Posted on November 18th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
There have been significant improvements made recently in cellular phone security. But be careful. Read on for valuable information to protect yourself.
Just remember that wireless phone conversations are transmitted over radio frequencies and these transmissions are not secure. However, analog cell phones are not as secure as digital or personal communications service phones. Low cost, easy to get, radio scanners are used to eavesdrop on phone conversations using analog wireless phones. With digital wireless phones, the conversations are encoded and are much more difficult to be listened in on. However, it is much more difficult to eavesdrop on conversations using personal communications service phones as your conversation is transmitted over multiple frequencies that may be scrambled. These conversations are impossible for interception.
Cloning is a term used to describe illegally charged calls to someone else’s account. The cost to cell phone service providers is astronomical. Digital wireless phones are difficult to clone compared to analog cell phones.
If your wireless phone is stolen, contact your cell phone service provider right way to have your service suspended. Each cell phone provider has its only policy concerning exactly how much you will be billed for local and long distance calls, so it is imperative that you notify your cell phone service provider immediately.
Cell phone insurance is available in cases of theft or loss of your mobile phone. Your cell phone service provider will be able to tell you about cell phone insurance.
Catherine Kenyeres is a free lance writer and publisher for Best-4u-Cell-Phones.com. Catherine provides the latest information, reviews and comparisons for her cell phone clients.
Comments Off
Posted on November 18th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
With more offshore fishing boats taking customers further out into the
deep blue ocean in search of Billfish, Tunas and others, satellite phones
are quickly becoming an essential for all offshore fishing and boating
enthusiasts.
The growing popularity in offshore fishing tournaments, charter boats,
and individuals searching for that elusive Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna,
Swordfish and other fish that reside in deep water, warrants the utmost
in boating safety. These days most anglers fishing the deep, blue water
have the opportunity to buy or rent Satellite Phones. Satellite phones on
boats have become a very important and necessary piece of safety
equipment on your boat. These days Iridium and Inmarsat satellite
phones are compact, and offer satellite phone service if the vessel has
problems. The best part however is that these satellite phones are
economical priced.
Most large boats often come outfitted with Inmarsat satellite equipment,
and can easily be switched with a sim card that will immediately add
safety and assurance to the boats passengers and crew. This sim card
offers boat owners the security of knowing that if a problem arises, with a
quick phone call, help is on the way. This sense of security helps bring
confidence to each boat owner as well.
In the past renting a satellite phone was unheard of. Today, many
companies offer this service, with competitive prices, reliability and
global coverage around the world. Renting a satellite phone for boat
marine enthusiasts offers the comfort of knowning that you’re in good
hands, and can get assistance where-ever you are, in any country
around the world. Renting a satellite phone is inexpensive, and satellite
phone services offer great prices for boat owners.
With more than 66 satellites circling the earth, a satellite phone offers
users the opportunity to call any number, anywhere, anytime. Especially
since cellular phones will not pick up a signal when just a couple miles
offshore, or in different countries. Satellite phones also offer quick help
by dialing a 4-digit number; you will be connected with a service
representative will help you with any problems that you might be having.
Here is my personal Top 10 list of why you should own or rent a satellite
phone when traveling abroad:
10. Safety
9. 24-Hour Customer Service
8. Affordable
7. Reliable
6. Worldwide Reception
5. Easy to use
4. Convenient 10 digit global number
3. Customized Options
2. Piece of Mind
#1 Reason
It’s the best way to let your family know when you’re gonna be late.
Copyright 2005 Troy Denson - Satellite Phone Services of Satcom
Marine http://www.satcommarine.com
Comments Off
Posted on November 18th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
Camera cell phone picture - recent development.
Camera cell phone picture is a recent development. You can take a camera cell phone picture with any of the camera cell phones that are available on today’s market. There are many phones (Samsung SGHV-205 and Samsung SPH-a600 digital camera phones, for example) produced by most major cellular phone companies like Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, LG, Sanyo, and many more. These phones and cameras are technologically advanced and they are becoming more and more cutting edge.
Camera cell phone picture - quality.
Camera cell phone picture is usually somewhat of a different quality compared to lets say a digital camera picture. The camera cell phone picture has less focus and has smaller resolution. But it is still of a good quality, especially if you have one of the newer camera cell phones and a good color LCD screen. I some cases the pictures taken by the cell phone camera will have a better quality if you will email them from your phone to your email address.
Camera cell phone picture - store your memories.
Camera cell phone picture is an excellent way to store something for future memories. You don’t have to run around looking for a regular camera to take a photo of something. All you have to do is take out your camera cell phone and you are ready. Your phone is smaller then most of the regular cameras, it is most likely with you everywhere you go, and you don’t have to spend more money on a camera.
Camera cell phone picture concept may sound complicated, but it is really easy to take one. The camera cell phones usually have detailed instructions on how to use your camera, which is actually very easy to use it. You will be taking pictures in ten minutes or less after you completed your initial cellular phone set up.
Visit http://www.camera-cell-phones-2u.com
Comments Off
Posted on November 15th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
Is cellular service in the US really all about the network? In some cases, the answer is yes, it does. Any reliable on-line quote for service should come with detailed information on the vendors’ coverage area. Besides that, I’ll take a rather high-level look at cellular providers starting with a bit of history.
Anyone remember the days of telephone company deregulation of the 80’s? When this first occurred, I for one was not ready to switch my long distance carrier. After all, it WAS about the network. I wasn’t about to leave a tried and true, big name provider for a company just starting out.
Fast forward to today. I’ve dumped my big name provider and went with a much smaller company. Why? Because the networks are far more advanced then they once were. Competition among carriers is fierce. I cannot tell any difference in quality between the big name and the company I chose. The cost, however, is much less than what I was paying.
The point?
The ‘networks’ are much more reliable and have to be in order for a company to stay competitive.
What does this have to do with cellular service? Well, it’s the same thing. Most of my family and friends have cellular service. Between them, there are a number of different providers represented. When I ask any of them what they think of their service? Quality of calls, signal strength, picture taking, ring-tones, etc. they are all happy with the service they have. Apparently each of the different networks is just as good as the other.
So, is cellular service really all about the network? I would say no, it’s all about the ‘deal’. Because the industry is so competitive, I would look for free shipping, free phone and cash rebates along with the monthly rate. For the people I spoke to, these are the important factors. Now add in the ability for number porting (keeping your existing phone number when switching providers) and the competition for your business really heats up.
The biggest complaint I’ve heard from friends and family is that once they sign their contract, that’s pretty much then end of it. Better deals are being offered all the time to ‘new’ customers but not to the ‘existing’ customer. Sure, they may get a newer phone, but not the same as what’s being offered to ‘new’ customers. I expect this to change very soon especially considering number porting. If a vendor wants to keep their customer base, they better start to offer the same deals to ‘existing’ customers as they do new ones.
Until that time, take your phone number and shop for a better deal.
I would look online first, as the better deals tend to be online. Why? Cost. Not only is it cheaper to reach a large group of consumers online, it’s very cost effective.
When shopping for your next cellular calling plan, remember that’s it’s not just the network you should be concerned about. The consumer is in charge here. Whenever competition becomes fierce, the smart consumer generally comes out ahead!
Full Service Broadband Provider provides unbiased, informative information on broadband technology. Residential, business, T1 service, VoIP and non-broadband technology such as cellular service and local/long distance. Free information and free quotes.
www.fullservice-broadband-provider.com
Comments Off
Posted on November 15th, 2008 — in Online Recreation Resources, Travel, Safaris, And More
We’ve skied in various European ski haunts such as Brevent, Luz Ardiden, Serre Chevalier and Super Besse, however altogether during all the group’s ski holidays Chamonix France is certainly our most loved place to go for skiing holiday France.
The provenance of alpine history and dwelling to the lofty Mont Blanc - at 4807m European Unions’ most eminent peak - Chamonix France sports a unrivaled snow record, a lengthy skiing season (Dec-May), unmatchable exhilarating skiing, and panoramas to die for. Furthermore Chamonix village has an multinational reputation since it has some of the most prominent, ambitious, and exciting alpine skiing accessible anywhere in the universe.
Chamonix Mont Blanc is large and also disconcerting, and that’s before one count the neighboring skiing towns; including Verchaix, Alpe d’Huez, Chatel, Gourette and Tignes-les-Brevieres.
The Mont Blanc Unlimited lift pass covers six Chamonix town, and thirteen departmental ski domains; on land upwards of 3840m, all over 280 ski lifts, and 790 kilometres of ski runs - with the absolute majority of the skiing domains preceding 2030 metres. It caters for every standard from beginners including experts. See the ski areas section for detailed look at the favourite areas: Val-d’Isere, La Clusaz, Le Tour, Montroc, Portes du Soleil and Les Trois Vallees.
Comments Off
Posted on November 12th, 2008 — in Doing Business, Money + Finance, Tool Portal
Arrest | Criminal Records and Searches: He and his companion Joshua Wilson 22 of San Francisco were treated at San Francisco General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. However without a parent or guardian’s help or supervision it is not necessary for the child to answer questions pertaining to offenses. Searches for How Do I Get Free Arrest Records and Texas Dps Criminal History Check are easy to find. But Nashville police never abided by that order.
Arrest Free is not responsible for any loss injury claim liability or damage related to your use of this site or any site linked to this site whether from errors or omissions in the content of our site or any other linked sites from the site being down or from any other use of the site, and it is easy to find Texas Dps Criminal History Check or How Do I Get Free Arrest Records. All types of people and organizations use Arrest record searches. For instance business organizations need searches for knowing about the Arrest background of their potential employees if any- before offering them employment. The Memorandum will request a waiver without the usual motion and financial statement and How Do I Get Free Arrest Records or Texas Dps Criminal History Check. For a quiet act of defiance that resonated throughout the world Rosa Parks is known and revered as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement. The Registry also does quickly and Efficiently search and locate public records as well as arrest and criminal records online.
Alan Johnson an attorney representing The Tennessean said the decree seeks to offer privacy to a suspect but that the Constitution does not protect a person’s privacy in an arrest a position upheld in a 1976 U. Get full results on How Do I Get Free Arrest Records from the official government registry database below. These public records and documents let you know if someone has ever been convicted of a crime; served time in jail or been convicted of a crime like driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Search for How Do I Get Free Arrest Records and Texas Dps Criminal History Check from the the most reliable government sources. Is It Necessary To Go To Trial? Your case should always be prepared “AS IF” it indeed will be necessary to go to trial. You can be assured you get the top quality lookup results from our sources.
If you are arrested - you will have to provide some basic information which includes your name/ address and telephone number/ the name of an immediate family member and their phone number and the name of the place of your employment. Ten percent of males and 1. Search for How Do I Get Free Arrest Records or Texas Dps Criminal History Check from the 100% reliable government record database.
Comments Off
Posted on November 11th, 2008 — in Web Of Products
Once you have decided to get a Dish Network or DirecTV satellite system for your home, the next step is to have the system installed. Almost all Satellite TV Dish installations these days are done by well-trained professionals who are accustomed to considering both the technical requirements of your system, as well as your concerns about the appearance of your home. However, having someone (even a well-trained professional) approach your home with a power drill, 100 feet of coaxial cable and a staple gun, can be anxiety producing. In addition, that little satellite dish, while very cute and mostly unobtrusive, is not your average homeowner’s idea of what they want to have hanging over their front door.
Here are some things that you will want to consider and plan for before the ‘Satellite Guy or Girl’ comes knocking. If you follow these guidelines, you will avoid some of the common problems that might occur, and you will have a better overall installation of your satellite system.
1) Understand What You Are Getting. Before you even schedule an installation, you need to understand fully what is included in your system. Get answers to all your questions at the ‘Point of Sale’. How many TVs will be hooked up? Will they all be able to see different channels? Will any of the TVs have High Definition or DVR capabilities? How much will your total monthly bill be after any free programming promotions have run out? These are questions to ask the sales representative now, not your installer later.
2) Do Pre-Installation Planning. The Dish will need to have a clear view of the Southern Sky. Your installer will have appropriate dish pointing tools that will pin-point the position of the satellite, and he will advise you as to where the dish can be mounted so that it will have a clear and unobstructed view. Remember, the dish can not see through trees, your house, the neighbors garage roof, or any other solid or semi-solid objects.
3) Clear The Deck! Your satellite installer may need to access your attic and basement and possibly even closets to run the cables. Make sure that his/her path is clear. Don’t ask the installer to move the wood in the basement or clean out the back of a cluttered closet to be able to run the wires. That is not part of a ‘Basic Installation’. Once you have an understanding of where the wires will have to be run, get ahead of your installer and clear the way if necessary.
4) Ask Questions. Any professional satellite dish installer who is worthy of the title will not mind you looking on and asking as many questions as you want about the install. Keep in mind that he is trying to work efficiently, but part of his job is to inform you about what he is doing and why. He may even ask if you want to help, depending on the type of installation.
Lastly, before he packs up and leaves, the installer will show you how to operate your system. But don’t expect that you will remember everything he tells you at this point. So make sure that you have the users manual, the toll free help number for your service provider, and (most importantly) the number of the help and information channel on your Dish Network or DirecTV system. These channels repeat every hour all the information that you will need to use and enjoy your new satellite system.
Chuck DeVries is the owner of SkyBlue Home Systems in Hanover, New Hampshire. He has been selling, installing and writing about Satellite TV and related subjects for over 12 years. You can find more of his thoughts and musings on the Sat Biz at http://www.KissMyDish.com.
This article may be reused in whole or in part, provided the author’s name and all links are preserved. Copyright, KissMyDish 2006
Comments Off
Posted on November 10th, 2008 — in Fun + Enjoyment, Gaming Hall, Virtual Gambling
The early betting position at the online poker table requires a huge amount of discretion-you have to act without any idea what anyone else at the table will do, and everyone else will have a chance to evaluate your poker hand before they bet. That said, there are few hands that are safe enough to bet on in this position. Let’s take a look at some.
I feel comfortable at the online poker betting Pocket Aces down to pocket Sixes or Sevens, but be careful when you get down to those middling pockets such as Ten or lower-there are a lot of over cards that can give another player a higher pair than you’ve got. If you don’t flop a set with those, then it’s time to get out.
Besides pockets, it can be a safe to bet on high suited connectors, such as Ace-King down to Queen-Jack suited. The difference between a pocket pair and suited connectors is the pair has value immediately, and the suited connectors depend entirely on the flop.
If you’ve got an Ace-King suited, you have the potential to flop a straight, flush, a draw of either, or, if none of those comes up you can fall on the chance that an Ace or King will come, leaving you a high pair with a high kicker.
Comments Off
Posted on November 10th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
It has been year since the first announcement of the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer, the new generation of 44 inch width, inkjet printer from Epson. Like many of the new releases from Epson, the printer was highly anticipated; offered breakthrough new features; and was impossible to get for about 7 months. The initial rush has past, they are finally readily available, and it is time to take a moment to reflect on the good and bad points of Epson’s latest printing wonder.
In my opinion there are far fewer negatives than positives, so I will address them first.
1. You have to perform an ink swap to switch your dark black ink from photo-black to matte black. For a brief time Epson offered the Stylus Pro 4000 which had 8 inks including both the matte black and the photo black, there was no need to swap dark black inks if you changed from photo paper to mat paper. This new generation still uses 8 inks but has added a light light black ink instead of offering the two varieties of dark black inks. The additional of light light black ink has enable the printer to produce finer gradations of tone and finer detail in the highlight area, but having to swap out the dark black inks to optimize printing on photo paper as opposed to matte paper is an inconvenience and an unfortunate waste of money.
2. There are quirks with the LCD menu on the printer. One in particular, comes up frequently with a message that says “Power Cleaning?” Y or N. Having been prompted many people select yes to this prompt, thereby executing a power cleaning cycle which wastes a good bit of ink and maintenance tank capacity. I have had a number of clients really upset about this situation and I hope Epson will rectify it soon in a firmware fix.
3. Dark ink density not improved when using matte black ink on matte papers. The new K3 inks made a giant leap forward in providing richer blacks when using the photo-black ink on photo surface types of papers. The K3 matte black ink on matte papers seems not to have improved black density, and some users report that matte black is less dense on matte papers than the previous UCM matte black ink. I find the blacks to be the about the same density as with the previous inks, but had hoped for more from the matte black K3 ink.
4. Epson designed the new 220 ml ink cartridges to fit inside the ink bays, unlike the previous 220 ml cartridges that stuck out to the point where you could not close the cover. Well you can close the cover with the new cartridges but the new cartridges are pressurized and occasionally arrive leaking. This has led us to always check cartridges for leaks before sending them out. If you are using the new 220 ml cartridges, check them for leaks as soon as you receive them.
5. A final negative, although not affecting the quality of the printer, was that for nearly 7 months of last year, dealers like myself, that focus mostly on the Epson printer line, had no Epson printers to sell. Epson announced the new printers, stopped supplying the previous models, and was unable to ship the new generation of printer for what seemed an eternity. Our belt was tightened more than a few notches.
That’s it on the negatives, so here’s some of the positive highlights:
1. The printer is about 2.5 times faster than the previous generation, but Epson hasn’t sacrificed quality for speed. Epson built the new model with a print head that is more than twice as large as the previous print head, thereby more than doubling the speed.
2. Time consuming and confusing manual nozzle checks and print head alignments have been streamlined and are now carried out automatically, at the touch of a button.
3. Metamerism and bronzing, which were significant problems with the previous UCM inks, have been virtually eliminated. If you don’t know what these are, consider yourself lucky and know that you won’t have them with the new printers and K3 inks.
4. Deeper, richer blacks when using photo-black on photo surface papers. This represents a significant improvement over previous models and inks.
5. A new advanced black and white mode in the driver that produces stunning black and white prints.
6. Improved color gamut- not earth shattering improvement like in black density but still a nice addition to the color palette.
In my opinion, the positives far outweigh the negatives and this new generation of Epson Stylus Pro printers will take their rightful place in Epson’s track record of award winning, superior value and outstanding quality, large format inkjet printers.
Kirk Economos is President of Meridian Cyber Solutions, digital equipment and printer dealership headquartered in San Francisco, that offer products and services nationwide. Kirk is also a practicing fine art photographer and fine art printer. Kirk Economos recommends you visit Meridian Cyber Solutions to get an in-depth price catalog for the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer. For more information call (888) 782-7878
Comments Off
Posted on November 9th, 2008 — in Hardware Center
In case you haven’t noticed, the high-end video cards are expensive with every release, and the same high-end video cards disappear from their pole position within 6 months or less due to another model replacing it. There are video card owners who feel betrayed after spending $700 on a graphics card, only to discover several months later the card can be purchased for half the amount. Are these consumers justified in being confused and at a loss for why their video card is outdated before their next birthday?
The New Marketing Of Video Cards
Video card manufacturers began to discover the Relentless Pursuit Of Speed as they competed with each other. At the time, 3dfx, nVidia, and ATI were the top competitors. They also realized consumers were not satisified with overclocking their motherboards and memory alone, and were now diving into another area which could be tweaked, modified, manipulated, and OC’ed to levels higher than what was recommended by the manufacturer: Video Cards! When the video card became a brand new area to tweak and boost, the race was on for the fastest, most powerful card ever.
Not so long after, came several different video card versions of the same graphics chip, each offering a slightly different modified model, at a slightly different price. For example, 3dfx came out with the Voodoo3. There was the Voodoo3 2000, Voodoo3 3000, and the Voodoo3 3500. Instead of the consumer spending time overclocking the card, there were now many different models offered for that particular need. In other words, the more you paid for the card, the more the performance. This seemed like a great deal initially. Why bother tweaking a card and voiding the warranty when you could spend a few bucks more for an “officially overclocked” card and retain the warranty.
Quicker Release Periods
As more models began to flood the market, we started to see the time periods between releases shorten. This is where the initial investment in the high-end cards began to take a severe dive and depreciate. High-end cards were being introduced every 6 months (and currently, they still are). Currently, we also have several “upgraded” cards. Adding more memory to a video card (which didn’t they do it initially?), or adding other rendering features which will be in upcoming hyped games.
The Firmware Factor
Eventually, due to so many video graphics cards being named so close together, it was inevitable savvy users would begin to investigate just what the difference was between them. For example, the GeForce 5900. 5900 users found out if you tweaked it a little, you’d get a 5950 comparable model. And just as I’m writing this article, I picked up a XFX 6800 XTreme 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 which will be $95 after rebate. Apparently, this card can be overclocked successfully to 425-470MHz / 1150-1200MHz with basic air-cooled devices.
Why So Many Video Cards?
Well, this is a controversial question. The answer could be technology is changing and improving so fast it is simply impossible to market a video card which will last a significant amount of time with no competitor and without a price dive. Another answer could be manufacturers are purposely “pumping the brakes” on the manufacturing so that different cards are released relatively quickly, keeping prices high for short period of time, allowing for more purchases of top-performing video cards within a business fiscal year.
It’s somewhat vague as to what the motives really are, but what we do know about the video card manufacturing business, regardless of the motives, is that it’s ever-changing. nVidia and ATI are alone in the competition and each company wants to be the first one to come out with 1GB of on-board memory, and soon after, 1256MB of on-board memory. While we do have those high-end consumers who purchase the top-performing video cards who lose most of their investment only months later, we also have a larger segment of the graphics card consumer market who purchase the cards when the prices fall and rebates are offered. Observant PC users, which in my opinion are growing every time new and faster card is introduced, are beginning to notice the sudden price drops of high-end cards, and are waiting for the prices to fall before they make their purchase.
More Video Cards: More Consumer Options
While the high-end purchaser certainly takes the highest risk and is on the frontline whenever a new product is released, a larger population of consumers are taking less risks by purchasing video cards which are a few notches below the higher-performing cards. Surprisingly however, the performance hit is not as bad as one might think.
Conclusion
If you want to buy the latest, fastest card available, feel free to do so. I’m sure you’ll have an exciting time with it. However, remember the probability that most of your PC games you currently own, probably won’t even benefit from the latest card’s technology. It’s just too new. This is the single issue which video card users and potential buyers need to understand. Video cards are still being released ahead of the advanced applications that support it. Manufacturers and game engineers try to coincide the releases, but this usually happens for only a few games. Is buying a $700 video card worth playing your $50 PC game at all your “levels” maximized, when you’ll probably finish the game in less than 3 weeks? Second, is buying a $700 video card worth it when in 6 months you’ll have updated specs on the card as well as updated specs on the new games which are going to be…once again…released at about the same time as the fastest and greatest card?
It’s something to think about. But is there an alternative?
Sure there is!
Because of the massive marketing of so many “new and improved” video cards hitting the retail shelves almost every other month, YOU have the power. Want a 6800XT? Just sit back for 6 months or even less and get it at half the price–maybe even less. Want that BFG GeForce 7900 GTX? Well, sit back and wait until around October of this year. The key to getting a great video card at a great price, is constantly buying the last generation. Several years ago you really couldn’t do that because the cards were not as advanced. Yes, this is open for debate, but I think today’s video cards are built better, built more reliable, and will be able to take on many new applications and games in the future without needing to upgrade every 6 months. We’re currently seeing video cards increase in performance much faster than what the applications can even take advantage of. This can only benefit YOU as the consumer because buying an older generation video card can actually mean an upgrade for many years of enjoyment.
©2006 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus)
Video Card Purchases: The More You Play…The More You Pay
A part of The DigitalDingus Guide To Computers & Hardware series.
Comments Off
