trying to connect to the
Internet. This may help you detect whether a virus has
infected your system or whether spyware (software that
arrive on your computer without your knowledge) is trying to
report your personal profile details.
High Speed Internet Connections Firewall
If you are using a broadband Internet connection, such as
cable or DSL, you should use a hardware-based firewall in
addition to software firewall. Most of the router/hub
combinations you can buy for your computer system offer a
strong first line of defense against remote probes of your
computer. Plus, they are inexpensive, often costing less
than $20 after rebates.
Hardware based firewalls generally will not tell you when a
program on your own computer system seeks to access the
Internet. That is why, when you use a hardware firewall,
you need a software firewall installed as well.
Which Firewall is Best for Your Office?
Because of the number of incoming security threats to your
computer are so numerous and serious, the key point is that
you do have a software firewall, and if you are using a high
speed connection, a hardware firewall as well.
ZoneAlarm's firewall is a popular choice for personal use
because it can be download and use it for free. That
software firewall package may be a good starting point for
individuals new to firewall technology.
After you have your computer system secure, you might like
to check out some firewall options from, Nonags
(www.nonags.com) and PricelessWare (www.pricelessware.org).
It's becoming a better idea to have a firewall, at home and
business. It does require extra setup and is another layer
of software and hardware to navigate through to connect to
the Internet, but the piece of mind to keep your computer
system secure may be worth the effort.
Read More!
Then You'll Want to Know How Easy it is to Setup Firewall
Protection”
By Steven Presar
You know the basics of computer virus protection -- don't
open email attachments' from senders that you do not know.
If you follow this simple rule, your computer will be safer
than most.
But a few weeks ago, a computer worm called “sasser”, caused
havoc with Microsoft Windows computers throughout the world.
This sasser worm spread in a completely different way, not
bothering with email (the way most viruses spread) but
instead exploited a security hole in Microsoft Windows.
This security hole allowed any computer connected to the
internet to be infected. The worm spread and infected
computers almost invisibly, thus many people were caught by
surprise when their computer problems began.
A computer virus is a set of computer program instructions
that attaches itself to programs in other computers. Viruses
are often parts of documents that are transmitted as
attachments to e-mail messages. A worm is similar to a virus
but is a self-contained program that transports itself from
one computer to another through networks.
The most obvious symptom of sasser worm was that the
infected computer would automatically shut down – thus
making troubleshooting this worm a challenge to those
infected.
A Plan of Action for Small Business
One of the ways to prevent your computer from becoming
infected by a virus or worm like sasser would be by
installing a “firewall” on your computer system.
Any computer connected to the Internet, is vulnerable to
electronic worm or virus attacks. You are protecting your
computer system by setting a firewall between your computer
or networked computers (LAN) and the Internet.
A firewall examines, filters, and reports on the
appropriateness of all information that passes through your
computer network. A firewall may ensure that information
received from an outside source is as expected and does not
contain computer a virus or worm.
This protective barrier between your computer and the
Internet will monitor incoming and outgoing internet traffic
and warned you of virus or worm before your computers became
infected.
Microsoft Windows XP includes a firewall, but it may not be
enabled on your machine because Microsoft turns it off by
default.
If you have Microsoft Windows XP and would like to activate
your software firewall, follow these steps:
~ Within Microsoft Windows XP
~ Click on the Start button and then choose Control Panel
~ Click the Network and Internet Connections category (If
you do not see the Network and Internet Connections
category, click Switch to Category View under Control Panel
on the left side of the Control Panel window.)
~ Choose Network Connections.
~ Right-click the Dial-up, LAN or High-Speed Internet
connection(s) that you use to connect to the Internet
~ Click Properties from the menu
~ On the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall,
select "Protect my computer and network"
~ Then click OK.
You have now enabled your Windows XP firewall.
With your firewall now working, you will see a warning pop
up on screen if a virus or worm is trying to infect your
computer. You will be able to block them by denying them
access.
You'll find your access to the internet a little more
complicated now. The first time you run any internet related
program after activating the Microsoft firewall, it will
alert you again and ask you if it is OK for your Internet
Browser to connect to the Internet.
There are some computer security experts have criticized the
shortcomings of the Microsoft’s Windows XP firewall. Thus,
there may be other software firewall packages that you may
want to look at. Some of the other firewall software
packages that you may want to look at are: Norton
(www.symantec.com), McAfee (us.mcafee.com), and ZoneAlarm
(www.zonelabs.com) software firewall packages.
What to look for in a Software Firewall
When choosing a firewall, consider such factors as:
~ ease of use,
~ cost,
~ technical support
~ control of incoming content (such as cookies, pop-ups,
JavaScript, ActiveX, etc.), and
~ the ability to control the firewall for access to more
trusted individual websites
Most firewall software packages can do the basic port
blocking needed to protect against typical virus or worm
that try to probe your system (like sasser). Other software
firewalls do not have important features like, allowing you
to control which websites that you will accept active
content (like cookies and pop-ups).
A good firewall program will also alert you when a software
application on your computer is trying to connect to the
Internet. This may help you detect whether a virus has
infected your system or whether spyware (software that
arrive on your computer without your knowledge) is trying to
report your personal profile details.
High Speed Internet Connections Firewall
If you are using a broadband Internet connection, such as
cable or DSL, you should use a hardware-based firewall in
addition to software firewall. Most of the router/hub
combinations you can buy for your computer system offer a
strong first line of defense against remote probes of your
computer. Plus, they are inexpensive, often costing less
than $20 after rebates.
Hardware based firewalls generally will not tell you when a
program on your own computer system seeks to access the
Internet. That is why, when you use a hardware firewall,
you need a software firewall installed as well.
Which Firewall is Best for Your Office?
Because of the number of incoming security threats to your
computer are so numerous and serious, the key point is that
you do have a software firewall, and if you are using a high
speed connection, a hardware firewall as well.
ZoneAlarm's firewall is a popular choice for personal use
because it can be download and use it for free. That
software firewall package may be a good starting point for
individuals new to firewall technology.
After you have your computer system secure, you might like
to check out some firewall options from, Nonags
(www.nonags.com) and PricelessWare (www.pricelessware.org).
It's becoming a better idea to have a firewall, at home and
business. It does require extra setup and is another layer
of software and hardware to navigate through to connect to
the Internet, but the piece of mind to keep your computer
system secure may be worth the effort.
Read More!
How To Install Cable,Dls,And Dialup Modems Fast
When you want to access the Internet,you want to
have the fastest Modem connection possible.And
the dialup modem will do if you want just email
basic surfing.
The faster cable or dsl are a must have for such
internet downloads of large files,super faster web
page access,and viewing videos online.
Installing your new modem,whether its dialup,dsl,
or cable,it can be a breeze when you both make
the installation an education experience as well
as having fun in the process.
For this to happen,you must be prepared with the
right equipment.This article has links to videos
and photos to help do just that.High speed modems
will need an ethernet card in most cases,for example.
Let's take a deep down look at what it will take to
get a new Internal or External modem up and
running in your computer.
While we're at it,we will see what it takes to install
a cable or dsl modem as well.These modems are
always external but will need a couple for parts in
order to get that fast internet speed.
CONNECT THE MODEM TO THE COMPUTER
When installing your Modem,first right down the
serial number for use should you need to contact
technical support.
External modems are connected to the computer
with the RS232 cable.This cable is connected to
the rear of the system at the serial port and the
modem itself.Some modems will have this cable
as a part of the modem.
Internal modems are inserted in an expansion
slot on the motherboard,unless its intergrated
with the motherboard.
Provide power to the external modem with the use
of the adapter that with the modem.Internal modems
get their power from the expansion slot right on the
motherboard.
After the modem has been installed,both the external
and internal modem must be connected to the analog
phone line.Plug one end of the phone cord to the jack
labeled Line on the modem and the other into the
phone jack.You can then connect your telephone to
the phone jack on the modem.
INSTALL MODEM SOFTWARE
Now you can replace the system unit cover if you
are installing an internal modem.And after all
peripherals are re-connected to the computer,
boot the computer.
With external modems,simply turn the computer
and modem on.See if the power indicator is on.
If you have Windows 98 installed,insert the floppy
disk or cdrom containing the device driver into
the appropriate drive when the "add new hardware"
screen appears.Follow the instructions on the disk
to install the device driver.
Be sure to read the modem install manual carefully
to be sure all installation procedures were followed.
Click on fininsh once Windows find and install the
device driver.
Users of Windows XP have an updated list of device
drivers which may be present.Its best to use the disk
when installing the software.
TEST YOUR NEW MODEM
The device driver allow your modem to talk to your
computer.To see if the modem is working,click on
Start,Settings,Control Panel,and click the Modems
icon.
Read the description of the modem to be sure it
is the one you have.
Windows XP users should click on Start,Control
Panel,and click the Phone and Modems icon.
Then click Modem,Properties,and Diagnostics.
Run a Query Modem check to verify your modem
is up and running.
INSTALLING A CABLE OR DSL MODEM
Cable Modems are external and are connected to
the computer by a Cat5 Cable.This cables looks
like a regular modem data cable but is larger.
One end of the Cat5 Cable is inserted into the
rear of the cable modem while the other end is
inserted into a Network Interface Card.
This NIC card must be installed in an empty adapter
slot in the system unit and transfer data between
the computer and modem.
With the Cat5 cable connecting the modem and PC
together,you must provide the Internet signal to the
modem by connecting a coail cable to the modem.
This cable provides high speed internet access and
may use the same connection as your television.
One end of the coaxial cable connects to the modem
and the other is connected the cable TV connector.
If the connection is being used by the TV,a cable
adapter will split the signals and you can use one
connector for both your TV and the Internet.
DSL Modems also use the NIC card and Cat5 cable.
Some DSL modem require device drivers and either
a cdrom or diskette should come with the modem.
Once you connect to the Internet with a cable or dsl
modem,you'll most likely never go back to the slower
dialup version.
Onthe other hand,you just may want to keep your dialup
modem once you realize just how much more you're
going to invest when it comes to broadband Internet.
Since the choice is yours,learn all you can about all
modems,how they work,and how they connect to the
world wide web.Your internet experience will grow
by leaps and bounds if you do.
Read More!
have the fastest Modem connection possible.And
the dialup modem will do if you want just email
basic surfing.
The faster cable or dsl are a must have for such
internet downloads of large files,super faster web
page access,and viewing videos online.
Installing your new modem,whether its dialup,dsl,
or cable,it can be a breeze when you both make
the installation an education experience as well
as having fun in the process.
For this to happen,you must be prepared with the
right equipment.This article has links to videos
and photos to help do just that.High speed modems
will need an ethernet card in most cases,for example.
Let's take a deep down look at what it will take to
get a new Internal or External modem up and
running in your computer.
While we're at it,we will see what it takes to install
a cable or dsl modem as well.These modems are
always external but will need a couple for parts in
order to get that fast internet speed.
CONNECT THE MODEM TO THE COMPUTER
When installing your Modem,first right down the
serial number for use should you need to contact
technical support.
External modems are connected to the computer
with the RS232 cable.This cable is connected to
the rear of the system at the serial port and the
modem itself.Some modems will have this cable
as a part of the modem.
Internal modems are inserted in an expansion
slot on the motherboard,unless its intergrated
with the motherboard.
Provide power to the external modem with the use
of the adapter that with the modem.Internal modems
get their power from the expansion slot right on the
motherboard.
After the modem has been installed,both the external
and internal modem must be connected to the analog
phone line.Plug one end of the phone cord to the jack
labeled Line on the modem and the other into the
phone jack.You can then connect your telephone to
the phone jack on the modem.
INSTALL MODEM SOFTWARE
Now you can replace the system unit cover if you
are installing an internal modem.And after all
peripherals are re-connected to the computer,
boot the computer.
With external modems,simply turn the computer
and modem on.See if the power indicator is on.
If you have Windows 98 installed,insert the floppy
disk or cdrom containing the device driver into
the appropriate drive when the "add new hardware"
screen appears.Follow the instructions on the disk
to install the device driver.
Be sure to read the modem install manual carefully
to be sure all installation procedures were followed.
Click on fininsh once Windows find and install the
device driver.
Users of Windows XP have an updated list of device
drivers which may be present.Its best to use the disk
when installing the software.
TEST YOUR NEW MODEM
The device driver allow your modem to talk to your
computer.To see if the modem is working,click on
Start,Settings,Control Panel,and click the Modems
icon.
Read the description of the modem to be sure it
is the one you have.
Windows XP users should click on Start,Control
Panel,and click the Phone and Modems icon.
Then click Modem,Properties,and Diagnostics.
Run a Query Modem check to verify your modem
is up and running.
INSTALLING A CABLE OR DSL MODEM
Cable Modems are external and are connected to
the computer by a Cat5 Cable.This cables looks
like a regular modem data cable but is larger.
One end of the Cat5 Cable is inserted into the
rear of the cable modem while the other end is
inserted into a Network Interface Card.
This NIC card must be installed in an empty adapter
slot in the system unit and transfer data between
the computer and modem.
With the Cat5 cable connecting the modem and PC
together,you must provide the Internet signal to the
modem by connecting a coail cable to the modem.
This cable provides high speed internet access and
may use the same connection as your television.
One end of the coaxial cable connects to the modem
and the other is connected the cable TV connector.
If the connection is being used by the TV,a cable
adapter will split the signals and you can use one
connector for both your TV and the Internet.
DSL Modems also use the NIC card and Cat5 cable.
Some DSL modem require device drivers and either
a cdrom or diskette should come with the modem.
Once you connect to the Internet with a cable or dsl
modem,you'll most likely never go back to the slower
dialup version.
Onthe other hand,you just may want to keep your dialup
modem once you realize just how much more you're
going to invest when it comes to broadband Internet.
Since the choice is yours,learn all you can about all
modems,how they work,and how they connect to the
world wide web.Your internet experience will grow
by leaps and bounds if you do.
Read More!
