World over, telephone users are finding new ways of speaking with each other, by using VoIP services. VoIP technology is a way of transmitting voice data using Internet Protocol through the World Wide Web. So, with computer as the transmission media, it allows the user to go for Global conversation at any time. Services offered over VoIP are very inexpensive and are considered as an efficient mode of world wide communication.

Voice over IP refers to transmitting voice communication over IP network, for instance Internet. Unlike PSTN, through VoIP technology user can send images, videos or voice through the same line. The service of VoIP is to terminate the international long distance calls coming over the IP to the destination PSTN.

To define VoIP Service; user’s analog voice is converted into small packets of digital data and sent over Internet connection to VoIP service provider. Voice service provider gets it connected with PSTN at recipient’s end and then the process of receiving is reversed. The digital packets are turned back to analog signals, so that user can understand conversation. Each time you speak, the process is repeated. With VoIP services, any user can make calls at any given time period. While accessing the VoIP services, user accesses long distance and international calls at cheaper rates.

To avail VoIP, users have to install additional piece of Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) to its computer. This ATA is generally supplied by the VoIP service provider when user signs up for the service. Once the user phone is installed with VoIP software and ATA, user can make phone calls as normal; using standard phone. VoIP services offer users to make multifarious processes at same time; for instance while surfing the web, user can talk to his friend over the phone. Moreover, unlike PSTN with VoIP service, a user can listen to voice transmission without any gap in stream of digital packets.

In today’s financial market more and more people are turning to credit card balance transfers instead of the traditional home equity lines that they have been used in the past. During the refinance hay-day throwing a tax deductible line of credit on the home to wipe out the credit cards was a no-brainer. Nowadays, shrinking home values and a turbulent secondary market are causing most banks have to hold these loans as opposed to selling them. This means the HELOCS of yesterday are only available to those with impeccable credit who have an abundance of equity in their homes.

Luckily, interest rates are low and balance transfers are a pretty good alternative if your credit card debt is out of control and need some help. This being said there are a few things that you want to look out for when transferring credit card balances from one card to another. The golden rule is that when you use a balance transfer card as an avenue to pay off balances on your other cards let this be your sole purpose. Make a budget and timetable to pay off the debt where there is a beginning and an ending payment otherwise you may get yourself into deeper debt.

Things to look for when transferring credit card balances:

Life of Balance Transfer cards – Life of balance credit cards are just what their name implies, they offer a low rate that applies to the balances you transfer within a certain time period. What you want to look for is a fixed rate that will not fluctuate over time. Depending on your credit level these may not be available to you, however if they are we highly suggest that you seek these cards out. The “gotcha” with this class of cards is that they usually will give you an extra thousand or two on your limit in hopes that you spend it at a higher interest rate, and most people do.

Again, we suggest that you use balance transfer credit cards for the single purpose of transferring higher interest credit card balances to a lower fixed rate. Once the transfer is completed, we recommend that you shred the transfer card and the one you transferred from to keep yourself from using them again. Over 75% of people that transfer balances use the transfer card and the old card again and end up owing more money than they did before the transfer. If the cards do not have an annual fee keep the accounts open for emergencies but shred the cards to keep yourself honest.

The Fine Print – If credit card issuers are similar in one area it is most definitely their fees and the fine print. It seems like they have fees for everything including one for on-time payments. Seriously you need to read the fine print and weigh the fees that apply for balance transfers, late payments, grace periods and other “gotchas” like universal default clauses. Over 80% of people that apply for credit cards will not read the fine print from beginning to end only to be surprised when their bill arrives in the mail. Most credit card websites offer handy calculators to help you calculate the best deal considering all of the fees.

Most credit cards have reduced the grace periods for repayment from 30 days to 20 days in an attempt to earn more fees and interest. If you are like most people, including yours truly, you pay your bills at a certain time of the month that usually coincides with your pay periods. The problem with this is that the 20 day grace period is relative to the due date of last month’s charges and is forever changing. If you pay your bills once a month like I do this will cause you to get late payment fees and could even trip the universal default clause which brings me to my next topic.

Universal Default Clauses – A universal default clause is a nasty little trick that credit card issuers use to jack-up your rates and fees to intolerable heights. If you look at the top of the fine print on each credit card you will usually see the regular APR and one below it that is through the roof. The one below it is the rate you will get should you pay late or even if your credit deteriorates. These clauses range from annoying to nasty and most states are trying to outlaw them but the majority of credit cards still have them.

The only card issuer that I can think of that doesn’t have this clause across the board is Capital One. I’m sure there are others but the clauses differ from issuer to issuer and card to card. Read the fine print for each card you are considering, see what their rules are that will trigger this clause. Some are mild which apply only if you are habitually late, where others monitor your credit and can jack up your rates and fees if your credit is deemed riskier than when they issued the card.

Introductory & Variable Rates – Beware of the asterisks. When you see one of these next to an interest rate you can bet it’s going to change on you. Most cards will advertise 0% interest on balance transfers 12 – 15 months but have cute little asterisks next to the rate. Find the fine print; chances are that your **** 0% rate is going to morph into a giant wallet munching monster after the intro rate is over. Find out what the adjusted rate will be.The “gotcha” here is that most people know their rate will adjust in the future but they rationalize the transfer thinking that they will have the balance paid off in that time frame. Chances they won’t and the credit card companies know this. How else do you think they can offer 0% interest rates?

Variable rates are almost inescapable because 95% of all cards have variable rates. The ones that do not have them are hidden deep within most websites and offer very few frills. The reason they are hidden is that they are a little tougher to qualify for and offer lower profit margins to the issuers. When searching credit card websites take an extra minute to go all the way to the last page in each category, you may be surprised what you will find. Most credit card websites are arranged with the most profitable credit cards on the first few pages, these are rarely the best credit cards.

Reward Cards – If you are using your balance transfer card as you should, the bells and whistles on reward cards shouldn’t concern you. The bells and whistles cost you more, period. They cost the issuer more and they pass the cost right back to you. If you stay true to the purpose and transfer your balances in order to pay them off you should get a plain-Jane generic card without the usual frills hat comes with most cards. The only frills you should seek are the life of balance feature, fixed rate and a manageable or nonexistent universal default clause.

In closing I hope these tips help you get your very best deal should you decide to use a balance transfer card. This category of credit card is becoming more and more popular every day due to the financial chaos surrounding us today. This is generally a good thing though; this causes the card issuers to come up with different cards that offer better deals to keep up with their competition. Just remember the golden rule, only use balance transfer cards with a specific plan to pay off a balance. If you are “robbing Peter to pay Paul” the credit card companies will usually win in the end. Remember, Las Vegas wasn’t built on winners and neither are large credit card companies.

Live demo of the Palm Pre at CES 2009 during the official Palm press event. More info: http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Id=6007

Have you ever been in the middle working on your computer and suddenly it froze, crashed or came to a slow crawl? And you had to restart, lost your work, lost time and felt so enraged that if you had an ax? WAIT, do not kill the computer! Here are 6 ways to speed up computer. 1. INCREASE VIRTUAL MEMORY Virtual memory is the space your computer uses when it’s short of RAM (Random Access Memory), which is the memory used when running programs like Office Suites. Resetting the virtual memory usage on your computer, also referred to as pagination, is great way speed up computer. How-to Access and Reset the Virtual Memory: On the Start menu, click My Computer. The My Computer window is displayed. Click View system information. The Systems Properties dialog box is displayed. In the Systems Properties dialog box click the Advanced tab. Under Performance, click Settings. The Performance Options dialog box is displayed. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab. Find the Virtual memory area. Click Change. The Virtual Memory dialog box is displayed. Here you can change the page file settings. DO NOT exceed the limit given in the properties box of your windows system. 2. STORING FILES ON THE MAIN DRIVE: Do not store lots of data on the main drive, which is where you install your windows operating system. Storing software like games, finance programs and other software on another drive of your computer is another way to improve computer performance. The instructions on how to do this depends on the operating system so it is best to check the help section of your computer’s operating system. 3. RESETTING START UP MENU: The speed with which your computer boots depends on the amount of programs that are set to be started automatically at booting. Removing unnecessary and unwanted programs from the start up process can greatly speed up computers at the start up level. 4. TURN OFF SYSTEM RESTORE: Having the system restore option on takes a lot of space from the hard drive. Freeing up a lot of physical memory by turning off system restore can significantly speed up computer and improve computer performance. To access System Restore: click START, then click ACCESSORIES, click SYSTEM TOOLS, then click SYSTEM RESTORE. Once there click edit settings and then turn off the system restore option. 5. CLEANING INTERNET CACHE AND COOKIES: Temporary Internet files affect browser speed, as well as, computer speed in general. Regularly cleaning the cache and cookies is a great way to improve computer performance and speed. To clean the cache and cookies: Just click Tools from your browser tool bar and click on Internet Options to delete and clear cache and cookies. This should be done on a regular basis to speed up the computer and browser. Also, most browsers, like Firefox and Internet Explorer allow you to set automatic options for cleaning the cache and cookies. 6. DEFRAGMENTING THE DISK Regularly defragmenting the drive will significantly speed up computer. This tool is part a of Windows accessories and can be accessed from the Start Menu then click Accessories then click System Tools. Stop letting the computer make you crazy. The above are simple how to speed up computer tips and can significantly improve computer performance and allow you to get on with computing.

The first steps in accepting VoIP technology as tomorrow’s communications infrastructure is ultimately understanding exactly what VoIP is, what your choices there are, how you may benefit from your selection, plus, how to select the best provider.

There is no question that VoIP is the next great revolution in voice communications. After reviewing the advantages, its clear that the expense of switching to VoIP is low compared to the savings it can bring.

Getting started with VoIP is often simple. Yes, it can provide cheaper calling, but the real value of VoIP is that it opens up the ability to add new and useful applications to voice communications.The major advantage is the cheaper price.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is simply the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks. VoIP has become popular largely because of the cost advantages to consumers over traditional telephone networks.

Telephone calls now can be placed either to other VoIP devices, or to normal telephones on the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).

VoIP technology, by its very nature, is more flexible and extensible than traditional voice transmission technologies due to its distribution and architecture. VoIP may seem complicated at first glance, but the concept is simple: Any form of communication that travels through a conventional phone line—voice calls, faxes, voice messages and conference calls—can also travel in digital form through an IP (Internet Protocol) network. VoIP, on the other hand, transmits the voice as digital packets, just as e-mail and Web browsing is transmitted.

VoIP has many advantages, including: Lower cost. Providers offer more competitive pricing for a couple of reasons. VoIP is not regulated by the FCC and is not subject to the same taxes as standard phone companies. Providers offer software-based telephone features unimaginable on traditional wireline or even most wireless telephone networks. In addition, plans do not charge a per-minute fee for long distance. For International calling, the monetary savings to the consumer from switching to this technology can be enormous.

There are three methods of connecting to a VoIP network:

-Using a VoIP telephone

-Using a “normal” telephone with a VoIP adapter

-Using a computer with speakers and a microphone

Calls from a VoIP device to a PSTN device are commonly called “PC-to-Phone” calls, even though the VoIP device may not be a PC.

Calls from a VoIP device to another VoIP device are commonly called “PC-to-PC” calls, even though neither device may be a PC.

Like many new technologies, it has started its economic life by reproducing familiar services and features from the established products it is trying to replace; in this regard, VoIP providers promote PBXs, call routing, automated voice response, and other things businesses are used to looking for.

More and more businesses today receive their telephone service through the Internet instead of from the local telephone company lines. The primary reason for switching to VoIP is cost, as it equalizes the costs of long distance calls, local calls, and e-mails to fractions of a penny per use. But the real enterprise turn-on is how it empowers businesses to mold and customize telecom and datacom solutions using a single, cohesive networking platform.

VoIP’s potential cost savings are obvious when a business considers running all of its calls over the same IP network it set up internally for data, as well as over a phone line to its internet provider (which could be its phone company).

With today’s ever-growing awareness of the benefits of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), more and more enterprises are implementing or converting to VoIP. While challenges still exist in the adoption of VoIP, the benefits of this technology over traditional voice networks are many from increased productivity and operational flexibility, to greater cost reductions and investment protection.

I have to call France pretty often, and I’d like to sign up for a VoIP subscription, so what would you recommend ?
I’ve heard about Vonage, is it any good ?
Thanks in advance !

I have few Voip geographical numbers (1 uk and 2 italian local numbers) and I wish to manage all of them without using 3 different soft-phones as I do now. Which software offers me the possibility to this?
Apparently the premium version of X-Lite is able to do it but the free version gives me some connection problem so I don’t dare to buy the premium one.

Anybody can help me?

Thanks a million!!!

Let’s get to the important part first – if you’ve just lost your data, skip past this introduction and go directly to our first tip, so you can start your rescue operation. If not, a few minutes spent now might help you a lot in the future. Pay special attention to our third tip.

I always thought of myself as a reliable guy with reliable data. I never deleted my files accidentally, I made regular backups and had a power supply for my computer to protect me against surges and outages. However last year I experienced two cases of data loss where I needed to use recovery software. The first was a dead hard drive that’d hardly served a year. Subsequently, I accidentally deleted a large project file that was too big for the Recycle Bin. Happily I’ve got all my data back, thanks to good advice and a little preparation.

These handy tips will help you stay confident in the face of data loss, no matter how it occurs.

Tip #1: Use your system as little as possible until you recover all of your lost files. The more activity taking place on your hard disk, the greater the chance that some of your lost data might be written over.

- Don’t copy any files to the disk containing your lost data;

- Avoid browsing the web, because your web browser saves cache files on the disk;

- Don’t launch any unnecessary programs, because they can also use your disk;

- Don’t restart your computer.

Tip #2: Before you go further, take steps to free up some space on the disk containing your lost files. The more free space your system has, the less chance of overwriting any lost files with new ones. You can do one or more of the following things.

- Delete old files that you don’t need anymore (you can also move them to another source, like a USB flash drive, instead of deleting);

- Empty your Recycle Bin – making sure that you haven’t put any important files in there by mistake;

- Empty your browser cache. For Internet Explorer, click on the “Tools” menu, then select “Internet Options”. Then, on the “General” tab, click the “Delete Files…” button.

Tip #3: To install any software after data damage increases the risk of your data being overwritten, so if you haven’t had any data problems yet, consider installing a data recovery program just in case. Prevention is always better than cure, and a recovery program is good insurance for your data. However, if you don’t yet have a recovery program, find one and – if possible – avoid installing it to the disk where your lost files are located.

Most recovery programs work fairly similarly. You need to select the disk where the lost files are located, let the program analyze the content of the disk – this can take a while – and then select the file you want to recover. Then, provide a location where you want to save that file. You should try to avoid recovering files to the same disk. You could use another hard drive, a network or removable media like a floppy disk or USB flash drive.

After you recover your files, check that they are correct. If you’ve recovered applications, check that they still run, or if you’ve recovered documents, check that your words are still there. Even the best recovery software can’t guarantee 100% results. If some parts of your files were overwritten – meaning that other data was saved to their location on your disk – after recovery they might contain invalid information. Depending on the type of file involved, partially recovered files like this can be mended by special utilities.

 by Philip Yaffe

As any teacher knows, saying something once is tantamount to not saying it at all. People may recognize an idea the first time it is presented, but they almost never assimilate it and make it their own until it is repeated.

Nevertheless, in expository (non-fiction) writing, repetition seems to be a no-no. The purpose of expository writing is generally to inform or instruct, yet young writers are often enjoined to avoid repetition at all costs.

I became aware of this bizarre and detrimental phenomenon by living in Europe and learning other languages. I have been a resident of Belgium since 1974. I fluently speak French, and have working knowledge of Dutch, German and Spanish.

Everyone I know who writes documents in these languages will do just about anything to avoid repeating a word. It seems that when they were in school, they were told that if they repeated a word, their hands would be cut off. Verbal variety was a prime virtue; word repetition a prime sin.

Growing up in California, I don’t recall this taboo being pounded into my head the way it seems to be here in Europe, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention. In any event, while the advice is sound, the way people have interpreted it is wrong.

Intentionally used, repetition improves rather than degrades writing. The key word is "intentionally". As in teaching — expository writing is a kind of teaching — saying something once seldom gets the point across. The solution, we are told, is to say it several times, but in different ways. However, constantly changing vocabulary for the sake of variety more often than not leads to confusion, rather than clarity. Consider the following:

A. I saw a big dog. I am afraid of big dogs, so I cautiously moved away.

B. I saw a big dog. I am afraid of large canines, so I cautiously moved away.

Changing "big dogs" to "large canines" adds nothing to the text, and in fact detracts from it. This of course is a made-up example, but I have seen many real examples equally ridiculous.

Consistently using the same terminology can advance your argument while mixing terminology can hobble it. This is true both in expository (non-fiction) and creative (fiction) writing.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are excerpts from two of the finest pieces of writing anyone has ever produced: The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln and The Mark Anthony Soliloquy by William Shakespeare. One is fiction, the other non-fiction. Both make undeniably effective use of repetition.

The Gettysburg Address

This speech was delivered by President Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19, 1863 to mark a pivotal victory in the American Civil War. The repetitions are indicated by a double asterisk (**)

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that **nation — or any **nation so **conceived and so **dedicated — can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that **war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that **field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that **nation might **live.

"It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot **dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have **consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

"The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be **dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

"It is rather for us to be here **dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of **devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. And that government of the people, by **the people, for **the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Stirring stuff, isn’t it?

Now let’s look at just the first two paragraphs to see what it might have looked like if Lincoln had avoided repetition.

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that this country — or any nation-state founded and pledged in this way — can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that conflict. We have come to dedicate a portion of this patch of ground as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that homeland might continue to exist . . . ."

Hardly the same, is it?

Marc Anthony Soliloquy

This speech was delivered by Mark Anthony in Shakespeare’s play "The Tragedy of Julius Caesar". Once again, the repetitions are marked by a double asterisk (**)

‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with **Caesar.

‘The noble Brutus hath told you Caesar was ambitious. If it were so, it was a grievous fault, and **grievously hath Caesar answer’d it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—for Brutus is an **honorable man; so are they all, all **honorable men—come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.

‘He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was **ambitious, and Brutus is an **honorable man.

‘He hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. Did this in Caesar seem **ambitious? When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept. **Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. Yet Brutus says he was **ambitious, and Brutus is an **honorable man."

The soliloquy continues. Through repetition, the crowd comes to equate Caesar with "saint", Brutus with "murderer", and "honorable" with "dishonorable". The crowd riots and overthrows the junta which, lead by Brutus, only days before had assassinated Caesar to public acclaim.

The Bicentennial Man

It may be argued that the Mark Anthony Soliloquy is not "true fiction", because it is a speech within a play and meant to sound realistic. Much of fiction is description, where verbal variety is virtually obligatory.

Here is a descriptive passage from "The Bicentennial Man", a collection of short stories by Isaac Asimov, a master of both creative and expository writing. Once again, the repetitions are marked with a double asterisk. Try to imagine this passage if each repetition were changed to something else.

**The fact that JN-5 was a radically new type of robot, quite different from anything ever built before, was distressing.

**The fact that JN-5 was a prototype, the first after four earlier attempts ever placed in the field, was more distressing.

**The fact that JN-5 had apparently accomplished something of incalculably importance–and that now might be forever gone — placed the distress utterly beyond words.

It is not my purpose to argue that verbal variety isn’t important, only that blindly changing words to avoid repetition can be counterproductive.

So how can you know when and when not to vary vocabulary?

As in any intellectual endeavor, in writing if you know why you are doing something, rather than simply because it is a rule, chances are you will do it better. The key consideration is. Will changing a word advance the purpose of my text? If yes, then change it. If not, don’t.

Early in his career, Pablo Picasso was a classical painter, perhaps on a par with Rubens and Rembrandt. One day he was asked, "If you can paint like that, why do you do this almost childish, abstract stuff?" He is reported to have replied, "You need to understand the rules to know how to creatively break them."

Go, and be creative.

Philip Yaffe is a former reporter/feature writer with The Wall Street Journal and a marketing communication consultant. He currently teaches a course in good writing and good speaking in Brussels, Belgium. His recently published book In the “I” of the Storm: the Simple Secrets of Writing & Speaking (Almost) like a Professional is available from Story Publishers in Ghent, Belgium (storypublishers.be) and Amazon (amazon.com).