Friday, December 26, 2008

In-Car Entertainment - Technology Moves On

Car Audio and In-Car Entertainment is an essential feature of any car. In-car entertainment has come a long way from the days when your options were an AM/FM radio or if you were really lucky, a cassette tape player. Thanks to the reduced costs of devices such as LCD screens/monitors and the cost efficiency to the end consumer of the ever converging media playable technologies (in-car entertainment hardware units are capable of playing CD, MP3, WMA and DVD), In-Car Entertainment is within reach of an increasingly larger base of consumers. However, before you part with your hard-earned cash, whether on a Pioneer car stereo, a JVC speaker system or an iTrip or Belkin MP3 player connection kit, try and check out what other drivers think about their in-car entertainment systems.

Improving the quality of your in-car audio experience can be as simple or as complex as you decide to make it. Today, consumer choices for In-Car Entertainment have grown in quality and sophistication. Today's automotive electronics engineers are actively exploring new worlds when it comes to the exciting world of In-Car Entertainment. The electronics industry is seeing increased demand for this type of in-car technology.

Whatever your driving habits, entertainment preferences or budget, there is a growing range of in-car products to turn driving into an exciting, vibrant, emersing entertainment experience. When you spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a vehicle, in-car entertainment is an absolute must. Hours and hours of tedious motorway driving rapidly passes by whilst listening to your favorite music. Many in-car audio systems now come with MP3 player connectivity so you can attach and play your favorite music directly from an MP3 player through the cars entertainment system.

As the cost of automotive electronics continues to fall, the increase of additional electronic technologies, such as navigation and advanced telematics, will expand so rapidly that they will soon be standard features in most vehicles. Not so long ago you either paid a fortune for a dedicated satellite navigation unit fitted into your car's dash or struggled with a PDA and a separate GPS receiver plus a tangle of charging and connecting cables wrapped around the steering column and most of the car floor. Many of the GPS Navigation Systems even have a business address facility so that you can enter a name and the system will direct you to your required destination.

New technology has enabled vehicle audiophiles and gadget technophiles to take advantage of MP3 technology and USB devices. Whether you're looking to connect your iPod, other brand of MP3 Player, USB Drive, Hard Drive or just a simple CD Player you'll find an in-car entertainment company that will cater for your needs.

David 'Goldie' Edwards is a search engine optimizer and website designer working from his UK office. His site http://www.nogarage.co.uk gives clients the opportunity to further enhance their Motoring and Motorsport experiences.

David E. Edwards - EzineArticles Expert Author

History of the Blackberry Phone

A handheld, wireless communication device and favorite of many gadget enthusiasts, the BlackBerry came on the market in 1999, functioning as a two-way pager at the time. Improvements kept coming and by 2002, the BlackBerry featured email, text message, web browsing, voice communication and even internet faxing functionality.

The BlackBerry, developed by Canadian company Research in Motion, uses the same wireless data transmission infrastructure as do cell phones. The reason for the BlackBerry becoming so widely adopted was its email capabilities.

RIM even offers the BlackBerry email service for non-BlackBerry devices like the Palm Treo, thanks to the BlackBerry Connect software. BlackBerry phones now feature a color display, unlike older models.

More than just a cell phone, the BlackBerry has PDA-style applications such as calendars, address books and so on, but it is most highly prized for its ability to send and receive email anywhere a wireless network may be accessed. Even better, the BlackBerry features a QWERTY keypad to make it far easier to send email than with many other handheld devices. The scroll ball makes navigation a breeze - some BlackBerry models even feature PTT (push to talk) capabilities, like a walkie-talkie.

The BlackBerry is great for the needs of business people. They are filled with useful, cutting edge features and use the latest technologies. These are some of the reasons why the BlackBerry is the number one handheld phone, but there are others.

Besides the obvious attractions of the latest technology and features, the BlackBerry has a sleek look and can be used to cover many of the tasks which a business person needs to take care of while on the go. The BlackBerry's GRPS and EDGE technologies, along with a great web browser, keeps you connected no matter where you may be.

BlackBerry phones also include document viewing software which lets you keep on top of things by viewing and editing all of your important files. Many formats can be viewed and edited - some models also come with a document editing solution which lets you work on nearly any type of file.

BlackBerry phones are the most popular phones because of their full set of business and entertainment features (like the Blackberry Storm). If you want a phone that can do it all, it's time you thought about a BlackBerry.

Want to experience a Blackberry yourself? Come check us out for info on our recommended Blackberry Curve phone.

CECT i9 With GPS - Does This Phone Exist?

There's no question that the CECT i9 has fast become the best selling iPhone clone on the market today. I often receive a lot of questions about it on my blog. A few of the more common are: "does the i9 have GPS," or "can I get or this application or software onto the i9?" I will answer these questions in this article as well as discuss some of the more popular features of this phone.

The i9: The i9 has tons of features. It's dual sim, quad band, includes the shake and tilt feature, has Java support, and just about everything else under the sun. You can web browse, email and text, take photos and video, listen to the radio or MP3s, watch MP4s, and use Bluetooth. However, unlike a few of the other more expensive clones, it does not include the trinity of GPS, WiFi, or Windows Mobile, but there are other clones that have these features, which I will discuss below.

Can You Download This Software On The i9 Phone?: A reader sent me a link which you could supposedly use to put GPS on the 9. I did not check this out personally and can not vouch for it. If you google these two phrases, I'm sure you could find it, but I would caution you to check this out thoroughly before you download something you aren't sure about onto your phone.

Which Clones Do Offer It?: Although the i9 doesn't have this feature, there are a few models that do. These are the CECT T32 or the M88. Both of these phones are very similar to one another. They both have GPS, WiFi, Windows Mobile, and Java already included onto the phones. The big difference between these two is that the M88 is a quad band while the T32 is a tri band. For this reason, the M88 seems to be a bit more popular.

Cost: The i9 is very reasonable, often coming in somewhere in the low $100 range. The others are a bit more expensive, often somewhere around $200. But, if having these things preloaded in the phone is very important to you, they well may be worth a look.

All three of these are very nice phones, but they differ slightly. I find that the M88 appeals more to business people or folks who want a true smartphone, PDA, or personal computer. Folks who want the i9 seem, at least to me, to be more interested in the entertainment rather than the productivity aspects of the phone. That doesn't mean the 9 doesn't have productivity features. It does and you can download more via Java. But, the folks who truly want a smartphone often opt for the M88.

To view video, close up photos, full specifications, and real time rock bottom pricing on the CECT i9, please visit http://i9clonephonereview.com/

For much more information (specs, video, photos, etc.) on the popular M88 with GPS, WiFi, And Windows, please check out http://cectm88review.com/

Saturday, December 6, 2008

10 Tips For Using Twitter to Manage Employees

Twitter is a free social networking service that allows people to stay connected by sending and receiving updates. Twitters can be sent to a computer, cell phone, PDA, or other electronic device, and it can be a valuable management tool. Here are 10 tips for using twitter on the job. It's a little like instant messaging. People subscribe to receive twitter feeds, you can specify who receives them, and you can receive twitters from others .

You can use twitter on the job to:

  1. Update employees about breaking news about the company. The L.A. Fire Department uses it to provide updates on fires; NASA used it to announce the discovery of ice on Mars.
  2. Remind employees about meetings and company events.
  3. Announce new products and services and their release dates. Jet Blue and Whole Foods Markets use twitter to share this type of information.
  4. Let employees know when you will be in and out of the office.
  5. Have employees keep you updated about their activities when they are making business calls or working from home.
  6. Manage projects more efficiently. You and your employees can twitter project updates, announce successful milestones, and remind people of upcoming, critical deadlines.
  7. Provide information about product or service outages.
  8. Respond quickly to rumors and gossip and provide customer service employees information they need to answer customer inquiries and complaints.
  9. Share praise for jobs well done and announce promotions and staff changes.
  10. Deliver encouraging messages to employees in troubled times.

Twitter is more than just a social networking tool; it can be a valuable tool for managing employees and communicating information quickly and succinctly across the organization.

Patricia Haddock is a communications consultant and trainer with more than 20 years of business writing experience. She teaches business writing and professional development workshops.

Patricia has authored more than 600 magazine articles and 11 books, including The Time Management Workshop - AMACOM, Leadership Skills for Women -- Crisp Learning, Developing as a Professional - Crisp Learning, Office Management: A Productivity and Effectiveness Guide -- Crisp Learning.

For tips to develop as a professional at work, visit Patricia's blog at http://developingasaprofessional.blogspot.com

Reduce Theft and Vandalism Around Your Home With Home Security Cameras

During difficult economic times, many of us have to tighten our belts a little bit so that we can weather the storm. Unfortunately, as times keep getting tougher for many people, occurrences of theft and vandalism at home seem to continue to increase. While often these events are simply minor annoyances, they can also become very costly for the homeowner as well.

In the last month, we have spoken with many homeowners who have been victimized by individuals with a wide array of different vandalism or theft events at their homes. Most of these individuals live in affluent areas, in neighborhoods that they have always considered to be safe. Some have had theft of bicycles, tools or even mailboxes from their yard or garage areas, while others have had more drastic vandalism such as broken windshields, paint being poured over vehicles, and even smashed lights, windows and more. All of the homeowners we have spoken with have told us that when the police arrived, they always asked if they had any video evidence of what had occurred, even in cases where the homeowner saw who committed the act on their property. It is getting to the point where if you want the perpetrators brought to justice, you have to help the police by providing them with evidence. Otherwise your bad neighbor, the kids up the block or other perpetrator may just walk free.

Many of the homeowners that have been affected by the increase in crime in their area have now installed outdoor weatherproof security cameras with internet remote viewing, to allow them to keep watch of their home over the internet while at work from a cell phone, PDA, or laptop. As many of them have been burglarized or vandalized multiple times, and are ready to catch the thieves or vandals red-handed before their behavior escalates. While we hope that our customers will never need to use the video from their systems, unfortunately many of them do end up using the video sooner than they would even imagine.

Outdoor infrared security cameras can provide color video during the daytime and infrared night vision in black and white at night. Each outdoor infrared home security camera provides varying distances and strengths of night vision as well as different resolutions to suit every budget and installation requirement. These cameras can be connected to a standalone DVR or PC-Based DVR Card that will record from the cameras and allow the cameras to be viewed even over the internet while away from home. Home security camera systems can help to provide valuable evidence when vandalism or theft does occur at home, and sometimes provides homeowners with their only chance at bringing the perpetrator to justice.

Jade Beach is Closing Now and 200 Unit Owners Are Taking Advantage

Sunny Isles Beach in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas of Florida is known as one of the premier addresses in southern Florida. It is home to world-class shopping, dining, and the finest accommodations available. The community is one of the most secure and unique, with its excellent shops and fascinating population. There are many luxury homes available in this region, but the Jade Beach Condominiums are receiving the greatest amount of attention and activity.

Innovative design, high-end technology and the promise of one of the most incredible views in the Sunny Isles, Miami and Bal Harbour areas are just a few of the reasons that Jade Beach is closing now and so far about 200 unit owners have closed even in today's real estate market.

The distinctive tower that comprises the main body of the Jade Beach Condominiums offers fifty-one stories of elegant design and dramatic appeal. Designed by a team of award winning architects and interior designers the building is intended to be far more than simply impressive. Though the three story lobby, with ocean and pool views, and the fully staffed porte cochere really set the tone for experiencing Jade Beach, it is the seven different floor plans and their comprehensive amenities that make the location truly irresistible.

The Jade Beach Condominiums are known as a "smart building" meaning that each of the residences will be equipped with completely automated controls. Both condominium services and in-home settings will be operated by the two touch screens installed in each residence. Owners can control their air conditioning, windows and lights, audio equipment and Internet access through the screens. They will also be able to operate this equipment from any preferred portable device, including a mobile phone or PDA.

The second screen controls such services as valet parking, concierge assistance, reservations in the spa, gym, or other exclusive areas, and communication with the lobby, restaurant or reception desks.

Jade Beach Condominiums also offers comprehensive amenities and facilities outside each residence as well, with a private beach club and fully stocked personal cabanas, children's swimming and play areas, a modern health club with personal trainers, a spa with lounge and massage areas, on-site conference and business rooms, individual and climate controlled storage facilities, and even a café for pool or oceanfront dining.

Jade Beach is closing now and so far about 200 unit owners have closed even in today's real estate market which means that the building will sell out shortly, making it one of the premiere and most prestigious locations in southern Florida.

Sunny Realty of South Florida offers technologically advanced and Internet savvy realtors. We specialize in Sunny Isles real estate and luxury condominiums. For more information, visit http://www.SunnyIslesMiamiRealEstate.com

Periodic Infrared Inspection Best Practices - Route Based Surveys

Introduction

Beginning in the late 1960's, thermal imaging was limited to power line and substation inspection of overheating electrical connections. Those systems were bulky vehicle-mounted systems that cost perhaps as much as $500,000 in today's dollars. While these systems offered for the first time an easy and intuitive method of identifying connection problems, these systems could not measure temperature or digitally record images for later analysis and reporting. The worldwide market in 1970 for infrared cameras was less than 50 units. Today the market for infrared cameras used for maintenance inspections is projected to exceed 18,000 cameras. Thermography along with vibration monitoring, oil analysis, laser sighting-based rotating machinery shaft alignment and ultrasonic testing have become the toolset used by maintenance departments at an ever increasing number of capital intensive facilities.

By adopting a route-based thermography approach along with an in-camera database and intuitive data logger PdM users can save time, get more consistent results and dramatically improve their thermography program return on investment (ROI).

Today's operations manager is under tremendous pressure to increase asset availability, decrease costs, deal with employee skill levels and turn over, safety regulations, ISO quality compliance and an ever increasing competitive environment. A new class of thermography data collectors is now available designed to create and follow user-created routes, capture in-the-field incident details and automate report generation and run database synchronization. By adopting a route-based thermography approach along with an in-camera database and intuitive data logger, PdM users can save time, get more consistent results and dramatically improve their thermography program return on investment (ROI).

CMMS Isn't Route-based Maintenance

The dilemma is that the CMMS provider does not think in terms of route-based activities at all. Their systems are driven by work orders. If each inspection is given a work order number, you can do the inspections in a route documented with more than 250 work orders. First of all, this is impractical for the person doing the inspections, and secondly, it will require a lot of time for someone to close all the work orders. Another way route-based activities are performed in a work order-driven CMMS is to give each route a work order number and describe each inspection in a sub-work order. This still creates complications and administrative time. A third example of how some plants try to document and administer route-based activities is to give each route a work order number and have the route documented in a spreadsheet. Again, the dilemma is that this method will not support effective routes and will make it more cumbersome than necessary to change the content of inspections, transfer tasks to operators, change frequencies, merge mechanical and electrical inspections, and so forth. All of these activities are frequently done if you have a good system implemented. The solution is, therefore, to have a standalone system for route-based activities. Even in a time when it seems like all activities must be integrated into one company-wide system that covers everything, the best solutions can still be standalone systems. There are very few things-if any at all-in a route-based system that need to be tied with other activities. Therefore, you can very well buy a standalone system for this activity. A single-user system that can do this well is not expensive.

Pen-based Computers Simplify Field Data Collection

Pen tablet computers allow the technician to collect infrared inspection data, perform temperature analysis, diagnose the problem, evaluate their urgency, suggest corrective actions and capture a visible reference image. Powerful handheld, pen-based computers are now integrated into infrared cameras that provide a field technician performing on-site inspection and maintenance all the computer power needed to do the job swiftly and efficiently-whether it is integrating their operations with the computerized maintenance management system or testing, diagnosing, and repairing equipment on the spot.

The pen tablet is the most widely used device to be deployed in field applications because of the versatility of its interface, its touch screen for data input and significant memory capability.

Handheld Pen Computers

For industry and the military, the problems with using laptops in the plant or the field are being solved by handheld pen-based computers-a pen tablet or a personal digital assistant (PDA). To date, the pen tablet-almost as powerful as a laptop but smaller and lighter-has become the most widely used device to be deployed in field applications because of the versatility of its interface, its touchscreen for data input and significant memory capability. The HotShot HD infrared camera by Electrophysics incorporates a tablet PC processor running on the Microsoft Windows CE operating system. The touchscreen features direct-function icons large enough for finger actuation and additional data-type features like file naming using a stylus. More reliable data is obtained. Error-prone, handwritten records are replaced by reliable data, automatically gathered, stored, and consistently available throughout the enterprise. Record keeping costs are reduced. Less paperwork lowers administrative overhead because data is processed more efficiently and disseminated widely without producing redundant copies-or even any printed record at all. Decision making is faster and more cost-effective. By integrating real-time field reports with the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), managers at all levels share complete, up-to-the-minute information, and can react quickly to changing field conditions or emergencies. Condition monitoring tests involving a number of parameters-vibration, heat, oil quality, pressure-can be compared quickly to confirm impending problems before they become catastrophic.

Data Collection

Maintenance starts with knowing what is going on-how equipment is operating, what increased stresses are being applied, how conditions have changed. Data must be collected, either by a remote monitoring system or by workers on-site. In the latter case, the handheld computer makes data collection faster, more accurate, and more flexible.

Route-based Infrared Inspection

Many PdM technicians are familiar with, or are users of, route-based vibration data collectors. Many of today's vibration instrument vendors provide software tools on both a PC platform and their portable vibration data collectors to organize and create route instructions that are uploaded into portable systems that assist the user through a series of inspection points. For example, Electrophysics' HotShot HD is the first infrared camera of its kind to integrate route logic and all the necessary interfaces to create routes and capture all the inspection details within its pen-based computer with in-camera data logger. The camera features two route programming modes.

Mode 1: Learn a Route

At most facilities it is advantageous to create a route file by simply walking along and entering each point according to the natural flow of how equipment is laid out and to optimize any support labor or the need to comply with safety regulations such as personnel protective equipment (PPE) policies. At each point the operator captures a reference image and enters location and equipment detail. At the conclusion of the walk/learn route creation the route log file is uploaded into the PC database application for editing and to add any additional information desired.

Mode 2: Create Route File in PC and Upload to Camera

In this mode the user populates the thermography asset database with data exported from a CMMS system or with new data records and creates a route by selecting files in order of intended inspection sequence. A route log file will be created and once uploaded to the camera will pull all relevant data sets into the camera. On-screen prompts will direct the user from point to point. An additional feature enables the user to add a point not on the current route and then synchronize the updated route log file if the new inspection point is intended to be included on a recurring basis.

Route Prompts Guide Data Collection

Once a route is created and uploaded to the camera, the camera presents prompts to help guide the user from point to point. It is possible to add descriptive information that gives the inspection some level of instruction about the point.

Return on Investment

In order to fully appreciate the impact of a comprehensive software suite (asset database, route management and report generation) we have constructed an analysis of costs of a thermography program and the potential improvements that can be realized with highly integrated in camera and PC host software. For this analysis we will make the following assumptions:

  1. The cost of camera and software is $20,0001
  2. The burdened hourly salary of an infrared technician is $60 an hour or about $125,000 per year.
  3. The technician uses the infrared camera 50% of the hours worked.
  4. The thermography program documents 20 incidents per week or about 1000 per year.
  5. The camera is a capitalized asset and is depreciated over 5 years

Yearly savings of nearly $14,000 can be realized

The ROI on productivity tools is very high since they are integrated into systems available for less than $20,000.

1 - The monthly costs for the camera, based on a 5-year or 60-month depreciation schedule, are about $350 per month. The costs for the infrared camera operator will be $1200 per week or $62,400 per year.

Conclusions

The largest cost in a thermography inspection program is the camera operator/technician. By focusing on incorporating advanced features including route management and in camera data logging operators can dramatically improve their programs efficiency and cost while improving work quality and ease operator training demands. Ongoing developments to integrate infrared inspection data into CMMS and asset performance software systems will result in the next step in convergence on the plant floor and continue the development of new and innovative solutions designed to improve overall facility operation and capital equipment availability.

Please visit us at http://www.electrophysics.com/rirez

For more comprehensive White Papers visit our online Knowledge Center http://www.electrophysics.com/thermal-imaging

Electrophysics - IR Cameras for Thermography Professionals 373 Route 46, Fairfield, NJ 07004 Phone: 973-882-0211 Fax: 973-882-0997

Are You a Human Being Or a Human Doing? Create and Protect Your Personal Time!

One of the challenges in creating work/life balance lies in the fact that it doesn't just happen. It must be created. And, once created, it must be protected. Zealously.

One of the fastest routes to balance is to block out some time for yourself every single week. Aim for at least an hour two or three times a week, but everyone has a personal minimum that needs to be maintained. What's this personal time for? Anything other than work. Remember that gym membership? This is when you can actually use it. Or get a massage, visit a museum, browse the bookstore, or have lunch with a friend. This is [a part of] the time that will make you a well-rounded, interesting human being rather than a worker-bee "human doing."

The tricky part lies in protecting this time. So often, we make commitments to ourselves and break them when something else comes up. The key to getting the benefit of these self-appointments is to regard them as being as important as an appointment you make with someone else. Yes, sometimes you will have to cancel them. But if you find yourself canceling on more than a rare occasion, you aren't really making an appointment; rather, you're making a plan that will fold if anything better comes up, or if someone else asks you to do something work-related. Getting the benefit requires making the commitment.

Pull out your calendar, your PDA, whatever you use to keep track of your time and schedule some time for yourself. RIGHT NOW. Waiting until you know what demands may be coming your way won't make it easier to do, it'll make it less likely. Although spending time away from your work-related commitments may feel strange in the beginning, commit to trying it for six weeks and see what happens. There's every likelihood that you'll feel more relaxed and find renewed energy for your work.

Julie A. Fleming, J.D., A.C.C. provides business and executive coaching with an emphasis on business development, leadership development, time mastery and organization, and work/life integration. Julie holds a coaching certificate from the Georgetown Leadership Coaching program and holds the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential from the International Coach Federation. She is certified to administer the DISC(r) assessment, the Leadership Circle Profile 360, and the Leadership Culture Survey.

To learn more, to subscribe to Julie's monthly email newsletter The DLR Report, or to request a complimentary consultation with Julie, please visit http://www.DynamicLeadershipResults.com or call her at 800.758.6214.

Julie A. Fleming - EzineArticles Expert Author

Home Automation System

Believe it or not, the age of the Jetsons lies just around the corner. We may not have robots and computers performing every menial task from cooking dinner to dressing us for work, but a home automation system brings the future a little bit closer. A home automation system gives us the ability to control the electronic devices in our homes from wherever we are. Today's technology makes it possible to turn on your air conditioner or heater, pan a surveillance camera through your living room, or even record your favorite TV show from anywhere in the world.

How does a home automation system work?

Three components comprise a home automation system: structured wiring, a connection center, and a computer-like microprocessor. Professional installers run the structured wiring throughout your home to the various hubs located in the connection center. The connection center, which is the nucleus of your home automation system, houses the microprocessor and connects it to the numerous hubs. The home automation system microprocessor allows you to operate the various home electronic systems and appliances wired into your home automation center from: touch screens, wireless remote controls and keypads anywhere in the world via the Internet.

What are the possibilities with a home automation system?

In today's day and age, we go 100 mph, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The more packed our calendars get, the shorter the days seem. A home automation system rids our lives of tedious tasks that seem to take up more and more of our time. The example below shows how a home automation system can simplify your life.

You're getting ready to leave work on Friday afternoon, and you start to think about your day.
(1) dropped kids at school/daycare at 7:30 a.m.
(2) hit the gym at 7:45 a.m.
(3) got to the office at 9 a.m.
(4) drove to the cleaners on your lunch break
(5) had 45-minute parent-teacher conference at 1 p.m.
(6) pick up kids at 5 p.m.
(7) cook dinner for your in-laws at 8 p.m.

Now, imagine right before shutting down your computer at work you log onto your home automation system, click an icon, and your home air conditioner turns on. You can also see on the monitor, via your security cameras, that you forgot to start the dishwasher and washing machine. Clicking another icon starts them both.

While sitting in traffic, you open your PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) and hit a button, which turns on your oven to preheat. You also realize it's getting dark, so punching another button turns on your front-porch lights. When you turn into your neighborhood, you click your wireless remote, and your home automation system turns on the garage lights and opens the door, disables your security system, starts a pot of coffee brewing, and begins playing your favorite jazz song over your audio system.

The appliances you depend on and the activities you enjoy in your home become stress-free and easier to manage when you install a home automation system.

Ralph Winn has over 35 years of education and experience in the security industry.

Are you one of the many Americans who have begun to look into improving their home security? This is an important matter and the Home Security Store offers the best protection against burglary and vandalism.

Stay up to speed with breaking security news and technology.

Ralph Winn - EzineArticles Expert Author

Latest Motorola Mobile Phones Deals - Fascinating and Beneficial

The users can select the best deal depending on their usage and budget. The contract deal is the best option for the heavy mobile users, while on the other hand, pay-as-you-go is the right choice for the light mobile users. The SIM free deal offers the freedom of using any mobile network connectivity.

In the present article, we are going to discuss about the Latest Motorola Mobile Phones Deals as the latest series handsets from Motorola are available with different types of deals in the market.

Motorola is recognised as one of the global leaders of wireless telecommunications and mobile telephony. Being one of the top market leaders, it has launched its latest series phones with sleek dimensions and different shapes like candy bar, flip and slider. For instance, some of the latest Motorola mobile phones are the Motorola W375, Motorola RAZR2 V8, Motorola MOTO Z10, Motorola RAZR2 Espresso and Motorola Jewel. All these latest series Motorola phones come with Wireless Interfaces, digital camera, Bluetooth connectivity, PDA Phone - Advanced Functions, MP3 Player, Video Player-Web Functions, messaging, E-Mail, Internet access and reliable battery back up.

Latest Motorola Mobile Phones deals come with unbelievable offers and gifts like low prices, mobile accessories, free downloads, ipod, Xbox and TATA sky etc. Some of the retailers are offering broadband connections and free home phones on purchasing latest Motorola mobile phones. Some of the popular websites over the Internet help you in comparing the mobile phones of different manufacturers, services, functionalities, accessories and features side-by-side for a competitive view.

Some of the latest Motorola mobile phones that are available with cheap deals are the Motorola L6, V3im, V3x, U6 PEBL, A1000 and E1070. The well-known mobile network providers like Virgin, T-mobile, Vodafone, 3 and O2 are offering free gifts and discounts with some of their tariff plans. With most of the deals, the users can get modern Motorola mobile phones as free gifts.

One of the best deals on Motorola mobile phones is contract deal which offers fascinating gifts and discounts to its users. The users, who go for this deal can get free talk time, free messages, free monthly line rentals and cash back offers. If your hobby is sending messages to your friends continuously, you can go for the free text messages offer. The users, who go for the cash back offer should pay some amount of money in advance. They will get that money after the completion of contract period, if they claim for it in time. The 12 or 18 months free line rentals offer allows you to enjoy particular network services without paying any monthly bills.

For example, if you purchase a Motorola phone like the Motorola RAZR V3xx that comes with lightweight and sleek dimensions, many of the trusted network providers of UK are providing attractive deals on it.

To sum up, we can say that the Latest Motorola Mobile Phones Deals, definitely allure the modern mobile users. If they select the best deal on purchasing a Motorola handset, they can save a large amount of money. They can avoid paying huge bills and can enjoy with the advanced technology phone by paying only some amount of money. The users, who are in great confusion in selecting the best Motorola Mobile Phone Deal can surf over the Internet to clear your doubts and confusions. Here, you can compare the latest Motorola handsets with other gadgets to find the difference.

Antonycool is expert author of Telecommunication industry. For more information on latest Motorola mobile phones and Motorola RAZR2 V8 phones, Visit Bestcontractmobilephone site.

Web Based Business Phone Systems - What Do They Provide Besides Call Forwarding and Voicemail?

Very few of these Web based, or hosted PBX, phone systems deliver on their sales and/or marketing claims. Sometimes these claims are stated outright, and often they are merely indicated, such as promotional, direct marketing and/or image branding benefits.

Running a busy marketing consultant practice in New York City (Sadwith eMarketing & Communications), my colleagues and I were of course interested in finding what internal marketing benefits actually lay beneath the façade of the clever marketing verbiage and smooth advertising slogans.

Hence, we embarked on a part time "Online Business-to-Business Telecom" research project, duration of 3-months, largely spent surveying corporate customers, listening to testimonials from their corporate subscribers; plus closely examining the various programs offered by the most prominent "virtual phone system" and "hosted PBX" companies advertising online and appearing regularly in the organic listings on all the major search engines.

We did find one such Internet based "virtual telecom" company that does, in fact, deliver on all counts; plus the marketing-support benefits and revenue enhancing features we were most interested in, and which are clearly indicated in their promotional language.

The company we identified with the most effective suite of such tools and features is called "Phone.com", who's flagship suite of business and home-office phone features and communications tools is entitled "Virtual Office".

Frankly, we were intrigued by the title, and encouraged by their particularly interesting suite of office communications tools, and so we decided to investigate.

But how? How can one differentiate between the empty corporate slogans without any substance, and the real deal? Especially at such low monthly rates ($10 to $15 per month, average fees).

First of all, we found the eventual result [concerning inbound callers] of Phone.com's telecommunications infrastructure and business tools to be a noticeable improvement of their corporate subscribers' direct customer communications and sales prospect engagement efforts; much lower cancellation rates, hence decreased attrition; improved Customer Relationship Management (CRM), based on feedback from customers; and higher retention and loyalty numbers across the board - with higher sales "close rates".

We found this telecom platform to be a genuine, high-end, up-to-date phone system that does a lot more than simply log voice-mail messages and forward calls to people in the field or in their car.

It is, in fact, a front line communications system that also provides a cleverly designed marketing infrastructure, with promotional tools you've probably never even thought of before - like voice-to-text functionality for voicemail messages, giving you an important record, or paper trail, of all messages coming in.

You also have the option of typing messages and having those messages go out as a voice you choose to use (corporate, British, comical, dramatic, whatever) - which is obviously helpful if you're not always, perhaps, as confident on your feet as you'd like leaving critically important messages with folks who make you nervous.

They also give you the first month free, a 30-day Free Trial to test out the system. They probably do this because most business owners get addicted to a number of the features they provide, and can't let it go once they get used to using the system. I know we did. We also like the low price, and the 24/7 live tech & customer support. We're not good with technical matters, and we really need the support - which probably drives our tech-reps nuts, but they're extremely patient and good-natured, and they put up with us, with good cheer.

So we have here a "virtual, hosted phone system" that also functions as a sort of "marketing solution assistant", at really low rates. We found other flexible tools & features built in to Phone.com's Virtual Office suite, that contribute to this promotional application.

Our favorite, in terms of making an everlasting 'good impression' on 1st time callers and sales prospects, plus keep existing customers happy, (which qualify as "branding tools") are the "Follow-Me Calling" and Queue features.

The Queue feature puts inbound callers in line to keep dialing various numbers belonging to the party they are calling (a cell. numbers, an office landline. a home number, a PDA) until the party is reached. It greatly limits on-hold time, which as you know allow a lot of prospects to hang up. Not a good thing. And the Follow-Me calling tool also achieves the same continuous calling result - except while they wait for the connection that locates their party, they hear company updates, and news about impressive new clients we have signed on recently - more marketing tools in use, branding tools if you want to be exact.

If the party of choice is never reached the call goes into voicemail - but the unique aspect to all of this is that fact that once the call hits voicemail, we get an email alert immediately, telling us who called. And all we have to do is click on the messages in the email to activate a callback. Easy, and fast; and we never lose potential customers to competitors, or infuriate impatient customers by returning calls hours later or even the next day.

Another brand image marketing tool we like is the fact that every single person working for our company has an extension, a voicemail with it's own unique message. Plus our own promotional messages they hear when they are being transferred to the ext. they are looking for.

Imagine how much business companies lose with a one size fits all "general mailbox" (like some of our marketing agency competitors) that callers are offered when they call in after business hours.

All of these tools make or break your chances for a sale when it concerns 1st time callers - who are often sales prospects, or potential customers. With them, as you know, you have 20 seconds, if that, to make a good impression, which this system, thankfully, helps you do.

Branding. If you create a negative impression with a 1st time caller, chances are he or she will never call back - and you'll never even know about it. They just won't call back. You can't track that kind of stuff. It just happens. And you can do everything right for the next 20 years, but that caller will always remember that first call, and the negative impression they received from it. You can never go back and change a 1st impression...

We also have the ability to leave special promotional offers and quotes from happy clients on the system that callers hear when they are on hold, along with classical music, which gives us a bit of class. I'd say these are pretty sharp marketing tools that could help bring in more business. Plus the toll-free number you get from this particular company, with no extra charge every month for the use of it (unlike many of the other virtual telecom companies, by the way)...

A toll free number increases number of inbound calls, as it is free. A toll free number create a more professional brand image, no question about it. A toll-free number limits cancellations, as customers are much more inclined, statistically, to call in to resolve issues or technical problems, clear them up and there by avoid canceling or un-subscribing.

Again, I'd call these brand-marketing benefits. If you make the most out of it. It's up to us to execute effectively and creatively, concerning any of these high-tech communications tools and widgets.

Well, this surfaces some of the elements we feel go into making a virtual phone system an effective communications and marketing/sales tool... We hope you enjoyed hearing about it. We'll submit another article that goes into some other areas of interest, in terms of helping a small businesses get more out of their phone system.

When you add up all of the features and benefits provided by an online hosted-PBX virtual phone system, they should exist chiefly to provide your sales prospects and existing customers with in-bound call experiences that are easier, faster and less obstructed than they were previously. Most web based "virtual telecom" companies do not, in fact, deliver everything they promise. We did find a few. But only after some serious digging.

Geoffrey Sadwith Sadwith Marketing & Communications New York, New York

Blue Tooth Stereo Headsets

Blue tooth stereo headsets are the in thing today! They are the best and most popular headsets around because they are unique, portable and attractive. They are multi-functional, easy to use and are available at pocket friendly prices.

Blue tooth is a wireless type of connection between devices. It connects headsets to mobile phones and computers to keyboards, printers and PDA. It allows you to use up to eight devices at a time. It covers a range of about ten meters, and does not require that the devices be aligned. It is designed to suit different brands and tastes. Some of the types available are: the Sony Eriksson HBH-P705 Style Edition, the Motorola H800 Slider, the Dolce and Gabbana RAZR/Blue tooth Headset combination and the Blue Pearls BP7G which ladies just love.

Blue tooth stereo headsets have outdone their competitors in the market because they provide a product that is wireless, fast and effective. It also has a wide range and provides ample talk time of up to twelve hours and standby time of up to three hundred hours. The procedure for using it is straightforward, and you do not even have to pick up your phone!

For women, blue tooth stereo headsets are especially convenient. They are light and fashionable, yet they provide a protective pouch, a charger and space to attach jewelry. A wide range of colors is provided and the ear pieces are of three different sizes with a handy neck strap. They can also be further customized by using interchangeable faceplate that come in a variety of designs like silver,zebra and camouflage to suit one's taste.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Car Stereo. For More Information on Bluetooth Stereo Headsets, Visit His Site at BLUETOOTH STEREO HEADSETS

You Can Also Add Your Views About Bluetooth Stereo Headsets On My Blog Here BLUETOOTH STEREO HEADSETS

Can You Find Bibles For Teens? Yes You Can!

One of the things all Christian parents fear is that the Bible may be one of the casualties of their children's teen years. Don't laugh, now - this is an all too real concern!

What can we do as parents to encourage our teens to continue reading the Bible, and to continue studying and growing in the Lord?

Well, one of the most effective things I have found is to not only make the Bible readily available, but to take the stealth approach. This is less sneaky than it may seem, but I have found that taking the direct, frontal assault approach is counter-productive when it comes to teens and the Lord. We have always made Christian music readily available in our home. This gets our kids interested in spite of themselves, as the music is geared to their age level and interests, more than to ours.

And so, as the kids fall in love with the music and the Lord, they also want to learn more about Him, and what better way than Bibles for teens? There are a number of really good Bibles that have studies written by Bible scholars and geared to the level of teen interests, with such relevant topics as how to dress, what you should do when a boy (or girl!) wants to go farther on a date than you are comfortable with, and much more.

Another approach is to make the Bible readily available to your teen on their handheld devices, such as a PDA or iPhone. There are a good many different software packages that enable you to download the entire Bible to a Palm Pilot or similar device, and this is something than can be accessed at any time, anywhere, which appeals to the teens very much.

Our church has teen Bible quizzing as a way of hooking Bibles for teens, thus making the Bible relevant. Teens love competition, and gathering with their peers to have fun at any time is another appealing way to keep them interested in the Bible.

And last, but certainly not least, is the whole Christian concert scene. My husband takes our teens to these concerts as often as possible as it is a perfect means of keeping our kids interested in the Bible and their relationship to God. The witness that Christian bands give of their love for the Lord is worth more than gold! So you see, there are a number of ways to keep your teen interested and involved in seeking after God.

Hi...My name is Hwang Keum-OK, and I want to tell you about a great site http://www.study-bibles.blogspot.com/ It's full of great info for anyone looking to choose a Bible -- for themselves or for someone else. That site again is: Study Bibles I hope you'll stop by today and check us out!

Hwang Keum-Ok - EzineArticles Expert Author

Financial Correction Planning is Key to Credit Repair

The first step to personal credit management and credit repair is to have a broad planning perspective, a financial correction plan as well as a financial contingency plan. Your financial correction plan should include your goals, correction targets to achieve, and strategies to correct the, In addition, you need to set time frame for achieving these objections and you may consider using phases to set the milestones. Subsidiary to the financial correction plan is your financial contingency plan.

It is all too well to have a well written and well planned financial correction plan, but what is more important is your commitment to follow through with the credit repair activities to meet your set goals. Hence, implementation is more critical than simply putting your financial aspirations in words. Here are several trial and tested good practices inclusive with a free and simple to use financial correction planning tool which you should adopt for monitoring your progress in a disciplined manner. With reference to your financial correction plan strategies, you could do the following.

Make a Check List of your credit accounts you need to close, accounts you need to pay down, people you need to contact, as well as things you need to check out or research. The list can follow this layout with headers starting with corrective activities, target deadline to achieve, date started, date completed, progress and status. As and when you have completed each task or acted upon each activity, you will note the relevant information on the checklist and monitor your progress on a daily basis. One important aspect to note is that you will probably execute a few activities at any one time and hence need to monitor very carefully the progress of each.

This check list will serve as both a good monitoring tool as well as gives you a great sense of accomplishment knowing that you are taking steps to improve your finances. It serves to motivate you to want to achieve more. Ticking off the check list could be obsessive and in this instance, it is good to be obsessive indeed.

One error a lot of people tend to commit is setting your goals too broad. For example, setting a goal such as Improve My Credit Score is far too broad. Start with smaller goals with better results toward the big picture, such as I will pay off half my credit card bill by end of this month. Goal must be set identifying a task to be completed, a timeframe for action and its targeted completion deadline. That said, learn to work with a manageable deadline.

Written goals serves as great reminders so writing your goals on a calendar or planner you refer to daily or save your goals in your pda to motivate you to keep up the good work. The benefit of having goals written in somewhere preferably at home, where others could see is to have family members also encouraging you to keep working on your credit repair

Check your credit report Score for progress. Now that you have achieved some progress in your credit repair activities, you will want to find out how well your credit report score has improved. Give it a few months before you request for an updated copy of your report as bank and credit card records need time to be updated. Otherwise you will see little in the way of improvements to your score and be unnecessarily disappointed.

Remember that the small steps that can lead to better credit. Review you r progress weekly and monthly. Credit repair takes time and effort and if you stick to the financial correction plan and implement it religiously, rest assured that you will get closer to a better credit score.

Joey Lee is a CFP and MBA with 17 years of banking, financial, business & marketing experience and a Platinum Ezine Author. Learn authentic Credit Repair skills and comprehensive information on Credit Repair Tips, credit reports, credit scores at CreditRepairSkills.org

Restaurant Insurance Explained

Once the right equipment is in place, you're happy with the decor, and the menu has been carefully thought out, it may seem like a restaurant is up and ready to go. But it's important to have the right business cover in place, as any firm will tell you, and a restaurant is no different. A simple problem with a freezer can lead to an eatery losing thousands of pounds, but a simple restaurant insurance policy can guard against these sorts of eventualities and more problems besides.

Loss and damage to equipment is a threat to any business, and a restaurant insurance policy will normally include protection should anything end up ruined. Fires, floods and other disasters not only mean you lose the contents of your business but also mean you will be out of action for a long time in some cases. Getting compensation for the goods you have lost is one thing, but what about the custom you would have got if you were still open?

Most policies will provide an extra which will provide cash handouts to help you get by while you are working towards getting back in business. This is known as business interruption and covers the loss of profits which arise from unforeseen events.

Public liability insurance is a common type of policy taken out by many businesses and protects your legal liability should a member of the public be accidentally injured or have their property or belongings damaged due to something which happened as part of your business. A simple thing like a waiter spilling a glass of water on someone's expensive PDA can result in a compensation claim, and a restaurant insurance policy will normally pay for representation and compensation.

Employer's liability is also a UK legal requirement for anyone who employs workers and covers someone for damages which arise as a result of an employee's illness or injury which may result from their employment at a restaurant.

Many insurance companies will also include things such as legal expenses. These cover some common lawyers and solicitor's fees and can often be referred to as Indemnity Insurance. This protects you against crippling legal bills should you be the subject of a legal claim following a mistake, error, or act of negligence.

Many insurance policies include glass cover, providing special protection and a speedy helping hand if glass doors, partitions or windows are smashed either as a result of an accident or vandalism. Computer breakdown is another potential add-on which insurers offer, providing pay outs for any loss which occurs as a result of an IT system failure.

Restaurant insurance can therefore provide protection for some other big legal risks a business may have to face. It can even pay out in the event the freezer fails, resulting in the loss of valuable goods. This means it protects against some everyday mishaps and big legal challenges, covering a firm for virtually any eventuality it may encounter. Optional extras also mean some of the more minor but nonetheless irritating problems, like broken doors and windows, are sorted quickly and do not impact on your business.

Liz Willder is from Tescocompare.com, the insurance comparison site where you can compare business insurance policy features and prices.

Monday, December 1, 2008

M88 (MiPhone) Vs M188 - Both Are IPhone Clones, But How Are They Different? Which is Better?

I often write about the iPhone clones and I find that many people confuse these two phones. This is understandable as their names only differ by one number. Both are very nice phones, but they are very different. I'll go over their similarities and differences in this article.

Similarities:

Both Are iPhone Clones Full Of Features: Both of these mobile phones are finger touch phones based on the iPhone. Both look and function like the original, allowing for web browsing, MP3s / MP4s, Bluetooth, texting / messaging, taking photos and video, listening to the radio, and reading e books. Both offer expandable memory and I've seen both models holding up to 8GB. Both are contract free. But, that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Differences:

WiFi, Productivity, And Smart Phone Features: The M88 (also called the MiPhone) is more of a smart phone or PDA. It includes WiFi, GPS, Windows Mobile, and Java. This allows you to download third party documents, easily work and edit documents away from your office, and easily get on-line almost anywhere.

The M188 on the other hand, is more of a straightforward iPhone clone without these productivity features.

Color: Probably what gets the M88 the most attention is that it is available in a gold finish. The MiPhone typically just comes in basic, but popular black on the front and silver on the back.

Size: This is a big difference between these two phones. The M188 is considered a mini. It is very tiny and is about the size of a credit card. It only weighs 70 grams. The MiPhone on the other hand is a full sized phone and is a good bit heavier. However, most prefer a full sized phone if they are going to be using the smart phone features.

Price: This is another major difference. The M188 is priced pretty low, often starting at around or lower than $100. The M88 is often in the $200 - $250 range, depending upon memory.

So, Which Is Better? Which phone ultimately turns out to be better for you will depend on which features you need or want in your every day life. Both are good phones, with responsive touch screens, nice video and sound quality, and enough features to meet most people's needs. But, if you prefer a smart phone or PDA, you'd probably be happier with the MiPhone. If you're just looking for a basic phone, the 88 will likely work just fine on the cheap.

To view video, close up photos, full specifications and real time rock bottom pricing on the M88 smart phone, please visit http://cectm88review.com/

For much more information (specs, video, etc.) on the gold M188 iphone clone, please visit http://m188clonephonereview.com/

Solar Battery Chargers Are Environmentally Friendly

In this article we provide a brief background on batteries and battery chargers to introduce you to the more recent and environmentally friendly technology associated with solar battery chargers. We also provide examples of different battery chargers that use solar energy.

Batteries were invented around 1800. A battery combines one or more electrochemical cells which store energy. This energy can then be changed into kinetic energy in order to create electricity. Batteries have become so ubiquitous that we rarely think about how central they are to daily life. We use batteries in flashlights, watches, cameras, laptop computers etc. Batteries can be found in the home and in business. Makers of batteries include Energizer and Duracell and the battery industry generates billions of dollars in revenue.

Unfortunately, until the late 20th century batteries were disposable and sat in landfills where they leaked toxic chemicals. In order to alleviate environmental harm and to reduce the cost of purchasing single use batteries, battery chargers came to market.

Battery chargers put energy into a rechargeable battery by transferring a current through it. The current's charge varies depending upon the technology and size of the battery. For example, we use different rechargeable batteries and chargers for laptops than we do for golf carts. Because of the widespread use of nickel cadmium high-power batteries that power electronics such as digital cameras, battery chargers have become more popular; they can now be found in almost any electronics store. The demand for chargers has even has stores such as CVS, Target, and Wal-Mart selling them.

According to Energy Star, a government program that promotes energy efficiency, about 230 million products use battery charging systems in American homes and businesses. Energy Star promotes energy-efficient battery chargers and estimates that Americans could save over 1,000,000,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year if they used more efficient chargers.

Promoters of solar chargers point out that even more energy can be saved if the sun's power is harnessed to recharge batteries: battery chargers can also use solar energy to force an electric current into the battery. As the market for solar products have grown, we have seen corresponding growth in the solar battery charger market.

Following are some examples of different chargers that use solar energy:

· Solar digital camera battery chargers. While camera manufacturers may not sell OEM solar chargers, you can purchase third-party chargers for brands such as Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony. When shopping for a solar charger for your camera, check to see how many volts your camera battery is. Then you can order a corresponding solar panel to charge it. Prices for a battery charger for a Sony digital camera range from approximately $140 to approximately $250.

· Solar chargers for cell phones and iPods. You can keep small devices such as a PDA, iPod, or cell phone running with a solar charger. Solio makes a pocket-sized charger that can charge the Apple iPod, iPod mini, iPod nano and PDAs. Prices start at approximately $100.

· Other products that use solar chargers include photovoltaic backpacks, hearing aid batteries, and laptops.

If you are committed to reducing your carbon footprint, then invest in a solar battery charger for electronic devices that you use all the time.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, biking, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes running, yoga, and tattoos. For more of her useful information on solar products, visit Solar Battery Charger.

The Top Ten New Years Resolutions For 2009 - Trying to Improve

Every year it seems to be the same 10 top resolutions. Why? Because they are just so hard to keep! The only two resolutions listed below that I was able to keep were the quit smoking and get more exercise. I hope that you have better luck than I did. My list includes many of the items listed below, but this article is not about Richard's New Years Resolutions, but the top 10 Resolutions. Here is the list:

1. Get Out of Debt

This is going to be a hard one to keep, with the economy going the way it is going. People are using their credit cards for basic purchases, like gas, food, etc. With the fear of losing their jobs or even their homes. This will be the number one fear of many Americans.

2. Stop smoking

This one should be fairly easy to keep. With governments taxing customers, and the legislation that makes smokers feel so uncomfortable, it should be the one anybody can keep.

3. Get Fit

This is an excellent habit to get into. Once you start it, you will want to continue until you can not.

4. Lose Weight

It is amazing how many overweight people there are in America. I was a physically fit person until I moved to the North East. Than I ballooned up to 286 lbs and had high blood pressure. It has been a long battle, but the weight is coming down.

5. Enjoy Life More

The key here is to find something you love, and do it until you are an expert. You can than teach other people what to do and hopefully start a business doing what you love. With a good grounding in marketing you can always find customers.

6. Quit Drinking

If drinking is a problem for you than you should seek medical advice and attention. Alcholol is an addictive drug, and you will need some serious attention.

7. Get Organized

With the help of a PDA (many cell phones now have these), getting organized is so much simpler. In the old days we had to use index cards and brick tablets. These PDAs help with the mundane stuff, in order that you can get on with the serious things in live. .

8.. Learn Something New

If you love to learn this is so exciting. Why should the young be the only ones to learn? In the past year or so, I have taken up art. I love it, it is so relaxing.

9. Spend more time with the Family

This is where you have to think of quality time, and how you should spend it with your family. What can you and your family do together. Hold a little family council, and see what they like to do together.

10. Help Others

This can be an rewarding endeavor. It does necessarily mean doing things for the low income and the needy. It also can mean helping young kids learn a sport, or recreational activity, etc.

So, that is the Top Ten New Years Resolutions. Write them down and see how successful you are at keeping them. I hope that you have more success than I do.

Richard McDuff has been selling on the internet for 7 years. He has a blog at http://www.marketingonlinebusiness.info and you can find other more about the top ten New Years Resolutions visit http://www.squidoo.com/newyears

Setting Boundaries - Vital to Working at Home

One benefit of leaving the traditional "office" was escaping the squabbles and group drama, but you'll find out that home sweet home can also have the same politically-charged atmosphere if you don't set boundaries.

Listen to the gurus: do it right the first time. This way you're spared from surprise outbursts like "you don't love us anymore. You care only about your work!"

Some women complain it's difficult to be taken seriously when you work at home. If you find that family members don't respect your situation, it's time to put your foot down.

Or put another way: play the part.

Playing the part means projecting a particular image: look, speak and behave like a pro. In your home office, you're first and foremost a business worker, wife and mom second. Don't confuse the ranking.

To look professional, peel off those jogging pants and the oversized T-shirt. You don't need a stiff suit, stockings and spiked heels. You have every right to dress comfortably in your own home - but don't be a schlub either.

Next, speak like a professional would. This is a tall order considering it's easier to scream your lungs out when the children are making too much noise. To avoid these screaming bouts and feelings of resentment, set boundaries at home. If you explain to the children in a nice way that they should not disturb you unless it's urgent, they will understand and even be sympathetic to your cause.

Examples of Setting Boundaries

1. If you have a home office that is separate from the living room and other common areas, it is easier for the kids to distinguish the yes and no zones. Tell them gently that when you're in the office, they are not to come in unless it's necessary. You may want to close the door so the kids are not tempted to invade your working area. If they don't see you, they will most likely not bother you.

2. If you don't have a defined work space and you're working from the garage or a part of the kitchen, tell your kids to respect your working hours. What you can do is set a timer. The timer goes off at the lunch hour which will signal to them that they can be with you during lunch. You set the timer again in the afternoon or early evening. This way, when the timer sounds, they know they can spend time with you.

3. Ideally, you should have your own phone line and computer for your business. If not, tell the kids that they are not to use phone or computer at specific hours. If you can afford it, we strongly recommend that you purchase your own computer which will be used strictly for business and install a dedicated phone line for your exclusive use. It becomes unwieldy when you have teens in the house because they like spending time on the phone.

4. By setting boundaries, you're asking family members to respect your wishes. Respect, however, goes in both directions. Show them that you also take their interests to heart by not taking any business calls during the family dinner. Be physically and emotionally present 100% for them.

5. When you engage in recreational activities, don't take along your laptop (unless everyone agrees it's okay to do so) or check your PDA every hour. When you're on a brief weekend vacation out of town, don't run inside an internet cafe so you can check your emails.

6. If you're on a date with your spouse, resist the urge to talk about business. Quality time does not mean spicing up your conversations with stories about your clients and their unreasonable demands.

A couple of details worth remembering: don't spend time chatting on the phone with your friends after you just said you had an urgent deadline. Don't file your nails, don't take a snooze in front of your computer and don't re-touch your makeup.

If your body language doesn't match your speech, setting boundaries will turn out to be a monumental task.

Carrie Wilkerson is the voice of experience. From corporate life to teaching high school to direct sales, she has 'been there and done that' professionally and personally. An 'overnight mom' to 2 toddlers through adoption, her priorities instantly changed and so did her workplace. She's now built several businesses and coached others to do the same while overcoming extreme debt, losing 110lbs and having 2 more children, for a total of 4 children, ages infant through 12!

As 'The Barefoot Executive', Carrie and her network of experts have quickly become the definite resource for helping women achieve extra income and career goals while working from home.

Carrie Wilkerson - EzineArticles Expert Author

HTC Touch - HD Sets the Benchmarks HSPDA Enabled Phones

HTC Corporation was established in 1997 and is specialised in designing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, feature rich smartphone and PDA Phone devices. It has been to deliver exquisite PDA Phones and smartphones for mobile operators and distributors in Europe, the US, and Asia on the grounds of strong R&D capabilities.

The same state of art technology can be witnessed in HTC Touch HDTM sets as well. The phone is completely focussed on entertainment to transform the multimedia experience of people on the move. Having integrated a large 3.8 inch wide-screen VGA display (WVGA), a standard 3.5mm audio jack and a 5 megapixel autofocus camera, the HTC Touch HDTM is the hits on the spot for multimedia fans.

Design and performance innovation

The HTC Touch HDTM mingles high performance capabilities with a stylish, sleek looks making HTC a global leader in mobile phone design and innovation. The large 3.8 inch WVGA touchscreen is a stunner in terms of clarity and vibrant colours, throwing unparalleled experience at watching movies, browsing the Internet and photography.

The chic device encapsulates HTC's beautiful TouchFLO™ 3D user interface that quickens the intuitive access to the people. The standard 3.5mm headphone jack supports usage of high-performance headphones with the device churning out best possible sound quality for consumers.

"Today, Widescreen TV, Internet and video have become the standard so there is no reason to compromise when you leave the house, the Touch HDTM delivers that uncompromising multimedia and Internet experience," said Peter Chou, president and CEO HTC Corporation. "We are living in a time where the concept of entertainment has radically changed. The internet is so much more than just email and our customers expect to be able to access the Internet and high quality multimedia content no matter where they are in the world."

Internet - The USP

There is no reason for you to keep distance from internet if you're not in home or office because the large high resolution, widescreen display of HTC touch combines with download speeds up to 18 times faster than standard 3G, rendering websites opening rapidly and in full-page width. The Internet experience on phone is at par with the home broadband in terms of both speed and page layout.

Easier navigation and leveraging the mobile internet in a variety of ways are the features of this true mobile broadband experience. For example, it makes browsing favourite websites, finding places like restaurant an hospitals etc using Google Maps, streaming video from YouTube or catching the minute news, blog posts and video podcasts with the integrated RSS reader in matter of seconds and thus it comes to be more intuitive for consumers familiar with desktop browsing.

Product specifications:

HTC touch HD measures 115 x 62.8 x 12 mm and weighs 146.4 grams/5.164 oz with battery. The connectivity supported is Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz WCDMA / HSPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps. The HTC touch works on operating system HTC TouchFLO 3D with Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional where the display is 3.8 inch Wide Screen VGA screen (480 x 800 WVGA). The camera is 5.0 megapixel with auto focus - Second Camera is VGA. The internal memory is 512 MB flash; 288 MB RAM.

The features are simply marvellous without a doubt. So, definitely one should lay its hands on HTC touch HD once in a lifetime to experience the real mobile internet revolution. Comparing HTC with other mobile phones of similar ranges will convince you to love HTC touch.

By Rakesh Lashkari working as an author, an editor, authorized representative, website coordinator and marketing manager.

Rakesh Lashkari - EzineArticles Expert Author

Oldies But Goodies

I was reminded this week of a comment my son made a few years ago when I asked him if he wanted a Palm Pilot to keep track of his calendar, contacts, etc. He said "No thanks, I'll stick with my trusty paper and pencil. They never crash, unlike your PDA and computer which seem to do so quite frequently."

There's a lot of wisdom in that statement and it still rings true. While there are certainly many software applications, on-line tools, and techno-gadgets we can all use to increase productivity, sometimes the old-fashioned methods work just fine. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist like my son (really, he is) to learn how to use them.

Much as I love my computers and the Internet, sometimes it's faster, simpler, and safer to jot down ideas, lists, and tasks on a piece of old-fashioned paper.

A single sheet is easy to fold up and put in a pocket to carry along. It's the ultimate in portability.
Here are three of my favorite paper-based productivity products. I especially like the fact that it's virtually impossible for me to run out of them because they're available 24/7 to download from the Internet.

1. Printable Paper

This is a great collection of several dozen quite useful paper products. It includes regular 8 1/2 X 11 lined paper (both college ruled and narrow ruled), graph paper, law ruled paper, music paper and Cornell paper. (If you're not familiar with Cornell, it's a special system set up to improve note-taking efficiency)

This site also has columnar paper (for number crunchers like me), stationery, letterhead templates, and 10 fax cover sheets.

2. Organize IT

My favorite form from this site is the weekly planner. It helps track projects, next actions, and roles and responsibilities in your life. I also like his personal details sheet which is a contact form with space for name, address, DOB, home/work/cell/fax and two more phone numbers. There's also room for five email addresses, five web sites, and eight messaging IDs.

If that's not enough data to suit you (for example, if you're trying to keep employee records), the personal details sheet has a place to record medical issues, emergency contacts, and a free-form section for whatever other information you want to capture.

3. D*I*Y Planner

This is the official home of the free do-it-yourself planner kits. They have printable forms in a variety of sizes including classic (5 1/2 X 8 1/2) and Hipster (for 3 X 5 index cards). Most sheets can be printed full-size or 2-up. They offer nearly 200 forms that include a set of free do-it-yourself templates, covers, documentation and other gear for creating your own highly customized paper planner system.

They have dozens of variations on daily, weekly and monthly calendars, including both Sunday-Saturday weeks (as used in North America) and Monday-Sunday weeks (as used in Europe and elsewhere). No matter how you want to track your time, there's probably a suitable form here. Dated monthly and yearly calendars are also included.

You can also get a detailed handbook (covering basic supplies, planner options, template descriptions, printing instructions, productivity advice, and notes on setting up your own ideal planner system) and a quick-start Beginner's Guide.

Note: These forms were inspired by David Allen's productivity system Getting Things Done (GTD) but they're flexible enough to be used with any method, including your own. Try them out before you invest in one of those high-priced fancy planner books. Let me know how they work for you.

Sheryl Schuff is a Certified Public Accountant, author, and consultant who has been in private practice for over 30 years. She teaches entrepreneurs how to organize their businesses, keep good accounting records, and maximize their business tax deductions.

She writes about free software and services and offers productivity tips on her blog at http://www.SherylSchuff.com/blog

Sheryl Schuff - EzineArticles Expert Author

Sizzle Tools For Your Home Business Cash Flow

Every job done well is only as good as the tools you use. From a quiet location from which to work to online tools support choose the most appropriate and user friendly for your business. If you are balking at any additional expense, you may need to rethink your commitment to your new venture. Start slow and build up your office arsenal if funds are not available. You are in business and tools will help you increase your bottom line and your sanity.

Make a Good Connection

Having your own computer is a necessity. Sharing a computer and sharing files can really be a source of friction when your business kicks in and you find that you need to have open access at any time. I have lost 2 documents because a family member came and went on-line thereby erasing 2 articles that had taken me 2 hours to write. I was asked yesterday as to whether it would be fine to share a computer with a wife who was just starting 4 on-line college courses. Yes, if you do not mind marriage counseling. If you are serious about your new business you need your own computer. Your productivity depends also on your computer being as up to date as possible with word processing and database programs. To do any slide show or video presentations you will need to have a program like Microsoft Movie Maker. You will need to have virus protection to safeguard your work. Having access to high speed is crucial as time is of the essence when you run an on-line business. If you are doing any video trainings high speed internet is essential for viewing videos and quickly downloading files and programs. Most home based businesses operate on the internet for the majority of the time. For ultimate speed and reliability you need a high speed connection, also known as broadband internet access. High speed connections including DSL, Cable or Satellite will allow large amounts of data to be uploaded and downloaded quickly. This will save you time, money and frustration.

Even though desk top computers have ruled the market place forever, laptop or notebook computers are emerging as leaders in sales because of their portability and size options. A true entrepreneur needs access to his business while traveling or working in different places in the home. You can take advantage of the growing availability of high speed wireless access at airports, hotels and coffee shops.

Your Phone System

Call Me Up Before You Go Go

Even with an on-line business your phone will be one of your most valuable tools. Anyone who believes that you can create hard working partners and long lasting customers only using email communication knows nothing about humanity. People join people not systems. Email will never replace the importance and personal nature of a human voice as a business tool. I believe that having a cell phone is imperative to always be on top of your business. Like the idea of portability with a lap top computer having a cell phone allows you flexibility and mobility and no missed calls. Think of all the time wasted on following up with voice mail messages. With a cell phone you can be reached when people need you. Because of possible reception you will also need a land line where you will do much of your business. Your phone needs to have speaker phone capabilities if possible and a service your system should have is the ability to do a 3 way call. When hooking up more than one person, for training or introductions, the 3-way call is my best friend. When purchasing a phone a separate cordless hand set is also nice. I pace when I talk and if you have children around it is nice to be able to walk around and see what they are up to or move to a quieter location if they are watching Veggie Tales too loudly. A PDA, smart phone, personal digital assistant offer almost all the tools that your laptop has, but with the small profile of a cellular phone.

Hey I Know You!

Another tool that you will need for an on-line business is a good email autoresponder. I would pay much more than I do for this tool. They are relatively cheap ( I pay less then 28.00 a month). This is the most valuable tool in my arsenal. I prefer Aweber because of all the bells and whistles and ease of use for the newbie. An auto responder not only captures your lead for you when they opt in to your capture page but also will follow up with pre-written email messages that you have written one time. This will give your lead many times to look at your business, or your product as they are deciding whether or not to join you or purchase. An autoresponder captures whatever info your opt-in form asks them to fill out, name, email or phone number. Now they can be followed up with immediately with a thank you for your interest message and a phone call. While they are making up their mind your autoresponder emails them every 2-3 days to remind them about you. Surveys show that most people do not buy the first time they see the information, but a substantial amount of people will buy if they see your offer more than once. Without an auto responder you have the chance of warming up a lead just so that a competitor can easily pick them up. This way you can continue a relationship with this lead, updating on new products, conference calls, special offers, and more info about your business. Some people do not buy right away because of timing not being right, they need more information, or they aren't sure they can trust you. Having a long term way to build a relationship will secure your sales and new business partners in the future.

Starting a new business especially with an on-line business is an exciting time but can be frustrating if you do not have the right support, either a good mentor or good tools. Automating will save you time and create an on-line persona that is very professional. Make sure you align with someone who can steer you to the right tools and strategies and you will have a successful business.

Robin Longacre is a qualified home based business expert with over 12 years training and mentoring other like minded entrepreneurs throughout 6 countries. She can be reached at longacrebiz@sbcglobal.net or called at (530) 273-5996.

Her website is http://www.20footcommute.com

Robin Longacre - EzineArticles Expert Author

GPassenger - Online Map Instant Messaging

Map Instant messaging system (MIMS) is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on data (audio, video, mim, typed text, filed transfer). The data is conveyed via computers connected over a network such as the Internet. Colors representation of Offline and Online in different avatares on Map.

Overview

Map Instant messaging services (MIMS) and Signals are technologies that create the possibility of real-time audio chat, video conference, sms, mim (mobile instant messaging), telephone, typed text and filed transfer communication between two or more participants over the internet map/electronic map or some form of internal network/intranet. It is important to understand that what separates Map messaging (MIMS) from technologies such as IM (Instant Messaging) is the perceived synchronicity of the communication by the user - Chat happens in real-time positioning on map (GPSignal) view the location with your eyes. GPsignal systems allow the sending of messages to people not currently logged on (offline messages), thus removing much of the difference between Map Messaging and IM.

While Map Messaging services have additional features such as: the immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply, group chatting, conference services (including voice and video), conversation logging and file transfer in Real-time map application (GPassenger) and Mobility application (MobilePassenger).

MIMS allows effective and efficient communication, featuring immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply. In certain cases Map Messaging involves additional features, which make it even more popular, i.e. to see the other party real-time location on map, e.g. by using satellite-cams, or real-time positioning of each other by GPS on internet/electronic map (MobilePassenger), or finding friend or Singles (Human) as shown a human icon on map ( Red as unavailable-offline/ green as available-online) by real-time positioning on single application (SingleG Application/Gpsignal). It is possible to save a conversation for later reference. Instant messages are typically logged in a local message history which closes the gap to the persistent nature of maps and facilitates quick exchange of information like URLs or document snippets (which can be unwieldy when communicated via IM) than (Mapsignal).

MapSignal Network mapping or Internet mapping is the study of the physical connectivity of the Internet user's trough the map. Network mapping determines the servers and the operating systems run on them of internet-connected networks. It is not to be confused with the remote discovery of which characteristics a computer may possess (operating system, open ports, listening network services, etc), an activity which is called Map Messaging.

Map Messaging may be done in a Friend-to-friend network, in which each node connects to the friends on the friends list. This allows for communication with friends of friends and for the building of chatrooms on particular location on map for instant messages with all friends on that network as private or by Gender (SingleG), Personal community (MilkyMate) or international Community (MilkyMap).

Business application of map messaging has proven to be similar to personal computers, Instant messaging, and the World Wide Web, in that its adoption for use of personal map positioning and business communications medium was driven primarily by individual employees using consumer software at work, rather than by formal mandate or provisioning by corporate information technology departments. Tens of millions of the consumer IM accounts in use are being used for business purposes by employees of companies and other organizations.

In response to the demand for business-grade MIMS and the need to ensure security and legal compliance, a new type of instant messaging, called "Enterprise Map Messaging" ("EMM") was created trough one application (SingleGalaxy).

Electronic maps, From the last quarter of the 20th century, the indispensable tool of the cartographer has been the computer. Much of cartography, especially at the data-gathering survey level, has been subsumed by Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The functionality of maps has been greatly advanced by technology simplifying the superimposition of spatially located variables onto existing geographical maps. Interactive, computerised maps are commercially available, allowing users to zoom in or zoom out (respectively meaning to increase or decrease the scale), sometimes by replacing one map with another of different scale, centred where possible on the same point. Mobility satellite navigation systems are computerised maps with route-planning and advice facilities which monitor the user's position with the help of satellites.

MapSignal application offers; zooming in entails one or a combination of:

Real-time map messaging service (MapSignal) by a more detailed about Human generated signals (SingleG/GPassenger) (available/unavailable icons) enlarging the same map or enlarging the pixels, hence showing more detail by removing less information compared to the less detailed version enlarging the same map with the pixels enlarged (replaced by rectangles of pixels); no additional detail is shown, but, depending on the quality of one's vision, possibly more detail can be seen; if a computer display does not show adjacent pixels really separate, but overlapping instead (this does not apply for an LCD, but may apply for a cathode ray tube & Mobile Applications such as Cell phone, PDA, Smart Phone), then replacing a pixel by a rectangle of pixels does show more detail.

Real-time censor (audio, video, mim, typed text, filed transfer) regards to the user age and activity. Example: age groups ( Kids 2-7years old, Child7-14 years old above, Teenager, Adult).

Map Signal Messaging offers the following interface languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Basque, Belarusian, Bengali, Bihari, Bork, bork, bork!, Bosnian, Breton, Bulgarian, Cambodian, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Corsican, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Elmer Fudd, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Faroese, Filipino, Finnish, French, Frisian, Galician, Georgian, German, Greek, Guarani, Gujarati,Hacker, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Interlingua, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Klingon, Korean, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Laothian, Latin, Latvian, Lingala, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Maori, Marathi, Moldavian, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Norwegian (Nynorsk), Occitan, Oriya, Pashto, Persian, Pirate, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Punjabi, Quechua, Romanian, Romansh, Russian, Scots Gaelic, Serbian, Serbo-Croatian, Sesotho, Shona, Sindhi, Sinhalese, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Spanish, Sundanese, Swahili, Swedish, Tajik, Tamil, Tatar, Telugu, Thai, Tigrinya, Tonga, Turkish, Turkmen, Twi, Uighur, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Welsh, Xhosa, Yiddish, Yoruba, Zulu,

The Internet MIMS Project was started by Goh Nai Ling at Singapore in 2002. The project included visualization of the Internet/electronic Map for Transportation, Smart Cab (SmartCab ®), which first appeared in Intellectual property of Singapore (IPOS) in January 2005, and are still available as trademarks. Additionally it can be used as an important gauge for the growth of the Internet and the areas of growth.

Goh Nai Ling

I/C: S6928874Z

Copyright © 2008 Goh Nai Ling. All rights reserved.

For more information sharing or collaboration business plan, please contact the inventor at goh@microsco.com

investor relation: map@microsco.com

Please call UK: +44-20-81332233 CN: +86-15000500312 SG: +65-96100267