Internet Fax Service

Jailbreaking Your Phones and Other Devices

2012-02-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

As it turns out, jailbreaking your devices could soon become illegal. Today, you're free to hack around those restrictions. And you don't always need to be a tech whiz. With some iPhones, for example, you have been able to visit the website jailbreakme.com with your phone's browser and just press a button. After that, it's "jailbroken," and you can install apps from anywhere, not just Apple's App Store. These changes aren't always purely for fun. Some deaf people have hacked Android phones, for example, to allow them to make video calls using a sign-language interpreting phone service called SVRS. But soon, all that could be illegal if jailbreaking is ruled to be copyright violation. Today is the last day that the U.S. Copyright Office is accepting input on whether it should continue allowing you to jailbreak your phone. Technically, doing so could violate the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, a strict law against "circumvention of technological measures applied to copyrighted works." Software is considered to be copyrighted work, so jailbreaking your phone by changing its software could be considered "circumvention." The penalties, at least on paper, can be severe -- up to $25,000 – though it's unlikely to go that far.

Appreciate Your Liver

2012-02-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

I always have to laugh when people tell me that they are "detoxing". I also often wonder if they ever sat in on a biology lecture. The worst part is that these detoxing sessions include taking ridiculous amounts of laxatives, which by the way rid your body of important minerals and nutrients in addition to leaving you dehydrated, along with some scary herbs, the effects of which are not known or detailed. This is what your liver and kidneys are for. They are the body's best defense against toxins and no matter what you do, aside from not eating anything which never has great results, they do not need to be helped or improved. I have also found that people that know this information still go to the vitamin stores and buy the stuff. Most of the time, it is not FDA approved. At least they include the 800 numbers that you can call if anything comes up. Personally, all of those ads for detoxing are a way to make money off of the ignorance of people. On a related note, since the liver and kidneys are your best and only detoxing mechanism, please take care of them, you need to have them.

Profilers: All You Need is Common Sense

2012-01-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen those criminal investigation shows where when the main investigator cannot figure out how to catch the killer, another "expert" comes in and profiles the criminal by analyzing their patterns and the occasional email or internet fax. Alright guys, it does not take a genius to pull off this magic. In fact, according to some studies, they actually don't. After analyzing studies on criminal profiling accuracy, the authors concluded that professional profilers don't show any more significant accuracy in their predictions than the control groups did by using common sense and educated guesses. Also, many profilers refuse to participate in any kind of study to verify their accuracy. Now, why in the world would they ever refuse to test their accuracy? Another better question is why are these people continue to be hired and actually have a job? I wonder if the other investigators are low of common sense.

Dumb Professions

2012-01-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

For those of us that go to class and strive to get a degree to be able to get a decent job and start a career, we get irritated when we come in contact with these people. I am talking about those that do off the wall things to make a living. Then again maybe we can learn from them because they do not end up in cubby holes constantly writing internet fax or entering data in a table. One of those jobs is a wine taster. These people can tell the difference between the dozens of different wines that they taste and then they write about it. Yes these are the people that drink for a living and write a bit about it. Next on the list is the wonderful group of art and film critics. I though art was supposed to be subjective and there was really no "best" artist. These people should be able to tell the difference between the different artists but they decide to throw in their two cents and proclaim what they think is a masterpiece. Funny thing about that is in 1964, Swedish art critics were fooled into praising the works of Pierre Brassau with descriptions like "Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also with clear determination. His brush strokes twist with furious fastidiousness. Pierre is an artist who performs with the delicacy of a ballet dancer." Brassau's methods? He "preferred eating the paint to placing it on a canvas." Because Brassau was a chimpanzee.

Internet Users in China

2012-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Since the internet is such an important part of life today, it is no surprise that the number of Internet users in China has surged past 500 million as millions of new Web surfers go online using mobile phones and tablet computers, an industry group reported Monday. The popularity of the Internet in China has driven the explosive growth of profitable Web companies and made fortunes for some Chinese entrepreneurs despite government controls on what the public can see online. Even the internet phone companies saw a rise in usage. The number of mainland Internet users rose to 513 million in December, up 12 percent from a year earlier, the government-sanctioned China Internet Network Information Center said. Among them, the number who go online using handheld devices rose 17.5 percent over a year earlier to 356 million. The popularity of wireless Internet was reflected Friday in a scramble by Chinese gadget fans and scalpers to buy Apple Inc.'s latest iPhone 4S, which sold out within hours of its China launch.

Online Security

2012-01-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

When so many of the important documents are stored online, starting from internet fax, all the way to email, it is important that we chose our passwords wisely. One of the reasons is that there are computers that are constantly trying to crack the passwords but using brute force. This means that they are guessing them. If you have a password that is really easy to guess just by trying different combinations, change it right now. If a hacker is able to get one password, make sure that all your other passwords are unique and it is important to change them regularly. I guess one of the problems with that is that the average internet user has 25-30 passwords to keep track of. This does not mean you need to memorize all of them, though certain ones might be useful to have handy right there. A sticky-note cheat sheet can be safe if you omit or scramble some of the info. But a password manager may be your best bet: Free software like KeePass can store log-in information in an encrypted database on your own computer.

Mobility is Important in a Business

2012-01-11T12:04:00.000-08:00

When you use WebEx Meeting Center, you can schedule, host, and attend meetings right from your iPhone. See all the content being shared in the meeting, and pass the presenter role anytime you'd like. You can even transfer the meeting from your iPhone to your desktop with a flick of your wrist. In addition to having all those internet phone features on your smartphone, you can also meet from anywhere with WebEx on your iPad. Use the app with WebEx Meeting Center to schedule, host, and attend meetings on the go. It is great to be able to meet face-to-face with the 2-way group video because you will be able to get a lot more done. Then, pass the presenter role to any participant and see everything that is shared in meeting. Cisco is even making tablets now so that you can schedule, start, and attend WebEx meetings from anywhere on Cisco Cius, the new mobile collaboration tablet. Start a meeting from a call, IM, your calendar or contact list, view content shared from any computer, pass presenter or host control, and chat with attendees all on the preloaded WebEx app optimized for Cisco Cius.

Holding Meetings with WebEx

2012-01-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Whether you're holding a brainstorming session or making a presentation, turning your online meeting into a virtual video conference helps everyone focus on every word. It also lets everything run more productively and smoothly. That's why WebEx products include high-definition or high-quality video for an unparalleled visual experience. Video conferencing is great, but we know that sometimes sharing video isn't ideal. It's easy to turn off video sharing on your end while still participating in the web conference. WebEx makes sharing your webcam video easy and intuitive – no complicated menus to navigate or manuals to read. If you've got a webcam enabled, just click the camera icon next to your name in the WebEx interface to start sharing. This communication system is also very cost efficient and will save lots of money on long distance calls.

About Internet Fax

2012-01-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about internet fax is that it enables you to send documents over the internet to regular fax. This is a great tool for businesses to have because it is the quickest and secure way to send important documents to other people. Legal contracts and invoices are some of the documents that are usually sent using internet fax services. Another great thing about the fax services is that you can attach any type of file and the software usually integrate seamlessly with the existing software on the computer. Internet faxing is a hosted service, meaning you don't need to buy and install fax servers, modems and special software. Instead, you subscribe to a third-party Internet faxing service that converts e-mails to faxes and faxes to e-mails for you. Since e-mail is the only application required to send and receive internet faxes, faxes also can be sent from a handheld device such as smartphones. All you really need is an internet connection.

Career Choices

2011-12-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

If you are college senior this year, you are probably looking at different industries, graduate school, or medical schools. Have you ever considered exactly why you are going to wherever you say you are? Is it because it will look good on your resume or you think that you will be making a lot of money? Fast forward about 50 years from now, what do you want to remember from your working life? I am sure that you guys did not pay all that money for the terrific education just to sit and mindlessly enter data in sheets or answer the constant stream of internet fax. We all have a passion but it seems like only a few of us have enough courage to follow it. I would love to see more graduating seniors taking life in their own hands and doing what they love to do, and having a zest for changing the world. I want to know what is stopping these kids from changing "the way things are". Make a dent in the world, one that really means something and makes a difference. Do you really want to look back and say that all you really did was make money?

Compassion

2011-12-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

How do the rich stay rich? Well this question might be explained by the study that pointed to the theory that the more money a person make, the less compassionate they are. A psychologist did a study on college students that come from different income families. Of course, you might be thinking that people are likely to lie on a questionnaire, especially over a phone service, that asks about our emotions and we make ourselves out to be kinda and better people than we really are but the study is very well aware of this and correct for the "self-inflation". All this still does not prove that people and families with a lot of money are just downright cruel, maybe they just do not the experience seeing the problems that others are going through. That is why it is important that college kids are given the opportunity to volunteer in places and with people that do not have as much. We need to have compassion in order to be emotionally complete.

App for Tracking Baggage

2011-12-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

Now there is even a phone service for tracking your baggage, the type that flies on airplanes of course. During the holiday season, it is one of the peak times for traveling and headaches from losing luggage. There is an app for smartphones that lets you track your baggage from Delta. Here is part of the article about it:

Lost bags are a traveler’s nightmare. While Delta can’t guarantee bags will arrive at on time and at the right airport, the company has launched a mobile app that lets customers track their bags from check-in to carousel. As a bonus, Delta offers free in-flight Wi-Fi within its Fly Delta app, so customers can check the location of their bags once it’s deemed safe to turn on electronic devices. But that’s as far as the free Wi-Fi goes — connections are limited to Delta.com. To get started, passengers enter the numbers on their bag tag receipts to launch bag tracking on their mobile phones. iPhone users have the option to scan the bar code on the receipt instead of typing in numbers.

The app also lets Delta customers pay baggage fees during mobile check-in, view airport maps and Delta Sky Club locations. And in the unfortunate event that a bag is delayed more than 12 hours, Delta offers a $25 rebate. The free Fly Delta app is available for iPhone, Android and Windows phone users and Delta says a BlackBerry version will be released in early 2012.

Call Manager from BroadVoice

2011-12-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

Once your business starts growing, you will need some more phone services to be able to handle the incoming and outgoing calls. You can have all the settings for the call controller in one place on the online account. The BroadVoice Call Manager is a web-based tool you use to initiate, manipulate, and release calls, control your BroadVoice features, as well as access your contact directories including Microsoft Outlook. To activate the tool, log in to the BroadVoice Portal and click the Call Manager link in the left-hand column. The BroadVoice Call Manager uses Microsoft Active/X components to access your directories and to store preferences so be sure you accept the downloads when prompted so that the Call Manager functions correctly.Another great aspect of this service is that it all integrates seamlessly with existing programs and applications. This will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Ugly Meter?

2011-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

What started as joke, admittedly a sick one, began turning heads and now some anti-cyber bullying activists are getting involved. It is an app on iTunes called the Ugly Meter. This app supposedly scans pictures of people and then assigns a number on the scale of 1 to 10 on the "ugly scale" and if that is not enough, it spits out a horrible insult. In addition to all those wonderful abilities, you can also post the picture on Facebook. It is like drawing a target sign on your forehead the size of Texas for bullies. Despite its crackling green simulated scan, the results appear to be random. In tests, the same face received rankings between 0.5 and 7 — a chair got a 7. Even as a joke or novelty app, some experts say its effects could be harmful, especially to those unaware that the app’s ratings are random. Some people say that it can be horribly hurtful but it is still there in the iTunes store. I am sure there is an 800 number you can find somewhere to voice your opinion one way or the other. Personally, I would want to say suck it up but that never goes over well.

The Point of Twitter

2011-11-19T15:02:00.000-08:00

If you are someone that uses Twitter as a procrastination tool while you really should be taking care of those internet fax documents that are piling up, you do not need to read this because it will be yet another distraction. Many people in several studies have said that they use the service in order to supplement their social lives. One of the good things about it is that people only have 140 characters to get their point across which means that you will not be wasting time reading long winded responses that do not really say anything. It also teaches people to be more direct. When compared to social networking sites, it does not try to replace their social lives. Another great thing about it is that it is a quick way to get information and breaking news. While individual journalists may use the service to solicit information or retweet comments from others, institutional Twitter accounts exist, it seems, merely to be a voice of authority. How do you use Twitter?

Public Health

2011-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered just how many benefits there could be if all health records were made digital? I do not mean only the EMS people being able to send information to the doctors from the ambulance via internet fax or using another network, I am talking about a major overhaul where all those shelves and filing cabinets can be condensed to one server. Of course the issue right now is that no one wants to pay for it even though there have been clear signs as to how much it would improve health care and the health of the public in general. With more EMRs in the cloud, there is even more potential to uncover medical trends and information. EMR could greatly assist the CDC in seeing and containing outbreaks of diseases by providing health data and patient trends by age group or geography. Real-time medical information in the cloud can be parsed to quickly identify health trends and target areas with peculiar symptoms or diseases, and the information in these digital records could mitigate the effects of pandemics like H1N1.

Understanding Parents

2011-10-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

No matter if you are a parent or a teenager reading this, it have a feeling that it will resonate with you somehow. Have your parents ever ended an argument by basically telling you to shut up and go to your room and not wanting to talk about it. As a teen, it can be extremely irritating because you want to have your say as well. As a parent, there are reason that that particular comment is made. I have found that our parents still have egos and are human even if they have to be the authority figure. They do not want to lose that argument so the quickest way to end it is to just say that the conversation is over. Either way, debating things can be a good thing, no matter what side you are on. Have you ever felt like some of your relationships as a kid, were just like Romeo and Juliet? Yea, you and the rest of the teenage population. As I have found out that parents do not really want to interfere in relationships but if they have the potential to destroy a person's life, such as going out with an addict, they feel the need to intervene. Kids will probably not understand this concept until that are parents themselves and their kids just have to be on that internet phone until 3 am because it is the love of their life and the parents just do not believe in it.

Curse of Mobility

2011-10-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

With phone services always at our finger tips, did you ever notice what happens when you suddenly unplug? When your phone dies, the first couple minutes are alright to deal with as you are trying to find the cord to charge it but as it becomes evident that the cord is buried under some pile of clothes of which there is too many, your pulse start to rise. Then you realize that there might be some updates that you are missing and possibly some texts but you will never have to worry about calls because you are so technologically obsessed that you set up call forwarding in case of this very event. I often wonder if the pretty glowing screen is preventing us from getting things done correctly even if it can let us get it done quickly. Also focusing is another concern. Another terrific perk of most of the people around you owning a phone is that the phones probably come with a camera. This makes everyone their own personal reporter. So, if you are about to do something really dumb in public, remember that there are plenty of people around you that can film and would be more than happy to put it on the internet.

Facebook Growing

2011-09-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Facebook is constantly changing the way is does "social networking". First it came out with their own internet phone services, and now they are changing the way that it looks and what appears in the news feed. Another new features that is going to come soon is the Timeline. I have been reading about it and many people have said that the changes are not all that great. The Timeline could go either way. For people that absolutely love to record every moment of their life and then spend about 50% of that time editing it so that it looks perfect for when they post it for the world to see, it could be a good thing. For the rest of us who really do not give a hoot about other people's edited timelines, it is going to be a waste of time and space on their page. If a timeline is edited, it becomes fake, really really fake. Life cannot be edited so why should a timeline that is somehow supposed to represent life be edited as well? In all honesty, Facebook does not represent life in the way that it is meant to. It actually reminds me of airbrushed photos that are in magazines.

Low Cost Internet

2011-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Since the internet has become one of the most of the important things people need to survive, it has become crucial that it is extended to as many people as possible. VoIP systems work over the internet and they are also becoming more prevalent. Some people have argued that the internet is a human right and everyone should have access to it. Now Comcast is offering the lower priced internet service in more areas. It is for families that have a low income and have children going to school. In schools, internet is also becoming more important because grades, assignments and even textbooks are starting to be offered online. It is clear that there are many advantages to more people having internet access, but the question is what Comcast is getting out of offer the services at such a reduced price. And how much longer will they be able to do so without losing large amounts of money?

Digital Door Keys

2011-09-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

It seems like everything these days is going digital, so why not the keys that you use to open your front door with? You can do pretty much everything on you phone, from talking to people using VoIP services to complete banking. This technology is being tested in dorm rooms where the students use their phones instead of the plastic access cards. So far, it was said that the response was positive which means that they might plan to expand this technology to the mass markets. One of the downsides to it is that since it is electronic, there is always the change that it can be hacked. A digital lock might be a lot easier to get into than a physical one. It can be hacked remotely so the person does not even have to be at the door to open it. Would you want to have a lock on your front door that can be opened by a key that is on your phone? Personally, I do not think I would jump on board with these keys because not too many thing can get past a dead bolt.

Act Like You Know What You Are Talking About

2011-09-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

There is nothing worse than someone that is trying to teach or explain a certain subject or concept, they are constantly doubting themselves. Not only are they doubting themselves, they actually verbalize it by saying that they do not really know that much about the subject or they are not sure how their idea will be received. This already makes the audience bias toward the speaker. They should let the people listen make their own decisions about the ideas and concepts. My suggestion is to not only know the subject inside and out but to also act like you know what you are talking about and let the passion for it out. The truth is that if you are bored with what you are talking about, so is your audience and they will completely ignore you no matter how profound your ideas are. This applies to live interactions with people and using internet phone services as well. Confidence can go a long way.

Lack of Sleep

2011-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

If you think that catching up on all those internet fax in the middle of the night is being productive and getting ahead, well there is a lot of research that points to significant loss of productivity and efficiency. Here is the latest on it:

Data were collected on a nationally representative sample of 7,428 full-time employed people, who were participating in the longitudinal American Insomnia Study. Researchers asked survey questions specifically dealing with sleep habits and work performance, and found that sleeplessness was a significant detractor from productivity. "It's an underappreciated problem. Americans are not missing work because of insomnia," said lead author Ronald C. Kessler in a statement. "They are still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they're tired. In an information-based economy, it's difficult to find a condition that has a greater effect on productivity."

Nearly a quarter of the survey respondents — 23% of employees — were estimated to have insomnia, and that figure was corroborated by sleep medicine experts, who independently evaluated a subsample of the study group. Researchers also found that workers over 65 were less likely to have insomnia (14%) and that men were less likely (20%) to have trouble sleeping than women (27%). Given that the average cost of insomnia treatment ranges from $200 a year for a sleep aid to $1,200 per year for behavior modification therapy, the study's author suggests that screening and treating workers' sleep issues may be worthwhile for employers.

Ringcentral the Leader In Internet Fax Service

2011-08-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

Ringcentral is the leader in internet faxing services worldwide helping millions of their customers with better communication and online fax software. Ringcentral fax comes with email faxing capabilities so your customers have the professionalism that you need in today's business world. It's flexible and lets you send faxes from anywhere in the world and also receive them anywhere.So if your business is more mobile you can't go wrong using internet fax to get your important documents anywhere that you are or where you need them to go. Even sending faxes abroad is easy and cost efficient. If your running a business and your not using internet fax you are loosing out on customers, reliability and even money. With internet fax you don't need any hardware and it doesn't use paper, ink or toner so you will save alot of money and quite a bit of trees since its Eco friendly. You will never get a busy signal or a paper jam while sending and receiving a fax. You can send an internet fax from any Microsoft windows application, block junk faxes and attach documents too. So what are you waiting for get in the mainstream with the rest of the business world.

Smartphones Mean the End of Texting

2011-08-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Since more and more people are using smartphone, they are able to bypass having texting plans because many of the devices come with this phone service either with apps or built-in software. Here is the low down:

"Texting may sound cheap, but it's actually an incredibly expensive way for consumers to send data. Text messages max out at just 160 bytes, which means 20-cents-per-message plans cost wireless customers an astounding $1,250 per megabyte.

Unlimited plans are also a rip off. If a wireless customer sent one text message every minute of every day of every month (44,640 texts per month), at "just" $20 per month, that still works out to $2.80 per megabyte. By contrast, AT&T and Verizon offer data plans that give customers 2 gigabytes of monthly Internet usage for $25 and $30 respectively. Those plans both work out to less than 2 cents per megabyte."

Personally, I did not realize just how expensive texting is and how much the phone service companies make off of it. It seems like everyone is using social networking sites and internet phone services so texting would not be used nearly as much. What types of phone services do you use?

Social Media Is Not to Blame

2011-08-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

What do the London riots, the BART system protests, and a Seven Eleven being robbed have in common? If you have been following the news, or even not been under a rock, you would know that the answer is social media. Some people are blaming the phone services and Twitter for these crimes, but is this the real culprit? First of all there is the issue of freedom of speech, but many people did not read the fine print that has the wonderful disclaimer of "clear and present danger". Freedom is allowed as long as it does not injure any people. A way to illustrate this is imagine that you are in a sold out theater and decide to yell out "Fire!". This might be a bad idea on many levels but you cannot argue freedom of speech in this case because first of all it was not true and it can be dangerous for the surrounding people. Here is the opinion of one article:

One reason is that police and politicians are not going to be very good at distinguishing between harmless fun flash-mobbing, legitimate political protest, and incitements to crime. They will tend to err on the side of caution—and the side of avoiding any potential controversy at all. Last week saw a case in point when San Francisco transit authorities shut down cell phone service at some of their subway stations after they got word that a group would be protesting a recent fatal shooting of an unarmed man by BART Police. That's the kind of preemptive censorship of protestors that Western government railed against this spring when it was Arab regimes pulling the plug.

Police will tend to ignore the overwhelming amount of good that social media facilitates at the first sign of a potential threat. That's a dangerous tendency, and that's why governments—democratic or autocratic—should not have the power to pull the plug on communications. What's the alternative? Police should police and apprehend and prosecute the small minority of delinquents who use the new tools for ill. There's uncertainty in that, and a real possibility that new media will be used for crime. It's also a lot more work for officials. But that is the small price we must pay for a free society.

What price would you pay for freedom and where do you draw the line?

Dangers of Multitasking

2011-08-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you are currently reading this post, finishing up that internet fax, replying to the business email, and texting your best friend, you might be doing more harm to yourself than being productive. Here is part of the article I found on it:

A new study suggests that people who often do multiple tasks in a variety of media -- texting, instant messaging, online video watching, word processing, Web surfing, and more -- do worse on tests in which they need to switch attention from one task to another than people who rarely multitask in this way. Specifically, heavy multitaskers are more easily distracted by irrelevant information than those who aren't constantly in a multimedia frenzy, according to the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One reason may be because the multitaskers tend to retain the distracting information in their short-term memory, which affects their ability to focus, compared with people who don't check their e-mail while talking on the phone and sneaking in some online shopping."This study adds to a growing body of literature that says, in general, that multitasking is going to be problematic for people, that it does compromise productivity, and that its consequences can be quite severe in situations like driving," says David W. Goodman, M.D., the director of the Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Center of Maryland, in Baltimore, who was not involved in the research.

What do you think of this? Are you one of those people who try to do too many things at once? People need to realize that it is very important to be able to focus when there is a lot at stake if that focus is not there such as driving or typing a business email.

Hacking: Real World Uses

2011-08-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

When we hear about hacking, it always seems to be information or documents that were in internet fax or emails that are compromised. The reality of it is that if industrial systems are accessed and controlled, it would be a whole new ballgame. I have heard about medical devices such as pacemakers trying to be hacked, which would affect only one person at a time. What if something like a prison system were to fall under the control of these IT people who have an agenda of their own? The theory is that they could possibly be able to control locks. Here is more on the subject from an article:

"Central computers that control locks should not be hooked up to the Internet, for example, but they often are, the researchers said. Other Black Hat speakers discussed the vulnerabilities of electrical grid and water systems, which, theoretically, could be attacked using similar methods. And further attacks focused on holes in cellular networks. Again, the targets are real-world, not virtual. Bailey of iSEC Partners demonstrated a way to hack into the mobile components on many cars to unlock or start the vehicles with a few texts from his Android phone. But breaking into cars isn't the scary part, Bailey said in an interview.

"I could care less if I could unlock a car door," he said. "It's cool. It's sexy. But the same system is used to control phone, power, traffic systems. I think that's the real threat." As for solutions, Bailey said the problem is the cost and lack of regulation."

No Such Thing as Internet Security

2011-08-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Just when you get comfortable with emails and internet fax and even phone services, we learn that there is really nothing that is 100% secure. There is no code that cannot be cracked. Now before you go running off to live far away from cords and Wi-Fi, there is something else to consider. Those of you who have never been "hacked", have only heard about these attacks from the people that are supposed to be protecting the systems from viruses and other attacks. There seems to be a slight problem in that. When they announce that they have been hacked, it is basically admitting that they did not do what was necessary to keep the attack at bay. When they do release information about the attack, they never mention who it was that was hacked which gives the impression that most people are safe from these attacks. One of the ways to decrease the number of attacks is to admit that nothing is 100% secure. Security can improve to a point where it is not worth it for the hackers to break in, even though they can. As for the rest of us, do not make it easier for the hackers to get your information.

VoicePulse Requirements

2011-07-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

When it comes to some internet phone services, there are certain requirements that your business needs to satisfy. First of all, you will need a high speed internet connection. You should be using the highest quality setting will require at least 90 Kbps of download and upload bandwidth. You might need to check with your ISP to make sure you meet this minimum requirement. If you are willing to use a compressed setting, you can use as little as 40 Kbps, but you may notice that the audio quality is not as good.You will also be needing a router because in most cases, you will want more than one device to use your internet connection at the same time. All you need is a regular touch-tone phone like the kind you use with your traditional phone service. This phone service started in 2003 but they really took off with the amazing services that they offered. Many of the features that are offered free of charge, you would need to pay at another phone service company.

Weaning Off the Printer

2011-07-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

Everything is going digital and being upgraded, everything except the printer. Even sending fax has tethered away from the loud and obnoxious machine to the wonderful world of internet fax services. We still have the printer because many documents require a scribble in pen that some would call a signature. Well there is a wonderful solution to that, just upload the signature and you are good to go. The only problem with that is you would need to have have your signature protected so that there would be no hacking or stolen identity. Even though printers are cheap to get, they are not cheap to own. I mean just look at the price of the cartridges. Another way to untie ourselves form the primitive printers is to embrace the PDF which is great for sending documents. Internet fax would even be better because it is more secure than email. What are your ways of dumping the printer?

Perks Of The Internet

2011-07-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

Sure the internet is great for communications such as internet phones, emails, and social networks but did you know that there are even more hidden perks of this wonderful thing we call the internet? Here are just a couple:

1. Petty crimes have gone done. Yes the physical acts of small crimes have gone down because people are much too busy updating their statuses. These crimes have been replaced by virtual crimes and hacking. So the question is if there has been that much of change.

2. You cannot hide your past. The next time you want to make a point to you kid about what they should be doing, consider the fact that they can look you up online and see your past. Tread lightly because this is an area riddled with land mines.

3. Stalking is going digital. This is just as creepy as the real thing.

4. Cheating is a thing of the past. For all you school and collage kids out there, you do not stand a chance when it comes to covering your tracks of getting information and then not citing it. Trust me.

Be Careful Using Your Smartphone at Work

2011-07-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

I found an interesting article about what people are really doing on their smartphones when they should be replying to emails or internet fax. Which category do are you in?

A new study from business video provider Qumu found that three out of four people (74 percent) believe that those using mobile devices at the workplace are more likely to access sites they normally wouldn't on a work computer. Additional activities people assume are taking place on mobile devices at work include looking for a side job (46 percent) and researching embarrassing illnesses or conditions (37 percent).

Although 37 percent believe hiding mobile device use in the office is not necessary, about 63 percent of people have caught people sneaking a peak during meetings. About 47 percent of respondents have caught people hiding their mobile device under the table and 42 percent assume people have excused themselves to go to the bathroom to take a look.

How Do You Surf?

2011-07-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

About a forth of the people surveyed said that they would rather use their phones to surf the internet and do things like answering emails and internet fax. This means that the companies that are making these web sites need to make them better to use on the mobile devices. More people are using smartphones in general because they are much more portable and much easier to use to access the internet. The platforms that are preferred are pretty much close with the Android taking the lead. Another thing to consider when it comes to internet usage on the phones is the caps placed on this so-called unlimited data plans. Also, it seems that with the cost for minutes and texts going up, internet phone service usage might increase as well. What are your thoughts? What type of phone service do you use and which is the better type?

3D Laptops

2011-07-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

I am not one to be absolutely obsessed with this 3D craze and the laptop is still not catching my attention. I usually do work on my computer such as emails, internet fax, and spreadsheets so this seems like a huge waste of money. It seems like everything these days is in 3D but I wonder if it is worth the price and if it makes the viewing experience that much better. Maybe movies in 3D are a pretty good idea but then again if you have a 3D TV, why would you want to have another ridiculously expensive viewing device that is much smaller than the television. Here is part of an article I found about this new laptop that is going to be coming out next month and tell me what you think:

It can handle 2D and 3D images simultaneously on its hefty 15.6-inch, 120Hz, 1920 by 1080 pixel display. It lets you to essentially split the screen, rolling something like Avatar in a 3D-enabled window while allowing you to update Twitter or Facebook in another displayed in standard 2D. The other intriguing bit involves the F750's webcam, which tracks the position of your eyes, allowing the screen mesh to shift such that the 3D effect is continuous within a broader field of view (we noted from 15 to 20 degrees at CES 2011). That's a feature you won't find on Nintendo's 3DS, and in the latter case it's a serious point of contention, since you have to hold Nintendo's games portable rock-steady and game within a painfully narrow field of view to maintain the 3D illusion. Having the option to move your head naturally should enhance the sense of viewing images or videos with geometric depth without having to maintain a rigid or unnatural head (and eye) position. The technology can only handle one viewer at once, meaning you're flying solo if you want to pair up for a little 3D movie-watching.

Online Reputation

2011-07-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Do you know where you stand when it comes to your online reputation? According to a recent study, 36% of people say that they are not sure whether there is negative information about them online. This shows that many people are no monitoring the information that is published about them online. The survey showed the two main groups of online users, those who care about the information that is written about them and by extension, their reputation and those who do not bother to keep track. In today's world, where information is available at the touch of a button, it is very important to keep track of what is said about you online and the type of reputation that you have. This even comes down to internet fax and emails that you send to coworkers. If it is done online, it can definitely be tracked. Some of the more obvious sources that can ruin a reputation is the social networks but even your browsing history can be used against you especially at work. Just be aware you guys.

Windows XP: Still Holding Strong

2011-06-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

According to recent survey, about 40% of computer users still use Windows XP even though it came out almost ten years ago. Since then Windows came out with Vista and Windows 7 but XP is still the most widely used. Some of the reasons that so many people are still with Windows XP is because they might have tried Vista but then went back to it after seeing all the flaws the new operating system had. Other might be afraid of making the leap to Windows 7 because they are so used to XP. Also, when it comes to business communications such as internet fax, it is only compatible with certain applications. It so sometimes hard to switch gears after getting used to doing something for the past ten years even if the future of the platforms is looking very bright, especially with Windows 8 due to be released soon.

Charge By Typing

2011-06-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

If you are one that ever used a laptop, I am sure you experienced the annoyance of being in the middle of an important internet fax or email when the battery dies on you. Well all that typing can actually come in handy. Using a thin film that exhibits piezoelectric properties, the pressure of your fingers hitting each key could potentially generate enough energy to keep a notebook battery charged. Piezoelectric materials, many of which are man-made ceramics, actually generate electric current when impacted. This film that could, in theory, be applied underneath a notebook keyboard. It would absorb the impact of each keystroke and use the electric current generated to charge the device's battery. There are currently no plans for a consumer-level device that would employ the technology which is very surprising because it could really take off. Many people look at battery life when choosing a laptop because they want that portability and not have to be constantly connected to an outlet. It could also catch on with the green movement.

What Do You Use Your Tablet For?

2011-06-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

There are many tablets that are being made for the sole purpose of being used in a business and they come complete with internet fax software and other business tools. Interestingly enough, according to a recent study 90% of people either have a tablet or want to own one. Some of the main reasons that people are getting the tablets are to read ebooks, listen to music, or watch streaming movies and TV shows. Others uses of the tablet include gaming and updating social networking sites. Many of the second generation tablets have front facing cameras for internet phone services and even cameras on the other side for taking pictures and videos. Not surprisingly, the iPad 2 is in the lead with the sales and lots of the other companies are trying to keep with the competition but none seem to be able to surpass the sales of the iPad. The interest in tablets is very high and it will not slow any time soon.

Why Use SIP Trunking

2011-06-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

The SIP trunk is so flexible that it easily replaces all of these traditional phone services and performs each of their jobs at a lower cost. All you need is a stable internet connection with an existing phone system and your location is ready for SIP trunking. Some of the advantages are that there is a flat monthly rate without any contracts to sign. This internet phone service will never go down so your business can be more disaster proof. Another great thing about this service that you can keep all the same numbers and the same service even if you move anywhere in the country. All the voice and data programs can be combined in one account to make everything more organized. You will also be able to keep all the PBX features that you had so nothing has to change except the price going lower. And to top it all off, they have 24/7 customers service so that if anything comes up, they can always take care of it.

No iPhone 5

2011-06-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

There have been some rumors about there being an iPhone 5, but they are not true. There have also been emails that were sent out about the new phone services that the phone will feature. Well do your homework and then not open that email. First of all it could have a virus or a Trojan horse. It looks authentic because of the way that it is written and that it is an ad from Apple. Since Apple is coming out with the new cloud computing technology, it would not be a surprise if they unveil yet another technology. Apple also came out with iMessage which is the real time IM service. Here is more on it:

"But iMessage is slated to work only across iOS devices (iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch) which, while giving Apple users the proprietary messaging service they've always wanted, may very well turn out to be a big mistake. In choosing to keep iMessage iOS-only, Apple is allowing third-party companies – like the wildly popular WhatsApp – to stay one step ahead by working across different platforms."

Charging Your Devices

2011-06-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

You are probably sitting there reading this either on a laptop or smartphone, even though you might need to be reading that internet fax and catching up on the emails. Every once in a while, we need a break so here it is.

Devices are being charged now rather inefficiently so one of the solutions to that problem that is being developed is the use of metamaterials. A study says "metamaterials" — a term it uses for composite materials with unique properties — could facilitate the wireless transfer of power to electrical devices with much less waste. While much electricity can be lost during the transfer from power source to device by a wireless charger, metamaterials would keep much of that energy intact as they conduct and refocus it.
One example of a metamaterial, the study says, would be an array of copper conducting loops. Users would place the array at a given point between the device and its power source, and electricity would be transferred directly through it. Metamaterials could have real-world applications within two to three years, said Yaroslav Urzhumov, an assistant professor who headed the Duke study. While there are a number of wireless charging devices on the market — including the popular Powermat, which offers wireless charging for phones and iPods — Urzhumov says using metamaterials would allow for a significant increase in both range and power.

Email and Charity

2011-05-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

A email service called GiveBackMail gives money to charities when people use their service to send emails. Two brothers set up this communication service. They will give a quarter of their profits to several different causes such as cancer, poverty, the environment, and animal rights. The charities will promote this email service through their social networks. Every action users take on the site generates a new ad display and revenue for the company. A dashboard keeps track of how many donations the user generates and, at the end of the month, how much money has been generated, as well as notifications from charities acknowledging donations made by the service. Further down the line, other charities can be added if this idea catches on. This is something that internet fax providers could consider because so many large businesses use the communication service and it is very useful.

More on The Cloud

2011-05-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

First there were internet phones that were using a cloud computing system to operate and then there was the world of gaming that went to the cloud. The cloud is becoming a more common phrase in the daily lives of people. It may sound great, and it is the most innovative technology in the past couple years but like anything else, it has its downsides. One of the constraints of cloud computing is that encrypted information can’t be worked on within the cloud because there’s no way to keep that data safe once it’s been opened up to do computations. Enter homomorphic encryption. Homomorphic encryption allows multiple users to work on encrypted data in an encrypted form, but yields the same results as if the data had been unlocked. This idea had been theoretical in the computing world until Craig Gentry, a researcher with IBM, found an algorithm that makes it possible. The breakthrough was named a top 10 emerging technology of 2011 by MIT's Technology Review, but it’s still far from market-ready. “With fully homomorphic encryption, I can take lots of problems and do lots of calculations and all the owner can see is a few encrypted numbers,” said Steven Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University. “The problem is that the performance is far, far, far too slow.”

Despite being too slow, many people doubted whether, in theory, it could even be done, making Gentry’s work a big step. If it’s possible to make enough advances to bring the technology to market, it will have applications far beyond the cloud. Homomorphic encryption could be used any time you’re doing a calculation on something you don’t own, said Bellovin. He gave the example of an electronic wallet. If you could use your smartphone like a wallet, depositing checks and taking out money for purchases, the bank would not want you to hack into the system to increase your checking balance. Instead, the bank would want a system where they can make the updates to your checkbook in terms of how much has been deposited or withdrawn, but you can’t see or interfere with those calculations from your smartphone.

GPS Jammers

2011-03-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Over the past few years, people have become increasingly dependent on GPS systems. This dependence carries with it a vulnerability. If the people cannot use the the GPS, they become vulnerable and possibly even lost which gives the enemies of these people the upper hand. Of course maybe this does not apply to the average driver who suddenly loses signal on his or her GPS. There is really a low possibility that they have enemies that jammed it and should not become highly suspicious of every other person they run into. This mostly affects land aircrafts and guide ships, and to organize data on huge communication networks. We are talking about the countries' infrastructures here. GPS jammers work by disrupting frequencies in one of the commonly used GPS bands. Because the GPS signals are weak to begin with (using just 25 watts to send the signals from satellites roughly 12,500 miles away), it's relatively easy to interrupt or interfere with receivers such as portable navigation devices. Since car and truck fleet operators often equip vehicles with on-board GPS receivers, drivers may use jammers to prevent their bosses from following them. This has some serious consequences and as of now, one of the solutions is using phone services to track the drivers or whoever is operating the machine that does not want to be tracked. What are your thoughts on these devices?

Spring Clean Your Computer

2011-03-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why your computer might be running a bit slower than usual? We all procrastinate and computer cleaning is no exception. It is important to keep your computer up to date and clean for optimum performance. You might want to consider going through you internet fax and email inbox as well. The spring is a great time to start fresh and clean, consider it a second resolution of the year. Here is how to do some cleaning on your PC if you do not already have an automated system set up:

You will set a maintenance schedule for three Windows tools: Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter and Check Disk. Microsoft recommends a once-a-week maintenance schedule.
Open the Task Scheduler through the "Start" menu found by selecting the Windows button in the lower left-hand corner of your display.
Type "Task Scheduler" in the search box and select it when it appears in the result window.
Click on the "Action" menu at the top of the window and then select "Create Task…" Fill in the task name, which could be "Maintenance" and a brief description such as Disk Cleanup, Disk Defragmenter and Check Disk.
Click "Actions" tab and then "New" button. The action default is "Start a program,” which is the one you want. Click the "Browse" button and type cleanmgr.exe in the File name box, click "Open" and then "OK," which will take you back to the "Action" tab. Click "New" again and this time type "chkdsk.exe" to add Check Disk to the task list. Finally, repeat and type "dfrgui.exe" to access the Disk Defragmenter.
You should now have all three tasks listed in the Action window. Select the "Triggers" tab to select a weekly schedule and set the preferred time. Because Disk Cleanup will require your input, you will want to select a time when you are usually logged on to your computer. However, Windows will wait for you as long as you go to the "Settings" tab and check the box "Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed."

Skype Has New Service

2011-03-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

The internet phone company for businesses and the masses alike is coming out with a new service that lets people video conference and so much more. On Tuesday, Skype said that it would introduce a conference calling service that will let multiple people talk, see each other through online video and share documents. The service, which is expected to be available near the end of the year, is part of a broader Skype strategy to create more products for corporate users that it can charge for. Skype is trying to find new ways to make money because the vast majority of its 145 million users pay nothing to make online calls. The conference calling service is being done in partnership with Citrix, a software company that already enables online meetings with GoToMeeting. Citrix will integrate some of GoToMeeting’s technology into Skype’s conferencing service so that people can dial-in by phone and share documents among multiple users.You should be expecting more changes in the field of internet phone services because there are many companies out there wanting to get ahead.

Controlling Prosthetics With Your Brain

2011-02-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

Pretty soon we will be able to move limbs that were never thought possible. Researchers say they will implant brain-computer interfaces — devices that convert brain waves into movement of an external computer — into the brains of two patients with spinal cord injuries before the end of this year. The patients will play video games, interact with a virtual world, and control robotic devices and a prosthetic arm, all while their brain activity is recorded. The researchers hope to find that the implants offer these patients good control of such external devices. Can you also imagine what it would be like if these devices were connected with more communication features such as internet phones? One of the advantages to having that is that it could send signals to the hospital or the team that put that device in to tell them if something is malfunctioning. Internet fax could also be used and there could be monitoring of the device. It still seems pretty far away but some of the major concerns would be viruses or people hacking the computer chip to literally gain access to and over people. What are your thoughts?

Security Has to Keep Up With the Company

2011-02-21T03:11:00.000-08:00

As the increased dependence in the internet increases, more and more companies are putting things online and communicating through it using websites, and internet fax. The biggest problems is the security and the IT departments have to look after. A new study based on a survey of more than 10,000 information security professionals worldwide showed that a growing number of technologies being widely adopted by employees and management are challenging information security executives and their staffs, potentially endangering the security of government agencies, corporations and consumers over the next several years. Professionals aren’t ready for social media threats. Respondents reported inconsistent policies and protection for end-users visiting social media sites, and just less than 30 percent had no social media security policies whatsoever.

Quitting Facebook

2011-01-29T10:09:00.000-08:00

For those people worried about security you should quit Facebook and do it now. With millions of people and tons of different internet and internet phone scams going on, people should know how to protect their information or just get off completely. Facebook does have some commendable security features. On Jan. 26, it announced a new one that lets members access the site using an encrypted "https" connection, similar to the level of security granted by banks in online transactions. It recently added others, such as one-time passwords for use in public places and the ability to log out remotely.
Its "social authentication" feature, introduced last fall, asks you to name people who appear in your friends' photos and is a brilliant improvement on the "captcha" text-recognition system used by many websites to prevent intrusion by software "bots."

Easy to Use Phone Services

2011-01-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a testimonial about internet phone services from RIngCentral. If you still do not think that they are one of the best phone system providers available, you should just ask someone who uses it or try the week long free trial.

Wow! Just when I think "all this for this one low price!" you go and add even more! I went searching for 800-number options and came across RingCentral a few months ago when doing an internet search. I was already familiar with another e-mail fax program, but was not 100% satisfied with that company, so when I realized I could get faxes by e-mail as well as the 800-number through RingCentral for not much more than what I had been paying for just the fax service, I was hooked! And then you go and add "RingMe", "FaxOut"...and who knows what other great treats you have up your sleeves. The ability to customize the answering system is another plus. I will be moving soon. I was asked just the other day about my business number, and was I concerned that people won't be able to find me? I simply went into the control panel and enter the new number and during the move, I can program in my cellphone number. If I had the ability to create a program to fit my business needs, I would have created just such a program as RingCentral! Ringcentral has really helped us present a professional image while giving our customers a way to receive personal selection assistance. The service has helped us reach more customers, and close the sale.

Adding Customers

2011-01-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

So you got the prefect idea for the business that is well on its way of starting but there is only one question left, how to bring in the customers. One of the biggest and possibly most important ways do that is to improve communication. Over the past couple years, a lot of businesses have switched over to internet phone services. There are also some companies that offer internet fax in the package. I have found that the phone service providers that offer the packages are much more cost efficient and will bring in even more customers. The internet fax can be used to communicate with the employees and also be used for sending invoices to the clients. It is a great way to be organized and efficiently saving money at the same time. Another advantage to have the internet phone systems is that it can virtually eliminate the need for a physical office. Everyone can be connect with the virtual office. That way more people can be out in the field improving sales and customer service.

Tech Trends

2011-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

Some of the predicted technological trends for the coming year might not come to be. One of the technologies was electric cars because only one company is making all electric cars. The reason for the slow production of the all electric cars is that there is the problem of charging the cars. The drawback to it is that with a regular outlet, it takes 8 to 14 hours to charge and it is not like there are outlets on the sides of the roads yet. Another technology is cloud gaming. It is still in development and for now cloud computing will be left to internet phones and internet fax. There just needs to be more resources for this to happen. Google TV is also struggling to get out onto the map. Google has all the tools to become a TV provider but it is still working some things out and it is up against the biggest competitors in the television business.

Skype Adding New Features

2010-12-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

In the first half of 2010, video calls made up 40 percent of all minutes spent using Skype's free calling internet phone services, the company said. Skype, which is based in Luxembourg, is not the first third-party app for the iPhone to allow free video calling over AT&T's cellular network. Apps such as Fring and Tango offer the capability as well, although neither has as many users as Skype. The updated app comes about a week after Skype suffered a major service outage that lasted 24 hours and cut off service for millions of users. On average, 124 million people use Skype each month, though the total number of registered users is more than four times that. It is still one of the best free phone services out there that you can use. Although, Google also came out with an internet phone service. Which one do you think is better?

Online Privacy Bill

2010-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Obama administration on Thursday proposed a new framework for protecting consumers' privacy online. The plan centers around a "Privacy Bill of Rights" that would encourage better transparency about data collection online, according to the Commerce Department's report on its policy recommendations. It would promote "informed consent" for consumers through simple notices that clearly state what personal information will be collected and what will be done with it. This will be very important because too many people send their private information over the internet without even realizing that it will be used against them. More information will also be sent using internet fax because of the advanced security feature that it has and it travels faster. The bill is still in the works and it should come out sometime next year. What do you think of it?

Usefullness Of Extensions

2010-12-06T18:27:00.000-08:00

One of the most important things when it comes to business is organization. Without it, you could be losing hundreds of dollars that you would not even be able to spot. There also has to be organization in the communication section of the business. When customers call, it is important that they reach the right person to answer all of their questions and resolve any problems. This is where extensions and call forwarding comes in. These phone service are affordable and even the smallest businesses should consider having them because it will drastically improve the business's professional image which can potentially bring in more customers. Another great thing about extensions is that the service will increase productivity and efficiency because the call will not have to go through many people wasting their time. Many phone companies offer free trials which are worth trying if you are in the market to improve the phone service that your business uses.

In-Car Technologies

2010-11-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Car are constantly getting upgrades in the way of technology and entertainment. There has to be a limit somewhere and I think it is quickly approaching. It does not seem too safe to check internet fax, chat with a buddy, and listen to a previously organized playlist all while driving the car. I realize that this is the age of the multitasking but at a certain point some things become distractions and even dangers. There are finally laws that do not allow there to be a television anywhere near the front seat of the car. Most people know that they should not be doing these things and it is not the right time to be entertained, yet they still continue to do it. There should be more laws banning entertainment in the cars such as the more recent ones that make it illegal to text while driving. Some states are even banning talking on the phone while driving.

Blabber Meter

2010-11-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Does it ever feel like you are wasting time when you are talking in your meeting or having a conference? Well, the next time no one can get to the point in a video conference or over an internet phone, you can put a price tag on it. Enter the Blabber Meter. This handy device delivers 15-minute blabber reminders and calculates an hourly blabber rate in $5 an hour increments — a far cry from attorney rates, but the results are achieved by employing a similar scheme. If more than one blabberer is involved, the clock can be set to the number of people participating, from one to 99. If you plan on giving it to a friend, make sure that they have a good sense of humor or this might be taken the wrong way. It also doubles as a clock. Just something interesting to have in the office that gives reminders when there is too much talking going on and not enough being accomplished.

Personal Solar Charger

2010-11-13T10:36:00.000-08:00

Charging the devices that use internet phone of internet fax has never been simpler. And just like the internet fax, it is much more cost efficient as well. Introducing the solar charger for your own personal use. It is not out on the market just yet but it looks promising. It is much more efficient than regular changers and it will save on money and energy in the long run even if the effects are not seen immediately. One of the best things about it is that it is eco-friendly and uses the energy from the sun. In today's world it is important to be conscious of the energy that we are using. It also doesn’t have to be sitting in bright-and-sunny conditions to work — it can also make electrical power in the shade, rain or even under water. The Orange is expected to be in full production by January 2011 and will retail for $99.95.

Monitoring Facebook

2010-10-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

If you have kids, you know what it is like to constantly worry about them. Especially when they get to that age when they do not talk. Every parent has been there and will probably admit that they went through their kids things just to make sure that the kids are alright. With this being the digital age, parents now will be going through Facebook and checking phone services along with phone records. Even though the kids might find it a bit invasive but it is all with good intentions. Called "The Kids are Alright," the survey polled two thousand parents and teens to assess kids' social networking practices, parental monitoring of their networks and both groups' concerns about privacy. The survey was conducted by online privacy firm TRUSTe and Lightspeed Research.
Findings of the national study reveal that 72 percent of parents monitor their teens' social network profiles – 35 percent of parents doing so on a daily basis. Fifty percent check their kids' profiles weekly, and 10 percent are monthly monitors. Facebook is the predominant social network
It seems parents also have an accurate grasp of just what their children are doing online. Eighty-four percent of parents surveyed correctly assessed not just the amount of time their children spends on social networks, but the activities they engage in. Trust obviously plays a crucial role in a parent-child relationship, and the same rules apply to the Internet. Eighty-four percent of parents admitted they are confident their teens are responsible with personal information online, and 80 percent of parents and 78 percent of teens feel in control of their personal information.

Some Security Tips

2010-10-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

It is recommended that people change their passwords twice a year and never use the same ones in order to keep documents, emails, internet fax, and other data secure. One of the things that experts caution about is using passwords that are extremely easy to guess such as a name with the birth year. Also, make sure that the security questions are rather hard to guess and do not have common answers. It may be a chore keeping up with all the account passwords but the important ones such as banking, email, and the social networking sites are worth the effort. Another tip is that you should not have matching passwords for different sites and accounts. And as always, be on the look out for things that look fishy and out of the ordinary. Like I said before, a little common sense can go a long way.

Internet Growth

2010-10-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

The internet is growing exponentially and it does not look like it is anywhere near stopping. The demand for being connected is ever-increasing. Also, a lot of people and businesses are using internet fax and internet phones as a way of communication.

“The demand for information is greater than the demand for clean running water and electricity. People are OK without electrical infrastructure if they can access information at some other time. They’re not getting running water, but they’re getting information.”
Often without laptops, easily available Wi-Fi and facing some of the highest prices for connectivity in the world, citizens in those developing nations use basic cell phones as their gateway to the Internet, D’Souza told TechNewsDaily. And not in the form of smart phones browsing the World Wide Web, either, but as tools for ecommerce, file sharing and email.
The report also indicates that the level of market saturation in these areas remains well below North America, East Asia and Western Europe, indicating that this growth can continue for some time, regardless of the wider financial situation.
In fact, the world financial crisis may have even helps spur the spread of Internet use, said D’Souza.
“In some ways, it might even be linked to the recession, because we have to browse more widely to find opportunities, but that seems like a second or third order effect.”

Why You Should Get a Smartphone

2010-09-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Smartphones are the new hype and they will most likely stay there for a while. Everyone around seems to be getting one and you are stuck with your old fashion piece of plastic. You keep saying to yourself that it will not be of any use to you but you should think twice about it. More often than not, there is always something for everyone on the smartphone. If you are a business professional, having a smart phone is very important because you would be able to send and receive email and internet fax. You could also run your internet phone services from the smartphone. The device will also keep you more organized with the slew of apps such as a date book and a calendar. The internet and WiFi work much better on these phone than the regular media phone. Best of all, a smartphone does not cost much more than a regular phone when a new contract is signed. There are plenty of deals going on in the different cell phone stores.

Hospitals Upgrading

2010-09-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Many hospitals are upgrading to the latest technology to make health care better, more efficient, and even cost less for the patients. In a survey done by Manhattan Research showed that about 64% of medical professionals already use a smart phone on the job. The clinic's system itself is also keeping with the technology because a lot of them include internet phone services and internet faxing which is used widely by the EMS teams to send information to the hospital so that better and faster care is provided to the patient. Now, Dell wants to market tablets to the health care professionals that are integrated with the programs and technology that the doctors commonly use. One of the greatest advantages is that the doctors and nurses are able to access records and other medical information about the patient, within seconds. This was one of the downfalls in the system before and transferring to different hospitals was hard.

Why Internet Fax is Better

2010-09-04T15:06:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately a lot of businesses still use fax machines which will always end up costing much more in the end. Some of the disadvantages that come with the machines are that they are big and bulky and take up a lot of limited space on a desk. Another one is that they can break or something can go wrong so you would need to call someone in to fix it which might end up costing a lot. Not to mention all the ink, toner, and paper that would be used. Internet fax is a great alternative to the regular faxing system because the fax will always get delivered and there will never be a busy signal. The sender also gets alerts when a fax comes in and this can keep people on schedule. It will greatly improve flexibility and mobility of the business.

Sending a Fax From a Variety of Devices

2010-09-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about an internet fax service is the flexibility that it offers. With the account being online, it can be controlled from virtually anywhere.

Choose a toll-free or local number to send and receive faxes from around the world.
Send and receive faxes by email, from both your PC and your smartphone.
Send faxes directly from Microsoft® Office® applications.
View a complete record of all sent and received fax messages from your account online.
Connect your existing fax machine to your internet fax service with an analog adapter

Internet fax is also very versatile because it can still work with a regular fax machine if the person on the receiving end has not updated their communication systems. Many companies also offer the internet fax as an addition to the internet phone service, which can be very useful as well. From personal experience, I have found that using this type of phone service will great increase productivity and efficiency.

Get Your Nose Out of Your Phone

2010-08-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

Lets say that you are walking down the sidewalk while reading your email or internet fax. Next thing you know you are on the ground because some stranger decided to feel kind and pull you off the street where the cars and trucks are buzzing by at 45 mph. Unfortunately, this type of scenario has happened before and the person who was too busy with their phone was not so lucky and got hurt. There are new phones coming out constantly which shouldn't even be called phones anymore because they can do everything else imaginable. There are moments in our lives when whipping out that phone every 5 seconds won't fly. When was the worst time you have ever taken out your cell phone?

You Don't Even Have to Tie Your Shoes

2010-08-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Nike has come out with a patent for a shoe that ties itself. This is a rather interesting concept which took a minute to process. We put on the running shoes to do all that work, running or walking, yet we refuse to bend over to waste a couple more calories to tie the shoes. The idea sound cool enough but not exactly functional, especially in a world where we are so preoccupied with being thin and losing weight. We went to such lengths as making a game out of running and hooking it up to something that resembles the social network for running. The shoes can even send information using internet fax to other countries. Now honestly they should come out with a shoe that makes it harder to tie them and lets the person spend some energy to get them tied. Make life a bit more interesting. What are your thoughts on this new futuristic shoe?

Internet Traffic

2010-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought that the internet could not get any slower, it did and right at one of the most crucial moments. The World Cup is nothing short of amazing. The drama and the intensity do not even begin to cover it. The whole world is watching, a lot of them over the internet. So in addition to all the internet phone call and internet fax zipping around clogging traffic, there are more than twice the amount of people on checking game statuses or even watching it. It maybe a good idea for the supercomputers to relocate to a cooler climate. Not only are more people on, there is also way more information out there. Just something to think about.

Flying a Toy Plane? There is an App for That

2010-06-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought the phone in your hand can do everything from having an internet phone to receiving internet fax on it, you turn around and it can control a flying toy. It seems like these smart phones have the ability to do anything now. Being a remote controller is just the beginning, what if part of it was made from that programmable material? The possibilities are endless from this point. Unfortunately, the time that it can fly the toy is short and in just the developing stages. More to come on the different and odd apps that are going to be made in the future!

Programmable Matter

2010-06-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

Imagine that you have a piece of material in front of you that looks like a scrap of metal. You are in serious need of say a hunting knife because you are lost in the wilderness and need to set up camp for the night. This scrap of metal rearranges itself into the Swiss knife that you have been praying for. This could be a reality in the future, except for the lost in the wild idea. Researchers have come up with something they called programmable matter which can bend into any different shape. This can open so many doors such as having an entire tool box with one device. It can also be connected with an internet phone service or internet fax where the blind population will be able to read the documents. There is also possibility of it being used for biological materials such as organs or muscles.

Multitasking: A Feature Left For Phones

2010-06-27T20:54:00.000-07:00

Your phone may be set up to do a bunch of things all at once such as receive internet fax while calling someone using the built in internet phone and check email. Unfortunately, our brains are not wired for multitasking capabilities. The most that we can do, with efficiency, is only two things at once. To make matters worse, the world today runs on doing many things as fast as possible and processing amazing amounts of information. I believe that in order to be more efficient, we must first understand how our brains work. After that, we can play into the advantages. As most people would say, time is money.

You Do Not Know the Back of Your Hand as Well as You Think

2010-06-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

In an interesting research, it was found that people perceive their hands to be wider and shorter than they actually are. So maybe we don't know the back of our hands. The brain has a position sense built in that lets the person know where their body is in space. There is also a recognition mechanism that enables a person to pick out their own hand from a series of photos of different hands. The perceived sizes are coming from the same area of the brain that is the reason for a skinny person to see themselves as fat. I wonder if there is an evolutionary purpose for us seeing our hands bigger than they really are and why is it translated to the image of the body for some people and not for others? At least there is a toll free number hot-line to call if that particular image distortion gets out of hand.

Lab Dish Brain Keeps Time

2010-06-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Apparently brain cells can be programmed just like a computer. Alright, so we have not come all the way to programming them entirely but they can keep time. The rat brain cells were given electrical shocks with certain intervals and after two hours they were tested they responded depending on what time intervals were used when training them. This information will lay the ground for more work into how the brain works and perceives time. The perception of time plays a very important role in the use of language and communication. Whether the person is talking over an internet phone system or face to face, they need to be able to understand pauses and inflections. This research will also help to improve human to computer interface.

Medical Writings Mislead Public

2010-06-27T13:08:00.000-07:00

Medical conferences are intended to bring mind of the health care world together and share ideas and new techniques. Over the years, these conferences have taken on a new purpose, for the medical companies to advertise and promote their drugs and equipment to hospitals. Throw in a couple reporters in the mix and you have yourself a big cocktail of misunderstanding. Some of the writing that claims that researchers are on the brink of discovery or created a cure for something might be a huge exaggeration. This information gets around fast, either by the hospitals phone systems or through internet fax, but either way the truth gets distorted along the way. If scientists were able to cure breast cancer in six mice, it might be a long way until that is translated into human medicines that do the same things. As always take information in with a grain of salt and never forget to cross reference.

Quicker Searches With Google

2010-06-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have found Google to be the best search engine to use. I feel that it is much more comprehensive than Bing or Yahoo searches. I also like how the filters for content are set at the right level. For example, if I were searching for internet phones, I would get the companies and information about them, not so much what other people say. Google also uses technologies that search the web much faster and bring up more up to date results. These days we need a search engine that finds things faster because the content on the web is increasing exponentially. In fact there is so much information on the web, that some people even argue that Google will eventually make us dumber because there is so much to sift through that nothing will be read in depth or in its entirety.

The End of The Remote Control

2010-06-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Not only can your smart phone be used for internet fax and internet phone, it will also be your remote. This is because there are so many different types of TVs and systems that making one for each would be too expensive and a waste of money. Now almost everyone has a phone so it can be used universally as a remote. I have to admit, I do not own a smart phone. Personally I thought that it just takes too much time to use all the features and all I need a phone for is to call and text. I know what your thinking and no, I do not live under a mossy rock. The apps alone are mind-blowing and there are just so many of them. So I was just wondering how many of you actually take advantage of all a smart phone has to offer? Which of the phone services are the best?

Heroes

2010-06-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

We have plenty of heroes in our books, movies, and comics. Superman, Batman, Spiderman and plenty of others can be inspiring, but it is not too often that the heroes we look up to are real people. These are the people that show us who we want to be. They show us how to persevere and never give up, even after 90 minutes and 45 seconds. Everyone should know who I am talking about. The world of soccer has never had this much attention or this much effect on the rest of the world. People who have never watched a game in their life are sitting in front of the television or internet phone, gritting their teeth and shouting incoherent words. When Landon Donovan scored that goal in injury time, the whole world stood up. I guess it is something about these guys running after a ball that make the world forget, at least for 90 minutes, their differences.

Does It Take a Disaster to Turn Heads?

2010-06-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

With the US scrambling, trying to find a way to clean up the oil spill and prevent another, it is starting to look more and more like a global crisis. I'm sure that you have all heard the stories about people going to the beach and seeing a complete disaster with different animals stuck in the oil, dying. But we should be looking at the bigger picture that these stories point to. There needs to be alternatives to the energy that we get from oil, but it should not take a crisis to realize that. For those animals, an oil spill is too late. Business have switched to internet fax to save trees, the public is switching over to higher efficiency working appliances and light, and at least some of the people went out and planted a tree. Maybe if the price of gas skyrockets, we will think twice about using our cars or it will kick start the car industries to make cars that do not need that gasoline.

What Potential Employers Are Seeing

2010-06-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

You would not believe the searches that employers do now when they are hiring new people. It only starts with a background check and then they do a little exploring through social networking sites along with digging up internet faxes from old jobs and the old company might actually give them access to old emails. People need to be more aware of the things that they are putting up on the internet and the potential repercussions of those things, whether it be photos, comments, or even something that is sent to a friend. Another aspect of the internet that we need to be aware of is the fact that nothing ever really get erased. Someone somewhere can always dig it up. So think about that the next time you want to play a joke on your friends over the internet, your audience might just be your next boss.

Battlefield Instant Replay

2010-06-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

At first glance, it kind of sound a bit too macabre, doesn't it? Why didn't the people in the military think of this before? With the advancing technology, there are more robots in the battlefield collecting data and as a result more videos. To be successful in battle people need to learn from their mistakes but 1800 hours of video might be a bit tedious to go through if you ask me. Especially when some of the scenes are harder to see than others. This is why the military is starting to use the same instant replay technology that is used by the NFL and the MLB. What I want to know is why they didn't think of this before? I also wonder if they are using internet fax to send the information over to different parts. It would be the safest and fastest way.

Israel Was Confiscating iPads

2010-04-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting news I found today. Please comment!

TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel will begin allowing people to bring Apple iPads into the country starting on Sunday, two weeks after customs began confiscating the tablet computers for fear they would interfere with other wireless devices and services such as internet phones and internet fax services.
"Following the completion of intensive technical scrutiny, Israel Minister of Communications Moshe Kakhlon approved the import of (the) iPad to Israel," the Communications Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry had banned importation of the touchscreen devices saying they did not meet European standards, adopted by Israel, for wireless use of communications frequencies.
The ministry said its technical team in the past week consulted with Apple Inc, a recognized international laboratory and European counterparts and determined the device could be operated in Israel according to locally followed standards.
The tests proved the device identifies the Wi-fi access point in its surroundings and adjusts itself automatically, enabling the iPad to be operated without interfering with other wireless devices, the ministry said.
"Accordingly, the import of a single device per person will be permitted commencing Sunday, April 25th," the ministry said.
The ministry also ordered the release of 20 iPads that had been confiscated.

Cool Rides

2010-04-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some cool gadgets and innovations and came upon this article about cars and other modes of transportation that are rather unique and that most of us will never see or ride. This is the generation of social networking so the cars that are coming out right now are more focused on things being sent over the internet such as internet faxing or even equipping the vehicles with internet phones so there is never a lost signal. These cars take a different approach, each unique in its own way.

1. The Necker Nymph. This three-seat powered sled can take scuba drivers on two-hour underwater sight-seeing excursions, provided they have chartered Sir Richard Branson's 105-foot luxury catamaran in the British Virgin Islands for $88,000 weekly, and then opted for an additional $25,000 per week for the Nymph. The Necker Nymph uses engine power to stay down, so if there's a problem you'll just drift back to the surface.

2. Hummer. The military inspired monster will be produced anymore because of the difficulty in selling it and the low mpg that it got, especially in this environmentally conscious society.

3. Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. This is the "commercially owned"to which NASA is losing a ton of funding to. Tired of waiting for NASA to craft a coherent space program and then hire you as an astronaut? Then launch yourself into near space by buying a ticket on SpaceShipTwo, which Virgin Galactic is expected to start operating from New Mexico probably no sooner than 2011. For $200,000 they will take you on a Mach 3 – that’s about 3 times the speed of sound – flight to about 300,000 feet, or “sub-orbital” space. Actually going into orbit would require the craft to travel eight times faster and go three times higher, and you'd want to be in something that could survive re-entry. That's why NASA is not buying tickets.

4. F-22 Raptor. One of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, the F-22 is designed to detect and kill enemy planes without being spotted. The combination of sleek aerodynamic design and increased thrust allows the stealthy jet to cruise at supersonic airspeeds without using its afterburner – a little feature the Air Force likes to call "supercruise." Talk about making your head spin.

5. M400 Moller Skycar. People have been tinkering with flying cars since shortly after the Wright brothers’ first landed. You'll notice that we're still driving cars on the ground, which may speak to the fundamental practicality of the arrangement. But if the idea of taking to the air during your commute excites you, the Moller Skycar certainly looks spiffy. Alas, it has been in development for most of the last decade. Helicopter, anyone?

6. Robotic Groundhog. Tired of mucking around at or near the surface of the Earth? Decided that all the real action is underground? So have some robotics engineers at Carnegie Mellon University, who have developed a Robotic Groundhog to venture into mines where conditions have turned toxic. In other words, hitching a ride on the Groundhog would mean dying. But life is filled with tradeoffs.

Organizing Data and Preserving Photos

2010-04-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

Stories of our time are increasingly recorded digitally, so the systems that are used have to keep up as well. Business data such as invoices and internet faxes, along with things that all people share such as photos and home movies. One of the problems that people usually run into is the organization aspect of it, which is extremely important for businesses. A lot of data has to have some sort of a filing system in order for other people to be able to look at in the future, which is the main point of taking the time to store all of it. One of the solutions to this problem is metadata, which is data about data. It is kind of like "tagging" that is done on Facebook and other social networking sites. It is also very important to use formats that are popular and will be able to be used to open the files in the future.

Apps For Safer Driving

2010-04-14T17:38:00.000-07:00

With the ever expanding capabilities of phones, they are becoming an increasing problem while driving. Now there are apps that have come out to prevent people from doing distracting thing on their cell phones, such as texting, browsing the web, or even catching up on business and reading internet faxes. One of the apps, called iZup has come out on the market and the effects are already being seen. Here is how it works: Once activated, iZUP blocks outgoing text messages and phone calls and only allows calls from three authorized numbers, such as an employer or a parent. Dialing 911 is unaffected, however, and newer iZUP features alert account holders (in many cases, parents) exactly where such an emergency call was dialed from. Non-cleared incoming calls to an iZUP phone get routed to voice mail and texts queue up until the car and its occupant are no longer barreling along the highway. iZUP also shuts down Web browsing and all but one other "whitelisted" application from functioning (in case a navigation application is necessary for driving directions, say).
I have to wonder if internet phone have certain capabilities that decrease distractions while driving. I will keep you posted.

Listen Up

2010-04-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. You've heard all the benefits of internet faxing but this new information might be surprising. Regular fax machines are big and space consuming, and potentially really noisy. This noise offers more than just an alert that a fax is on the way, the constant sound of it can harm hearing which will lead to hearing loss. This can be a real problem with working professionals because hearing loss is usually associated with old age and it can be embarrassing. People in today's society should be able to hear at least a 17-khz wave but as studies have shown, adults can't hear anything higher than a 16-khz wave. There is natural hearing loss that is associated with aging but a lot of hearing loss in our society is caused by headphones, loud concerts, or anything that is fairly loud for an extended period of time. By the way, when a person screams, there are chemical signals in the brain that protect the ears by telling them to shut out noise that is coming from yourself. Only once you stop screaming can you be deafened by your neighbor who is screaming back at you.

Getting the Doctors to Fax Information

2010-04-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

There have been numerous reports of people that have trouble accessing their health information from doctors. It is a federal law, by the way, that when a patient wants to see their medical records the hospital has to give it to them. Some of the exceptions may include the doctors personal notes or information that might put the patient's health or other people's health at risk. The reason for the disagreement and delay in the time that it takes to for them to give the information is that the administration is afraid of all the HIPAA regulations, such as the law that says that the hospital has a month to respond to a patient's request to see their records. The major problem here is that most cases are time sensitive, in other words there are people dying because the administration decided to take their time looking for the medical records. The people are taking a stand because something has to be done, at least the requests have to be looked at from a case-by-case perspective. It really is a shame to think that a life could have been saved if only the records were given over in time, and the worst part is that most hospitals have gone to internet faxing as their way of sending information and documents. Imagine that, internet faxing is one of the safest, fastest, and most reliable ways to send documents and yet they couldn't get there on time. Well if you are stuck in this type of predicament here are a couple tips:

1. Know your rights
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which governs access to medical records, gives hospitals and doctors 30 days to respond to a request for medical records, although some state laws provide for a shorter time frame, and in urgent situations, such as a transfer to another hospital, it's customary for hospitals to move more quickly.
Be prepared to make your request in writing, McCabe says. You can bring it in person, or fax the request in, but make sure you confirm that the hospital's received it.
One way to get your medical records more quickly is to seek out providers who use electronic medical records so the records can be e-mailed to you, she says. Some providers have an electronic portal so you can read your records anytime you want on a secure site on the Internet.
2. Get the new hospital or doctor to help you
Lietz says if you need your records because you're switching hospitals or doctors, ask the new office to make the records request.
"Have the provider make the request," she says. "To be honest, it's going to be faster."
3. Remember the limits of the law
Your doctor doesn't have to give you access to everything in your record. For example, your doctor doesn't have to give you access to information he or she thinks might cause you or someone else substantial harm, says the senior health information privacy specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Some states allow even more information to be kept from a patient. Doctors may deny you access to "personal notes and observations" they've made in your record.
4. Get angry
"Sadly, you might have to get angry in order to gain access to your medical records," Viars wrote in his blog. "Don't let them tell you no. It's your data."
5. File a complaint

If you have trouble getting access, you can with the Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Hope you found this helpful. Leave your comments on this issue.

FaxCritics Releases MyFax Review

2010-03-30T03:12:00.000-07:00

Internet fax service review web site FaxCritics, publishes detailed review of MyFax for 2010. FaxCritics allows visitors to compare the leading Internet fax providers by price, customer service, product offering, and overall value.

The Internet fax research team at FaxCritics has updated its service review for MyFax. MyFax is an Internet fax service that offers a 30 day free trial. MyFax is a popular Internet fax service for fax users of all types, from individual users to Fortune 500 corporations. The latest MyFax review contains accurate and current information that can help small businesses, professionals, and other FaxCritics visitors easily compare MyFax's service with other leading Internet fax solutions.
FaxCritics is a website that aims to guide people in finding the right Internet fax provider. FaxCritics helps consumers and businesses find the best fax providers for their needs, ultimately making the online fax selection process easy. "We are consistently testing and reviewing the leading fax providers on the market, like MyFax, in order to ensure our reviews our accurate and up-to-date," says the FaxCritics research team.

The current MyFax review by FaxCritics explores the service plan, price, technology, customer service, and value delivered by MyFax. "Individuals that visit FaxCritics will be able to gain a better understanding of the MyFax service as well as sign up for a free trial."

FaxCritics has assisted many businesses and individuals looking for more information on Internet fax solutions. The Internet fax research team at FaxCritics spends countless hours every week researching, reviewing and comparing the leading virtual fax to email services. The information provided by FaxCritics is accurate and easy to understand, therefore FaxCritics web site visitors are able to make the best decision possible when looking to purchase virtual fax services.

Intellicomm Launches Innoport® Express with a Pay As You Go Internet Fax Service

2010-03-23T03:25:00.000-07:00

Intellicomm Inc., a provider of hosted unified communications has recently released a new service called Innoport Express with a pay as you go fax service that requires no subscription or account setup to send faxes.

Created as a business class service on the web to accommodate the needs of users looking for a pay per use online fax sending service, Innoport Express Fax provides round the clock capability to pay for and send faxes to worldwide destinations.

Since Innoport Express does not require an account setup with monthly fees, businesses can inform staff with an occasional need to send faxes or who travel to consider Innoport Express. Additionally, individuals with no access to fax machines do not have to settle for subscription based fax sending services when their needs are better met with a pay per use model as offered by Innoport Express.

"We continue to lead the way in hosted unified communications by addressing an important segment within the fax demographic with the introduction of Innoport Express. We hope that Innoport Express Fax becomes the destination of choice for users looking for a pay as you go Internet fax service," said Harprit Singh, President and CEO of Intellicomm.

Priced at $1.95 per 10 page blocks for sending faxes to U.S. and Canada destinations and the ability to fax world wide, Innoport Express Fax provides a convenient and affordable alternative to retail locations or online services with monthly fees. Features include automatic re-tries for busy faxes and status tracking capability. Visual indicators on the Innoport Express web site convey the real-time status of the fax delivery process giving customers continual feedback on their fax transaction.

Marketplace for Google Apps Targets Microsoft Office

2010-03-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

Some news about Google, hope you will like this article!

Google has launched an applications store for office-productivity applications to be used with Google Apps. The Google Apps Marketplace aims to challenge Microsoft's lead in office software. Google's marketplace even outlines how to move data from Microsoft Exchange. Businesses moving to Google's services need to be willing to trust the cloud.

With its mind in the clouds and an eye on rival Microsoft, Google on Tuesday launched an online application store for third-party programs that can be integrated with its online Google Apps office suite, with a single log-in and Google's universal navigation. The programs can sync with Gmail and Google's calendar, and use document-sharing features.

With 25 million application users and services for two million businesses, Google clearly hopes to reduce Microsoft's dominance in business-productivity software. Some 50 companies are offering applications in the initial Google Apps Marketplace inventory.

A random sampling on the marketplace Wednesday included EZAsset, a business asset-management tool; Manymoon for social productivity, project management, and task management; Fresh Books, a billing and bookkeeping utility; and eFax, an Internet fax service.

Google reportedly charges developers $100 for a listing, then takes 20 percent of sales.
The marketplace is intended for companies with their own domain, and Google Apps membership is required. A premier membership is $50, with an unlimited number of users per account. To lure customers away from the competition, the marketplace offers a tutorial on importing data from Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based Google previously had a solutions marketplace offering add-ons for programs. But Google Apps Marketplace will allow the company to generate revenue while also driving more interest in its online suite.

Google has increasingly battled for turf with Microsoft, recently introducing the Chrome operating system to challenge the dominant Windows. The software giant has taken the fight to Google's front door with its Bing search engine, which it hopes will soon be the default search window on Apple's iPhone.

Microsoft has announced cloud partnerships with Hewlett-Packard and Chunghwa Telecom and has other cloud projects in the works. The HP deal is a three-year, $250 million project to integrate Microsoft programs and HP hardware.

Cloud-computing services could be a $14 billion industry by 2013, according to research firm Gartner. But there is growing concern about the risks companies face.

Chet Wisniewski, an analyst at the U.K.-based security firm Sophos, said the Google Apps Marketplace could be a good option for people who already trust a cloud with their information.
"Developers could offer enhanced encryption or security features requiring two-factor authentication to access sensitive documents," Wisniewski said. "The bigger issue is, should you trust your data to be stored in the cloud in the first place? We saw how Twitter's corporate Google Docs were hacked into last year through the use of a careless password."

"As an organization, someone could be trying to access your data for years and you have no visibility into the inbound connections, firewalls, password guesses, etc., if it is off-premises," he said.

In another entry in the growing online applications market, Intel has opened its AppUp Center, to be included on several netbook models, to build popularity for its Atom processor chip. The company's goal is to eventually have the chip make its way to smartphones and other hardware, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Web-based services replace fax machine

2010-03-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Some news to read and think of. Waiting for your comment to this article!

In 1966, when Xerox introduced the Magnafax that took just six minutes to send a copy, a new day dawned for U.S. business.

It took until the 1980s, but the fax machine became standard equipment in most American offices.
In the 21st century, competition for the office fax machine is now provided by Internet services with names like MetroFax, TrustFax, eFax and MyFax.

Internet fax accounts are expected to add up to a $1.49 billion market in three years, according to Sturgis, Mich.-based Davidson Consulting.

"It's not a new service but a relatively unknown one," said Steve Adams, vice president of marketing for Ottawa-based MyFax. The company has 400,000 users at present, with plans to grow by 25 percent each year, he said.

"Basically, you're faxing without the need for a fax machine. Documents come into your e-mail," he said.

"It's a service that can be shared so you can use five different e-mail addresses on one account," said Adams. "Most of our customers are small businesses such as insurance or real estate offices," he said.

Now, larger companies are seeing the advantage of Internet faxing, said Adams. "This is one of those ideas that started with the little guys and is moving up the ladder. Usually, it's the other way around," he said.

Along with more convenience and flexibility, an Internet fax operation can save a company money, said Adams.

"A lot of customers come to us saying they want to get rid of their monthly $40 bill they spend on a fax line," he said.

For $10 a month, MyFax allows a customer to receive up to 200 pages and send up to 100 pages. Other services offer similar plans.

Ashley Flanagan, director of operations at Health Strategy in Peoria, aid the small health consulting firm finds its Internet fax service invaluable. "We have a very mobile office with two employees in Peoria, two in Minneapolis and one in Indiana," she said.

Health Strategy employees now receive faxes through their Blackberry devices, said Flanagan. "They're not stuck in some office, waiting for it," she said.

Since turning to the Internet, the firm no longer keeps a fax machine in its Peoria office, said Flanagan.

Campaigner Releases Newest Version of Email Marketing Service for Small Business

2010-03-02T03:10:00.000-08:00

Waiting for your comments. Maybe some of you use their services, so it is interesting to know about your experience of working with them.

Campaigner, a leading email marketing service provider, today announced the launch of several new features and capabilities that further provide businesses with an easy and cost-effective way to build customer relationships, engage with prospects and increase sales. With Campaigner’s tools for email campaign creation, templates, reports, and contact list management, businesses can launch, grow and sustain successful email marketing programs regardless of marketing experience.

"Small business owners often start a business because they’re good at something or have a passion for it"

"Small business owners often start a business because they’re good at something or have a passion for it," said Steve Adams, vice president of marketing for Protus, the provider of Campaigner. "When they try to market that business, though, they may find the tools that are available assume a level of experience or expertise they don’t have. We asked our customers how we could make it easier for them to create effective sales-generating and loyalty-building campaigns. We then designed the new Campaigner to address those needs."

Campaigner is designed to help small businesses run their own email marketing campaigns without the need to hire costly outside marketing professionals. New customer-driven product features include:

* A new user interface that allows even easier creation of new email campaigns and
sign-up forms that help small businesses build their opt-in mailing lists;
* A redesigned email editor that resembles the interface of Microsoft® Word, making it quick to learn and use;
* The ability to import contacts directly from Microsoft Excel;
* A full-screen email editing mode that makes it easier to see the overall look of the piece;
* An integrated image library that allows users to drag and drop graphics into the email or contacts merge fields;
* A spell check that quickly identifies potential misspellings and alternative spellings;
* New formatting tools, including the ability to paste directly from Microsoft Word without issues;
* Additional online help, with a searchable help system and easy-to-follow "how-to" tutorials built right into the product.

Campaigner email marketing enables small, medium and large businesses to strengthen customer relationships and drive sales by connecting to their customers quickly, simply and affordably. Features include professional-looking email campaign creation, multiple ways to grow and manage lists, integration with CRM, and the utilization of campaign metrics and reports to increase results. Campaigner is part of the total Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business communications solution offered by Protus that also includes MyFax, the fastest-growing Internet fax service; and my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual business phone service.

About Protus

2010-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

What do you think of it? Do you use their services?

Protus® provides the highest quality software-as-a-service (SaaS) communications tools for small-to-medium-businesses (SMB) and enterprise organizations, including award-winning MyFax, the fastest growing Internet fax service; my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual business phone service that travels with the user from phone to web; and Campaigner, an affordable and easy-to-use email marketing service with 24/7 accessibility to support. Protus’ commitment to delivering a superior user experience has resulted in a continually growing and loyal customer base of more than 400,000 subscribers, allowing market leadership in industries including finance, insurance, real estate, healthcare, transportation and government.

Merchants Ring Up the Sales This Holiday Season With RingCentral Virtual Fax and Phone Service

2010-02-08T04:08:00.000-08:00

Have found this page. There are many articles about RingCentral. So, if you are interested, you may read it. As for our theme I have found this:

Online merchants looking for a way to maximize their profits this holiday season will want to check out a special offer from virtual phone system provider RingCentral. Through the end of 2007, the company is offering double sign-on bonus minutes for new customers.

RingCentral’s suite of Web-based communications services includes phone system features like call forwarding, click-to-call, toll free and/or local number and voicemail along with Internet fax. These tools enable merchants to do business online more efficiently and offer better service to their customers.

"As traditional retailers continue to improve the customer experience they provide online, independent web merchants face increased customer expectations," said Vlad Shmunis, CEO of RingCentral, in a statement. "Our thousands of online merchant customers tell us nothing closes a sale like personalized service and a live conversation. With RingCentral, Web merchants get a complete customer communication solution that allows them to provide outstanding service and increase their holiday sales."

Thousands of online merchants already use RingCentral’s services as a way to manage their fax, mobile and phone communications. Staying competitive is a major reason why companies choose RingCentral Online, and during the busiest shopping days of the year this need is intensified.

In its announcement about the holiday promotion, RingCentral cited predictions from TNS Retail Forward that e-commerce will be the best-performing retail channel during the 2007 holiday season. The firm projected that online sales for 2007 will be 18.5 percent higher than in 2006, reaching $42 billion for the fourth quarter of the year.

To take full advantage of potential sales boom during the holidays, many online merchants are using Web communications tools like click-to-call and Internet-based fax to provide enhanced customer service. RingCentral said it expects its RingMe features—an embedded click-to-call button merchants can use to offer customers toll-free help with the click of a mouse—will be a must-have tool for RingCentral Online users.

One merchant who revamped her Web site in preparation for the holiday season, Tracy Dixon, founder of GiveAGiftBasket.com, is making good use of both RingMe and the RingCentral Internet fax capability. She hired seasonal help, with RingCentral extensions for each department based on the toll-free number that came with her account. The Internet fax service is used to take orders and process contracts, while click-to-call buttons are included on every page of the company’s Web site and in all employee e-mail signatures.

"I like how everything is all in one," Dixon said in a statement. "As a small business, I want to get as many features as possible all in one place. It helps me to always put my best foot forward."

Cynthia Countouris, CEO at fashion outlet ZiaModa, also had high praise for RingCentral’s online communications services. Her company specializes in high-quality products from around the world, and customers have access to customized, personal service via the toll-free number associated with ZiaModa’s RingCentral account.

"We are able to address any logistical questions they may have, as well as serve as fashion consultants," Countouris said in a statement. "Customers will call asking advice on what to wear to the Opera or asking for help in finding a unique ‘mother-of-the-bride’ outfit."

I test out RingCentral's new DigitalLine VoIP service

2010-02-01T04:16:00.000-08:00

Here is an article by Russell Shaw about RingCentral. So, hope you will enjoy it!

I’ve been using DigitalLine, a new VoIP service that integrated business telephony communications solutions provider RingCentral is introducing today.

My conversation yesterday with RingCentral CEO Vlad Shmunis clarified their position as differentiated from other services that route all your calls on all your numbers to one number. GrandCentral does this well, but is focused on the consumer segment. RingCentral provides a more SMB-related offering- with VoIP now integrated with landline and mobile in what essentially is a hosted PBX solution.

Aimed at SMBs with between 1 and 10 users, DigitalLine is also an alternative to lower-end Asterisk based solutions. RingCentral’s view of Asterisk seems to parallel what I have been hearing lately- that even the most guided-steps, user-friendly flavors of Asterisk are not as plug-and-play as the vendors like to say they are.

I’ve been using RingCentral both as a Web-based and softphone interface. You say the Web-based UI at the top of this post.

Once installed, the functionality is highly intuitive. My only quibbles are related to set-up. There should be more of a steps-type installation protocol that addresses how to deploy various features. Want the softphone? Why not ask this question to new RingCentral users during the process in which they are configuring their account?

Also, on the Web-based interface, I find the term "RingOut" kind of a forced way to promote the "Ring" part of the RingCentral brand name. That terminology places more of a priority on cutesy branding association than a specific declaration of what clicking that icon will enable you to do.
How about a more plainly stated task instruction, such as "Make A Call?"

But as I say, those are just quibbles. Once you take RingCentral and its new DigitalLine feature out for a spin, you’ll be impressed about how easy they are to run.

RingCentral is offering DigitalLine through three promotional plans. Here’s their pricing:

Basic - 4.99 per month—This plan uses customers’ existing RingCentral plan minutes for inbound and outbound calling anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. Additional minutes are added at the set plan rate.

Standard - 9.99 per month—500 minutes of outbound local and long distance calling anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, additional minutes at 3.9¢ per minute.

Unlimited - 24.99 per month—This plan provides unlimited outbound local and long distance calling anywhere in the U.S. and Canada.

Now for the fine print: these introductory prices represent a 50 percent discount for the first six months of service.

County, schools to have better 'net

2010-01-22T04:05:00.000-08:00

And how about this? Comment below!

Morgan County and the Fort Morgan school district will have better Internet access than ever, and Snyder will have potable water for its community center at last.
The Board of Morgan County Commissioners approved a new contract for Internet service, agreed to let the county government act as fiscal agent for a grant to help with Snyder's water, approved transportation for welfare clients and agreed to rent space to the Office for Veterans Affairs during its regular meeting Tuesday.
Internet access has been tight for Morgan County departments' offices, partly because they share that access with the school district, said Karol Kopetzky, information systems manager.
The county and the district have shared the system, but it hit its maximum capacity recently, she said.
In fact, the county had to ask the district to take students off the network on the most recent election day, because their Internet traffic was slowing the election results, said Morgan County Clerk Connie Ingmire.
The board approved a cooperative agreement with the district to upgrade to a 24-megabyte system, up from 8 MB, which will offer not only enough bandwidth for both parties but enough to grow, Kopetzky said.
That is important, because the county has been adding more and more online options for its services, she said.
Under the agreement, the school district has agreed to pay 75 percent of the cost, the county 25 percent, which will amount to a $750 installation fee and $900 a month for 10 months, Kopetzky said.
The district is able to get a government subsidized rate for Internet service that keeps the costs down, which will mean the costs will drop after this initial period, she said.
County Commissioner Laura Teague said she appreciated everyone's efforts to partner between the county and the district.
Snyder The Snyder community center, which has mostly been used for the Snyder Community Council Congregate Meal Program site, has long been trying to access a Morgan County Quality Water District tap, said Larry Worth, executive director of the Northeast Colorado Association of Local Governments.
Unfortunately, every time it has raised money the cost has risen higher before the council could buy a tap, he said.
However, the Daniels Fund has offered a $13,000 grant to add to the pot to allow the council to finally pay for the water tap that will bring potable water to the center, Worth said.
In the past, the center used the tap of a neighbor, but that will not last much longer, he said.
Water is needed to make the building more functional, said County Commissioner Tony Carlson. Continuation of the meal program is dependent on the tap, but other groups also use the center and can use the water, too.
It seems like it has taken forever to finally be in a position to buy the tap, he said.
The senior citizens meal program is important to allowing older Snyder residents to remain independent, Worth said.
Transportation Board members also approved a contract with NECALG to pay $20,000 for its County Express to provide transportation for clients of the Morgan County Department of Human Services Temporary Aid to Needy Families.
This will help promote self-sufficiency, because without adequate transportation many clients must be excluded from work and training opportunities, said Steve Romero, director of human services.
The funding comes from TANF money, and also pays for child care, he said.
In the past, human services pre-paid for transportation services, but will now pay fees as service is rendered, Romero said.
Veterans Romero also asked the board to approve an agreement to provide an office for Veterans Affairs in the human services building.
The VA will pay $200 a month for an office two days a week, as well as access to telephone service, computers, Internet fax services, postal services and reception, he said.
Romero noted that the VA office was busy and is seeing a lot more young people using its services.

Internet Fax Comparison Site is Gearing Up for 2010

2010-01-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

One more note for this week! Hope you will like it!

Despite the lagging economy, all systems are go for Onlinefaxguide.com, an Internet fax comparison site which gives its users a quick run-down on the top online fax service providers. At a glance potential customers can compare monthly rates and the different services offered by each of these major online fax companies.
According to Onlinefaxguide, demand for this popular form of "cloud computing" shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Actually, traffic to this website has seen a steady increase in past months and interest in this modern way of faxing has grown tremendously in recent years.
"However, knowledge of Internet or Online faxing is still relatively new to many businesses and companies," says Titus Hoskins, a former teacher who now runs the site. "Many people are still in the dark when it comes to discovering the numerous advantages of using this new way of faxing. A problem our site tries to solve."
Making Internet fax more widely known will still be the main goal of Onlinefaxguide for the coming year, which will mark this site's fourth year in operation.
"Our site offers a handy Internet Fax Guide which visitors can download. Plus, we have a short video which explains the whole concept of online faxing," states Hoskins. "In addition, for the coming year, we will be releasing a new article each week to further explain online faxing to the general public."
Articles like this one entitled "Internet Fax - Can It Really Make Your Business More Competitive?" which is featured on their partner site. These articles will make people more aware of the benefits of email faxing. Pointing out how this new way of faxing is cheaper, easier and completely mobile or portable. You can fax anytime, anywhere, as long as you have Internet access and these days that's just about everywhere.
Many businesses and companies are still unaware that by using online faxing, actually means they're open for business 24/7, 365 days of the year. Companies are no longer tied down to the regular 9 to 5 routine or the old fax machine in the office - your business and faxing can be totally portable in order to meet the challenging demands of this current economic climate.
This is the message that Onlinefaxguide will be spreading more widely in 2010. Plus, we will continue to offer special fax promotions and offers from the different fax service companies to our site's visitors. So it's full steam ahead for this Internet fax service comparison site.

Internet Fax Feature: RingCentral Exceeds Expectations in 2009; Looks to Bullish 2010

2010-01-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Some news for you!

Internet Fax Feature: RingCentral Exceeds Expectations in 2009; Looks to Bullish 2010
The idea of strong business performance in 2009 was not always a reality for a number of companies in the telecommunications industry. For RingCentral, business exceeded expectations. In an interview with TMCnet, Praful Shah, RingCentral’s vice president of strategy, noted that as fixed line phones drastically decrease, cloud based business phone systems are rapidly dominating. In offering affordability and flexibility in such solutions as fax from the desktop, RingCentral continues to thrive.

Two new major announcements for RingCentral in 2009 included the RingCentral Office and RingCentral Mobile for smartphones. The former is the industry’s first complete, cloud computing based business phone system with one low, flat, fixed monthly fee. The latter extends its business phone services to smartphones for RingCentral customers. The company’s ability to eliminate the need for businesses to spend capital on expensive on-premise legacy phone systems continues to help drive its success.

Looking ahead to 2010, Shah and RingCentral are anticipating strong growth in the virtual office environment. With more people working remotely, mobile communications in everything from email to fax are important to drive productivity. With its cloud based business phone system, RingCentral offers a strong value proposition. The company has plans for some major new releases that are expected to bring huge productivity benefits to its customers.

The complete interview follows:

TMCnet: How did RingCentral perform in 2009? Did the results meet company expectations?

Praful Shah: Business has been strong for RingCentral in 2009 and continues to exceed expectations. The difficult economic time has meant that businesses do not want solutions that require thousands of dollars of capital expenses. Legacy on-premise business phone systems are not only extremely expensive, but are also designed for old-world centralized office environments that do not incorporate Internet and mobile phones.

As fixed line phones drastically decrease, cloud based business phone systems are rapidly becoming the norm. Businesses need employees to connect regardless of their location. With multiple extensions, voice mail boxes, and the capability to have employees associated with various departments like sales, billing, or support, RingCentral can work with all types of existing fixed-line and mobile phones to create a more cohesive office environment. RingCentral eliminates the need for any new equipment. It delivers a cloud based business phone system that is designed for the modern mobile and distributed business world, at a fraction of the cost to that of traditional phone systems. Its affordability and flexibility has allowed for RingCentral to thrive in a weak economy.

TMCnet: What have been some of the company’s key announcements this year?

PS: We announced two new major and exciting products in 2009: RingCentral Office and RingCentral Mobile for smartphones.

RingCentral Office is the industry's first complete, cloud computing based business phone system with one low, flat, fixed monthly fee, no contracts and zero setup costs. RingCentral Office combines a hosted multi-extension business phone system with advanced voice and fax functionality, always-on service, unlimited calling and full-featured phones that arrive pre-configured and ready for use. Small businesses can begin using the RingCentral Office phone system within minutes with the click of a mouse. Traditional business phone systems cost thousands of dollars to set up and maintain. By eliminating the need for complex hardware, lengthy installation and technical expertise, small businesses get the functionality and flexibility to easily connect with customers at a fraction of the cost of a traditionalPBX phone system.

PS: RingCentral Mobile extends its business phone system services to SmartPhones for RingCentral customers. Now RingCentral customers are able to receive and forward all business visual voice mails and faxes from their iPhone. They can make calls from their SmartPhone using their business identity rather than their personal mobile number and give the appearance that they are calling from the office. This is important for a lot of customers. In fact the recent RingCentral customer survey showed that a vast majority, nearly 80 percent, of businesses want to give the impression that their employees are in the office when receiving or making business phone calls outside of the office. This underscores the fact that professional communications are critical to business owners but traditional on-premise phone systems are not designed to meet the needs of a distributed work force.

TMCnet: At the beginning of the year, the economy was in a recession. How did it impact your business?

PS: The difficult economic environment has been good for RingCentral’s business since we eliminate the need for businesses to spend capital on expensive on-premise legacy phone systems. Some of the best innovations delivered are adopted by businesses during difficult economic times. Businesses also reduce their fixed cost on office real estate space. In fact, a recent RingCentral customer survey showed that nearly 50 percent of their employees spent more than three quarters of their time working outside of a physical centralized office environment. Clearly the on-premise business phone system cannot solve the problems faced by this type of business environment. Cloud based business phone systems are the best choice and RingCentral is the leader in this space.

TMCnet: There are now signs that the economy is recovering. What are your predictions for 2010?

PS: Yes, that is important for everyone. But we need to understand that the companies will be very careful in the way they expand and how much fixed cost they would be willing to commit. We clearly are not going to go back to the boom times. In fact the same RingCentral survey showed that while two thirds of the companies plan to expand in 2010, nearly 60% of those companies expect to hire people in a virtual office environment. This results in more people working remotely with mobile capabilities in order to eliminate the need for increased office real estate costs.

TMCnet: What are you looking forward to in 2010 to help RingCentral boost its business?

PS: RingCentral has a compelling value proposition with its cloud based business phone system. Most market projections show rapid adoption of cloud based solutions over the next few years. Being a leader in our sector we expect to have a strong 2010. We are planning to have major new releases of our service platform which will bring huge productivity benefits to our customers. That combined with a somewhat stronger economic environment make us bullish for 2010.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide launches The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace

2009-12-28T03:07:00.000-08:00

Found this info and decided to share it with you! I also would like to wish you a Happy New Year! I'm looking forward to meeting you in the new year!

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has launched The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace. The hotel features 428 guest rooms and suites. The business centre features full-service print, copy and fax services, in addition to self-service Internet and PC access. Besides, it features WestinWorkout fitness centre with cardio and aerobic facilities.

In the F&B segment, the hotel has restaurants known as ‘Prego’, the Italian restaurant; ‘Seasonal Tastes’, an all-day multi-cuisine restaurant, ‘Kangan’, specialty restaurant, which will provide Indian cuisines and the gourmet shop ‘Daily Treats’.

The hotel offers wireless and Internet connectivity, flexible meeting or function rooms and 14,000 sq feet of refined space for energised meetings, conferences, weddings or gala social events.

Stephane Fabregoul, General Manager, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace said, “We will offer our guests a retreat from the outside world and a place where they can be at their best, with our signature Westin services, products and amenities. This will allow our guests to relax, rejuvenate and recharge during their stay at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace.”

Nearly 12,000 people use library computers per month

2009-12-23T02:08:00.000-08:00

Found some info for you! Hope you will enjoy it!

The staff of the Terrebonne Parish Library System and its Board of Control would like to wish Terrebonne Parish residents a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Thanks for making 2009 successful.

With approximately 60,000 people visiting Terrebonne Parish public libraries monthly, 12,000 people per month using the public computers and 10,000 people per month accessing the Library System’s Web site, the Library System is apparently essential to many people in the parish. The public library is the anchor or heart of a community and the statistics prove that the Library System is vital.

For the residents who haven’t visited the Terrebonne Parish Library System, put a stop on top of your 2010 resolution list. You’re going to be surprised at what today’s library offers. Libraries are not depositories of books any more, but are community centers for learning, recreation and entertainment.

Books are still the primary focus, but books now come in many different formats. The Library System has books-on-CDs, digital books and e-books on the Web site. Technology is only progressing and the library is trying to provide the best for Terrebonne Parish by keeping up with the technology surge.

If reading or listening to a book isn’t your thing, the Library System has DVDs, magazines, public Internet access, computer classes, copy machines, fax services, and approximately 1,500 adult and children’s activities a year.

All Terrebonne Parish library branches have wireless access, so feel free to visit with your lap top to work on business or research. All staff members are trained to help with Internet and computer services.

The Library System also provides outreach services. Every birth mother delivering in a hospital in Terrebonne Parish receives a Learn-Thru-Love package with a children’s book and pamphlets about the Library System and the importance of reading to children. Another service is Baby Bookworm. A book is donated to any library branch in honor of a child being born in this parish. The Library System provides story-telling services to many schools and is working with day-care centers to enrich reading to pre-schoolers.

Assisted-living and nursing-home facilities are visited by library staff with items to check out and programming for the residents.

ACTIVITIES

A family day Christmas is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at the Montegut Branch Library, 1135 La. 55. You can listen to a reading of “The Night Before Christmas,” make a tree ornament and have a picture taken with Santa.

A snowmen-making craft workshop is scheduled for 2 p.m Tuesday at the Grand Caillou Branch Library, 200 Badou Drive, Dulac.

The Library System’s second-annual New Year’s Eve Bash for fourth- through sixth-graders is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to noon Dec. 31 at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library, 151 Library Drive, Houma. To register your child, call 876-58612.

The movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is scheduled to be shown at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Grand Caillou Branch Library.

LANGUAGE

The Library System subscribes to Mango Language, a database that teaches you a foreign language. Mango Language is located on the Library System’s Web site and can be remotely accessed. The system has added more language instruction. You can learn Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Hebrew, Korean, Vietnamese, Irish, Thai, Hindi and Tagalog. Other languages added include English as a second language, French, Italian, German, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese.

WEB SITE

During the holidays, log onto the site to keep your children entertained. The Tumblebooks database will entertain them with stories read aloud, while at the same time helping them with their reading skills.

One of the databases available on the Library System’s site is Learning Express. When you access the Library System’s Web site, on the left is a list of categories; select online databases, then test preparation. Learning Express is linked on this site. Learning Express can help all school-aged children, from elementary to high school, with math- and reading-improvement tests. The database also has college and vocational school test preparation, along with the citizenship test. There is an area for résumé and cover letter help.

The test-preparation database also has some LEAP tests that can help students prepare for these big tests.

CLOSED

The Library System will be closed Thursday through Dec. 27 in observance of Christmas and to have carpets cleaned. Regular hours will resume Dec. 28. The Library System will be open until 1 p.m. Dec. 31 and closed Jan. 1.

DISPLAYS

Emile Hebert is exhibiting his Pan Handle Pete collection. The collection includes Western paraphernalia of old West, Hollywood West, and an array of model antique and western guns. Holsters, boots, hats, whips and replica rifles are included. The exhibit is on display through the end of the year in the main lobby of the Main Library.