Broadcasting digital radio via satellite is not something new and concepts of doings this have been with us for a few years. From the early days of satellite radio, companies like Dish Network have offered digital audio channels as part of their programs. The breakthrough in popularity of satellite radio, however, happened just recently, when the technology became more permissive.

Satellite radio is actually composed of two Boeing HS 702 satellites orbiting our atmosphere and aptly named “Rock” and “Roll”. One is located at approximately 85 degrees west longitude and the other at 115 degrees west longitude. Geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) is about 22,223 miles (35,764 km) above Earth, and is the type of orbit most commonly used for communications satellites. The first satellite to up, “Rock,” was placed in orbit on March 18, 2001. “Roll” followed with it’s launch on May 8. Satellite radio has a third HS-702 satellite on the ground ready to be launched in case one of the two orbiting satellites break down or fail.

Satellite radio was very rare on moving locations, such as boats or cars, mostly because there was the need for some expensive equipment – a tracking dish. This was a strong deterrent which kept satellite radio quite unknown by the general public. Today, however, one can receive digital audio satellite broadcasts by using a small, GPS-like antenna. This greatly increased the feasibility of the satellite radio systems and more and more vehicle owners began considering satellite radios as a good source of music and news.

Satellite radio’s station on earth transmits a signal to its two GEO Satellites, which bounce signals back down to the ground. The radio receivers are programmed to receive and unscramble the digital data signal, which contains up to 100 channels of digital audio. In addition to the encoded sound, the signal contains additional information about the broadcast. The artist, song title and category of music are all displayed on the radio. In urban areas, where buildings can block out the satellite’s signal, broadcasting equipment is supplemented by ground transmitters.

Each receiver contains a unique manufacturer’s chipset. Satellite radio began delivering chipsets to its manufacturing partners in late September or early October of 2000. The chipset consists of two custom integrated circuits designed by STMicroelectronics. Satellite has partnered with Pioneer, Alpine, Clarion, Delphi Delco, Sony and Motorola to manufacture satellite capable car radios. Each radio receiver uses a tiny, car-phone-sized antenna to receive the digital signal. GM has invested about 100 million dollars in digital satellite radio, and Honda has also created a contract to use these same radios in its cars. General Motors first began installing satellite radio receivers in specific models in late 2000 and early 2001.

Each of the major satellite radio services uses its own equipment to broadcast the signal to their clients. The competition is tight and customers have to “pick sides” in order to benefit from satellite radio broadcasting. You have to choose your preferred company and purchase adequate receivers for that particular company. Both XM Radio and Sirius Radio provide their clients with different ways of receiving their services. The field where most competition takes place is in the negotiation with the major automobile manufacturers. Both XM Radio and Sirius Radio have deals with the auto industry giants in order to offer their services and equipment as optional on the car models they produce. Other partnerships were created with audio equipment manufacturers, who now offer satellite radio transceivers and matching headsets. The most recent shock in the satellite radio universe was caused by the production of portable MP3 player-like satellite radio receivers.

For approximately twelve dollars per month, subscribers can listen to crystal clear digital sound. For this small price, music aficionados receive up to 100 channels of music, talk and news. They can also listen online via streaming audio service with over 70 channels. Most of the stations received are commercial-free, with none of the channels having more than seven minutes of ads per hour. Satellite advertisers include USA Today, BBC, CNN/Sports Illustrated and The Weather Channel. The service is clean & clear and more of what the surveyed population asked for. Each of the major satellite radio services uses its own equipment to broadcast the signal to their clients. The future of satellite radio is clearly bright.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Like cable television, Satellite radio is fast becoming a new genre of and unto itself. While not having to endure the same regulations as applied by the FCC in regards to free radio, the broadcasters of satellite radio, like cable television, have more options available to them and are able to offer a wider variety of programming as a direct result.

Satellite radio is the cable television of the radio broadcasting world. People can buy a satellite radio subscription in much the same manner that they would subscribe to cable television. The subscription includes various types of radio broadcasting not otherwise available to the listener. These usually include more adult-oriented radio broadcasting since the FCC does not regulate the industry in the same manner that they do for the free radio airwaves.

Since people are paying for the privilege of listening, and satellite radio is a buyer’s market, the wide selection of broadcast media that is available are regulated mostly by what the listeners want and what they are willing to pay for. While satellite radio may not be a viable alternative for everyone, it does offer more listening opportunities for those people who are willing to pay for it. Satellite radio subscriptions vary in cost, but all things being equal, the subscription fees are not at all unattractive when the broad spectrum of radio programming is compared to what limited choices are available without satellite radio.

There are also still some limitations in the availability of satellite radio. While these areas are in steady decline as satellite radio listeners increase in numbers, there are still voids in the market where it is not yet financially feasible to install satellite radio options. It is best to check for the availability of satellite radio before purchasing any satellite ready receivers.

Satellite radio receivers vary in all manner of shape, style and output range and are available to fit the needs of most any satellite radio listener. Deciding which one is best for any given use will require the purchaser to do a little research into satellite radio and what local options are available, then adjusted according to the personal preferences of the listener.

While the advent of Satellite radio technology is seen as a new path to freedom for some and a road to decline for others, the satellite radio of today looks like it is here to stay. If satellite radio is available in your area, it can be a worthy investment. Satellite radio really does offer many options not available to the regular radio listener.

Satellite Radio HQ http://satellite-radio-hq.com/ talks about the history of satellite radio, the equipment you’ll need, the satellite radio channels you can receive and much more.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

How does satellite radio work? To understand how satellite radio works you must first understand how analog radio works. Analog radio works by broadcasting the radio frequency to local transmitters and then on to the listener. Satellite radio works similarly but instead of using stationary transmitters with limited range to broadcast their media to the people, they use mobile Satellites.

Satellites are equipment that orbit the earth and can pick up and transmit signals globally instead of just in a limited area. In the satellite radio category a satellite bounces the transmitted radio frequency off of the satellite and out to the millions of satellite radio listeners around the world. This has increased the satellite radio industry and has made satellite radio a staple media avenue in our everyday lives. Does this help you to understand the question of how does satellite radio work?

A user such as myself or you, who is interested in satellite radio purchases a satellite radio device whether it be stationary or portable, we purchase the desired satellite radio service from whichever service provider offers us the best variety of programming. Once the subscription to this service is established, the device is programmed into a database of devices that are allowed to receive specific radio transmissions from specific satellites. This entry into the database then sends a signal to the device to decrypt satellite frequencies, providing the user with audible satellite radio reception. This explains the question of how does satellite radio work?

Many service providers may use different marketing gimmicks to gain a customer base, claiming to have better coverage or what not. When it comes down to it, The only difference which could be considered is the limitations put on the satellite radio by the databases and what programs and filters any individual service provider may be using to limit the access their customers have to the satellite radio feed. Service providers may offer special features, or special programming which is solely controlled by their databases and the servers they use to transmit the satellite radio feed. You rarely hear of a service provider explaining to the customer the answer to the question of how does satellite radio work?

If a user fails to pay for their subscription to the satellite radio feed, just as with any utility nowadays, the service provider may then send a signal to the device, removing its rights to decrypt satellite radio transmissions. Many technologies in the past, prior to the radio technology have used satellites to widen the spectrum of their services, such as telecommunications such as cell phones. The principal of each service is relatively the same in the fact that a person uses a device such as a satellite radio, or cell phone, to request a transmission through a service provider’s database. If the subscription is paid for the transmission is allowed from the satellite to the user giving us satellite capable radio devices. I hope I have helped answer the question how does satellite radio work?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

When were the forms of media created? When did advertising first show up? Who owns the media?

Creation of the various forms of media

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Newspapers & Magazines ~ 1880

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Movies ~ 1910

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Television ~ 1945

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Cable Television ~ 1980’s

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Satellite Television, Internet, Digital Communication ~ End of the 20th century

In 1920, radio was first developed, primarily for use by the military, strictly for sendingHistory of the Media – Old Radios messages from one location to another. David Sternoff, the then-president of RCA, first had the idea to sell radio sets to consumers, or what were then called radio receivers. However, consumers needed a reason to buy radios, so RCA was the first to set up radio stations all over the country. Between 1920 and 1922, 400 radio stations were set up, starting with KBKA in Pittsburgh. Stations were also set up by universities, newspapers, police departments, hotels, and labor unions.

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By 1923, there were 600 radio stations across the United States, and $83 million worth of sets had been sold.

The biggest difference in radio before and after 1923 was that the first advertising was not heard on the radio until 1923. RCA at the time was made up of four companies:

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AT&T

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General Electric

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United Fruit

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Westinghouse

United Fruit was one of the first global corporations, and one of the first to advertise on the radio. The AT&T division of RCA first thought about selling time on the air to companies, which marked the start of “toll broadcasting.” WEAF was the first station to operate this way, causing widespread outrage, and accusation of “polluting the airwaves.”

Because of this controversy, the practice of selling advertising time was called “trade name publicity.” Sponsors linked their name with a program on the air, rather than advertising a specific product in a 30 second “commercial” as we know it today.

Why did AT&T decide to experiment with charging companies for air time?

AT&T was not making any money from broadcasting at the time since they only made transmitters, not receivers. They only made money when new radio stations bought the equipment required to broadcast. They did not make money from consumers buying radios.

AT&T also started the practice of paying performers for their time on the air, rather than only volunteers, which was standard practice for radio content up until that point.

The first radio network

In 1926, RCA set up the first radio network, NBC. They decided it was more effective and efficient to produce shows in New York City, and then link the main radio station with stations all across the country, connected by AT&T (another RCA company) phone lines. (Now television networks are linked by satellite to their affiliates).

This was the beginning of the network affiliates system. The ideal network makes sure everyone in the country is capable of listening to their signal. NBC at the time had two philosophies:

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Radio content was a “public service,” whose function was to sell radios.

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Radio content was designed to generate income from advertising.

History of the Media In 1927, the second network was formed. It was CBS, started by William Paley. Paley was the first to think that networks could make money strictly from advertising, not even getting involved in the sales of radios. Like AT&T, CBS did not make radios. From the start, they made their money from selling advertising.

The rising of radio networks caused the Radio Act of 1927 to be passed, which established the FRC, or what is now known as the FCC, to allocate broadcast licenses. The need for such an organization was brought on by the fact that airwaves are limited resources, and broadcasting itself is a scarce public resource. By the 1930’s, the structure of radio have been set by the commercial format, although advertising never dominated radio like it would television later on.

In the 1920’s and ’30’s, radio programs were divided into two groups. Sponsored shows, which had advertisers, and unsponsored shows, which did not. The radio station paid for the unsponsored shows. The sponsored shows, on the other hand, were created entirely by the company sponsoring the show; advertisers were totally in charge of the radio station’s content. The content became advertising. Radio set the precedent for television, in that the same companies that controlled radio early on went on to control television.

Soon thereafter, television inherited the structure of radio. In the ’40’s, during the rise of television, RCA also held a monopoly on all television sets sold. By 1945-1955, advertising had taken over all of television. Television was organized around the premise of selling things. The entire television industry was creating a political atmosphere of suspicion and fear. Senator Joseph McCarthy, the founder of McCarthyism, which was based on the fear of Communism, and the HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee, began to question people involved in television about their beliefs and associations.

What affected television in its early stages?

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Politics (McCarthyism / HUAC).

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Blacklists: From almost the inception of television, many writers, directors, and actors were considered to be pro-Communist and/or un-American.

Certain topics were totally off-limits at the time for television, particularly issues of race relations in the 1960’s. Overall, networks were not happy with the political situation for television in the 1960’s, both in terms of the blacklists, and of the fact that when every show had one sponsor, that sponsor controlled the entire program. Networks preferred to control the program, by way of moving to multiple sponsors/advertisers, where networks would retain control of the show, and advertisers would buy time in between the programming.

In the 1950’s, networks decided to eliminate the practice of sponsors controlling the shows with a move to spot selling, or advertisements between programs, as we know it today. What caused the move to spot selling?

1.

Discovery of fraud in the quiz shows on television. Quiz shows were extremely popular at the time, and were liked by the networks, the sponsors, and the viewers alike. It turned out, however, that quiz shows were largely fixed. Charles Van Doren on “21″ became a huge star due to his repeated wins, until it came out that the whole thing had been fixed. In the case of “The $64,000 Question,” the owner of Revlon was personally hand-selecting the winners and losers on the show.

2.

It was becoming financially difficult for just one advertiser to support an entire show.

Around this same time came the inception of ratings to measure a show’s popularity. Ratings, quite simply, measure the number of people watching a show. To understand why ratings are so important, it’s crucial to understand how the television industry works, through three questions, and their respective answers:

1.

Who owns television? [The networks]

2.

What is sold on television? [Viewer's time, not television shows]

3.

Who are the customers of television? [Advertisers, not viewers]

This might be a counterintuitive concept for some. The networks, which own television, areHistory of the Media – Old Television the buyers of shows, not the sellers. On the other hand, they sell our eyeballs, so to speak, to advertisers. Networks want the maximum possible profit from buying and selling time, both viewers’ time, and advertisers’ time.

The primary measure of television ratings, which determine the price of that time being bought and sold, is AC Nielsen, an independent company which provides information as to who watches what on television. Currently, about 4,000 households are used to represent the national viewing of television. In the 1980’s, only 1,200 households were used. Some households have an electronic device installed on their television which tracks what they watch, while others keep a diary of viewing habits.

There are two measures for determining a show’s audience. One is the rating, and the other is the share.

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Rating: Percentage of total homes with televisions tuned into a particular show.

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Share: Percentage of those watching television at a particular time who are tuned into a particular show.

The share is always greater than the rating. Ratings are more important for advertisers, and share is more important to the networks.

Example:

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Total households with televisions: 150 million

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Total households watching television at 8pm on Monday nights: 90 million

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Total households watching American Idol at 8pm on Monday nights: 45 million

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Therefore: Rating: 30, Share: 50

It’s important to note how many factors can skew the results. Shows cost producers much more than the networks typically pay them for those shows. The way for producers to make money is by getting the networks to renew the show, in order to have a shot at making money from syndication on other channels, also knows as reruns. That is the case when individual stations (say for example, the Miami affiliate of ABC wants to carry Seinfeld), buy the rights to a show from the producers of that show. Shows that last only one season, for the most part, lose millions of dollars. One of the most important factors in whether shows will be renewed or not is their rating.

This brings us to how ratings can be skewed. For example, if a show has a 20 share, and it needs a 25 share to be renewed for another season, what might the producers do? In principle, they need to convince another 5% of the people watching television when their show is on to watch their show; this is no simple task, as that involves convincing millions of people. However, since the ratings are based on those 4,000 Nielsen households, that means that they could convince just 200 Nielsen households to watch their show, which would increase the share from 20 to 25. This is why Nielsen households must be kept totally secret from the networks. When the Nielsen households have leaked to the networks, one way which they got people to watch their show was by offering viewers a small sum of money for filling out a survey about a commercial which they were told would play only during a particular show. Since they had to watch that channel while their show was on, this would boost the share.

Once ratings are determined, advertising prices are set by two factors:

* The size of the audience.

* The demographics (income, age, gender, occupation, etc) of the audience.

In short, the job of television programs is to collect our time as a product, which they then sell to advertisers. Programs have to support the advertising, delivering viewers in the best possible state of mind for buying when the time for the commercials comes, which brings us to the Golden Age of Television.

The 1950’s are considered the “Golden Age of Television.” During this time, something called the “Anthology Series,” where different actors each week took part in a show gained History of the Media – I Love Lucypopularity across the board…that is, with everyone except for advertisers. The anthology series format was not right for advertisers, as it covered topics which involved psychological confrontations which did not leave the viewers in the proper state of mind for buying the products shown to them between program segments. The subject matter of the anthology series was of the type that undermined the ads, almost making them seem fraudulent.

This brought up the question of what to network executives actually want shows to do? The answer is not to watch a program that makes them feel good, makes them laugh, or excites them, but rather to watch the television for a set amount of time. With so many new shows being proposed, standards began to be intentionally, or unintentionally, laid out for what shows could and couldn’t do. Risks could only be taken at the beginning and/or end of shows. Laugh tracks were conceived to tell the audience when to laugh. Programs began being tested with audiences prior to being put on television and/or radio. Show writers now had to write shows that would test well.

Naturally, this caused many of the same elements and themes to appear in all shows. This was the beginning of recombinant television culture, where the same elements are endlessly repeated, recombined, and mixed.

This same culture is what perpetuated the idea that people watch television, not specific shows. While people certainly choose to watch certain shows instead of others, people less commonly choose to watch television instead of other things. People watch television. Regardless of what was on, television viewing rates were extremely stable.

David Pakman is editor/adminstrator of politics and media website Hear the Issues (http://www.heartheissues.com), a website frequented and praised by many mainstream journalist and pundits.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke is generally credited with coming up with the concept of
using satellites in geosynchronous orbits to relay communications signals around
the world. In his honor, these are sometimes referred to as Clarke orbits. A
geosynchronous orbit simply means that the satellite is placed at an altitude of
22,300 miles above the earth’s equator and travels at the same speed as the earth’s rotational
speed. This keeps the satellite in the same spot above the earth at all times.
Clarke wrote an article titled “Extraterrestrial Relays”, which was published
in Wireless World Magazine back in 1945. In his article Clarke, envisioned
three ’space platforms’ placed at 22,300 miles above the earth and that worldwide
communications could thus be achieved.

Father of Satellite TV

But it is H. Taylor Howard a Stanford University Professor and former NASA scientist
Emeritus, who is generally acknowledged as the ‘Father
of Satellite TV’. Howard designed and built the first satellite antenna and receiver
in his San Andreas, California garage in 1976. Howard died in a plane crash in 2002
at the age of 70. Now 32 years after Howards invention, it is doubtful that he
could have envisioned the quantum leap that satellite TV technology has made.

First Satellite – Sputnik

The very first satellite ever placed into earth orbit was Sputnik, which was launched
by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. The launch of Sputnik began what is commonly
referred to as the “space race”. The United States answered with the successful
launch of Explorer I on January 1, 1958. Later that same year, NASA was created on Oct. 1, 1958, to perform civilian research related to space flight and aeronautics.

First Communications Satellite – Syncom II

The first communication satellite named Syncom II was developed by a group of businesses and government entities in 1963. Syncom II orbited at 22,300 miles over the Atlantic; the first
actual satellite communication was on July 26, 1963, between a U.S. Navy ship in Lagos,
Nigeria and the U.S. Army naval station in Lakehurst, New Jersey. However it wasn’t
until 1978 that the television industry began using satellite communication for the
television industry. In 1975 a BBC engineer by the name of Stephen Birkill
built an experimental system for receiving Satellite Instructional Television.
Over the next three years Birkill continued to work on his system and in 1978 he
met Bob Cooper, a cable TV technical journalist and amateur radio enthusiast in the U.S
and Cooper invited Birkill to a cable TV operator’s conference and trade show CC)S-78.
It was at the trade show that several satellite TV enthusiasts decided to help Birkill
with his experiments. Also, on March 1, 1978 the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
introduced the Public Television Satellite Serivce and as satellite technology
improved it was used more and more by broadcasters.

Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS)

In 1980, the FCC established the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS), a new service
that consisted of a broadcast satellite in geostationary orbit, facilities for
transmitting signals to the satellite, and receiving equipment (black box) needed for people to access the signals. In turn, broadcasters developed methods of scrambling their signals,
forcing consumers to purchase a decoder, or a direct to home (DTH) satellite receiver,
from a satellite program provider. Before this signals could be receive by anyone
with a dish at no charge. Both DISH Network and DIRECTV are Direct Broadcast Satellite
providers. Soon after from 1981 to the early 1990’s the ‘big dish’ market soared.
You could see these big ugly dishes a mile away. But they were cumbersome and very
hard to install.

As this stage of satellite TV development; it was much easier to
just have cable TV. Also the average cost of pruchasing a satellite dish and system
back in 1980 was a staggering $10,000. By 1985 that cost had dropped to around
$3,000., but still a hefty price to pay. In 1984 the U.S. Congress passed the 1984
Cable Act. This Act allowed for cable providers to scramble their transmission signals
thus bringing an end to the days of free satellite TV. In short, the 1984 Cable Act made
it illegal to steal satellite signals without paying for the programming.

Satellite TV – Enter DIRECTV and DISH Network

In the early 1990’s four large cable companies joined together to launch a Direct
Broadcast Satellite company named Primestar. In June of 1994 the Hughes DIRECTV
Satellite System was launched. DIRECTV later purchased Primestar.
DIRECTV pioneered the development of the mini-dish, a small 18″ diameter dish.
Today, DIRECTV boasts over 16 million households that have DIRECTV service. In 1996 the DISH Network Company a division of EchoStar Communications Corporation was formed and DISH now boasts over 13 million U.S. households with DISH Network Satellite Service. Both companies now
offer hundreds of programming channels to watch and each offers over 70 national channels
in High-Definition (HD). Both DIRECTV and DISH Network also offer dozens of satellite
radio channels and both have now gotten into providing High Speed Internet service.
Where satellite dishes alone once costs $10,.000., today both the satellite giants
offer complete satellite systems, including the satellite dish for free.

Today satellite TV is broadcast all over the world; making Arthur C. Clarke’s dream a reality.

G Alan Davis is owner of Digital Dish, has over five years experience in the satellite TV business, selling both DIRECTV and DISH Network and has written numerous articles on the subject.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

In the last 10 years more than 27 million people have switched from cable and over-the-air TV to satellite TV. But is satellite TV really that much better?

Let’s find out …

Satellite TV

Satellite TV is a television system whereby a broadcast center sends a signal containing TV programs to a satellite in orbit above the earth.

The satellite captures the signal and sends it back to earth, where it is picked up by a satellite dish and relayed to a TV set.

In order to receive a satellite TV signal you must have a satellite system — a dish to capture the signal, and a receiver to unscramble the signal and send it to your television.

Satellite TV History

In 1962, the first satellite TV signal was sent from Europe to North America via the Telstar satellite. The first first commercial satellite, Early Bird, was launched in 1965, and Satellite TV reception in the U.S. began in 1980.

Early satellite TV systems were expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. The dishes were large — 10 to 12 feet in diameter — and the receivers and antenna rotators were bulky and complicated.

In 1994 the first DBS (direct broadcast satellite) was put into orbit, issuing in the era of the mini dish and the slim-line receiver, making it possible for anyone, even apartment renters and condo owners, to have satellite TV.

Satellite TV Providers

There are two major satellite TV providers in the U.S.A — DIRECTV and DISH Network.

DIRECTV

With 14.5 million customers, DIRECTV is the oldest and largest satellite TV provider in the USA.

DIRECTV is ranked #2 in customer satisfaction among all satellite and cable TV companies by J.D. Power and Associates.

DIIRECTV offers the following equipment and services:

* A Free satellite TV system — one dish and four receivers.

* Free installation and instruction on using the system.

* 250 channels with digital-quality picture and sound.

* 500 commercial-free movies per month.

* Up to 67 pay-per-view programs and events daily.

* 67 commercial-free XM radio channels.

* Toll-free, 24/7 customer service.

DIRECTV offers the most sports programming of the two satellite TV providers.

DISH Network

With more than 12 million customers, DISH Network is the second-oldest satellite TV provider, and is the fastest-growing provider.

DISH Network is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among all the satellite and cable TV companies by J.D. Power and Associates.

DISH Network offers the following equipment and services:

* A Free satellite TV system — one dish and four receivers.

* Free installation and satellite TV system instruction.

* 256 channels with digital-quality picture and sound.

* 500 commercial-free movies a month.

* Up to 60 pay-per-view programs and events per day.

* 50 commercial-free Sirius radio channels and 52 music channels.

* Toll-free, 24/7 customer service.

DISH Network has the biggest variety of movies and shows of the two satellite TV providers, and offers the cheapest basic service package.

Satellite TV Dealers

There are more than 80 online dealers and thousands of offline dealers across the U.S.A.

Some dealers are reputable and will give you an honest deal, but a number of dealers will lure you into subscribing to their service, then hit you with hidden fees, provide you with shoddy installation, and give you zero customer service.

Before you subscribe to a satellite TV service, you should read their service agreement carefully and call their customer service to clarify anything that isn’t clear to you.

Note: Click on the links below for information on dealers that are reputable and give the best service at the best price.

Satellite TV Benefits

The main benefit of having satellite TV service is you can access up to 375 channels of TV programming. That gives you a lot more viewing options than cable or over-the-air TV.

In addition to regular TV programming, satellite TV allows you to tune into pay-per-view movies and special events, and to listen to more than 100 channels of commercial-free music on satellite radio.

Another benefit of satellite TV is the quality of the TV picture. Satellite TV is broadcast in digital format which produces a super sharp picture. Additionally, you have the option of ordering HD (high definition) TV for an even more lifelike picture.

Another benefit is the ability to record your favorite programs and to pause or fast-forward live TV using a DVR (digital video recorder).

Last, but not least, you get all the equipment you need to view satellite TV, including installation, absolutely free.

Conclusion

If you have over-the-air TV and don’t watch much television then satellite TV probably isn’t for you.

If, however, you watch a lot of TV or you have cable TV, then I recommend clicking on the links below to see what satellite TV has to offer.

With over 375 channels to choose from plus satellite radio, pay-per-view, movies, and programming packages starting at less than a dollar a day, you can’t go wrong with satellite TV.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS):

SDAR is a satellite-based direct-broadcast radio service in which
digitally encoded audio entertainment material is broadcast to
Earth-based receivers, either directly from an orbiting satellite, or from the satellite to
the receiver via a repeater station (This is a special case in which the receiver is in a
shielded location). SDARS is a radio communication service through which audio
programming is digitally transmitted by one or more space stations directly to
fixed, mobile, and/or portable stations, and which may involve complementary
repeating terrestrial transmitters, telemetry, tracking and control facilities.
Through SDARS compact-disc quality audio is available because of digital transmition
is employed.

History of Satellite Radio:

Satellite radio is an idea over a decade long. In 1992, the U.S.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the
“S” band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based
Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS). Only four companies applied for a
license to broadcast over that band. The FCC gave licenses
to two of these companies in 1997. CD Radio (now Sirius Satellite Radio) and
American Mobile Radio (now XM Satellite Radio) paid more than $80 million each
to use space in the S-band for digital satellite transmission. The first satellite based radio launched by XM on Sep 25, 2001, then followed by Sirius on July 1, 2002.

At this time, there are three space-based radio broadcasters:

Sirius Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio

WorldSpace Satellite Radio

Importance and significance of Satellite radio:

We all have our favorite radio stations that we preset into our car
radios, flipping between them as we drive to and from work, on errands
and around town. But when you travel too far away from the source station, the
signal breaks up and fades into static. Most radio signals can only travel about 30
or 40 miles from their source. On long trips that find you passing through
different cities, you might have to change radio stations every hour or so as the signals fade in
and out. Now, imagine a radio station that can broadcast its signal from more than 22,000 miles (35,000 km) away and then come through on your car radio with complete clarity. One could drive
nearly hundreds of kilometers without ever having to change the radio station! Not
only would you never hear static interfering with your favorite tunes, but also the
music would be interrupted by few or no commercials.

Satellite radio companies are comparing
the significance of their service to the impact that cable TV had on
television 30 years ago. Listeners won’t be able to pick up local stations using
satellite radio services, but they will have access to hundreds of stations offering a
variety of music genres. Each company has a different plan for its broadcasting
system, but the systems do share similarities.

XM Satellite Radio, Sirius Satellite
Radio and WorldSpace satellite individually provides digital-audio
radio services (SDARS), with commercial-free programming, digital-audio quality, and
countrywide coverage. Each company offers nearly 100 channels of digital music and
talk radio (many of them commercial-free or with a reduced number of commercials)
that can be received from coast to coast with no service interruption. Each
offering number of music channels, these services clearly provides programming options
not available through traditional radio.

One of the main feature of SDARS is SDARS provides almost Commercial free (or Commercials are restricted) programs. And also it provides news, weather forecasts, and sports apart from
entertainment-based programs The primary application for this service is constant coast-to-coast coverage of radio for cars. We have all experienced the problem of trying to listen to radio on a long trip. Both AM and FM stations fade in and out as we drive into and out of their coverage
area. Portable full satellite radio service available now a days for
the car, home stereo and personal radio environments. Car manufacturers have been installing satellite radio receivers in some models for a few years now, and
several models of portable satellite radio receivers are available from a variety of
electronics companies.

Signal reception is generally poor as well as variable in the cases of AM or FM. With the SDARS systems, radio coverage throughout the 48 continental states is solid and continuous. Unlike
for AM and FM channels SDARS signals are available in a unique format

Subscription based radio service:

Because the technology requires access to a commercial satellite for
signal propagation; Satellite Radio services are commercial business
entities (not private parties), which offer a package of channels as part of their service
—requiring a subscription from end users to access its channels. Satellite
Radio Service can be subscribed at a monthly fee of $12.95 U.S. and up which
is very much worth full to the service that it gives.

Future of Satellite radio:

SDARS seems to get good market growth because of the following factors. Increasing
partnerships of XM and Sirius with Automobile OEM and distribution outlets made the
SDARS more popular. Introduction of more convenient hardware smaller and more
portable radios for the automobile as well as the home stereo,
computer and office and personal environments made possible at the
same time.

Home and personal use Industry promotional advertising and
awareness campaigns given the SDARS more popular. Sirius and XM now
also offer subscribers the option of listening to their programming
online. Apart from all of this,
price drop of hardware making it more affordable for after market purchase.

Author can be contacted through crsjith@gmail.com for more
information about SDARS.

Jith is an Electrical and Electronics Engineer from southern India. Author is an expert in Avionics systems, Automobile systems and have good command over communication protocols.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Introduction and Brief History of Satellites

A satellite is any object that orbits another object (which is known as its primary). All masses that are part of the solar system, including the Earth, are satellites either of the Sun, or satellites of those objects, such as the Moon. It is not always a simple matter to decide which is the ’satellite’ in a pair of bodies. Because all objects exert gravity, the motion of the primary object is also affected by the satellite. If two objects are ufficiently similar in mass, they are generally referred to as a binary system rather than a primary object and satellite. The general criterion for an object to be a satellite is that the center of mass of the two objects is inside the primary object. In popular usage, the term ’satellite’ normally refers to an artificial satellite (a man-made object that orbits the Earth or another body).

In May, 1946, the Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship stated, “A satellite vehicle with appropriate instrumentation can be expected to be one of the most potent scientific tools of the Twentieth Century. The achievement of a satellite craft would produce repercussions comparable to the explosion of the atomic bomb…”

The space age began in 1946, as scientists began using captured German V-2 rockets to make measurements in the upper atmosphere. Before this period, scientists used balloons that went up to 30 km and radio waves to study the ionosphere. From 1946 to 1952, upper-atmosphere research was conducted using V-2s and Aerobee rockets. This allowed measurements of atmospheric pressure, density, and temperature up to 200 km. The U.S. had been considering launching orbital satellites since 1945 under the Bureau of Aeronautics of the United States Navy. The Air Force’s Project RAND eventually released the above report, but did not believe that the satellite was a potential military weapon; rather they considered it to be a tool for science, politics, and propaganda. Following pressure by the American Rocket Society, the National Science Foundation, and the International Geophysical Year, military interest picked up and in early 1955 the Air Force and Navy were working on Project Orbiter, which involved using a Jupiter C rocket to launch a small satellite called Explorer 1 on January 31, 1958.

On July 29, 1955, the White House announced that the U.S. intended to launch satellites by the spring of 1958. This became known as Project Vanguard. On July 31, the Soviets announced that they intended to launch a satellite by the fall of 1957 and on October 4, 1957 Sputnik I was launched into orbit, which triggered the Space Race between the two nations.

The largest artificial satellite currently orbiting the earth is the International Space Station, which can sometimes be seen with the unaided human eye.

Types of satellites

· Astronomical satellites: These are satellites used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects.

· Communications satellites: These are artificial satellites stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications using radio at microwave frequencies. Most communications satellites use geosynchronous orbits or near-geostationary orbits, although some recent systems use low Earth-orbiting satellites.

· Earth observation satellites are satellites specifically designed to observe Earth from orbit, similar to reconnaissance satellites but intended for non-military uses such as environmental monitoring, meteorology, map making etc. (See especially Earth Observing System.)

· Navigation satellites are satellites which use radio time signals transmitted to enable mobile receivers on the ground to determine their exact location. The relatively clear line of sight between the satellites and receivers on the ground, combined with ever-improving electronics, allows satellite navigation systems to measure location to accuracies on the order of a few metres in real time.

· Reconnaissance satellites are Earth observation satellite or communications satellite deployed for military or intelligence applications. Little is known about the full power of these satellites, as governments who operate them usually keep information pertaining to their reconnaissance satellites classified.

· Solar power satellites are proposed satellites built in high Earth orbit that use microwave power transmission to beam solar power to very large antenna on Earth where it can be used in place of conventional power sources.

· Space stations are man-made structures that are designed for human beings to live on in outer space. A space station is distinguished from other manned spacecraft by its lack of major propulsion or landing facilities — instead, other vehicles are used as transport to and from the station. Space stations are designed for medium-term living in orbit, for periods of weeks, months, or even years.

· Weather satellites are satellites that primarily are used to monitor the weather and/or climate of the Earth.

· Miniaturized satellites are satellites of unusually low weights and small sizes. New classifications are used to categorize these satellites: minisatellite (500–200 kg), microsatellite (below 200 kg), nanosatellite (below 10 kg).

Orbit types

Many times satellites are characterized by their orbit. Although a satellite may orbit at almost any height, satellites are commonly categorized by their altitude:

· Low Earth Orbit (LEO: 200 – 1200km above the Earth’s surface)

· Medium Earth Orbit (ICO or MEO: 1200 – 35286 km)

· Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO: 35786 km above Earth’s surface) and Geostationary Orbit ( zero inclination geosynchronous orbit). These orbits are of particular interest for communication satellites and will be discussed in detail later.

· High Earth Orbit (HEO: above 35786 km)

The following orbits are special orbits that are also used to categorize satellites:

· Molniya orbits: Is a class of a highly elliptic orbit. A satellite placed in this orbit spends most of its time over a designated area of the earth, a phenomenon known as apogee dwell. Molniya orbits are named after a series of Soviet/Russian Molniya communications satellites that have been using this class of orbits since the mid 1960s.

· Heliosynchronous or sun-synchronous orbit: A heliosynchronous orbit, or more commonly a sun-synchronous orbit is an orbit in which an object always passes over any given point of the Earth’s surface at the same local solar time. This is a useful characteristic for satellites that image the earth’s surface in visible or infrared wavelengths (e.g. weather, spy and remote sensing satellites).

· Polar orbit : A satellite in a polar orbit passes above or nearly above both poles of the planet (or other celestial body) on each revolution.

· Hohmann transfer orbit: For this particular orbit type, it is more common to identify the satellite as a spacecraft. In astronautics and aerospace engineering, the Hohmann transfer orbit is an orbital maneuver that moves a spacecraft from one orbit to another.

· Supersynchronous orbit or drift orbit : orbit above GEO. Satellites will drift in a westerly direction.

· Subsynchronous orbit or drift orbit: orbits close to but below GEO. Used for satellites undergoing station changes in an eastern direction.

Communication Satellites

A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications. Modern communications satellites use geosynchronous orbits, Molniya orbits or low Earth orbits.

For fixed services, communications satellites provide a technology complementary to that of fiber optic submarine communication cables. For mobile applications, such as communications to ships and planes satellite based communicationis only the viable means of communications as application of other technologies, such as cable, are impractical or impossible.

Early missions: The origin of satellite communication can be traced to an article written by Arthur C. Clarke in 1945. He suggested that a radio relay satellite in an equatorial orbit with a period of 24 hours would remain stationary with respect to earth’s surface and can be used for long-range radio communication, as it will over come the limitations imposed by earth curvature. Sputnik 1, The world’s first artificial (non communication) satellite, was launched on October 4, 1957. The first satellite to relay communications was Project SCORE in 1958, which used a tape recorder to store and forward voice messages. It was used to send a Christmas greeting to the world from President Eisenhower. NASA launched an Echo satellite in 1960. This 100-foot aluminized Mylar balloon served as a passive reflector for radio communications. Courier 1B, (built by Philco) also was launched in 1960, was the world’s first active repeater satellite. Given below are the details of milestones in satellite communcation history: -

· Herman Potocnik – describes a space station in geosynchronous orbit – 1928

· Arthur C. Clarke – proposes a station in geosynchronous orbit to relay communications and broadcast television – 1945

· Project SCORE – first communications satellite – 1958

· Echo I – first passive reflector satellite – August 1960

· Courier 1B – first active repeater satellite – October 1960

· Telstar – the first active direct relay satellite designed to transmit television and high-speed data communications. Telstar was placed in an elliptical orbit (completed once every 2 hours and 37 minutes), rotating at a 45° angle above the equator. July 1962

· Syncom – first communications satellite in geosynchronous orbit. Syncom 2 revolved around the earth once per day at constant speed, but because it still had north-south motion special equipment was needed to track it. 1963

· OSCAR-III – first amateur radio communications satellite – March 1965

· Molniya – first Soviet communication satellite, highly elliptic orbit – October 1965

· Early Bird – INTELSAT’s first satellite for commercial service – April 1965

· Orbita – first national TV network based on satellite television – November 1967

· Anik 1 – the first national satellite television system, Canada, – 1973

· Westar 1, the USA’s first geosynchronous communications satellite – April 1974

· Ekran – first serial Direct-To-Home TV communication satellite 1976

· Palapa A1 – first Indonesia communications satellite – July 8 1976

· TDRSS – first satellite designed to provide communications relay services for other spacecraft. – 1983

· Mars Global Surveyor – first communications satellite in orbit around another planet (Mars) – 1997

· Cassini spacecraft relays to Earth images from the Huygens probe as it lands on Saturn’s moon, Titan, the longest relay to date. — January 14, 2005

Depending on the need the communication satellites can be placed in various types of orbits. We discuss few common types: -

(a) Geostationary orbits Satellites: A satellite in a geostationary orbit appears to be in a fixed position to an earth-based observer. A geostationary satellite revolves around the earth at a constant speed once per day over the equator. The geostationary orbit is useful for communications applications because ground based antennae, which must be directed toward the satellite, can operate effectively without the need for expensive equipment to track the satellite’s motion. Especially for applications that require a large number of ground antennae (such as direct TV distribution), the savings in ground equipment can more than justify the extra cost and onboard complexity of lifting a satellite into the relatively high geostationary orbit.

The concept of the geostationary communications satellite was first proposed by Arthur C. Clarke, building on work by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and on the 1929 work by Herman Potočnik (writing as Herman Noordung) Das Problem der Befahrung des Weltraums – der Raketen-motor. In October 1945 Clarke published an article titled “Extra-terrestrial Relays” in the British magazine Wireless World. The article described the fundamentals behind the deployment of artificial satellites in geostationary orbits for the purpose of relaying radio signals. Thus Arthur C. Clarke is often quoted as being the inventor of the communications satellite.

The first geostationary communications satellite was Anik 1, a Canadian satellite launched in 1972. The United States launched their own geostationary communication satellites afterward, with Western Union launching their Westar 1 satellite in 1974, and RCA Americom (later GE Americom, now SES Americom) launching Satcom 1 in 1975.
It was Satcom 1 that was instrumental in helping early cable TV channels such as WTBS (now TBS Superstation), HBO, CBN (now ABC Family), and The Weather Channel become successful, because these channels distributed their programming to all of the local cable TV headends using the satellite. Additionally, it was the first satellite used by broadcast TV networks in the United States, like ABC, NBC, and CBS, to distribute their programming to all of their local affiliate stations. The reason that Satcom 1 was so widely used is that it had twice the communications capacity of Westar 1 (24 transponders as opposed to Westar 1’s 12), which resulted in lower transponder usage costs.

By 2000 Hughes Space and Communications (now Boeing Satellite Systems) had built nearly 40 percent of the satellites in service worldwide. Other major satellite manufacturers include Space Systems/Loral, Lockheed Martin (owns former RCA Astro Electronics/GE Astro Space business), Northrop Grumman, Alcatel Space and EADS Astrium.

(b) Low-Earth-orbiting satellites: A low Earth orbit typically is a circular orbit about 150 kilometers above the earth’s surface and, correspondingly, a period (time to revolve around the earth) of about 90 minutes. Because of their low altitude, these satellites are only visible from within a radius of roughly 1000 kilometers from the sub-satellite point. In addition, satellites in low earth orbit change their position relative to the ground position quickly. So even for local applications, a large number of satellites are needed if the mission requires uninterrupted connectivity.

Low earth orbiting satellites are less expensive to position in space than geostationary satellites and, because of their closer proximity to the ground, require lower signal strength. So there is a trade off between the number of satellites and their cost. In addition, there are important differences in the onboard and ground equipment needed to support the two types of missions.

A group of satellites working in concert thus is known as a satellite constellation. Two such constellations which were intended for provision for hand held telephony, primarily to remote areas, were the Iridium and Globalstar. The Iridium system has 66 satellites. Another LEO satellite constellation, with backing from Microsoft entrepreneur Paul Allen, was to have as many as 720 satellites. It is also possible to offer discontinuous coverage using a low Earth orbit satellite capable of storing data received while passing over one part of Earth and transmitting it later while passing over another part. This will be the case with the CASCADE system of Canada’s CASSIOPE communications satellite.

(c) Molniya satellites: As mentioned, geostationary satellites are constrained to operate above the equator. As a consequence, they are not always suitable for providing services at high latitudes: for at high latitudes a geostationary satellite may appear low on (or even below) the horizon, affecting connectivity and causing multipathing (interference caused by signals reflecting off the ground into the ground antenna). The first satellite of Molniya series was launched on April 23, 1965 and was used for experimental transmission of TV signal from Moscow uplink station to downlink stations, located in Russian Far East, in Khabarovsk, Magadan and Vladivostok. In November of 1967 Soviet engineers created a unique system of national TV network of satellite television, called Orbita that was based on Molniya satellites.

Molniya orbits can be an appealing alternative in such cases. The Molniya orbit is highly inclined, guaranteeing good elevation over selected positions during the northern portion of the orbit. (Elevation is the extent of the satellite’s position above the horizon. Thus a satellite at the horizon has zero elevation and a satellite directly overhead has elevation of 90 degrees). Furthermore, the Molniya orbit is so designed that the satellite spends the great majority of its time over the far northern latitudes, during which its ground footprint moves only slightly. Its period is one half day, so that the satellite is available for operation over the targeted region for eight hours every second revolution. In this way a constellation of three Molniya satellites (plus in-orbit spares) can provide uninterrupted coverage.

Molniya satellites are typically used for telephony and TV services over Russia. Another application is to use them for mobile radio systems (even at lower latitudes) since cars traveling through urban areas need access to satellites at high elevation in order to secure good connectivity, e.g. in the presence of tall buildings.

Applications of Satellites

(a) Telephony: One of the major applications of a communication satellite is in provision of long distance telephone services. The connectivity is through frequency division multiple access (FDMA) or time division multiple access(TDMA) predominantly. Telephone subscribers can be connected through a network of exchanges which are in turn connected to satellite earth stations which uplink the traffic to satellite for further processing.

(b) Television and Radio: There are two types of satellites used for television and radio:

(i) Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS): A direct broadcast satellite is a communications satellite that transmits to small DBS satellite dishes (usually 18″ to 24″ in diameter). Direct broadcast satellites generally operate in the upper portion of the Ku band. DBS technology is used for DTH-oriented (Direct-To-Home) satellite TV services, such as DirecTV and Dish Network in the United States, ExpressVu in Canada, and Sky Digital in the UK.

(ii) Fixed Service Satellite (FSS): Use the C band, and the lower portions of the Ku bands. They are normally used for broadcast feeds to and from television networks and local affiliate stations (such as program feeds for network and syndicated programming, live shots, and backhauls), as well as being used for distance learning by schools & universities, business television (BTV), videoconferencing, and general commercial telecommunications. FSS satellites are also used to distribute national cable channels to cable TV headends. FSS satellites differ from DBS satellites in that they have a lower RF power output than the latter, requiring a much larger dish for reception (3 to 8 feet in diameter for Ku band, and 12 feet on up for C band). FSS satellite technology was also originally used for DTH satellite TV from the late 1970s to the early 1990s in the USA in the form of TVRO (TeleVision Receive Only) receivers and dishes (a.k.a. big-dish, or more pejoratively known as big ugly dish, systems). It was also used in its Ku band form for the now-defunct Primestar satellite TV service.

(c) Mobile satellite technologies: Initially available for broadcast to stationary TV receivers, by 2004 popular mobile direct broadcast applications made their appearance with that arrival of two satellite radio systems in the United States: Sirius and XM Satellite Radio Holdings. Some manufacturers have also introduced special antennas for mobile reception of DBS television. Using GPS technology as a reference, these antennas automatically re-aim to the satellite no matter where or how the vehicle (that the antenna is mounted on) is situated. These mobile satellite antennas are popular with some recreational vehicle owners. Such mobile DBS antennas are also used by JetBlue Airways for DirecTV (supplied by LiveTV, a subsidiary of JetBlue), which passengers can view on-board on LCD screens mounted in the seats.

(d) Amateur radio: Amateur radio operators have access to the OSCAR satellites that have been designed specifically to carry amateur radio traffic. Most such satellites operate as space borne repeaters, and are generally accessed by amateurs equipped with UHF or VHF radio equipment and highly directional antennas such as Yagis or dish antennas. Due to the limitations of ground-based amateur equipment, most amateur satellites are launched into fairly low Earth orbits, and are designed to deal with only a limited number of brief contacts at any given time. Some satellites also provide data-forwarding services using the X.25 or similar protocols.

Satellite Broadband Services: In recent years, satellite communication technology has been used as a means to connect to the Internet via broadband data connections. This is can be very useful for users to test who are located in very remote areas, and can’t access a wireline broadband or dialup connection.

Countries with satellite launch capability

This list includes counties with an independent capability to place satellites in orbit, including production of the necessary launch vehicle. Many more countries have built satellites that were launched with the aid of others. The French and British capabilities are now subsumed by the European Union under the European Space Agency.

First launch by country

Country Year of first launch First satellite

Russia 1957 “Sputnik 1″

United States 1958 “Explorer 1″

France 1965 “Asterix”

Japan 1970 “Osumi”

China 1970 “Dong Fang Hong I”

United Kingdom 1971 “Prospero X-3″

European Union 1979 “Ariane 1″

India 1980 “Rohini”

Israel 1988 “Ofea 1″

Iran 2005 “Sina 1″

In 1998, North Korea claimed to have launched a satellite, but this was never confirmed, and widely believed to be a cover for the test launch of the Taepodong-1 missile over Japan (See Kwangmyongsong).

Author has 28 years of experience in the field of Teaching and Management. He is M. Tech from IIT Kanpur and has worked in different capacities including Signal corps Indian Army, Regional Manager for a Telecom Company. Currently he is Associate Professor with ITM, Gurgaon that is rated as best Engineering colleges of North India.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Fans of Bruce Springsteen and the E. Street Band have their own channel on SIRIUS Satellite Radio. EStreetRadio is all the Boss 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Bruce Springsteen is an amazing singer, songwriter and guitarist who has been dazzling fans for over 30 years. Bruce Springsteen records and tours with the E Street Band since 1972. Springsteen discography includes 25 albums from 1973 to 2007. The winner of 18 Grammy Awards fills this station with incredible music including Hungry Heart, Dancing in the Dark, Glory Days, Tunnel of Love, and Human Touch.

This station is a special place on the satellite radio line-up for Springsteen fans with incredible moments in their history brought to you directly from E Street Band Members. Hear about stage antics or riding shotgun with Bruce from Clarence Clemmons, Nils Lofgren, or Roy Bittan. Subscribers will enjoy hearing rare tracks and studio outtakes from the archives.

SIRIUS Radio brings you serious concert action on EStreetRadio. If you missed that concert back in ‘77 in Detroit you can hear it on Springsteen Live. Hear full length concert recordings from the early years as well as recent recordings.

Guest DJs such as Andrew McCarthy, star of Pretty in Pink and Mannequin, play some of their favorite Springsteen tracks and tell interesting stories. Previous guest DJs on this station included Bill Bradley, Steve Earl and many others. As an added bonus to listeners each day a fan is chosen to play their favorite tracks as the DJ on You Be the Boss.

EStreetRadio is not just music it is a wealth of information. Fans can enjoy interviews from E Street Band members or Bruce Springsteen. Keep up with all the latest news by listening to Insider Reports.

Sirius Satellite Radio brings listeners over 130 channels of unique content with a wide variety of music channels completely commercial free. SIRIUS plays pop, hip-hop, rock, jazz, standards, and more. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy the extreme sports programming including SIRIUS NFL and SIRIUS NASCAR. Sports programming includes college sports, soccer, NBA, and additional sports programs. This satellite radio provider has talk radio with Howard Stern and Martha Stewart as well as comedy from Jamie Foxx.

Subscribers have a wide choice of radios available including in-vehicle dock & play radios, home radios, and personal handheld satellite radios. The Stiletto 2 and Stiletto 100 are personal radios that can double as a MP3 player and allow you to record a few hours of EStreetRadio on channel 10 for playback at a later time. You are the boss when you bring EStreetRadio to your home or vehicle.

The benefits of HughesNet are astounding. As long as you live within the contiguous US, you can enjoy speeds up to 50x faster than your antiquated dialup connection, as well as a connection that is always on. Of course, standard installation is free of charge and you will also find that HughesNet Internet lease options can be suited to you.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite TV used to be all the rage and I guess it still is to a degree. It’s obviously one heck of a lot more accessible now than it ever was. I remember those early days where home satellite dishes resembled a NASA space patroller, consuming half of the garden in the process. Of course, back then, not everyone had satellite TV, so it was considered something of a status symbol. “Look at this neighbor, we’ve just got hooked up to satellite TV”. Ner ner ne ner ner!

Of course, like all new technology, it doesn’t stay new for long and prices usually plummet pretty quickly as demand and quality goes up. When high tech equipment got so big that it became too big for homes, the next challenge was to miniaturize everything. We now have hi-fi systems no bigger than credit cards, and look at what they can pack into a mobile phone these days. Satellite dishes were no exception and the tiny squarial soon followed the big saucers to become the superior satellite solution. Folks were glad to get there gardens back as these unobtrusive little receivers could be pinned neatly out of everyone’s reach and way.

There are also many providers nowadays of satellite TV, and just like cable television, you are able to choose from a whole variety of packages, quite often tailor made to your own requirements. I can remember way back when there were literally just a handful of stations to watch on TV, but now there are so many to choose from, you can become a prisoner to the box with the plethora of programs being transmitted at any one time. The kids of today have no idea just how limited home entertainment used to be.

When you think about it carefully, there doesn’t seem to be an end to the viewing options available through Satellite TV. All kinds of programs for all types of folks in many different languages beamed around the planet. Let’s look at a few: There’s satellite TV providers for local programs, we have music channels (including satellite radio), CD music channels, numerous movie channels, like Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, the Movie Channel, Encore, Starz, Sundance, Sci-fi and Beyond, Flix, Action, Love, Mystery, Drama, Wam, the Independent Film Channel, and so much more!

Blimey, I could go on forever! There’s my favorite, the history channel, we also have discovery, the travel channel, food channels, animal planet, home shopping, soaps, weather, Disney, cartoon network, oh there’s no end to it all.

With so much competition, it’s always a good idea to shop around if you’re thinking of hooking up for the first time or changing your provider. Many special satellite TV promotions have great giveaways such as free equipment, a free trail period, an extra package etc. Another great thing about Satellite TV is that many receivers now include what they call DVR technology, or digital video recorder. This is just a fantastic new way to record your favorite programs at any time without all the cumbersome hassles that came with traditional video recording equipment. Believe it or not, but with DVR technology, you can tape over a hundred hours of programming, save what you want, and delete what you don’t want. It absolutely awesome.

Satellite TV is very inexpensive now and subscriptions can start at less than $20 per month. Compared to many cable companies, its value that cannot be beaten. Why not check out the Satellite TV options today. You never know what you might be missing!

Andy Maingam is a freelance writer and web publisher who writes on the wonders of modern technology. He has recently written pieces for TVforecast.com on The Cheap Flat Screen and Digital TV.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Tracking down some great XM Radio Reviews is not that hard to do these days. The entire fad of satellite radio has taken off like a rocket and now more than ever it is important to know what you are buying before you invest in it.

Satellite radio is great for those who love to listen to all different kinds of music but it is also very expensive. This kind of radio is nothing like the kind that you have in your car. With the normal radio all you have to do is turn the dial until you hear some music, satellite radio is totally different. Not only do you have a limited number of stations you also have to buy a whole new device to get it.

Cars and stereos do not come with the ability to pick up satellite radio frequencies. In order to listen to these types of stations you will have to buy a transceiver. These can range in price from a couple of hundred dollars to a lot of hundreds. This is making it tough for the average person to take part in this new trend of radio history.

The biggest problem is knowing what device to buy. Since there are several and the prices do vary so much, which should you buy? That is where the XM radio reviews come in. You can find all of the reviews that you need in order to choose the right device for your home or vehicle. We all have different needs and by reading what people like you have to say, you will probably find it much easier to make your final decision.

Reading good reviews is an important step in choosing the right satellite radio device because you don’t want to end up paying more for the same services if you don’t have to, right?

Jerry Baker writes technology reviews like the latest XM Satellite Radio receivers. Find out more at http://www.satellite.info

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The history of portable satellite radios is short compared to traditional over-the-air radio, but it has rapidly changed the face of radio listening like no other technology in recent memory. The two major satellite radio services, XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio, offer a stunning array of programming and compete fiercely for customers.

Their popularity has stunned many in the radio industry and with the advent of new, smaller, more convenient portable satellite radios, some industry veterans worry about the future viability of traditional broadcast radio.

How did satellite radio get started and what is its future? Let’s take a look.

The Beginnings of Satellite Radio

The history of satellite radio begins in 1992, when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided to set aside a portion of spectrum to be devoted to nationwide distribution of digital radio service via satellite. SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio bid huge amounts of money (at least $80 million each) for licenses to use this new allocation of spectrum, which were eventually awarded to them by the FCC.

Owning the right to use the spectrum, though, was only the first step. Even if they could start delivering satellite radio signals right away, there were no consumer-accessible portable satellite radios to receive the signal. Additionally, there was substantial debate within the radio industry about whether consumers would be willing to pay for new hardware and then pay a monthly subscription fee for radio service. After all, AM and FM radio broadcasts were available free all over the country.

Making a Business out of Satellite Radio

XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio set out to overcome these obstacles and make a real business out of portable satellite radios and satellite radio programming. They knew that to attract the most consumers they needed to offer a variety of hardware components that could be used in a variety of locations – home, work, and especially the car, where most radio listening occurs.

Working with electronics manufacturers already trusted and recognized by consumers (Sanyo, Panasonic, JVC, Kenwood, etc.), hardware development got underway. The results included portable satellite radios, receivers, and “plug and play” components for nearly every consumer application. Manufacturers built satellite radio receivers for cars, homes, offices, trucks, RVs, boats, and even airplanes.

On the programming side, XM and SIRUS put together an assortment of niche music stations that would have something to offer consumers with nearly any musical taste. Each station was programmed to appeal to a specific type of listener, and most were commercial-free. Programming originated primarily from New York, but also from other locations, plus XM and SIRIUS entered into collaborative agreements that would allow popular musicians, entertainers, personalities and others to perform live from the originating locations. This would give the services another unique selling point to attract consumers.

Dealing with resistance to a monthly fee, though, required a broader array of marketing, public relations, and strategies to communicate the benefits and advantages of portable satellite radios. XM and SIRIUS knew that the key to their success would lie in convincing consumers of the value they would receive while making the hardware widely available and affordable.

Spreading the Word

Portable satellite radios began to show up in a variety of places where consumers would find it easy to use them. One of the most important places for XM and SIRIUS to gain entry for the hardware was in cars and trucks, where consumers do the vast majority of their radio listening.

They collaborated with car and truck manufacturers to make portable satellite radios standard on many high-end luxury vehicles, and an affordable option on most other mid-range vehicles. For most of these consumers, the cost of a monthly subscription would not be prohibitive and by making it easy for them to access their services, XM and SIRIUS could entice consumers to try it out and start spreading the word about its value.

Portable satellite radios were also placed in boats and RVs, and standard receivers were heavily marketed for use in homes and businesses. Another innovation, introduced in November 2004, is the handheld version of XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio receivers. These devices were designed to appeal to people who want access to satellite radio services while running, walking, or otherwise moving out and about in locations other than their cars, trucks, homes or offices.

Another important component of spreading the word was establishing partnerships and marketing agreements with electronics retailers such as Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and other well-known names. Working closely with retailers, XM and SIRIUS have greatly increased their presence with consumers and sales have steadily increased.

Why Pay for Radio?

Still, the bottom line question for most people is why pay for radio? The answer is in the benefits received with a subscription to satellite radio. Some of the most popular benefits include:

More channel choices (up to 150)
Commercial-free (music channels)
Live audio streaming of sporting events
Weather and traffic information (in major markets)
Clear, crisp digital signal
Signal available with no fading when driving long distances
Niche music stations to suit any musical taste
Assortment of sports, talk, and news stations

Coming Soon

Satellite radio service is in its infancy so it is inevitable that the technology and the features will continue to develop. XM Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio will have to devote resources to such innovations if they are to attract enough subscribers to become profitable.

For example, one feature that will soon be available in some areas real time traffic information delivered via satellite directly to the navigation system in the car. This information will appear as color-coded displays of the average speed of vehicles on specific roads, allowing the driver to select the travel route that is least congested at any particular time.

Other new options and ideas are inevitable over the next few years, so it is likely that portable satellite radios will continue to grow in popularity and become more common in vehicles, homes, offices, boats, RVs, and just about any other location that can be imagined.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

SIRIUS Satellite Radio recently launched a new music channel dedicated exclusively to the Grateful Dead on channel 32 and here’s it what I heard in just the first couple of hours. To kick off the new channel, SIRIUS aired a rarely heard recording of a 1974 concert from the Hollywood Bowl as well as a talk session with Bob Weir.

In listening to the newly added channel over the weekend I was able to tune into archived as well as recent interviews with some of the band members, jam out to some sweet music that I haven’t listened to in a long time, and reminisce with some fans about their incredible experiences with the Dead. If you often refer to yourself as a bona fide Deadhead then I think its time you checked out this station for your road trips.

The coolest part about this new channel is that it will really start to take shape as more subscribers volunteer their input on what they what to hear and talk about. Bob Weir even has his own show called “Bob Weir Behind the Mic” where he hosts an hour-long show to play and discuss the country-influenced music from the Dead. Weir won’t be the only Grateful Dead band member involved in this channel, it looks like Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, fan and member Bruce Hornsby, and lyricist John Perry Barlow will be joining in the fun as well. You can also look forward to hearing unreleased concert recordings, live performances, archived interviews with Jerry Garcia, and more.

Personally, my favorite part about the new channel besides 24/7 access to my favorite rock band of all times is the “Today in Grateful Dead History” segment. This segment will help you think back to your favorite memories of the Dead as David Lemieux, a Grateful Dead archivist, takes you back one day at a time to the events and the music that shaped the music world as we know it today. All in all it looks like the new Grateful Dead channel will be programmed as one of my favorites on my SIRIUS radio You can find the Grateful Dead station 24/7 commercial-free on channel number 32.

If you find that you can actually tear yourself away from the new Grateful Dead channel I also suggest checking out Jam_On on channel 17, Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville on Channel 31 and SIRIUS Blues on channel 74. These are just a handful of my favorite channels on SIRIUS Satellite Radio that are kind of similar to this new channel.

HughesNet Internet has the power to transform the way you use the Internet, as well as how much you enjoy it. Through advanced satellite technology, HughesNet gives you 50x the speed of dialup, as well as saving you money with their free standard installation and setup, easy lease options and more.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Many satellite radio fans find that dedicated music channels are one of the best advantages offered by this new trend in technology. Sirius, one of the two major satellite radio providers, offers a wealth of dedicated music channels that are perfect for music fans that just cannot seem to get enough of their favorite groups.

One such option is a channel that is dedicated solely to the Grateful Dead. Like all music channels, this channel is completely commercial free and operates 24-hours per day. This means that no matter what time of the day or night you turn to that channel you will have the opportunity to enjoy the very best of the Grateful Dead as well as specialty programming about the iconic group that is not available anywhere else.

The Grateful Dead; however, is not the only group that has received a dedicated satellite radio music channel. Elvis Radio is another high popular channel. In fact, it is the only official radio channel in the world dedicated to broadcasting all-Elvis Presley programming. Programming is broadcast live from Graceland. Everything from the early years to Elvis classics and his comebacks are played on All-Elvis. Listeners can even listen to live tracks and rarities that are difficult to find anywhere else.

Other groups and musicians which have received dedicated music channels include Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, George Straight and The Who.

Recently it was announced that Sirius will once again dedicate a channel to the Rolling Stones as part of the release of ‘Shine a Light’; a Scorsese film. Not only will listeners be able to enjoy fabulous hits of the Rolling Stones but also interviews with band members as well. Like many of the dedicated music channels on Sirius, Rolling Stones Radio will air for a limited time only. Broadcasting will begin on March 18th and last through April 15th.

In the past, Sirius has also offered music channels that were dedicated to providing music for special events and holidays. During the Christmas season, three different music channels were dedicated entirely to holiday music. An entire channel was also dedicated to the artists and personalities who helped to shape and influence African-American music during Black History Month. Lionel Richie, Charlie Wilson, LL Cool J and numerous others were featured on the channel during the month the music channel ran.

Satellite radio has become extremely popular in the last few years due to the amount of exclusive programming and entertainment that simply cannot be found elsewhere. Dedicated music channels are just one example of the unique content and programming which satellite radio offers over traditional AM/FM radio.

Sirius radio is not the only satellite radio provider to recognize the importance and value of offering dedicated music channels; however. XM has also jumped on the bandwagon and in the past offered channels that were dedicated to the work of such artists as Led Zeppelin and George Strait as well as many others.

HughesNet Internet access gives you the high-speed connection that you need to connect with the world. With connection speeds up to 50x faster than dialup connections, HughesNet Internet ensures that you remain connected at the best speed for you, whether you’re checking email, streaming videos or just surfing around the net.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet dating services are popping up online like dandelions in the spring, and sometimes for a newcomer, it’s hard to recognize which ones are the reputable dating sites that are willing to offer you the best Internet dating service to earn your trust, and which ones are out to take your money with false promises!

In order to find an online dating site that you will be comfortable with, you have to visit each one individually online, view their services, and hopefully the information they provide makes you feel at ease!

How do you know if one particular dating service is more genuine over the other dating services? At first you don’t know, because you’re relying on their written sales jargon!

When you land on their page it looks nice and fancy, and it shows lots of single members with beautiful photos, and well written profiles, but do you ever ask yourself, is that person’s photo real, were the relationships posted true, or is this a way to entice you to join?

If the above questions are a concern to you, then you have to do your research, read and fully understand their policy and privacy statements, and most of all go with your gut instincts if something doesn’t sound right!

Most of the top dating relationship sites offer free dating services such as free personals, and free matchmaking to secure your trust, but they also make it clear that they provide more advanced services for their online members with many options and secure features.

So for any reason you stumble on a so-called free dating web site, make sure you find out where they are getting money to support their dating business. Nothing is totally free, and you have to be very careful they don’t have a hidden agenda.

Never provide personal information such as your credit card number, or online banking information if you’re not completely satisfied with a particular Internet service and their lack of security features!

The online dating industry is truly exciting, and it is a fantastic way to conveniently find singles that have your same interests in mind.

By saying this, there are many online matchmaking businesses that have a very good reputation, and have proven to be successful in providing avenues for single men and women searching for relationships on the Internet.

However, always do extensive research, and use your best instincts to make sure your safety is first priority. Once you feel comfortable, you’re ready to take the next step to finding your true love online.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet dating services are popping up online like dandelions in the spring, and sometimes for a newcomer, it’s hard to recognize which ones are the reputable dating sites that are willing to offer you the best Internet dating service to earn your trust, and which ones are out to take your money with false promises!

In order to find an online dating site that you will be comfortable with, you have to visit each one individually online, view their services, and hopefully the information they provide makes you feel at ease!

How do you know if one particular dating service is more genuine over the other dating services? At first you don’t know, because you’re relying on their written sales jargon!

When you land on their page it looks nice and fancy, and it shows lots of single members with beautiful photos, and well written profiles, but do you ever ask yourself, is that person’s photo real, were the relationships posted true, or is this a way to entice you to join?

If the above questions are a concern to you, then you have to do your research, read and fully understand their policy and privacy statements, and most of all go with your gut instincts if something doesn’t sound right!

Most of the top dating relationship sites offer free dating services such as free personals, and free matchmaking to secure your trust, but they also make it clear that they provide more advanced services for their online members with many options and secure features.

So for any reason you stumble on a so-called free dating web site, make sure you find out where they are getting money to support their dating business. Nothing is totally free, and you have to be very careful they don’t have a hidden agenda.

Never provide personal information such as your credit card number, or online banking information if you’re not completely satisfied with a particular Internet service and their lack of security features!

The online dating industry is truly exciting, and it is a fantastic way to conveniently find singles that have your same interests in mind.

By saying this, there are many online matchmaking businesses that have a very good reputation, and have proven to be successful in providing avenues for single men and women searching for relationships on the Internet.

However, always do extensive research, and use your best instincts to make sure your safety is first priority. Once you feel comfortable, you’re ready to take the next step to finding your true love online.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

USB Internet Phone is a technique with which you can make your calls using the internet. Phones like Definity Phones, Partner telephones, Toshiba Telephone have come up with VOIP Telephone Service. VOIP Telephone services are quite cheaper then the customary PSTN lines. It is rated as one of the best telephone service giving meaning to the word quality. VOIP phones are one of the excellent series of phone help increasing productivity with hard working features that enhance the ability to communicate.

VOIP telephone service provides the cost saving solutions which are very helpful for making international calls at a much lower rate as compared to the other modes of communication. If you want to have these service you just need to have an internet connection and an appropriate device in order to make a call anywhere in the world with much reduced cost.

Manufacturers like Siemens, Panasonic, Philips; linksys etc. offer these services incorporating maximum features and these services are comfortable, efficient and easy to use too. There are number of individuals and corporate organizations who are always interested in to purchase the latest VoIP telephones.

Used in various communications needs and requirements, VOIP telephones are very common. Many Voip handsets are available in the market such as VoIP 4331 MSN Messenger phone from Gigaset and Philips, WIP330 Wireless-G IP phone from Linksys and C460 IP DECT VoIP Telephone from Siemens having VoIP Telephone services.

There are many leading web stores offering these cost effective VOIP phone services. So, have a VoIP phone and talk at length from your office or home to your near and dear ones at lower rates. The phone service is very well suitable for current and future business need which is technically sound and quality oriented. Additional to this, you will find good sound quality, increased standby and talk time with these phones.

If you want a change, you can easily exchange and can easily sell used telephone Telephones understanding various needs of major brands for telecommunication and supplies. Matching the existing needs, VOIP telephone services are easily selected by the customers.

VOIP telephone services are gaining popularity as the most successful key system in the marketplace. They had established a great presence on the web which is of particular interest to small businesses, especially those looking to grow by providing improved customer service treating businesses as a strategic tool it’s the perfect way to interact with their customers.

Thompson is an expert author and webmaster of Telephones website. The website having details partner telephones, t1 internet services, usb internet phone, voip telephone, norstar t7316e, norstar phone system http://btxchange.com

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Just what is internet business? This may be categorised into almost any form of business now probably with the exception of physical requirement businesses such as manufacturing, farming etc. For example, will the internet ever be able to replace a filling?

Thus the question must be asked, are all other forms of business deemed to become extinct in the future or is this merely a part of what is to become.

While it is theoretically possible to achieve almost anything with the internet, even things such as legal services, architectural services, even accounting and financial advisory services with the internet, the fact remains that the internet (in 2007) cannot think and hence cannot draw upon personal experience- some people may say that their own professional advisors don’t think-or supply opinions that, in legal terms may even create new precedents.

Additionally, people traditionally like a personal touch, so whatever field one examines, this may be the case. But to answer the initial question, internet business is business that can be transacted using the internet, either with or without human intervention.

If I sound like I am picking on the legal professions, I am not, just using them as an example, indeed paying them a compliment as they are pillars of society.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

In today’s world, the increasing trend is to continually reduce costs, sometimes to the detriment of the business itself, so internet business provides a great means of doing this as it removes traditional costs associated with business, for example office rent and rates, travelling expenses, health and safety requirements etc.

However, on the downside people lose that daily interaction, they lose the office “feel”, the personal touch with any customers is lost etc.

Internet Business Ideas

The obvious internet businesses are ones such as the travel industry or any kind of consulting or marketing goods of any description. To expand on this, just look at the travel industry- what is the first thing you do when you are looking for a holiday or flight- you open up the internet and search so the potential is there to be very successful and examples of a possible internet business can be found almost anywhere.

Other examples would include PC repair or tutoring, but if one thinks long and hard enough, they can sell any service or good via the internet, removing the need for vans or shops for example.

So what does this mean for traditional business?

Is this the demise for business as we have almost known it?

Personally, in the foreseeable future I am certain not. I will explain. Lets look at retail- people will always go into town to visit favourite cafes and go shopping, wanting to see the goods for themselves.

One must remember that it is also a social thing where people interact and meet other friends, or (especially in most countries) go to the local market for produce etc. This cannot be done via the internet.

Summarising, internet is fantastic, but for goods that are directly connected with one’s person, food, clothes etc. it is limited.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

With so many Internet dating service web sites popping up these days, it’s starting to have many online daters scratching their heads and wondering which dating service they would prefer!

Everyday there seems to be dating sites with titles such as Internet dating, dating free, dating personals, and Internet singles. Every time you do a search more pop-up like weeds in spring, but which dating site do you feel would fulfill your dating needs would be the ultimate question, and to find the answer, we have broken down some major relationship sites that offer individuals services that target certain personalities.

Yahoo Personals: This dating personals site has an appeal to singles world wide, and you can easily meet hundreds of single people from all over the globe, to many matches in your own backyard. They provide you all the tools from emailing, chatting, and photo submission, to special personality tests to find you compatible matches. Keep in mind the more services you require, the more the monthly fees will cost, but if you’re into having all the tools at your disposal, then your online dating experience could be fun and entertaining. This service targets free spirit individuals, and singles that want an experience that is more casual to start, leading up to possible longer-term relationships.

TRUE: Is a site that targets online dating singles that are searching for a serious relationship, and if you’re out to have a good chat with singles only looking to have online friendships, then don’t involve yourself in this dating service. However, if you’re tired of the dating scene, and you’re ready for a quality matchmaking service that can help you find true love, you will definitely find this service to be the right one for you. Online members are screened with strict guidelines and dating policies, and any false information will not be tolerated. So don’t even think about changing your name, or using an alias! This online dating site tailors to the individual that have been dating in the community, with more date experience, and currently had enough of the head-games involved in trying to establish a connection with their soul mate.

YouCanGetMe: This unique dating and matchmaking site offered out of the UK, attracts singles world wide, and is one we had to leave for last to talk about! They have taken the next level of dating by adding leading edge technology, and cater to the singles that want more in an online dating experience. With the combination of interactive features such as audio and visual tools that allow the single men and women to view and hear who they’re actually meeting online, the days are gone with this service of trying to establish if the photo your looking at, or the email you’re reading is actually the person you’re communicating with. What better way than to see and hear your future match, so you can make sure you’re actually meeting the right person.

This online matchmaking service is for single individuals that are not too comfortable with the Internet dating process, or just want the additional filtering features to help in their decision making process in finding a quality match.

In the end all these dating services are online for one purpose, to find you a compatible match. What it comes down to when selecting a personals or dating site is your budget, and your specific needs in meeting someone online. Whether you’re searching for a good friendship, a long lasting relationship, or a variety of discreet encounters, one thing to keep in mind is that sourcing the most reputable dating services over the Internet will end up saving you time, money, and most of all offer you the best online personals experience that will provide hours of fun, as well as possible serious encounters.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet dating services are growing in popular demand, however, there is a decline in memberships, and many of the dating singles are now happy to be experiencing matchmaking quality versus quantity!

It’s very easy to see who are the major Internet dating service players on the Internet, and with the current growth of online dating you will quickly notice the dating values on these sites are increasing.

What this means to you, is the quality of these sites are becoming more important than quantity, and many dating services online are adopting this with important features that cater to you as an individual that seriously wants to find a compatible person online.

Dating singles have demanded more from their singles service providers, and as they sign-up to become a member, they want to know that their dating site can offer a quality database of reputable singles, with the many matchmaking features.

As these reputable dating companies listened to their members, they have provided easy to use communication tools, and a safe, secure, discreet environment! For new people, they’re still offered free personals services, but with limitations.

Most single individuals don’t mind the free personals that are provided to new guests. It gives them an opportunity to explore the services offered before signing up, but once they want to proceed further and start meeting the currently available internet singles, it’s time to take it to the next level and pay for their membership and additional services.

Free members and dating members are the big difference in finding that right man or woman online that fulfills all your personal needs! As the dating sites started to only offer limited access for the free memberships, this had created a decline in bogus, non-serious members, and the end result is that it attracted more long-term online single members.

Now with the opportunity to experience better matches and a higher success rate in a dating relationship, even though memberships have started to decline over the years with many of the dating personal sites, this has been great news for the women and men that are paying to truly find their romantic partner for a quality not quantity experience!

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

You timidly suggested to your nephew that you were considering a move to a faster form of Internet service. Perhaps you have heard the term “broadband connection.” He probably heaved a huge sigh of relief. “Finally!” he said. But when you asked for guidance on which service to choose, you soon were sorry you asked. In two or three short sentences, he left you behind, babbling in technical gobblydegook that you couldn’t possibly follow — when all you really wanted to know was, “What should I get?”

Breathe easy. We’ll explain what the options are for faster Internet connections (which is what’s meant by “broadband” or “high-speed Internet”), with just a teeny bit of “how it works” so you have some sense of what you’re choosing and why.

In doing so, we don’t expect that you want to become a computer wizard. All you want, we assume, is the ability to get the advantages of fast Internet access: a computer that is always connected to the Internet, that permits you to zip around Web pages faster than you imagined possible, and that opens up a whole new set of ways to waste time online. Oh, we mean, a whole new set of ways to be productive. Whatever.

Let’s start out with the key question, and then work our way back to the underlying issues.

Q: What should I get? DSL or Cable Service?

Most technical people will give you all sorts of “this is how it works” answers, and they’ll talk about performance (that is, is DSL or cable service faster?) and setup (that is, how will you get your computer hooked into the modem?). There are differences between the technologies, and we’ll get to those in a moment.

But for someone who’s simply trying to find a simple and credible answer, the truth is that “fastest” is not really the most important issue. It’s just like choosing a car. Yes, auto enthusiasts discuss performance and 0-to-60 speeds and other things that matter primarily to other car aficionados. But if all you want is a car to commute to work, then what matters most is reliability, gas mileage, and the phone number of a mechanic whose work you trust. And affordable. It should be affordable.

In terms of high-speed Internet connections, that means:

* Find out if you have a choice at all. In many places, you can get one kind of service but not another. (We’ll explain the reasons why in a little while.)
* Choose a provider you trust. If you hate your phone company or if you are already irked with the cable TV provider, why add agony to your life? Choose the provider whose service you trust the most (or whom you hate the least, which may be closer to the mark).
* When you check into pricing, be sure to find out about installation options. Many cable and DSL providers will come to your house or business to set up the network and Internet connection. If one provider does so and the other does not, your decision is easier. As with many things in life — such as garage door openers — it’s important to get your high-speed Internet service installed right in the first place, or it’ll never quite work correctly. It can be worth the expense to pay a professional.
* If company-supplied installation is not an option, then ask your “local techie” — that same nephew who’s sure he knows everything — which type of service to get, and follow his advice. If you rely on family-provided technical support, then it makes sense to choose an option with which that family member is comfortable. Doing so avoids those nasty “I told you so” conversations over the Thanksgiving table.
* Consider price as just one element of the equation. In most cases, the difference in cost is negligible. But your existing phone and cable company may be able to sweeten the deal; for example, some cable companies may offer a reduced price if you get Internet access, telephone services, and TV stations from them.

What — none of those things are about technology! Isn’t that the key issue? Shouldn’t I choose the one that’s better?

Yes, there are technical differences between the two kinds of service. There can be major speed differences. But in the real world, “convenience” is often much more important.

Q: What do DSL and cable services have in common?

Both types of service provide an “always-on” connection. That is, they’re automatically connected to the Internet as long as the computer is turned on. You need not worry about busy signals or any connection/disconnection process.

Both are billed on a monthly basis, often on the same invoice with your phone or cable TV service.

Both work with your Windows or Macintosh computers without fiddling. They’ll also work with other operating systems, too. However, the typical high-speed Internet service technical support representative may be unfamiliar with the details of getting everything to work with your “alternative choice.” It may take extra expertise, and you may need additional help (that is, expect to buy the nephew a nice dinner).

In most places, DSL and cable access cost about the same.

Q: How is Internet speed measured … and to what degree does it matter?

When computer techies talk about Internet connection speed, it’s generally in mbps: millions of bits per second. This can be confusing since everything else in the world of computers is measured in bytes. Bits and bytes aren’t the same thing. But to put it in context: to send a photo that’s 2.2 megabytes (MB) when stored on your hard disk, it’ll take about 3 minutes for the transfer if you have a 5 Mbps Internet connection.

If we were to get technical, we’d quibble with the reliability of those numbers and whether they’re useful for more than a general comparison. So would your helpful nephew. If you later decide to explore the underlying technology, you’ll learn the reasons for this. But for now, simply assume that 6 Mpbs is faster than 5 Mpbs, as a useful oversimplification.

Obviously, most people prefer faster speed to slower. Many providers price their services accordingly.

Realistically, if you’ve been using a dial-up modem to access the Internet, it will all seem blazingly fast. If you’re planning to use the Internet for relatively ordinary purposes, such as e-mail, Web browsing, and instant messaging, then your provider’s “basic” speed is probably enough whether you choose cable or DSL. Speed matters a lot more if you expect to work with large files, such as movies, photos, music, games, and any other application that caused the computer salesperson to say, “Hmm, you probably should get a bigger hard disk.”

Q: Why do Internet providers list upload and download speeds separately? Should I care?

One aspect of connection speed that is important is the difference between upload speed and download speed. Download speed measures how quickly the information on the Internet is sent to you, such as the email you receive or the Web pages that appear in your browser. Upload speed indicates how fast the information is sent from your computer to…well, to anywhere else.

In many cases, especially with cable service, the upload speed is much slower than the download speed. That sounds like a bad thing, but in most cases the upload speed isn’t a key issue. Think about how you got to this article. You probably typed something into a browser window (such as “compare dsl and cable service” in a search engine). You clicked on a couple of links. And that was about it. A few words of typing, and the clicks. Those didn’t need to speed up the line at warp speeds; you could manage it even if your typing skills are generously described as “hunt and peck.”

But the computer where this page is stored is sending you several pages of information — so you want the download speed to be fast. (This is a very simple example. Your “just a few clicks” could also have shown you a movie, which would have a lot of data to download!)

In some circumstances, the upload speed matters. But for ordinary home use it’s fine for the upload speed to be much lower than the download speed.

Q: How do cable modems work?

A cable modem connects a single computer to the Internet using the cable TV network. If you have cable TV service in your neighborhood, you can almost certainly get cable service.

Specifically, the cable modem is a black box with blinking lights. It connects to the computer with a network cable, which may be Ethernet, USB, or some other kind of plug. No matter how old your computer is, it almost certainly has one of these plug-connections available.

Q: Do you need cable television to use a cable modem?

No. You do need to be in an area to which the cable company provides service, and the cable company needs to physically get the cable to your location if it hasn’t done so already.

Also, expect a sales pitch on choosing cable TV service to accompany your new Internet access, perhaps with price encouragement (”do you want fries with that?”), but technically speaking there’s no need for you to sign up for HBO just so you can send e-mail faster.

Q: How does DSL work?

DSL (digital subscriber line) connects a computer to the Internet using the same wires as a regular telephone line. Although it sounds like it will make your phone line “busy,” DSL doesn’t work that way; the phone service isn’t affected by the Internet connection. In most cases in the U.S., the DSL connection is a phone socket, and your existing house wiring carries both phone and data. It, too, may use a black (or white) box with blinking lights.

Q: Why is distance an issue with DSL? And distance to what?

A key difference with DSL is that its speed relies on the distance to the “central office” or CO. That term sounds as though there are office workers slaving away doing paperwork, but in most cases the CO is a large building with a huge number of wires — no humans at all. The farther your computer is from the CO, the worse the signal quality, and thus the connection speed is decreased.

Don’t take out a tape measure. When the phone company judges your distance to the CO, they measure the wires installed between your home and their equipment, which is probably not a straight line.

While it isn’t a technically accurate analogy, imagine shouting to someone across a field. At some point, the other person won’t be able to hear you. If you’re within 5,000 feet of the CO, your Internet access speed will be faster than if you’re 15,000 feet away. And if you’re 22,000 feet from the CO, you probably can’t even get DSL service because the provider knows you’d never be happy with the performance.

There are different kinds of DSL service, and you may be able to use one of them even if you’re (relatively speaking) far from the CO; but you won’t be able to expect top connection speeds.

Q: Why are there different flavors of DSL? Do they matter?

When people talk about DSL, they generally mean ADSL (Asymmetric DSL). It would be easy to get extremely technical here, but the simplified explanation is that ADSL is intended primarily for low use, with download speeds many times faster than upload speeds. That’s fine for most residential purposes.

In contrast, the upload speeds on Symmetric DSL (SDSL) are almost the same as its download speeds. That matters if you plan to do a lot of online gaming or to run any kind of Internet server (the latter is unlikely for home use, but the former is quite common if you have children at home). However, SDSL is more expensive than ADSL, and you usually have to be fairly close to the CO to be able to get the service.

There are a few other kinds of DSL connections. You’re unlikely to choose these, but you may want to be familiar with the names when you see them on price lists. Very high bit-rate DSL (VDSL) and Rate-adaptive DSL (RADSL) are of use primarily for businesses. IDSL is based on ISDN technology, and can connect from as far away as 50,000 feet with the currently used versions; it’s a lot more expensive because it’s based on another telecom technology.

Q: I’ve been told that one is slower than the other…?

It depends on whom you talk to. Cable service detractors point out that you are sharing the connection with all the other Internet users in your neighborhood. Thus, one person playing an interactive game can hog all the resources and reduce your connection speed, particularly during peak hours (such as when the neighbor’s kid ought to be doing her homework).

Those descriptions make it seem as though you’re on a telephone party line (if you’re old enough to remember those…), with a neighbor listening in on your conversations. It’s not like that; the situation is much closer to waiting in a long line at the bank at lunchtime. They never seem to have enough tellers to deal with the sudden up-tick in customer demand.

On the other hand, the people who criticize DSL point out that residential DSL is also over-subscribed, and the Internet access speed suffers — another example of the missing bank tellers.

So the summary is: yes, one is slower than the other. But which is faster will depend on the area in which you live, and which service is more popular!

Q: What if I have more than one computer?

This essay was written assuming that you have only one computer at home. But many families (and many individuals) use more than one computer, in which case you want them all to use the same fast Internet connection. To do so, you’ll need to set up a small home network, in which one computer (connected directly to the cable modem or DSL connection) acts as a referee for all the other computers in the house.

The setup for such a network is outside the scope of this article, but be reassured that it isn’t difficult to get one working. You should be able to find a local computer consultant (or brilliant nephew) to assist you if you don’t want to take on the challenge yourself. In addition, some providers will sell you networking setup at an additional price.

Q: Does it matter if I’m running a business, versus connecting to the Internet from home?

Maybe. It depends on the nature of the software you’re running at your business, and how many people need to use the Internet at the same time.

For most small businesses, with only a few employees, there won’t be any difference between residential and business service, without regard to DSL or cable. A business in which several (say, ten or more) employees are concurrently using the Internet should probably examine the business services branch of the DSL or cable provider. These cost more than the residential versions but they also give you additional services, such as more e-mail accounts.

Another reason you’d need business-class DSL or cable services, even in a solo home office, is if you choose to run certain kinds of Internet software, such as an e-mail server or a Web server. Those applications require something called a “dedicated IP address,” which we’ll get to in a moment. Should you plan to add Internet servers to your business, you’ll probably need professional help. It’s more likely that you’ll arrange with another company to manage your Web site and e-mail, which makes the DSL versus cable issue much simpler.

Q: What’s all this stuff about “IP addresses” and why should I care?

Under most circumstances, you won’t need to know what an IP address is. However, you’re sure to come across discussions about them while you’re shopping for broadband services, so you might as well have a basic understanding of the term.

Most simply: think of the IP address as the “telephone number” of your computer. Just as you need to know his phone number to call your nephew for help, the computers with which your computer interacts online need an address to reach it, at least for the duration of the current conversation.

With both DSL and cable connections, the standard type of IP address is called a “dynamic IP.” That is, the Internet service provider can change the IP address of your computer at any time. That’s never a problem when, so to speak, your computer is the one calling out. Just as it doesn’t matter to your nephew from what phone number you called him, the only thing you both care about is that you dialed the right number so he could pick up the phone.

However, Internet servers (such as the computers that manage and send out e-mail or host all the pretty Web pages you look at) must have an unchanging address, called a “static IP address.” It’s one option when you look at business-class DSL or cable modem service, and it does cost more.

Q: Do I need to buy extra hardware?

Usually, you don’t need to buy anything more than the cable or DSL provider includes with the service. If your computer is an older one, you may need to buy a network card (the techie nephew might call this a “NIC”), which should cost about $10. If you decide to network together your home computers you’ll probably buy additional equipment. But in general, you don’t need to spend additional money.

Q: What about security?

This is a bit of a tangent from DSL-versus-cable, but it’s an important item to mention for anyone who is considering moving from a dial-up connection to an always-on Internet.

In most ways, a faster Internet connection will be a wonderful experience. It will change the way you work online and give you more freedom to explore the world.

But there’s one disadvantage that someone needs to warn you about. You’ve probably heard about computer viruses, spyware, spambots, and other “malware” (malicious software). You’ll now be more vulnerable to it. One side effect of your faster connection is that it’s easier for Bad Guys to exploit your computer because the computer is more regularly accessible.

The result is that you’ll need to acquire anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and probably a software firewall — particularly if you use a Windows-based computer. (Other types of computers aren’t immune but they are much less at risk.)

You deserve to get the most out of your services, whether it’s high-speed Internet, phone, cable, or HDTV. Digital Landing is here to help, making it easy to find out everything you need to know about digital services for your home.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Broadband internet services are much faster and more reliable than a dial up connection. What many people do not realize, though, is that there are several types of broadband internet options.

* Broadband Internet Access – This is a blanket term that includes DSL, cable and satellite high speed internet connections.
* DSL Broadband Internet Access – A DSL connection runs through the phone line, but it is not set up like regular dial up internet. DSL internet connection actually shares the space while it gives you very high internet and connection speeds.
* Cable Internet Connection – Cable internet connections have the distinction of being at the top of the list for user retention. They also get very high marks in speed, reliability and efficiency.
* Satellite Internet Access – A satellite broadband internet connection is great for a broadband subscriber who lives in a rural area. It is also a great choice for those who are unable to get DSL or cable broadband internet connections.
* Wi-Fi Internet Access – Wi-Fi simple means wireless networking. A wireless internet connection allows you to connect to the internet, regardless of where you are as long as you are near a “hot spot.”

When people wish to see how fast their internet connection is they use a broadband speed test. There are many high speed internet speed tests that are available for free online. Periodic speed tests will keep you informed on your broadband’s performance and level of function.

You can find several different broadband speed tests online that can tell how fast your broadband internet is operating. When you access the site you will likely be required to enter your area code, your connection type and your internet service provider in order for the speed test to run. The test will then return to you an evaluation and comparison that details the speed of your connection and compare it to the speed of other internet service providers in your area.

If you learn that your high speed connection is not as fast as you thought it was there are several steps that you can take to maximize your connection speed.

* Remove your spy ware
* Tweak your computer yourself
* Purchase software programs to maximize speed
* Purchase hardware that will increase your internet speed
* Alter your network settings to get more speed

When you check your broadband internet speed, check it at various times of the day. When the internet itself is busiest, your connection speed will also be slow. Also, use several different broadband speed tests to make certain that you are getting an accurate measure of your connection speed.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If you high-speed Internet service providers have found the right place at the top are looking for the best deals. Fashion and cut the cable, DSL, and Internet services through the back of confusion through the satellite. You just have a cash rebate directly from the ISP that provides free online top team will get to everything.

Selecting the Right Internet Service Providers

“Why pay more for the same broadband”.

There to save money almost every major Internet retailers, why not, when high-speed Internet service providers to select the online only has been campaigning. We believe that only you and not a penny more than you pay for what should have. Therefore, we want you to find what helps is the development of a simple process. First you must understand the different levels of motion and said that there is one to fit the specific needs are know.

1st Step: Select a Broadband Speed Quadrant That Fits Your Lifestyle
In the event you are already familiar with the different speed levels being offered by Cable or DSL Providers, you can skip the step above and jump right to the top online only deals section.

Benefited DSL Providers

The advantages DSL Providers have to offer include great speed with a dedicated bandwidth. This basically means that the speed does not fluctuate depending on how many people are using the internet in your neighborhood. The following are our top picks and consistently rank at the top picks by consumers.

At&t DSL: This was the number one pick among consumers on our website last year. They not only have some of the top online DSL deals but they also rank at the top in consumer satisfaction according to JD Power and Associates in 2009.

Att uverse: If you are looking for an advanced experience in both television and internet services, you definitely need to check out At&t U-verse. Everything from total home DVR to some of the fastest internet out there. If Uverse reaches your neighborhood you should truly check them out.

Verizon Internet Service: Another great service, Verizon offers great deals on many of the starter packages. Their slogan “More Speed. Better Value” says it all.

Verizon FiOS: This is another one — If the service reaches your area, it is a must. They run what is called in the industry FTTH “Fiber-To-The-Home. This basically means that they run the fiber optic line all the way to your house not just to the demarcation point at the curb.

Cable Providers

However, high-speed cable Internet access is generally faster than the average DSL line and can be more expensive. What is said in the cable bandwidth is shared, when others in their neighborhood, you can have fun speed Internet access are not the meaning. The speed of how many people are online at any time will vary depending on. Major Internet service providers such as Comcast several introductory offers, including great deals is a cash discount. Some other major cable providers including: Internet Charter and Time Warner Road runner.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

T1 internet service for your business can make online communicating easier for your company. By using a T1 line for internet , faxing and telephone service you have bypassed the phone company going straight to the long distance carrier.

This move can save your company over the course of a year. There will be an up front cost as with any internet provider. The T1 service will enhance your company’s work load making it easier and more proficient.

If your company has a website to maintain, customers or vendors to keep in contact with, employees at different locations and others that work from home then T1 internet service is what you are looking for .

This service will make everyone happy. No bandwidth problems with large files being uploaded through an FTP client. No glitches or hiccups when more than one employee is online or when someone needs to send a fax. The line will handle all of your data needs.

No matter how large or how many different locations your company has a T1 service will keep everything and everyone moving with no lag time. Need to have a web conference with employees in different locations? Then this service is for you. All of these pluses are just that for your business needs. Things will run smoothly when you use T1 internet service.

With T1 internet service your business can maintain a website,upload and down load with no strain on the bandwidth. This means more employees doing their jobs with no down time. This makes the cost of T1 service worth every dime over the period of time you sign a contract for.

Your bandwidth is not shared with other customers of the provider as with local internet services. This is the service to use if you have several employees that need to communicate quickly with each other . Especially if they are sharing files. This service is made just for that. You will find it makes things move faster for everyone to do their job. The bottom line for you and the company is a better prepared work force.

The technology behind T1 internet services will get a company on the right track to being a finely tuned machine. Your employees will love having instant access to the internet with no interruptions. Everything they do that involves communication will be more cost efficient as well as quicker for everyone. The T1 internet service will be a good investment in your companies future.

Article written by Van Theodorou, for a free analysis, telecom audit and a free consultation go his site for free T1 line quotes

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Business continuity and disaster recovery are two of the most talked about challenges facing enterprises today. As disasters hit, whether man made or natural, many businesses have fallen short with recovering in the aftermath. It has been reported that two out of five businesses that experience a disaster will be out of business in five years. While businesses can’t predict every disaster, there are certain measures that can be initiated to lessen the impact and reduce unnecessary losses.

Satellite internet service providers offer organizations the ability to quickly and cost effectively access the internet, send and receive communications and access network information in the event of an emergency, disaster or even for everyday communications. Whether fixed, occasional or to address mobile communication needs, satellite internet services bridge the gap between no service and maintaining communications.

Enterprises today can leverage fast satellite network access, increasing productivity and efficiency. When addressing the challenges associated with business continuity, satellite network access offers enterprises the ability to maintain mission critical communications, especially during times of inclement weather, disaster recovery or infrastructure outages. Finding a satellite internet provider that can address the needs of scalability as well as multiple, remote and offsite locations is crucial to your organization’s success.

In situations where terrestrial communications may be disabled or nonexistent, being able to maintain production schedules, provide support and continue the sales process is often only possible through satellite network access. Organizations can leverage more bandwidth for a fraction of the cost and even consolidate all your communication needs (phone, internet, video, voice and fax) through one seamless and reliable provider.

The advantage of satellite internet services is the ability to streamline communications through a viable solution for businesses communicating among multiple office locations. This is particularly important when recovering from a disaster. Satellite network access brings the power of communication to a whole new level and ensures that a disaster recovery plan can actually be carried out and communicated to all personnel.

Many providers offer reliable connections, but few have the service or staff available to handle large scale deployments across numerous continents. Leading satellite internet providers have top notch quality and support teams that offer 24×7 assistance. As businesses expand and increase in mobility with e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging and cell phones, the challenge for IT departments to provide a communications infrastructure that meets the growing demands can be easily managed by housing much of the communications support through satellite network access.

If you have offices across the world, you will want to find a global business satellite internet provider that can leverage the bandwidth needed for all of your locations and communication needs. Ensuring the ability to communicate is a necessity when dealing in the aftermath of a disaster. Harnessing the power and mobility of satellite internet services can help address many of the challenges associated with small, medium or large businesses worldwide.

Kimberly Green provides insight into the satellite internet provider community and evolving technology solutions including satellite internet services highlighting the options available through satellite internet providers

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Everyone’s on the internet these days. It’s practically unheard of for any home to be without internet access. How quickly this modern invention has become an integral part of our existence! Sure, you’ll find a few folks who suffer from technical skepticism and a considerable lack of tech savvy who long for the bygone days of rotary-dial phones or stone tablets and chisels, but internet service has blessed and benefited us in oh-so-many ways!

What is your level of satisfaction with our internet service? Obviously, convenience is a big factor when it comes to people’s enjoyment and ease of internet use. Dial-up connections (which are linked to one’s home phone and land line) are slow and often unpredictable. Sometimes connections are not even available. Of course, if anyone in your household is using the phone line for its traditional purpose (talking), that means you will have to wait to get online until the phone is no longer occupied. Download speeds can be slow as molasses, too. Dial-up internet will either instill the patience of Job or rapidly escalate your blood pressure. This is not a speedy medium.

Speed is extremely attractive when it comes to internet services. That is why satellite internet services as well as cable internet have gained such well-deserved popularity. In all but the most unusual circumstances you’ll have a fast connection when you employ either satellite or cable to access the worldwide web. Download speeds are impressive, too. Little time is wasted on the frustrating and unpopular task of waiting.

The venue in which satellite really makes its mark is with remote users. If you live in a somewhat remote locale or in any vicinity that benefits from the wireless connections afforded via satellite, this service is an absolute life saver. The wonders of satellite internet have swiftly propelled inhabitants of under-populated regions into modern times, bringing the wonders and convenience of the technology we all depend on to people who otherwise may feel notably disconnected from our increasingly high-tech universe.

There are some very reputable providers available who offer satellite broadband services and whose well-trained staff are terrific resources to edify any would-be satellite internet users.

The next time you look upward to wish upon a star, it very well could be a satellite in the sky. They certainly have answered many technological wishes! And the convenience and widespread access they allow in regard to internet usage is in fact a dream come true for many.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Verizon, one of the leading telecom companies in the United States, offers DSL or broadband services to customers across the country. Believed to be one of the largest broadband operators in the U.S. market, Verizon’s DSL service offers its customers a whole range of features than greatly enhances their surfing experience. Ranging from high speeds, 24×7 customer service support, free email, online storage space, to security suites, Verizon offers highly competitive DSL services to all its customers.

The Advantage

Verizon’s high-speed Internet packages are offered at affordable rates to customers. The firm creates packages such that customers, who sign up for annual packages as opposed to monthly ones, stand to gain a lot in terms of cost. The firm boasts of a 24/7 customer servicing machinery that promptly attends to customer queries and issues on a priority basis. Verizon’s DSL subscribers are offered the MSN Premium Internet software that includes a browser with built-in security features like pop-up blockers and anti spam software. Subscribers get high-speed Internet packages that come with 9 free e-mail addresses and a self-installation software kit. Verizon also offers a 10 MB of free online storage space to its subscribers. Finally, there is a 30-day money back guarantee on Verizon’s high speed Internet services.

The Cost

The price of the initial plan for a Verizon high speed Internet connection is $19.95 per month, for the first three months. Those customers who choose to sign up for the Verizon packages can save on the shipping and activation charges. Those customers who decide to continue their subscription need to dish out an additional $29.95 per month for the length of their subscription.

Availability

Verizon’s high-speed Internet connections are offered throughout the United States. The moment one needs to apply for the business or residence high speed connections, one can simply log in their telephone number on Verizon’s website. The site would indicate the next steps for getting an Internet connection from Verizon.

Verizon FiOS

Verizon FiOS (Fiber Optic Service) is another service that bundles together a high speed Internet connection, television, and telephone. The service is unique in the sense that it uses fiber optic cables in place of the conventional copper wires. This helps in delivering a crisp and distortion-free image over the Internet. Through this service, Verizon offers up to 100 high definition channels, and around 14,000 titles of video on demand. Verizon offers the FiOS service to more than 2.7 million homes across the United States. The service offers subscribers speeds in excess of 50 Mbps that aids in downloading movies and other heavy applications very quickly. This service is offered at a price of $95 per month to subscribers across the U.S.

Highspeed-internet-providers.com brings to you a list of DSL services and providers that you can go through to opt for the best provider. Check Verizon high speed internet services for more details on Verizon FiOS.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The Internet’s arrival in the U.S. and all over the world changed the process of selling products or services via the Web. Seeing an opportunity to capitalize from the advent of the internet, many people tired to start a business online only to discover that it is not easy at all. Many people agree that cyberspace is the new place to generate an income in 2006. But as with any traditional “street-side” business, if you want to make it work, it is absolutely key that you acquire skills that benefits your trade. The good news is that the market is big. An analysis of internet related industries will show a rising demand in this market. The capacity for further growth here is amazing. Aside from the obvious power that you have at your disposal, the internet alone cannot find a franchise opportunity on your behalf. Finding an opportunity that matches your personality will come down to old fashion research and preparation. Research and preparation should be your main objective. The internet is an amazing place to make money, it is true, but an important thing to keep in mind is that although the market is big, the competition is overwhelming. Success on the internet can be tricky at first, specifically because the marketplace for selling online is mostly dominated by big players.

Dominating the World Wide Web

As I mentioned before, the internet is a great place to make money and the market is huge. So efficient is ECommerce, that the numerous ways you can make money online is baffling. Scam artists have manipulated this situation by offering unsuspecting individuals get-rich-quick scams. And although there are many legitimate ways to make money online many people fall prey to this kind of deception all of the time. Out of fear of being scammed, a many novice entrepreneurs will attempt to start their own business. But starting an independent business may be difficult unless you put in a lot of time and effort. You must be resourceful. You must have the capital and relentless energy. Remember that only a few entrepreneurs became successful in a short time with little effort. An analysis of the failure rates of businesses and fraudulent opportunities reveal one principle problem facing investors: risk. The solution is franchising! If you don’t have the time or resources to start a work at home internet business or you don’t like taking risks don’t get your hopes up. .

It’s easy to see why so many first-time entrepreneurs start out through franchising. The advantage of franchising is both brilliant and simple in comparison to independent businesses. Whether or not it is clear to you, the right franchise opportunity can deliver in ways that a traditional business cannot. Franchises normally don’t deal with the failure rates that traditional businesses experience. Franchises succeed ninety-five percent of the time because they operate on a proven model. Once you purchase a franchise company that interests you, in a sense you’re guaranteed to win.

Finding a Niche for a Work at Home Internet Business

After you understand how a franchise can deliver better results than a traditional business with fewer efforts and less capital, the next reasonable thing you ought to do is find an opportunity that works best for you, your skills, your experience and interests. The reality is that not every franchise opportunity will be perfect for everyone. Put happiness before anything else, even when it comes to business. If you ask around you will find out that happiest and most successful entrepreneurs genuinely enjoy their line of work . Don’t let a high income job that you may not particularly like compensate for happiness. With that said, read on to learn about some of the highly profitable franchises for sale in the Internet Business arena.

The number of internet franchises for sale on popular franchising websites has evolved into something truly amazing. There are more opportunities for every income and education level for sale on the internet than ever before. AIS Media Franchise is one of the hottest internet franchises for sale right now. In the one hundred billion dollar internet service industry, AIS Media Franchise is highly popular amongst entrepreneurs searching for a six-figure income opportunity. AIS Media is a work at home internet business with a low cost entry level; another characteristic making this company a top competitor for entrepreneurs seeking an independent lifestyle.

Sooner or later, every business in the world will be using the Internet as an essential tool to reach more prospective clients. Other opportunities with a market potential are Small Business Web Hosting and Small Business Web Design. A Web design business or web hosting business can be a great franchise to own, especially if you have some technical knowledge.

If you have additional technical knowldege that you can put to good use, however, the IT Market also offers explosive opportunities with a potential for making a big income. Internet consulting and Internet services are two areas that have already experienced tremendous growth and are positioned for significant growth in the future. TeamLogicIT, a company worth looking into, has had outstanding growth in the area of internet consulting and internet services.

We have not covered all of the options being offered in the online arena. You have the world Wide Web at your disposal, and believe it or not, that is a popular way to find a legitimate, risk-free franchise company. you must do business only with reputable websites. Single out an area in franchising that interests you, such as Internet Service Franchise Opportunities and research the information on the internet. Visit online franchising web sites to learn about all of the possible franchises that are being sold today.

Franchise Online is committed to helping prospective franchisees find the best possible information on internet franchises and business opportunities before starting a business

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The services that you had always wanted to provide to your cherished customers are now available at no extra cost. There are many firms that allows you to provide free or paid internet services by wifi hotspot gateway to your customers. These companies also allow you to make the WI-FI zone available to the customers with your own branding. On top of that they also allow you to provide these services without paying any money to the service provider. In fact there is no need to sign up for any revenue sharing or monthly charging schemes with the service provider.

All this has made the job of providing the internet services to your customers on the WI FI hotspot gateway all are more easier and interesting. It does not matter whether you are a small time coffee shop owner or running an internet cafe. Various kinds of wireless hotspot gateway services are available that would suit the kind of internet service you wish to provide to your customers. There are hotspot gateway services that take the visitor to the landing page on which your brand name is displayed and the customer is then provided with the free internet access for a limited or an unlimited duration.

There are wireless hotspot gateways available in which software is made available to the service provider that can store thousands of unique five letter codes that can be sold to the customers as internet access tickets. These kind of hotspot gateways are used by the people who run internet cafes. Another type of hotspot gateway that is used by many small time coffee shop owners is the one in which a single code is used by many visitors.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet Business Services are thriving. Every day there are more and more consumers logging on and now cost-effective to carry on business services via the internet.

To operate an Internet Business Service you will need less operating costs as you no longer require a brick and mortar store and you can now have specific niche businesses or items that would have failed if they had been in a traditional business setting. Best of all, Internet Business Services will allow you the freedom to be able to work from anywhere – the office, on the road, at home…anywhere!

That being said, not all Small Business Internet Services prosper. You can still sink allot of money into your business and have it flop. There is homework involved for the Internet entrepreneur as you have to research the business you are considering as there is so much competition out there that it may be infeasible to try to go head to head with a company or in an industry you have no chance in turning a profit it.

Use concrete data to contribute as the basis of your Internet Business Services. Likely the main factor over all to be considered is the demand for the Internet Business Service you want to create.

Here is a scenario: You are considering an Internet Service Business to sell contact lenses in the Philippines. What is the average gross margin on sale? What are the price points to be considered? Is there enough volume in terms of population demographics to support the need? If you can not get enough traffic there is no need to be in that business.

Be very wary of your competition. Who are other Internet and non-Internet Business Service providers that cater to the same need? There could be few competing Internet Businesses in your niche, but if there is not enough traffic to begin with, you are better off to find another niche

How do you intend on making your money? Will you be acquiring your revenue from online sales, affiliate commission revenue, advertising revenue, email marketing…?

After you have done your homework and determined what niche is a fit for you and you are sure of the likelihood of success with your Internet Service Business get to work on your site. Make sure it is unique, interesting and useful. Launch it-and let the sales roll in!

But the next question is who is going to build your Internet Service Business website and how are you going to pay for the construction of the site and all that goes along with it? Today there are options for financing your website. You will likely need to put some investment into the site construction and development but if you finance the site, you can make the site much more professional and high-end and then pay for it over time as your sales come in.

For Web design Cost also see Low cost web design, Website design cost, Ecommerce Web Design, Cheap web design, Ecommerce website design, web design quote, website design quote, web design quotes, web site design quote, Web design packages, Website design packages, Web design package, Website design package, Website design price, Website design prices, Web design price, Web design prices and Website design pricing.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Living in a remote part of the world can be both tough and inconvenient. Not only must a resident of such secluded areas travel miles for simple things like groceries and entertainment but are almost always limited in the types of internet connections available to them. Furthermore the connections made available in isolated parts of the world are often inadequate for even casual users. Most residents will find that dial-up is the only way they can access the web and while a lucky few will be given access to DSL, Cable is a mere fantasy to those who reside in less populated communities.

There are of course alternatives to dial-up internet connections which consist of mainly no connection at all or one may opt to look into satellite internet services. Internet connections through a satellite provider have been around far longer than one would expect. In fact satellite internet first became available before the turn of the millennium and the late 90’s saw many of today’s satellite companies plant a firm foot in the ground. In these days however satellite connections were a last resort as they were often plagued by extremely limited bandwidth restrictions, horrid ping rates, and in many cases users would find themselves repeatedly being disconnected.

Living in rural areas and utilizing satellite internet services no longer means that you’ll be beleaguered with the myriad of problems that were once prevalent in the world of remote connections. The majority of satellite internet providers these days have worked hard to eliminate such issues and have done so with great success. In testing satellite connections side by side with Cable and DSL connections satellite has fared well and regularly measures up to its two successful cousins. As satellites have become far more powerful than they once where more and more people are choosing satellite internet services over dial-up and rightfully so.

Aside from making its mark in the private community, satellite connections are becoming commonplace for businesses who set up shop in these same remote areas. In many cases it is because of the improvements in satellite services that those who once stayed out of desolate areas, are now beginning to do business within them. Without satellite internet services many areas would be unable to grow economically and would continue to remain “off the map”. Things are changing rapidly however as business can also be taken on the road should a user utilize a satellite connection. There’s no doubt that the improvements in satellite internet services have allowed us not only more opportunities but allow us to be productive, even when on the move.

Kimberly Green provides insight into the satellite internet service provider community and evolving technology solutions including satellite internet services highlighting the options available through satellite internet providers

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Who isn’t skeptical these days? We’re bombarded with telemarketers, sketchy promotions, and mortgage brokers all wanting to dip into our wallets. Going online can be just as horrifying with internet offers promising free computers, and get rich quick schemes. Buy into all this and you might be left with 15 credit cards, 6 mortgages, and a stolen identity.

The good news is the internet offers much more than just bait and switch scams. Honest people and websites presenting free offers are out there, it just takes some looking. Here are a few good, honest, legitimate and free opportunities to get you started. Happy surfing!

annualcreditreport.com

Annualcreditreport.com is the only free credit report site that is sponsored by the three nationwide credit reporting companies, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Credit reporting companies sell your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, a mortgage, insurance, employment, or renting an apartment. It’s your credit so you have a right to know your score.

createblog.com

A peculiar pecking order has been created that judges a person based on the appearance of their Myspace page or blog. Createblog.com gives users free layouts, scripts, graphics and tutorials to spruce up their page with out having to know how to decode the Matrix.

epoll.com

Ever feel like your opinion falls on deaf ears? E-Poll is a consumer research company. Not only do they want to hear what you have to say, but they pay you with gift cards to major retailers for taking online surveys. Sign up is easy. Survey invitations are sent to your email. Give your honest opinions, and earn gift cards. No strings attached.

expotv.com

It’s like YouTube for consumer products. Expo TV has thousands of consumer-generated product reviews, informative ‘how to buy’ videos and original content all available in full-motion video, all for free. The product reviews are from real people with no biased or secondary messages, just straight forward honest opinions.

faxzero.com

Even as email has become the dominant from of messaging, sending a fax has been a cornerstone form to deliver documents and messages for over 30 years. Faxzero allows users to send a fax from their computer for free. All you need is an email address and internet access.

gizmoproject.com

The means of communicating is changing dramatically with new emerging technologies. The Gizmo Project allows you to make phone calls whenever, wherever for free from your computer. There are no long distance fees and no minimum minute charges. The program uses your internet connection to connect to another computer and talk using your speakers and microphone. You do everything else from your computer; why not make phone calls too.

kayak.com

No, they don’t sell kayaks, but they can help you find the best deal on flights, hotels and rental cars. They are a travel search engine meaning you don’t have to scour dozens of travel sites to find the best deal. kayak.com does it for you. Enjoy your trip!

lastfm.com
Welcome to the death of terrestrial radio as we know it. Last.fm is a free internet radio service where you create custom radio stations by artist, genre, style or era. You can also network with other users and see what they like. It’s a great way to discover new music.

rememberthemilk.com

It’s a to-do list on steroids. Rememberthemilk.com gives users a free online task management tool. Users can be reminded of tasks by email, instant message or even a text message. It’s worth a look and it may just help you get your chaotic life in order.

Kenneth Walker is Director of Marketing for E-Poll Market Research, a place where consumers can express their opinions (for free of course) in exchange for gift cards to major retailers.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

We have had Comcast for digital cable with HDTV, digital video recorder, internet and voice for about 6 months now, and have been able to review all of the services in a fair amount of detail. I have tried to summarize some of the key findings a few paragraphs, and hopefully they will help you make your own decision.

The best thing about this service is that it does not require a contract. You can cancel your subscription at anytime if you don’t like the service.

Digital Cable, HDTV and the DVR

Overall, channel selection is very good. The high definition channel selection keeps getting better. Comcast used to have relatively few HDTV options; the major networks, HD Theater, PBS, ESPN and INHD and a few more. Recently, however, (I’d say in or around November 07) they have added a whole bunch more. The include high definition versions of HGTV, A&E and TNT just to name a few. The picture quality of the HD channels is excellent (up to 1080i resolution), and I must say that the overall quality is very good. This is probably still fewer than Direct TV, which advertises that it currently has 85 HD channels

The cable set-top box is good, except for a few nagging problems. The biggest one is that sometimes it gets slow – the channels don’t change, the box doesn’t respond, until all of a sudden, it “catches up” and executes all your commands at once. This is definitely an annoyance, but it is something that we have gotten used to.

Another issue is that the EPG (electronic program guide) doesn’t always have the right information. For example, it won’t always state that an episode of a show is not new, and this can cause issues with your DVR, especially if you have set it to record “only new episodes”. The DVR on the whole is great though. It can record both standard definition as well as HD programs. The HD programs take up more space – about 4-5X that of regular shows, so in reality an 80-hr DVR is more like a 15-20-hr DVR for high definition programs.

The DVR has the ability to change your tv-watching habits. The ability to skip through ads is fantastic. Here’s a tip; set the program that you want to watch to record. Then, while it is still recording start watching it about 10-15 minutes later. Yes – you can watch the show while it is recording! This way, you can skip through the ads… a 1 hr show is really only about 40 minutes! You are actually saving time by using the DVR – a great selling point for spousal approval ! One more thing – the DVR box has 2 tuners; you can record 1 channel while watching another.

By the way, some users have experienced issues with the setup of the cable box, particularly for high definition. There is a good description
href=”http://www.desicrazy.com/2007/11/24/comcast-hd-setup-issues/”>here of what to look our for.

Broadband Internet

Internet service is generally very good and reliable. DSLReports shows that we have a download speed of 4925 Kbps and upload speed of 2156 Kbps, with a latency of 36 ms. (This is while accessing the internet wirelessly). This is fast, especially compared to DSL which I had for 5 years prior to switching to Comcast. We regularly download movies, music, software, watch online trailers and such with no problems. In terms of reliability, we never experienced an outage over the last 6 months since we’ve had the service

Digital Voice (VOIP)

I was very surprised by Digital Voice. The voice quality is really amazing – I would say that it is much better than our regular phone service here in the Bay Area. Long distance calling, Caller Id, voicemail and other services are bundled free. (We’ve never had caller ID before – and I must say that it is really useful – you can tell when telemarketers are calling!) I was concerned about “what happens when the power goes out?”, and “does 911 work?”. The answer to the first question is that the box that Comcast installs has a battery backup – so you are protected from power failures. The second is that yes, 911 service does work, so you are protected there as well.

Conclusion

So, what is my conclusion? I would say Comcast Triple Play is good value. Plus. There is no contract, so you can try it and then cancel if you don’t like it. I also found this link for ordering which gives you up to $200 cash back if you order Triple Play (I tried it and did get the money back!) – so you can try it out risk free!

Mital P is a technologist and contributer to the reviews, technology and deals site Desicrazy

The Comcast cable special referred to in the above article can be found at Comcast Triple Play Deal with Cash back!

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If you are planning on switching to high-speed internet, you will have to choose between going with a cable or DSL connection. Although both have their pros and their cons, you may want to consider a few things because choosing either of the two.

Speed is more than likely the most important aspect of your internet experience. Cable hook up speeds are generally quite a bit faster than DSL hook up speeds. DSL typically offers speeds of up to approximately 10 Mbps, whereas cable services can provide their customers with speeds of up to 50 and 60 Mbps. Most of the cable services are looking to increase those speeds over the next coming years.

As far as interruption to your connection speeds goes, both cable and DSL cannot constantly guarantee perfect service. DSL is a distance-sensitive service that gets its connection through your home phone connection. This means that the farther away you are from this central location, the more likely it is for you to loose your connection. The amount of traffic that goes through your connection will also have an impact on your connection. If there is a lot of traffic at one time, the speed of your connection will certainly decrease.

Online security is also a very important factor that plays into your internet selection. With DSL, you have your own personal line, so they tend to be highly secure and safe. With cable, however, you will be sharing a connection with others in your area, so you run the risk of a less secure connection. As long as you take full advantage of computer security systems, however, you will more than likely be just fine.

XO Communications is a long distance service provider and high speed internet access. Find the best broadband and long distance services for your business. Jonathan Wickham is a freelance writer.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

With technology expanding rapidly in our daily life, high speed internet connection has penetrated into our homes and offices if your local internet service provider offers high speed internet connection services. In this world of instant gratification where people do not have the patience to wait anymore, it is easy to see that high speed internet connection is becoming the mainstream norm as compared to dialup connections. However, before jumping onto the high speed internet bandwagon, it is essential that we considered all the options that are available to us and most importantly the cost associated with it.

1) Local dial-up – They are simple to setup and can be costly as some companies charges phone bill while you are connected. Speed can typically range from the slowest at 26k to 56k connection speeds.

2) Cable connection – It requires a cable modem and are usually provided by company which offer cable TV. Speeds can range from 512k to the high speed of 10Mps.

3) DSL – A DSL modem is needed to be installed on to your computer. Speeds typically range from 512k to the high speed of 9Mps. The cost involved could be twice the amount of a basic dial-up.

4) Broadband – This is typically referring to a cable, DSL, wireless connections or satellite internet connections. Speeds typically range from a 512k to 1.5Mbs.

5) Wireless connection – A wireless modem is needed to be installed on to your computer and are available in limited area. Speeds typically range from 2Mbps. The advantage is that you do need a wire connection to be connected.

6) Satellite internet connection – Upload speed and download speed can be different. For example, you may be able to download through satellite and upload through dial up. This is the most expensive option out of all the options given, but this service is available anywhere throughout the world. Speeds are available at 500k onward.

Which type of high speed internet connections do you really choose? Well, the answer lies in what you need. One thing for sure, if you are tired of waiting for a standard dial up to connect and download, you are ready for a broadband connection. Plus, once you have experienced the power of a broadband connection, you will never ever go back to dial up again.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Normally, internet marketing is all about marketing on the internet. Well, maybe this is no longer always the case. Things have changed recently which the internet marketers would probably observe, that more of their colleagues, rather than going ‘online’ are opting to go ‘offline’ to the local businesses rendering their services of internet marketing.

This has been the ‘talk of the net’ giving rise to many questions like this, “why in the world would people do that, when you can outreach more people being online? The logical reasoning would be, if people are doing it, then they surely must be earning more profit than doing the same online. Did you ever think that being an online freelancer, undertaking writing and designing assignments, would fetch you less than if you were to apply these skills offline to the local business owners? That is in fact true, instead of earning meager few dollars for an article-writing job or a couple of hundreds for designing services, people are earning double, triple or more than that, by using their skills offline. The offline businesses should not be underestimated, the potential is good, the competition not that stiff as online. Along with your skills, you need to market yourself too, not virtually but realistically.

Success of article marketing is no longer a secret to local business owners and they want to go for it themselves, even ready to give $25 per article writing or more! Can you believe that SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and web design services, are giving returns worth thousands of dollars out of the conventional offline businesses. I have taken up projects worth $15,000 with offline businesses for doing what I would do ‘free’ for myself; simple on-site optimization (SEO), fixing up the company website and taking charge of the internet marketing. This is something that most internet marketers do and do it expertly without much effort.

Did you say that you are not so good at this job? That does not matter, as long as there are freelancers working online wanting to make their buck (maybe people like you). You simply need to outsource the work to them at lower rates, bill the offline business handsomely and make a profit without making much effort yourself. No wonder why people are going offline, selling their internet marketing skills and earning a lot more, for times to come.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

In a tough economic climate, businesses do everything they can to cut their costs and maximise their profits. Unfortunately, if you’re considering cutting the cost of your business Internet provision by switching to a cheap Internet service, you may find yourself counting the cost and not the saving.

Slower Speeds
They may say that they can provide fast speeds in your area, but the truth of the matter will really slow you down. Many cheap Internet services can only manage as little as 1-2MG, which is simply not good enough for today’s business broadband user. If you’ve signed up for a long contract with these cheap, slow Internet providers, you’ll be regretting it when you can’t get the speed you need. If your download speed is slow, imagine how terrible your upload speed is! If your business relies on speedy Internet, choose a business Internet service with speeds that really match your requirements.

Download Limits
If like many businesses, your company relies on the sending and receiving of considerably large amounts of data each month, you may come unstuck with a cheap Internet service. They often impose unrealistically low download limits and charge you heavily if you go over your agreed usage. A business broadband user needs to have boundless limits on their downloads.

High Quality Internet Telephony
Does your cheap broadband provider offer the kind of service that can support high quality voice telephony? If all you get is patchy quality with frequent drops in service, you simply can’t use that service for customer contact or client calls. Choose a business broadband provider that offers you a stable, reliable service for all your VOIP telephony requirements.

More Down than Up
When you choose to sign up to a cheap Internet service you may discover to your cost that their service is down more than its up and running. To most businesses these days, downtime means a serious dent in the profits. Always choose a business broadband provider with the very best connection stability.

Low Value Customer Service
When you choose a cheap Internet service, you often have to pay a premium price to call their customer service. When you do finally reach one of their operatives, they may be based outside the UK, and English may not be their first language. Poorly trained staff in oversees call centers at the end of premium phone lines means wasted time and money. When you select a business broadband provider, choose someone with a great record on customer service.

Before signing up for any business broadband package, check that all of the above areas have been satisfactorily discussed. If your business depends upon excellent communication and connectivity, choosing a cheap Internet service for your company could end up costing you much more than you save.

Save yourself time, money and hassle by switching your Business Internet Service to Gradwell, we’ve got the experience and expertise to keep your business running online 24/7.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Before you sign up for satellite internet service you will first want to compare satellite internet services that are available in your area. The first thing that you will want to look at is the type of internet connection that is utilized by the service provider. For example do they offer a one-way multicast connection, a one-way connection with a terrestrial return, or do they offer a two-way satellite internet connection. The second thing that you will want to look at is the connection speeds that they offer. Providers may charge you more for service packages that offer faster connection speeds. Keep this in mind when you are comparing service packages. The final thing that you will want to look at is whether or not you will need to use a supplemental service like dial up in order to use the service.

The first of the internet service providers to be looked at is hughesnet. They offer a two way satellite internet service that doesn’t require a dial up system back up. However, if you regularly participate in time sensitive activities online where a 1 second delay would impair your ability to continue with this activity then you can add a dial up option to your hughesnet package for about $15 per month. The fastest connection speeds offered by this provider is up to 500kbps for uploads and up to 2 mbps for downloads. These speeds are associated with this provider’s business internet package.

In order to compare satellite internet services you will need to look at more than one provider. The second provider in this comparison is StarBand. Star Band has had financial difficulties in the past, but they seem to be gaining strength with their new owner. StarBand is a two-way system that is offered in the U.S. They utilize the VSAT system technology in order to deliver quality service to consumers. Their top connection speed is 1000 Kbits for downloads. This two way system typically doesn’t require a dial up service.

In the market for a satellite internet provider? Nationwide Satellite Solutions is your provider of HughesNet internet services as well a great resource that will answer any questions you have. Find out if it available in your area. For more on satellite technology visit the online resource directory.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Are you tired of the slow download speeds of a dial up internet?

In today’s world, you would probably want a high-speed internet to improve your way of life and your business. This is possible by using a broadband internet connection.

With the broadband internet’s popularity growing, it becomes more and more affordable and available for everyone. You would probably want to switch into a faster and reliable internet connection to catch up with the demands of present living.

Fast and reliable internet access is not the only advantage in getting broadband internet connection. There are many more benefits from this technology.

Here are a few examples of broadband internet benefits:

With broadband internet, you can download or upload files and software faster than a dial up has to offer. With broadband connection, you can also send large files like movie clips to your friends, family or your clients who wants a video presentation of your product.

If you are a student in need of a research, you no longer have to go to your local library for it. The internet itself is a library. With broadband internet connection, you can research faster and you can research more websites. With dial up, this can take a while; even waiting for a single webpage to load is often slow with dial up.

This technology changes the way you play multiplayer games. With the recent boom of the massively multiplayer online role-playing games, you can play RPG games with other people from all over the world and at the same time lets you talk to them. You can play either online game through your PC or gaming consoles. Some examples of these are the Playstation2 or Xbox.

One of the best benefits a broadband internet connection offer is you can easily view web cams with faster refresh rates around the world.

This means, if your family or friends have web cams you no longer have to just email them, but also chat either through voice or text and view them in real time. The best thing about this, it is free.

Broadband internet can enable you to watch streaming videos in the internet such as, internet TV, watch your favorite music videos and other online short films. In dial ups, this is possible but often results in choppy video.

Buying and downloading music is easier. With broadband internet connection, you can buy music singles or albums much cheaper than your local music store. All you have to do is visit a website that sells music downloads and you can directly download the music file, fast.

With broadband internet connection, you can now use your computer as your personal phone. With VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, you can call you family and friends with little or no long distance calls.

You can also use VoIP for video conference meetings, fax, and other features free that traditional phones charge expensive fees for these features.

The internet can also be a radio station, you can now “tune in” to internet radio faster and without interference. With dial up, you can also play the internet radio but often encounters problem like choppiness due to low speed internet.

There are so much more uses for broadband internet connection, whether you use it at home or work the possibilities are vast. More innovations to benefit with this technology are being developed. Organizing your life and work is easier with broadband internet connection.

Since there are so many types of broadband internet services in the market today, it is up to you to choose which package that will suit you best. Research and compare broadband internet providers.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Nowadays high speed Internet service is like TVs and radios, a must have in one’s modern life. However, high speed Internet connection via cable or DSL line is not available everywhere in the country. This especially refers to remote area where you can hardly find any cable ports.

When dial up and cables are not available, satellite Internet comes into the picture. As you might already knew, satellite system is the latest structure used for high speed data communication. Internet connection is theoretically available everywhere in the world via satellite Internet system: no matter you are in the vessels navigating middle in the ocean or in the ice land at the North Pole.

What are the benefits?

One of the major plus point on satellite Internet is that it brings access to information, knowledge, online services, and communication to the extreme remote regions. Think of doctors accessing to their online knowledge database for new found disease in remote area, mother communication with son far away from the villages, and economic development possibility via high speed Internet services; extending Internet coverage via satellites would give all regions equal opportunities to share the reimbursement given by Internet.

In France, satellite ISP CNES has conceived a pilot project called the “communications-enabled village”, combining satellite and other broadband technologies. Picture a tiny village perched high up a mountain. You might think it isolated, in the middle of nowhere. That need not be the case, since a satellite can connect it to the rest of the world. With just a single satellite antenna—on the roof of the village hall, for example—is sufficient to provide broadband coverage for everyone via a radio link to cheap Wi-Fi antennas in each home.

Satellite Internet system in your home

Implementing satellite Internet service in your home is easy. This is especially true if you happen to live in the United States. Generally, what you need is to order the service from a retailer (Hughes Net in United States for example) and they will provide the necessary system and install it at your place. To get online via satellite system, you will need a satellite dish pointing to the clear sky of south, connected to a modem and then to your PC.

At the time of writing, Hughes Net service offers connection speed range from 700kbps to 1.5mbps in an affordable price. Yes, without doubts the upload and download speed for satellite Internet service is much slower when it’s comparing to cable or DSL connection. However, when compare to normal dial up modem, satellite Internet connections are more or less 10 times faster!

To learn more about high speed satellite Internet access as well as Dish Network and DirecTV offer, visit http://www.satellitetvissue.com

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite internet service for business is a great way to increase your competitive edge. First it offers you almost unlimited mobility. As long as you can get a clear shot to the south you will be able to connect to the internet via a satellite connection. Secondly it offers you a faster connection than traditional land based internet services. This means that you can upload and download data faster. This saves you time and money. Finally satellite internet service offers you the ability to access more and transmit more channels of data and information.

You can utilize satellite internet service for professional use in several ways. First you can use it to link your field staff to office resources via satellite internet for laptops. This will allow anyone in your business to connect to the internet from any locations. This could help them to research problems or to connect to data and files on their office computer. Digital satellite internet can also be used in the office in the form of wireless internet. This will give your in-office staff the ability to move between offices without losing their internet connection, or you can utilize the wireless connection to offer internet service to all of your employees without having to run cables or network computers in your office.

When you are looking for internet service for your office you will want to look for specific features. First you will want to look for a service that is priced competitively for the type of services that it offers. Secondly you will want to look for satellite internet providers that offer the bandwidth that you need for your business activities. Finally you will want to look for a service that offers you the type of modem connection that you want. For example you can choose from one-way, one-way with terrestrial return, or a two way modem system.

In the market for satellite internet services? Nationwide Satellite Solutions is your provider of HughesNet satellite internet as well a great resource that will answer any questions you have. Find out if it available in your area. For more on satellite technology visit the technology and internet directory.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

In order to get satellite internet service you will first need to live in an area that is serviced by a satellite internet provider. Next you will need clear access to the southern skies. This is because the satellites used for internet service are located above the equator. If you live in an area that is typically cloud covered or if you live in area that is surrounded by tall trees or geographical formations that will obstruct your satellite dish’s sky access most of the time then this is not the right type of internet service for you. To get satellite internet service you will need a satellite dish with a mounting kit, a feed line, a feed horn, a ULNB Connector, and a DVB-S PCI card or an external DVB modem with an adapter that will make it compatible with an Ethernet card. Some services will also require that you have a phone line, modem and ISP (land based).

Satellite internet providers, like HughesNet, will sell to you the equipment that you need to get set up to use their service. If you have selected a provider that offers 2 way satellite internet service they will also probably handle the installation, for a fee. You should know that you are only required to have a professional install your satellite system if it will be sending and receiving signals. It is legal for you to install a 1 way system yourself. However, if you are not technically or mechanically inclined get a trained professional to do it. Your service provider will also provide you with the software and instructions needed to gain access to the WWW using their satellite system. Finally they will offer you satellite internet access via a 1 way system or 2 way system. They may also offer you wireless internet access options.

Prices for satellite internet services are going to vary by provider and the type of service package that you select. However, there are a few common fees charged: a monthly service fee, equipment fees, and installation fees. The monthly fee will vary by provider, however, some major providers charge rates that are similar to land based ISPs. The equipment is expensive. This can run you hundreds of dollars. The final charge is for installation. If you are using a 2 way system you are required by the FCC to have it professionally installed. This will probably run you around $100 to $200. If you are installing a 1 way system you can hire a local contractor or you can do it yourself if you don’t want to utilize the satellite ISP’s technicians. This can help to save you money.

In the market for a satellite internet provider? Nationwide Satellite Solutions is your provider of HughesNet internet services as well a great resource that will answer any questions you have. Find out if it available in your area. For more on satellite technology visit the online resource directory.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet services are a part of life, for every computer user without an Internet connection they are looking at an over priced typewriter for the most part. Buying a computer for home or work means the need for Internet service and this is where things can get confusing for many people. Even the location a person lives needs to be taken into account when talking about Internet service choices, because not every type of Internet service is available in all areas. There are some services that are only available in the more populated areas for computer users, that means living outside of these areas it is impossible to use the service and can stay that way for years.

What makes Internet service different, is the type of connection the service has, this can be a connection that uses telephone wires, cable wires or a satellite dish. Each has their own benefits and each have their own problems.

The first of these and the oldest way to connect to the Internet is with a dial up Internet service, this type of service uses the home telephone lines to connect. The problem with this is unless there are two phone lines in the home connecting to the Internet means the telephone is tied up, it also means if someone calls the Internet service can be disrupted. Dial up Internet has been the only way for many people to connect to the Internet even after other services became popular there are many areas these services are not available.

Then there is DSL, this is a high-speed Internet connection that is available in areas that are populated and even some outlying areas, like suburbs with housing developments. This Internet service also uses telephone lines, but it does not tie the home telephone line up, this is because it uses a different type of signal within the telephone line.

There is cable Internet, this is popular for the speed the computer user has and it is available in many areas where cable television is available. This type of Internet service has the speed computer users want, but it is also only in select areas and there can be extended down time with the service.

The last of the choices for Internet service is the most dependable for several reasons, satellite Internet can be used in any location. There are no telephone wires or underground cables it needs to depend on to connect to the Internet, this means living outside of an area where the other high-speed services are provided is not a problem. One thing that makes it so dependable is the fact that it does not need these wires or cable; it uses a small satellite dish. The things that can affect service do not affect satellite Internet for this reason and that is also why it can be used in outlying areas. The speed of this type of Internet connection is as fast or faster than the other types of service, this and the lack of down time makes it a good choice for the computer user that depends on not having an over priced typewriter.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Technology Parks have successfully differentiated their property marketing by customizing their services and infrastructure to meet the needs of their tenants who mostly consist of tech companies. A survey conducted by AGIT Consulting however, has been done to various technology parks around the world to determine the effectiveness of its Internet services which includes offerings of broadband, IPTV, wireless network and such. What was glaringly clear was that tenants of technology parks from Ireland, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and India are not too overly satisfied with the service offerings in their parks. In fact, except for a few tech parks, Internet services remains much the same as it is outside the park. The result of this survey is intended to highlight to management of technology parks as well as to potential investors who may consider locating to Technology Parks

Science Technology Parks (STPs) have mushroomed all over the world since 1950s beginning with the first establishment in Silicon Valley at the University of Stanford. Initially, the purpose of developing STP was to generate income. Today, however, Technology Parks are considered as an essential tool for economic development. Such a tool is even more needed in a country such as Malaysia whose economy is entering a stage of transformation from Agricultural and Manufacturing based to one which is a knowledge driven.

Definition

Technology Parks are sometime referred to by others as Research Parks, Technopole, Technology Precinct and various others. For the purpose of this report, STP is defined in accordance with the definition given by the International Association of Science Park (IASP) which clearly stated that “Science and Technology Parks are the perfect habitat for businesses and institutions of the global knowledge economy. Science & Technology Parks promote the economic development and competitiveness of regions and cities by:
• Creating new business opportunities and adding value to mature companies
• Fostering entrepreneurship and incubating new innovative companies
• Generating knowledge-based jobs
• Building attractive spaces for the emerging knowledge workers
• Enhancing the synergy between universities and companies..

The quintessential composition of a Science Technology Park is that it should be designed with the following objectives
1. to encourage the formation and growth of knowledge based organizations who are normally residents on site
2. to have links among its tenants consisting of Universities, Research Institutions and Companies
3. to have other value added services together with high quality space and facilities

The last objective will be the focus of this report. Various STPs have declared that the services and facilities, ie the infrastructure, provided by their parks are of high quality, if not of world class. Such are the claims made by STPs from Edinburgh Technopole , Northern Ireland Science Park and various others. The definition of quality should also mean that the physical infrastructure provided by the STPs meets the requirement of its customers or in this case, the tenants in the park who consists of Multinationals and small medium companies both local and international. The objective of this report is to assess whether some of the Technology Parks’ physical infrastructure are of high quality. One way of gauging this is by measuring the success of the Technology Parks itself, such as the number of tenants it generates compared to its goals. However, this proposal will instead conduct a research that will assess whether the physical infrastructure provided, have sufficiently met the requirements of its tenants through a survey. From the survey, evidence will also be gathered as to whether such infrastructure particularly the internet services which may consist of dial up, broadband, wireless and added value such as IPTV contributed to the country’s economic development and growth.

Result of Study

Based on the result of the study with the assistance of a market research company, namely AGIT Consulting, summary of the findings are as folows:

70% of tenants in Irish Blanchardstown Tech Park are satisfied with their Internet services in general. While in Singapore with was 63% and in Malaysia it was 60%, the rest of the countries scored poorly with Thailand at 35% and India, Thailand and UAE at 10 and 15% respectively. The main reason of dissatisfaction in Ireland is due to the high cost of Internet and broadband in general and as one tenant illustrated, there was no difference between using Internet within or outside the park. Countries such as Malaysia and Singapore cited that cost and service efficiency as the main problem while in United Arab Emirates, tenants were more dissatisfied with the limited number of Internet Service Providers that are available to choose from. In India however, the main

Malaysia’s tenant in Cyberjaya believes that the additional service providers that are available solely for Cyberjaya as well as the number of free wireless LAN service available were the main good points for Internet services within the park. In India, tenants of ITPL looks positively at the Internet services in terms of the price that it offers.

Most of the tenants consider Internet services as more important than the Transportation and utilities that are provided within their park except for tenants in Ireland where 62% considers electricity and water supply as more important. All tenants however regard as the location of the park as well as the amenities to be the utmost important issue when residing in the park.

Although IPTV has already made its entrance across the world, all of the tenants surveyed have yet to witness such service in their Park. WiMAX which is already available for some of the park was also not mentioned as the preferred use for Internet access. The broadband speed and price are considered the important element when choosing their Internet Service Providers as oppose to the brand or customer service of the ISP. In Malaysia, TMnet is the preferred broadband service however, most tenants are eager to subscribe to its competitor P1 who deploys WiMAX. Most subscribers of tenants across the countries prefer the country’s main broadband service providers.

The full scale of the report, which also looks into the category of companies involved and the weight that tenants put on the importance of services can be obtained from AGIT Consulting at http://www.agitconsulting.co.uk

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite Internet service offers high speed Internet access anywhere in the U.S.

Imagine having an always-on connection with speeds up to 50 times faster than dial-up service. Imagine not having to log on and wait to get connected. And imagine being able to download photos and music files in seconds, instead of minutes or hours.

Now, with new lower prices, you don’t have to suffer with with slow-as-a-turtle dial-up Internet service any longer.

Satellite Internet Features

* Satellite service is available to anyone in the U.S. who has a clear view of the southern sky.

* You can get speeds up to 5 Mbps – that’s 50 times faster than dial-up service.

* You can take calls and talk on the phone while working on the Internet

* An “always on” connection means you don’t have to dial in, log on, then wait to get connected to the Internet.

Compare the Best Providers

HughesNet

Of the top four satellite providers, HughesNet is the largest and oldest, with more than 400,000 customers and 30 years in the business. They charge $59.95 for their 1 Mbps service, they offer free installation, and they also offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.

WildBlue

WildBlue is the second-largest provider, with more than 100,000 customers and 6 years in the business. They charge $69.95 for their 1 Mbps service, and installation is free after a $99.95 activation fee.

Skyway

Skyway is the third largest provider. They charge $59.95 for their 1 Mbps service plus a $25 activation fee. You can install their equipment yourself or pay $100 for a professional to install it.

Starband

Starband is the fourth-largest provider. They charge $69.95 for their 1 Mbps service. They require you to pay for professional installation (prices vary).

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the fastest speed, HughesNet offers speeds up to 5 Mbps which is four times faster than their nearest competitor. If you’re looking for superior service, HughesNet has has more than 400,000 satisfied customers – four times as many as their nearest competitor. And they’re the only provider that warrants their service with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

For those who are relocating or moving from dialup to broadband internet access, choosing a broadband ISP can cause some headaches. Should you go with DSL or cable internet access? Which ISP is better? You may need to spend hours or days visiting individual ISP sites, reading detailed service plans, checking for service availability in your area. Here are some simple tips to help you choose a good ISP.

The first thing you need to find out is service availability. In the past, you might have to go to the websites of different ISPs and scan for service availability for your geographical area. This is no longer necessary as some broadband service resellers have installed sophisticated software technology. This technology allows you to compare and choose from dozens of national ISPs simply by entering your phone number or home address.

What about price? Should you pick the one with the lowest price? Before you can make an objective comparison, ask yourself: what do you do most over the internet?

If you like to play real time online games or you need to download video clips, music files, games and software frequently, connection speed should be your primary concern. In general, ISP and service plans offering higher connection speed also cost more.

For a family with more than one PC at home, the ability to set up home networking is important. If you have a large family, you may want to choose a plan offering multiple email accounts. However, this is less important these days as free email accounts can be obtained from other sources such as Yahoo and Google.

For family with children, parental control is a useful feature. You can also compare the entertainment pack which comes with high speed internet access.

Almost all broadband ISPs provide free virus protection, pop-up blockers and anti-spam software. However, high speed internet access is often connected via a static IP address which makes your computer vulnerable to hacker attacks. You should also install a good personal firewall program yourself.

Read the terms and conditions of service carefully. Do you need to sign a one-year contract? Does the ISP provide money back guarantee? You may be charged a penalty fee if you cancel the service before the contract ends. It is also important to check if the ISP provides good customer service and 24/7 technical support.

You can ask your friends which ISP they currently use. However, please bear in mind that internet connection speed is affected by many factors. For examples, DSL internet speed is affected by the distance from ISP service center and the speed of cable internet is affected by the number of people sharing the bandwidth in your neighborhood. Therefore, people from different locations may experience different connection speeds using the same ISP. Usually, you will get a better idea of actual performance by getting feedback from your neighbors than friends living in other areas.

To sum things up, although price is an important factor in choosing an ISP, you should also consider your personal need, family structure, features and terms of the service plan, and the reputation of the internet service provider. Using comparison tools provided by some broadband service resellers can also save you time and money in the selection process.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Free Internet dating services are essential to society. They offer invaluable services that will ensure that singles are connected to matches. There comes a time when you feel you need to be hooked up to somebody. You try the traditional way and it proves not to yield the right results. You do not have to wish for a mate because you can easily get what you are looking for. Free Internet dating services are what I’m talking about. If you have never tried dating this way, you need to get some information on this. The Internet will provide you with the information you need. Start by looking for sites that are most popular. You will find very many services reviewed so that you can make the decision you like. You will find many features that will make your free Internet dating experience a pleasant one. Many free Internet dating services are responsible for thousands of connections or matches.

I think you should identify a service that has experience in the industry. You will know the success and experience of the particular service by looking at the membership. People will want to join those sites that have been seen to yield good results. Some of the services include Plenty of fish, Friend finder and the list goes on. There is so much to look forward to when you join these services. First, the fact that the service is free is a definite plus. You will not be required to part with any amount of money. Ensure that a service is absolutely free before you join. Consider the kind of features the service offers. The following features will enable your dating process to be easy and exciting. I’m talking about emails, chat rooms, forums, message boards, advice and the list goes on. All singles should start by going through dating advice. We can all learn something when it comes to dating. If you are not over past relationships, you will know how to conduct yourself, as you plan to enter into new relationships. If you need to sharpen your dating skills, many services will offer the right direction.

Take time and compare the various kinds of advice and, you will be more empowered in this regard. There are free services that restrict the number of email messages that you can send. Find out the services that will have no restrictions to you. Taking time to find out will prove to be worth it. Another thing you can consider is how to chat in this service. The following are some of the things that will be paramount to help you make sure you chat in the right way. You need to avoid bad chat up lines as this is pretty common with singles. The best thing is to ask questions and show genuine interest. Judge the mood of the person you are talking to and, you will not be disappointed. Finally, when you get contacts of the other person, you do not have to telephone them; start with a text message and you will be alright.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

TV and Internet services are quite of an interesting combination, because they actually represent the entire future of TV watching and of the Internet itself. One of the biggest differences between two such powers for media like TV and the Web, is the fact that the audience is usually passive, while watching TV show, whether becomes extremely active, when browsing the Internet. This allows a completely different TV environment and by definition, the advertising one as well.

TV and Internet services make possible watching a show and ordering products on the same time, or for the curious ones, it makes it possible to find out more information on the show currently watched. Of course, on game shows, or political talk shows, with the Internet it is even possible to interact in real time without having to divide yourself between your TV and your computer or, like in the old days, between your TV and your telephone.

A perfect example of how to combine TV and Internet services could definitely be TV charity marathons. Imagine for a moment to be able to watch the whole thing online and at your convenience be able to charge your credit card for a donation, on the same very website. This is very convenient and absolutely unbeatable. The future is leading us to such an environment and we should be prepared to accept it and using it for our best interests and benefit. Of course, some technological changes will occur, but the very important thing is to understand the concept and the philosophy behind the Internet.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite Internet Reaches Virtually Everywhere

In less than a decade, broadband has gone from an extravagance to a must for many of us. With the extensive availability of satellite Internet services in the country, residential customers and commercial enterprises can benefit from fast connections which would require no more dialing in and no more delays. Satellite Internet services offer customers a significant upgrade from dial-up. But not all forms of high speed Internet are easily accessible, not if you’re in a rural location. DSL and cable modem providers require much infrastructure to reach homes or small offices in regions not hitherto connected.

In the case of two-way satellite services, customers won’t be facing such problems. At present satellite Internet services from major providers are available all over the continental United States in rural and urban locations. The place where the customer resides should offer a clear view of the southern sky. Obstacles such as mountains or trees could cause a disturbance or reduction in speed, but this is generally thought to affect only around 5-10% of customers.

Download Speeds up to 1.5Mbps!

This type of service generally come in many packages depending on your requirements as well as budget. The two-way satellite service equipment is installed at your residence, home office or small office by professionals. The equipment consists only of the satellite dish and satellite modem.

A maximum speed of 1.5 Mbps is offered by major broadband providers. The bottom-line is that with satellite Internet the customer gets plenty of choices on the packages and user-friendly plans. Time to upgrade from dial-up.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

It’s not been long since Japan embraced internet but most people in the country face a severe problem of internet access. Most people in Japan were accessing internet through their mobile phones but things have started to change now and broadband internet access is being welcomed by more and more people.

There are several providers in Japan for internet access but the two most popular and top internet services in Japan include the ADSL and Hikaro or fiber optic connections. The top providers for ADSL internet access as well as Hikari include SoftBank, which is doing it through the Yahoo! BB brand and NTT (Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.) through their brand called Flet. One of the biggest internet service providers in Japan is BBapply as they are the authorized agents for both Flet and Yahoo! BB and hence are able to provide a broad range of internet connections. The internet services are available in a variety of packages and differ from each other on the basis of speed and cost. One of the most important aspects is that all the packages are not available throughout Japan or in every city.

Although Japanese people can choose between Yahoo! BB and Flet (NTT) ADSL and Hikari connections, the market leader in ADSL is definitely Yahoo! BB. They not only have the best offerings in terms of cost of internet access, types of plans etc. On the other hand Flet by NTT is the leader in the fiber optic or Hikari market and has overwhelmingly captured the market. Flet is offering Hikari connection to almost all urban areas and now is reaching out to the rural areas as well.

ADSL vs. Hikari

Hikari or fiber optic internet services in Japan are available in two main formats. The first format is called the standalone or “Family” service where you can pull a wire directly from the street into your home or apartment. The second format is the shared service also known as the “Mansion” where you can buy the service from the street near your home to the nearest server device installed, which will deliver the internet signal to each home or apartment in a particular vicinity or block.

As of today, almost 40% of the apartments in Japan have installed the Mansion-type Hikari connection. The connection is made available within two weeks from the day you apply for it.

On the other hand, the ADSL internet service available in a variety of speeds is provided through a metal telephone wiring system. You can use the ADSL connection with or without your landline telephone service. It takes about a week to install the ADSL connection if you have already installed a telephone service. If the adequate telephone service is not there then it will take anywhere between 2-6 weeks for installation of the connection.

Both the connections have the ability to offer high speed internet access and hence will play an important role in shaping up the future of Internet in Japan.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The ever-increasing demand for fast-paced Internet access has resulted in new cutting-edge technologies being offered by various service providers. Apart from being fast, these Internet services are cost-effective, user-friendly and hassle-free.

Choosing the right type of Internet service primarily depends on which technology is available in the area. The major types of high speed Internet access services include cable, DSL, wireless and satellite.

Cable Internet technology uses co-axial or fiber optic cables for accessing the Internet speedily. Apart from delivering television channels, cable wires are capable of handling Internet connections as well. Splitting the cable wire into two, with one connected to the television and the other to the computer, facilitates faster connectivity and access. Cable Internet service is extremely fast compared to traditional dial-up, is unlimited and reasonably inexpensive, as there is no cost for extra phone calls.

DSL Internet or Digital Subscriber Line Internet makes use of the existing bandwidth in telephone lines for Internet connectivity, as the telephone wire is capable of carrying data on varying frequencies. For using DSL Internet, it has to be ensured that the DSL signals do not interfere with telephone signals. Some of the prime advantages of DSL include being able to use the phone line while the Internet is on, a much higher speed than regular modems, and no requirement of fresh wiring.

Satellite Internet uses the technology of connecting to the Internet via satellites. The signals travel between the computer, satellite and ISP source. This technology is mostly used in areas where terrestrial Internet access is not possible, or in places which require frequent movement. Whether vessels at sea or remote military locations, satellite connections are available globally.

Wireless Internet access facilitates accessing the Internet while on the move, through mobiles and pocket PCs. This latest technology is still being improvised at various technological research centers. Based in areas which are frequented while traveling, like airports, hotels and restaurants, this service works on a wireless node.

All these technologies have succeeded in providing an impetus to communication via the Internet, by ensuring access at unprecedented speed.

High Speed Internet provides detailed information on High Speed Internet, High Speed Internet Access, High Speed Internet Services, High Speed Satellite Internet and more. High Speed Internet is affiliated with Satellite Internet Access.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet Services Reviews are great way for helping you save time. Many new internet marketers and online businesses get derailed over support functions. This is because these services and products are normally very new to the business owners and they become overwhelmed with the wide variety of products, services, and options. This is unfortunate because these “sidebars” take away from people being able to more quickly build a successful business and slow down their overall learning curve. For this reason, anything that can be done to help reduce these detours is at a premium. One such source is using internet services and product reviews.

The websites who do significant reviews in this area provide a high quality service for new and older internet businesses. By providing comprehensive reviews on all the products or services in a specific niche, business owners and internet marketers can quickly reduce their research time and assess which ones will be right for them. In addition, the best review sites will cover a wide array of companies so that you can get a complete picture of what is available in any given niche. This puts you, the buyer, back in control by letting you truly see what is being offered. Since no two businesses are alike, this can be invaluable as it lets you choose the product or service that most fits your needs rather than have to settle for the generic cookie cutter service or what is being overly promoted.

Since such internet services reviews are surprisingly rare, it pays to follow the websites that deliver this service across the board. Pay particular attention to see that all the reviews are comprehensive as they should discuss key issues of the individual company like its facts, product or service descriptions, company profile, benefits, drawbacks, and more. In addition, this should be true for all the top companies in the service or product. This adds credibility to the site and should not be overlooked.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

How do you access the Internet other than dial-up if you live too far from a phone company office for DSL and there is no cable TV on your street? The answer is satellite Internet service. Satellite system is the new alternatives to connects you to the Internet via latest space data communication technology. Such Internet connection does not use telephone lines or cable systems; instead, it uses satellite dish for both upload and download data communications.

Theoretically, satellite Internet services are available worldwide. With satellite Internet services, you should be able to enjoy high speed Internet connections no matter you are in the vessels in the middle of south pacific or the jungle of Amazons.

At the time of writing, satellite Internet speeds range from 700kbps to 1.5mbps for an affordable package. Both upload and download speed for satellite Internet service is much slower when it’s comparing to cable or DSL connection. However, when compare to normal dial up modem, satellite Internet connections are more or less 10 times faster!

Generally, satellite Internet can be divided into three categories: One-way Multicast, One-way with Terrestrial Return, and Two-way satellite access. The main differences of these services are the equipments setup and the core connection method.

In general, One-way multicast satellite Internet systems are used for IP multicast-based data, audio and video distribution; while for One-way terrestrial return satellite Internet systems, connection are done with traditional dial-up access to the Internet, with outbound data traveling through a telephone modem, but downloads are sent via satellite at a speed near that of broadband Internet access. As for two-way satellite Internet service, date is sent from remote sites via satellite to a hub, which then sends the data to the Internet. The satellite dish at each location must be precisely positioned to avoid interference with other satellites. The oscillators in some radar detectors can cause interference with these systems.

As technology advanced, stable satellite Internet connections are now available in a very low price to the public. As in United States, Hughes Net is one of the top companies that offer Internet services via satellite. They offer four service packages that each offers their own unique set of features and connection speed parameters.

The price of each package will depend on how fast the connection speed is, how many email accounts are included, and if you want a dial up connection added to your service package. You can save money by selecting the service package that meets your basic requirements for internet access.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

You have already paid your bills. You have ordered r your next meal. You have checked how much money you still have at the bank. You have discovered that your high school best friend is now doing well in some country in Europe. You have already ordered some flowers for your mother’s birthday this week. You have already confirmed your tasks for next week with your boss who is currently in Singapore. You also have read the latest news. You have done all this through the Internet.

Interestingly, the Internet has been one of the major avenues for getting, receiving, sharing and uploading information. Information is considered as one of the basic commodities to man at present.

However, you can’t stand your current connection to the World Wide Web. Your connection takes you a lot of time to download information that you need for your meeting. You find it hard to stay by your computer watching the information transferred to your computer slowly.

Thanks to innovations in the world of the Information Superhighway, there are wireless Internet services available for consumers. Companies and businesses are marketing and offering wireless Internet services for people who are interested in using it. Information is available on the Web.

The benefits of having wireless Internet services is that you can be very flexible. As long as there are hot spots, or places where your computer can receive a signal, you can access the Internet. You also don’t have to wait for your computer to establish a connection to the server.

Some companies claim that wireless Internet services are cheaper than the usual way of getting connected in the Internet. They claim that with wireless services, a customer only needs to pay the service fee. This is probably be true, because compared to the other means of connecting in the Internet, you have to pay for the services, as well as the phone line, and the cable you use to get connected.

Wireless Internet provides detailed information on Wireless Internet, Wireless Internet Access, Wireless Internet Services, Wireless Internet Providers and more. Wireless Internet is affiliated with Configuring Wireless Networks.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet services enable communication between individuals in the form of sharing information, both text and graphics, and entertainment at a speed. Improved technologies increased the speed by using parallel medium like cable and wireless networks. Satellite Internet technology enabled communication to reach remote locations that were unreachable through other technologies at almost the same speed.

Satellite Internet services are of two types. One-way service uses DVB-IP (Digital Video Broadcast- Internet Protocol), which is only for inbound connectivity. IP multicast protocol enables one-to-many-point communication. This is similar to push technologies like TV and radio where the contents are pushed to the users with little interactivity. Hence, one way service is ideally suited for webpage viewing. The downlink speed is at least 500 kbps.

Two-way services provide complete broadband services to the users. Two-way service enables high-speed access for both download and upload. The upload speed will always be slower than the download speed. This platform is ideal for SOHOs and small and medium enterprises. Satellite Internet technology provides mobile applications that can be mounted on trucks and ships.

Satellite Internet doesn’t allow faster access to Virtual Private Networks, as satellite Internet technology can’t decrypt packet header of data. Besides emails and web surfing, satellite Internet allows for voice over IP, a service very valuable in remote and mobile locations. In large enterprises, failure of standard broadband access such as cable and DSL could mean financial losses. Hence, satellite Internet acts as a business continuity mechanism.

The level of satellite services depend upon the plan provided by the service providers. The scaling up of uploading speed will result in many new services. Latency is a severe constraint in the adoption of this technology.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

T1 Internet Services empower all sorts of business enterprises to access to the Internet. It speeds up communication and data transmission from one point to another within local, metropolitan, or global scale. The T1 Internet Services Provider (T1-ISP) offers range of services to give end-users the best solutions for Data and Internet Services on the following key areas:

1.) Dedicated Internet Access

DIA is a high bandwidth 24/7 Internet connection which lets clients connect directly to providers core hardware and it is dedicated to one client, not shared with nor aggregated with other business clients. It is faster and more scalable than DSL, wireless or any kind of switched service. Guaranteed bandwidth and speed assures low latency as well as solid network performance.

Dedicated Internet Access is most recommended for mission-critical business applications such as e-commerce, businesses which requires they host their own servers, and companies requiring the transfer of large files between local and global offices as well as from customers, suppliers or employees off-site. DIA improves internal communication via e-mail and browsing capabilities. It also allows access to servers from remote locations and facilitates Intensive bandwidth multimedia activities such as Internet Streaming, Distance Learning, Webcasting.

2.) Ethernet Solutions

Ethernet solutions is now on the rise with the current trend of connectivity clutter. Ethernet today has evolved into the complex networking technology that today underlies most Local Area Networks (LANs). Its reliability of network connections and data transmission has made it the most widely used network by offices and industrial buildings. Furthermore, the networks are scalable from the simplest to the most complex and once hardware is connected to the network, it can be monitored or controlled by remote access through the Internet.

Ethernet today has evolved into the complex networking technology that today underlies most Local Area Networks (LANs).

3.) Hosting and Colocation

Web Hosting Services makes it possible for the websites of individuals or organizations to be accessible on the Internet. In addition, T1-ISP has data centers where space is provided for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity. T1-ISP can also provide allow the clientele’s servers to be connected to their data center, through Colocation. The client places equipment in racks, cages or private colocation suites. The colocation data center provides and manages the physical security, filtered uninterruptable power, back-up generators, cooling, Internet connectivity and network security for the clients servers.

Colocation hosting is recommended for clients preferring to run their servers in a high availability data center without taking incurring the cost for infrastructure and staff necessary to maintain a high quality data center.

4.) MPLS Services

Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), is now the technology of choice for transmitting high-speed data or digital voice in a single connection. MPLS with its proven reliability and increased performance, also often decrease overall costs through increased network efficiency. It is engineered to prioritize mission-critical traffic such as voice, video, and data applications over non-urgent traffic such as e-mail and Internet browsing making it the perfect solution for traffic across a network.

MPLS has the ability to label data packets. MPLS greatly speeds up the traditional routers by labeling each packet as it arrives on the network. Network efficiency is increased as MPLS lightens the load on an organization’s routers, freeing up needed resources. The speed of packet transmission is increased as well as reducing the load on network infrastructure.

5.) Private Line Services

Private Line Service is a dedicated point-to-point and multipoint inter- or intra-local access and transport area digital data service. It is a service that involves dedicated circuits, private switching arrangements, and/or predefined transmission. It transmits at speeds that are higher than conventional communication setups. Private line transmission service is engineered to transmit data in a digital format between specific locations thus the signal quality is high, secure, and very reliable.

Private Line Service rates are usually affected by three factors: (1) transmission speed (2) a fixed rate for central office termination such as access charges or local loops) and (3) a mileage charge for the fiber facilities used to carry the digital transmission over a distance. These charges are usually billed monthly by the service providers.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet services refer to the internet service provider (ISP) or to internet services such as the World Wide Web (WWW), internet e-mail services, file transfer protocol (FTP), or Telnet. Internet services give us the opportunity to interconnect with other computer networks and exchage data. This is possible through packet switching using standardized Internet Protocol Suite (TCP/IP). There are also various ways and technologies you can use to access the internet such as dial-up connections and digital subscriber line (DSL).

The World Wide Web or WWW, as an internet service, is the system of distributed servers that handle hypermedia documents such as those using the HyperText Markup Language or HTML. This is the method of presenting information in which selected words or phrases in the text are hyperlinked to other related information. These links can be other documents, graphics, videos or audio files. File Transfer Protocol or FTP, on the other hand, is an internet service that you can use to send, receive and share files across networks. There are different websites and applications that provide FTP services that you can use to move and keep your files in. This is also the internet service used for transferring files which are used for publishing websites.

Internet Service Provider or ISP, which is also called Internet Access Provider, is a company that provides individuals and business with access to the internet. There are different types of ISPs and these include:

* online-services – such as American Online (AOL) and Microsoft (MSN)
* national ISPs – such as EarthLink and Mind Spring, are large companies that offer internet access in a wide geographical area
* small and independent ISPs – operate in local or regional markets

You can find the best ISP that will meet all your needs by checking the different companies offering this kind of internet service. You can actually start out by using those that come with your computer or you can ask experts on this matter to help you out.

Once you have decided on which Internet Service Provider to use, the next step is how to access your ISP by means of internet access and internet connection. There are different ways to access the internet and these include using:

* Dial-Up connections – this needs a phone-line, a modem and an ISP connected to your computer
* ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network, a type of Dial-up connection with a faster speed but more expensive
* DSL – Digital Subscriber Line such as Asymmetric DSL and Symmetric DSL
* Cable – cable internet is connected through coaxial cables similarly used for cable TV
* Tier Carrier – consists of many tiers of speed
* T1 – Tier1 – very expensive but slow
* T3 – Tier3 – very fast and very expensive
* T2, T4, T5
* Optical Cable – with speed of up to 1 Gbit

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Prices for broadband internet services fluctuate with the times, and with the economy being so difficult, compromising your access to the internet seems to be the next logical choice. Before you do something hasty and cancel your internet connection altogether, here is a list of the cheapest online options for your computer to give you a better idea of your choices. If you can get the same quality internet access for a cheaper price, it may help you to continue to enjoy your ability to get online, so let’s start here and help you to set your wallet at ease.

The best way to determine which broadband internet services are cheaper is to first, compare their rates of speed. Broadband is typically used as a name for services that offer 768 kilobits per second speeds or higher, and with speeds in many plans starting at 6 megabytes per second, you can get a very slow internet connection speed that considers itself broadband. Make sure the amount of money you’re paying is equal to the maximum amount of speed you can have access to for that price, this truly determines how cheap your service can be, while providing you with a quality connection at the same time.

Most services are pretty competitive, and you may find that the prices from provider to provider are quite similar. A great way to determine if you are getting a cheap deal on your broadband service is to determine how many fees you are charged outside of your service. From state and federal taxes to usage charges based on proration and charges based upon stopping and restarting services, your monthly bill can become expensive. Some companies have created deals with local government and do not include any taxes or fees with their services. These companies usually offer excellent service and equally excellent download and upload speeds, so be sure to inquire about that.

Another great way to get a cheap service and an additional bang for your buck is to see what kinds of perks and incentives your provider will give you for remaining their customer. From cash back, to free months and being entered into drawings where you could win cash or other great gifts, you may make up for any additional charges by racking up these great perks. There are some broadband services that actually pay you $100 for becoming their customer which is enough to cover 1 – 2 months of service, and perks like these can go a long way. Also, look into referral fees that will either put money in your pocket or take money off of your bill.

Uma Ilango is a programmer from profession. Has lots of interest in non-technical writing too. She has written articles in several topics. Her hobbies include reading, surfing, writing and playing chess. She writes regularly at Bigarticlepool.com.

Bigarticlepool.com is a source of expert content in the form of short, informative and educational or entertaining articles. We provide experts in hundreds of different niches from around the world. Thousands of new articles are added every month.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

With the internet age growing more quickly than most people can imagine, it’s almost impossible to work or play without some kind of internet services. Many of these services can be expensive, but there are ways to locate some great deals to help keep you connected.

Here are some recommended tips to help save you money on your internet services.

1. Decide what services are important: This is an important step because you will find there are many levels of service and products available on the market today. You can find a simple dial up internet service all the way to a service that connects via satellite. Decide what features are important to you, such as connection speed, email options, and mobile technology.

2. Shop around: There are so many companies that now offer internet services and the pricing can vary greatly. Take the time to gather some prices quotes before you decide upon one company.

3. Check with your phone company: Many telephone companies are now offering great packages for internet services, home phone and cellular service, and digital TV systems. You can find several companies that offer special pricing for two to four services at once. Many will offer introductory specials; however, be aware of how long these prices will last and what the new package price will be once your initial period is over.

4. Buy your equipment: Several companies will lease modems and other internet equipment instead of having you buy them outright. If you purchase the modem outright, you may see significant savings if you stay with the same company for many months or years.

5. Look for coupons: You can search online for websites specifically designed for coupons. Not only can you find coupons for virtually every type of item in your household, you will also find coupons for services as well. Many of these coupons can include months of free or greatly reduced service fees, or even free shipping on modems and other internet service equipment.

6. Don’t be afraid to change providers: If you find another internet service provider that offers a terrific deal, don’t be scared to switch. Be sure that you are not locked into a contract, however. Many of the providers charge steep fees to get out of that contract.

7. Look locally: Many of your local internet companies will offer services comparable to that of the larger, well known internet powerhouses. You may find the services offered locally have better customer service and lower rates.

8. Utilize free trials. Most of the larger internet service companies offer free trials to new customers. Use these to help determine which company you like the best. If you cancel service before the end of the trial period, be sure to check your bank account to see if the monthly fee was taken out anyway. It can be a time consuming process to get your money back.

Research is the key to finding affordable internet services. Make use of online coupon sites, local providers, and package deals to get the most for your money.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

People are using dating internet services more and more these days. Despite the media-advertised perils of meeting people over the internet, it is becoming common practice. Wired magazine recently commented that in twenty years it will seem odd not to prescreen people you want to have a relationship with through a dating internet service. Indeed, in 2004, internet dating services were the largest segment of paid web content in the US.

There are at least four types of internet dating services: general dating sites, compatibility sites, niche sites and networking sites.

General Sites

Most general dating internet services are free. You usually post a profile, and you can look at other people’s profiles. Most general dating sites have features that help you connect with people you are interested in. Look for forums, chat rooms, messenger functions and buddy lists.

There are zillions of these sites, so it may be a bit difficult to sort out the ones that you want to participate in. Get recommendations from friends if possible. Find out if your friends have tried some of the sites, and ask what their experiences were like.

Remember that there is no way to know if the information in someone’s profile is true. People do post inaccurate information for a variety of reasons.

Use safe internet practices when posting on dating internet services, too. Never give personal information to someone you don’t know, and never post your address or phone number in a public forum. Always meet new people face-to-face in a public, neutral place. Use common sense to protect yourself.

Compatibility Sites

These sites charge for their services because they do more than just provide a meeting place. Compatibility sites usually have you do some kind of personality or compatibility assessment and they try to match you with people who have similar profiles.

Most people subscribe to a compatibility dating internet service hoping to find a long-term relationship or marriage. E-Harmony is probably the best known of these sites, and they have been successful in helping many people find life partners.

Niche Sites

A niche dating internet service is a good option if you are looking to meet someone with a particular interest or slant on life. You may want to spend time with someone who shares your interest in Motocross, or who raises pigs, or who is a square dancer. There are specialty online dating sites for just about any niche you can think of. Some niche online dating sites are free and some are not.

Another way to use niche dating internet services is to find someone who practices a particular faith. Some people prefer to date within their faith community, and niche online dating sites meet their needs.

Networking Sites

Networking sites, such as MySpace, are not dating internet services, but they are a great way to meet people. And meeting someone is the first step in deciding if you want to date him or her. People often begin dating relationships through a network site.

It’s important to remember, however, that dating is not the primary purpose of networking sites. Many of the people you meet there are not interested in dating.

Dating internet services are an excellent way to find people you might be interested in. Some sites help you screen potential dates, too, to find those that you are most likely to be compatible with. Your chances of finding someone you enjoy spending time with are probably better with a dating internet service than they are with a blind date… or Uncle Joey’s cousin’s sister… or the guy your mom wants to fix you up with…

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Satellite Internet is a new way of Internet connection that utilizes satellite technology in data communication. As most satellite TV providers nowadays teamed up with satellite Internet Service Provider (Satellite ISP) and offer their service via the same system, satellite Internet is also commonly known as satellite TV Internet. In general, satellite Internet services are used in location where terrestrial Internet access is unavailable.

Who needs satellite Internet service?

In the beginning, satellite Internet is mainly for those who need Internet access a lot but cannot get it: Armies, offshore site engineers, and shipping crews are some of the pioneer satellite Internet users.

As days go by, satellite Internet technology revolved and was commercialized to the publics. In this day and age, satellite Internet is meant for almost anyone who is looking for high-speed Internet services. If you travel a lot, if you live in rural area where DSL cables are unreachable, if you want alternatives for your cable DSL connection; satellite Internet service is for you.

As the service cost is getting cheaper and cheaper, satellite Internet turned out to be a common house hold services nowadays.

What is the speed limitation for satellite Internet?

Currently we are seeing around 500kbps to 1.5mbps on satellite Internet speeds. Nothing impressive when compare to DSL cables; however in contrast with dial-up connection, satellite Internet is definitely the better choice of high speed connection.

Getting into satellite Internet services

Basically, you will need to approach to different local satellite ISP if you wish to owns the system. In normal circumstances, satellite Internet services are available worldwide thus one need not to worry about the availability of satellite Internet services in his or her area. Common installation of satellite Internet system at home will requires two modems, a satellite dish that pointed to the south sky, coaxial cables that link up satellite dish and you modem, and of course, a PC. In United States, Hughes Net is one of the top satellite ISP that you should be familiar with.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Change is unavoidable in everything you see and do. This is precisely what you will and should hope from the Internet everyday. One facet that has completely eliminated MLM off the map and made internet marketing a far better option is social sites.

The truth on MLM business is that people are forced to rely on their primary program and fixed sales pitch. MLM promoters are out to fill their levels so that they can make money, and don’t care about their prospects and customers. The prospect’s needs are irrelevant to an MLM promoter.

Internet marketing has the wonderful advantage of giving you the chance to really know your customers and what their needs are instead of just going into a standard sales pitch. Nowadays building a rapport like this is key to successful internet marketing simply because people understand that they have lots of entrepreneurs to choose from.

Regardless of your competitors, you must still stand out from the crowd by offering unique items and service. One key to building a customer base is to engage the prospect. Discuss their wants and needs. Make the effort to really converse with your potential customers, in order to create a positive impact. By being engaged, and engaging, you stand the highest likelihood of a return contact by your prospects when it is time for them to make that purchase decision.

Here is where the importance of social sites comes into play. Social networking sites have had a massive impact on business in the online marketing industry. Such sites enable communication with people in your niche. You can pick up suggestions from them, and offer your own input as well.

By using these web pages, it becomes far easier for you to meet up with new prospects and establish a personal relationship. Once you have established a personal relationship, they will be far likelier to choose your business in the future.

There are a variety of social site resources available for your cause. Some of the more well known ones include; Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Individually, they all have theirs unique benefits.

These sites are important, but so are the many blogs and forums available online. These will give you many ways to meet new people, find out what they’re looking for in an opportunity, and give them advice and share your knowledge on every subject under the sun.

The reality is that MLM is extinct. Stop wasting your time parading around about how amazing your product is and start making an impression on the people you see and talk to through social sites.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Business owners can be the best PR managers. Using social media and the Internet as a distribution platform you can match the results of even the best PR agency. However, the amateur marketer can need a little help learning the short-cuts to early success.

Here are some easy steps to get these social media tools returning real PR and branding results:

1. Set-up your PR and Branding Platform. Start small and focused. This platform is going to be where you drive people to learn more about your business, products, and services. Pointing back to this central focal point with all of your PR and branding campaigns with assist lead generation.

If you are technically inclined a simple blog is a great place to start. However, it is not necessary–you can chose to make Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn your personal brand platform. Make sure a visitor is engaged with your strategy when they arrive.

2. Listen First. Once you have a good platform, a base station, you need to start listening to your market. Consumers are all over the Internet and making it easier and easier to survey their needs.

A great place to start listening is on Twitter–the premiere social networking and conversation tool. Search for key words associated with your market in the Twitter search engine, then sit back and see what they expect.

3. Participate. Listening is important, but participation builds trust, relationships, and targeted audiences. Ultimately, and online PR and branding strategy online is community building.

Community building means conversations and conversations build audiences. Audiences that will trust your recommendations, marketing, and services. Participation in your community will create sales leads for your business, if done appropriately.

4. Give Value First. Consumers are naturally skeptical, especially online. Nothing brings a sale faster than “giving first” and breaking that natural skepticism. Online publishing tools and platforms have made is a snap to leverage the Internet for big-time audience generation and distribution.

Creating valuable content targeted at solving problems for your ideal customer can make a big impact. This can be as simple as a blog post, eBook, or amateur video. This little effort and value given freely and distributed widely will bring enormous return.

5. Build Relationships. You have to care! Consumers and customers see this in a heartbeat–and they react. Quickly returning emails, phone calls, and even tweets show a passion for your business and the customers you serve.

Customers greeted with a sense of urgency can be the biggest advocates and promoters of your products and services.

6. Be Helpful. Consumers are using the Internet more and more to find information and solutions to their problems. Being helpful is one the most powerful marketing tactics. The psychological principle of reciprocity can produce incredible returns on a simple helpful tip, pointer, or referral.

If you know the answer to a question–help someone. There are lots of ways to help online and build your brand. Check out LinkedIn Answers or Yahoo!Answers.

7. Promote Others. Having a successful PR and branding strategy is not all about you. Promoting others builds your audience and reputation. This technique has two benefits: Getting the reciprocity of helping someone else with a campaign. Second, you get the attention and trust of those who follow your advice and gain value.

Promoting others is like doubling your product base and increasing your marketing reach.

7.5 Engage PR and Marketing Professionals. With so many social media tools available and free advice on the Internet it is easy to rush in without a plan. Doing PR and branding without clear objectives and concise messages can be an obvious train wreck to consumers–a lasting bad impression.

Professional advice and guidance from PR and marketing professionals can help you set firm footing and foundation under your idea. Then you can make do-it-yourself have real impact.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

When I was a child growing up, I recall pornography was predominantly limited to Playboy, Penthouse and a few other magazines that featured nudity that my parents told me were inappropriate and insulting to women. Those who bought and viewed this material were considered dirty old men. Child pornography was something that you seldom heard of, and always happened somewhere else. It was a small segment of society who engaged in this type of behavior, and while a problem, it was not considered a significant one.

Today, this has changed. According to a recent of a recent US government study, the volume of online child pornography has increased by 1500% in the past 10 years. The Internet has become the mainstream tool that predators are using to exploit children in growing numbers. The Internet is an uncensored medium to exchange information, and those who would prey on children are using it to their full advantage.

While the United States and a handful of other countries have taken some precautionary steps to try and stem the growing tide of online child sexual exploitation and predation, countries like Brazil, India, and several Far East nations have become safe havens for predators. These countries offer few protections or safeguards that restrict or in any way prohibit the distribution of child pornography online. Bangkok, Thailand and the country of Myanmar are among two of the top countries in the child sex slave industry, and South America and parts of Europe are quickly catching up to this sickening, but lucrative industry that preys on innocence. India is a growing hub for online child pornography, yet government officials have taken few steps to halt its growth.

At any given time, there are more than 100,000 known child pornographic sites online, and investigators say the number is growing at an alarming pace. An estimated 20,000 new child porn sites are being set up each month around the globe, much faster than agencies who combat this crime with significantly limited resources can take them down. In a global culture of death where abortion on demand is available in most countries, life is no longer valued and abuse of children is a sad, but real byproduct.

Because the Internet is anonymous, and global in scope, those who exploit children by online means can (for the most part) remain themselves anonymous and cover their tracks well. Agencies who attempt to gather information to arrest and prosecute these sick individuals often run into dead ends, as the predators remain unidentifiable and unreachable in a virtual world. Policing the Internet is almost impossible, especially with the limited resources of law enforcement and a lack of cohesive laws to outlaw such behavior.

Social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo!Chat, YouTube and Orkut are being used to help expand the predator’s reach. Orkut, one of the larger social networking sites, has an estimated 60-70 million users. The Brazilian government has reported that almost 90% of all the illicit sexual material coming from their nation is flowing through Orkut. In 2007, 624 cases of Internet crimes were prosecuted in Brazil, and two-thirds of those cases (420) were linked to child pornography on Orkut.

Thousands of pornographic images and video clips make their way onto the Internet daily, and many of these are of children as young as 5-7 years of age. And as you can see, it is not just the private, backroom sites that predators share through their private channels, but to social networking sites like MySpace, Orkut, and YouTube. Plus, new cell phone technology is making it easier to capture images and video and transmit this to other cell phones, as well as the Internet.

The miniaturization of wireless cameras have also led to a rise in the gathering of images and video from unsuspecting children and adults. Cameras can be hidden in stuffed animals, book spines, air conditioning vents, clock radios, and other innocent locations that can beam a video signal to a nearby collection point for recording and later distribution onto private websites, DVDs and social networking sites.

Children are also adding to this growing problem by posting nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves online. Vanessa Hudgens of the Disney High School Musical movie series had inappropriate images she had sent to her boyfriend and co-star Zak Efron nabbed and uploaded to the Internet. One of the Cheetah girls, Adrienne Bailon, has also been linked to the release of nude photographs. This has led to impressionable young girls and boys posting their own images, or sharing them with others, only to have these images make their way to the World Wide Web and into the hands of those who would distribute them or view them for their own sick, twisted ends.

According to the Dauphin County (PA) Child Predator Unit, more than 181 Internet predators have been arrested since they began operations in 2005. In 2008 along, they made more than 70 arrests, more than in any previous year. Attorney General Tom Corbett said, “Predators know that kids become more active online as the weather turns colder and the days grow shorter, and they also know that more young people are home unsupervised, either before or after school.” He added, “Time and distance mean nothing to Internet predators because computer technology allows them to reach across the street, or across the country, to ‘groom’ young victims for sexual meetings or to flood their computers with sexually graphic photos and videos.”

Parents should be aware of their children’s online activities, and not allow them to have individual access to the Internet in rooms where their activity cannot be monitored. We suggest you place the computer in a centrally-located area of the home, in plain sight, so that everyone can monitor the family’s Internet usage. Parents should also teach their children to be alert for strangers who pose as online friends or engage in sexually explicit language. If they are sent explicit photos or videos, solicited for sex, or asked to meet face-to-face, they should notify their parents and law enforcement should be contacted immediately.

Sexual predation is not limited to children, and teens (and pre-teens) are increasingly becoming the prey. As children in their pre-teens and teens go through emotional swings, predators have found they are more easily manipulated, especially by those who are lacking in self-esteem or having difficulties fitting in. Through social networking sites, predators will befriend children, teens and even adults in an effort to gain their trust and confidence, all the while grooming them for an anticipated face-to-face encounter or to persuade them to either send pictures or video, and in some cases pose or perform online.

As a society, we need to do more to make sure that social networking sites are truly social places, and not predatory hangouts. Turning a blind eye to the problem doesn’t make it go away. Reporting deviant behavior and online material to law enforcement is an important first step, and taking the high road yourself to make sure that you and your family members are not contributing to this growing epidemic is another.

Social networking sites offer a great opportunity to meet and communicate with people from all over the world; however, it is important to remember that you really don’t know these people, and anything posted online can and will be used against you if it is accessed by the wrong person. It is also important to remember that once something is placed online, it is there foreve. The Internet doesn’t forget, nor does it forgive, wrong choices. And the consequences could have a lasting impact on you, and others.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Over the course of the past few years, social networks have come to be used for far more than socializing. Indeed, a growing number of business enterprises that are in operation on the Internet and World Wide Web today have taken to utilizing social network websites as a means of promoting their own website operations. Perhaps you have decided to utilize a social network page as a means for promoting what you are doing business-wise on the Internet and World Wide Web at this juncture in time.

First of all, one of the most basic and fundamental steps that you can take to optimize a social network page for maximum impact is to include appropriate backlinks to your main or primary website on a social network page. Through this type of linking effort, you will be able to garner traffic from people who have already expressed an interest in you or what you are doing to by spending at least some time on your social network page or on a social network page that is set up to assist in the promotion of your business enterprise.

Second, you can also enhance the effectiveness and value of a social network page by including keyword enriched copy on your social network page. As with other Net based content, you can end up attracting the attention of valuable search engines through the utilization of keyword enriched content within or on your social networking page.

Finally, you can increase the effectiveness and usefulness of your social networking page by including blogging or a blog (or reference or a link to a blog) through your social network page.

By following these suggestions, you will be able to garner the greatest usefulness and value from a social network page – an enhancement that will serve your interests today and into the future

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article writing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide’

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

As search giants, Google, Yahoo and MSN continue their fierce battle to become king of the search engines, internet marketers are faced with increasing challenges to dominate in the rankings. As algorithms and methodologies change, savvy entrepreneurs and Madison Avenue continue their heated battle for a coveted Top 10 spot in search engine rankings.

Social search is not officially here but the debut is not far off. Yahoo, MSN and Google are all purportedly working on methodologies to converge search and user generated content all while walking the tightrope known as “privacy.” Yahoo has been beta-testing Yahoo Answers since December 2005 and has hired powerhouse, Raghu Ramakrishnan, the co-author of Database Management Systems and co-founder of QUIQ. Mircosoft is in talks with Eurekster.com, a company specializing in social search and Google is experimenting with Google Base Beta.

Why are these internet behemoths investing so much in social search? Social networks such as MySpace and Friendster are threatening the domination of established search giants.

>> Social networks are pulling in a significant and increasing share of web traffic.

Social network sites are actively working to improve their internal search capabilities and provide an even richer experience for their members. Search giants such as Google, Yahoo and MSN must accelerate their social search efforts or they may be left out of the search game that they now dominate. Search giants must step it up or they will get left behind.

It is hard to believe that in the early days of the net, there was an underlying assumption that technology would replace or hinder human interaction. There were those that believed users would prefer getting their information from a computer rather than a person. Social networking is really something old made new by bringing it online. It turns out we humans still rely on other humans and technology simply allows us to expand the boundaries of our social networks. Studies have proven what we already knew intuitively, we pay attention to recommendations from real people. Social search, viral marketing and social networking are not at all new concepts. Social search is really the technology derivative of asking friends and colleagues for recommendations. In the long ago, dark ages before we “googled”, if you needed a mechanic you asked your neighbor, your colleagues and your friends for a recommendation. We now google for mechanics and visit websites to gain information that will help us in our decision. Social search will enable users to combine the two for a robust result that combines user driven content or the human element with the power of technology. Pretty heady stuff, when you contemplate the impact of this new era of search.

>> What does all of this mean to the internet marketer?

The internet marketer’s goals remain the same – drive traffic and convert that traffic to profitable sales.

Social search will not change the foundation of marketing but it will change the way in which you present your information to generate leads. In other words, you will still need to apply good old fashioned Public Relations and Marketing tactics to the new fangled Social Search Medium, fondly dubbed SMM by some.

>> Drive traffic to your site from social search and search engine optimization

To take advantage of social search, the first step is to develop a plan. Who is your ideal customer? Contrary to popular belief, the world is not your customer. Do you merely want 200,000 hits per day or do you want 200,000 hits from people that have a problem your product or service can solve? Often the focus is on pure traffic results, but none of that matters if you’re not hitting your sales goals. So, what does your ideal customer look like? What complementary products or services do they buy? How often do they make purchases? Take the time to identify your target market before you launch a marketing plan.

Now that you have identified your niche, you’ll have a much easier time capturing them using SMM. Marketing whether online or off is all about relevancy, visibility, and credibility. As an internet marketer you want to dominate your niche market by establishing yourself as the expert in your area, delivering content to your potential customer that is relevant to their needs and preferences and have greater visibility than your competitors.

>> Steps that you can take to achieve expertness with SMM:

1. Become an expert source of information.

Use the bookmarks and article submission features of sites such as Digg to establish yourself as a credible and recognizable source of information.

2. Hitchhike on a blog.

Post relevant and informative content on high profile blogs in your industry. Contributing to a blog on relevant subject matter will increase your visibility and credibility with your target market.

3. Share, share, share.

Create a Squidoo lens, write and publish articles to online article banks (i.e. EzineArticles.com), contribute to wikipedia. Issue quarterly press releases through PR Web. Providing content will establish familiarity with your name (the “haven’t I heard of you?” effect) and enable you to cement your expertise with your audience. You will then drive pre-qualified users to your site, who has already established interest in what you have to sell.

4. Create your own friendly network.

Link sharing with complementary products and services is still a great way to expand your social network, and hence your visibility.

5. Build on your existing foundation.

The technical aspect of search will not be eliminated with the dawn of social search. Rather social search will augment technical search. Thus, it is important to continue utilizing the tools and resources that drive technical search including optimization techniques and paid inclusion.

6. Apply innovation directly to your site. Here’s an example:
http://microsaw-swicki.eurekster.com/ that we are using, and it’s a free service.

Summary:

Social search will not entirely replace the traditional technical driven search but does open up yet another avenue for internet marketers. One of the more exciting aspects is that smaller businesses are better positioned to make the most gains from the social frontier. We have seen the power of the “regular Joe” community in driving site popularity and outpacing Madison Avenue marketing efforts. YouTube, MySpace and Facebook owe their growth to the power of viral marketing. Big Business has not yet mastered the art of getting up close and personal with its users providing savvy entrepreneurs with the opportunity of a lifetime. By using the simple techniques outlined in this article you will be well poised to take advantage of that opportunity.

Social Marketing Resources:

Digg, Wikipedia, Wikihow, Flickr, StumbleUpon, Newsvine, LinkedIn, Del.icio.us, MySpace, Ma.gnolia, Yahoo Answers, Reddit, Technorati, Squidoo, Shoutwire, 43 Things, YourElevatorPitch, Ning, Yahoo 360, BlinkList, Shadows, Wetpaint, Jotspot

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

A recent study done by Wetpaint (wetpaint.com) and the Altimeter Group (altimetergroup.com) showed that companies who actively participated at social networking websites experienced a growth in sales of up to 18% over their competitors. What is the secret of their internet marketing strategy? Social Engagement.

Social Engagement is the act of using social media outlets, such as Twitter and Facebook, to interact with customers and get them involved with your business. For years, companies struggled with figuring out how social networking fit into their internet marketing strategy. Some viewed it as a thing to be scorned, fearing that their brands would suffer in this new era of transparency. Others, like Starbucks and Dell, are being handsomely rewarded for embracing social networking as an integral part of their internet marketing strategy.

These companies realized that customers were using these channels to talk about their businesses. They understood that the world isn’t like it used to be. In the past, any experience a customer had with a business, positive or negative, could only be relayed to people in the customer’s immediate network. This naturally limited the impact the customer had on the business. These days, though, with the global reach of the internet, one customer’s complaint could be heard around the world. Literally.

But doing damage control and staunching the loss of business due to the chatter of unhappy customers isn’t the only reason to get involved in social media. An internet marketing strategy that includes Social Engagement enhances your brand by giving your business the credibility it needs to encourage your customers to trust you. In addition, the network you build will expand your reach and influence in the world. Most importantly, though, Social Engagement offers you an opportunity to learn more about your customers and what they value. This, in turn, will help you provide them with the products they need.

Although using social engagement as part of a holistic internet marketing strategy requires a dedicated effort, it is well worth the work. But before you rush off to join that hot new social networking website, there are a few things to keep in mind when mingling with your customers.

The most common mistake businesses make when using social media for the first time is to immediately pound customers with their sales message. Social networking is about connecting with people. If you start hammering at them with your sales pitch before they get to know you they will, instead, ignore you. This would be like running up to a person in a parking lot and hard selling them on your product. It doesn’t work there and it won’t work on the internet.

Instead, draw customers to you by posting valuable content such as useful tips or links to informational articles. Since social media is a two way conversation, it is important that you talk to your customers. Read and respond to their posts. Pass along interesting things that they say to others in your network. This shows that you are interested in them and likewise they’ll be interested in you.

Another mistake you want to steer clear of is social media overload. Most of the big boys have dedicated teams of specialists who watch and participate in all of the networking websites. Unfortunately, you probably don’t have the time, money or help so avoid stretching yourself too thin by focusing your efforts in only one or two places.

Jumping into the social media arena will give your internet marketing strategy the boost it needs to be effective. You’ll love interacting with your customers as much as they’ll love getting to know you. And that, as we all know, is the start of every great relationship.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Today you come across many social sites on the Internet that you can join absolutely free of cost. Some of the most popular sites that you can join are MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. All these sites are accessed by millions of people across the world. Apart from the main goal of making friends and socializing virtually with people, these sites also offer other advantages as well such as helping you build your business.

You can now promote your blogs through these websites. A blog refers to an on line space where you can write about a niche such as your business. You can also promote your business website through these social websites. You can also join special business groups and interact with people from the same field. Hence the Internet and the social sites in particular help you a lot in making your business successful. You can increase your network as well. You can use anything from email to instant messaging to blogs to chat to make your business successful.

Technology has grown at a fast pace over the last few years. Members as young as 16 year olds are joining the social networking sites. In fact these young guns have started their business from home by using just a computer and an Internet connection. On social networking sites you can expect total communication anonymity and gratification. The social networking sites have become the next wave in communications. You can just introduce any content you want to your profile and even post messages in a group and within an instant it will be uploaded for everyone to see.

People today have come to know the impact of these sites and how they have set ground making standards for business on the whole. Also you will be able to experience the talent and expertise of other people on the sites as well as to how they are promoting their products and services. Competition is fierce and you always have to stay ahead of competition. Today people share their ideas on the social networking sites and they stand to gain a lot of knowledge. People are adopting these latest technologies to bring forth their business name and you should not fall behind. You have to adapt yourself to these technologies and implement what you have learned from the social networking sites.

Through these sites you can go for two types of communication, e.g. one to one communication and one to many communication. In case of one to one communication you interact with one person on a personal level while on a one to many communication you interact with a group. Both forms of communication have their advantages and you must optimize the benefits of both. Sites like LinkedIn have 11 million people who have joined the site purely for business purposes. These people represent about 150 major industries and many more sub industries under these major industries. So you can just imagine the impact of these positive sites on businesses.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

No doubt has an individual’s personal life dramatically changed from writing down one’s thoughts and feelings on a notebook known as a diary to posting pictures, videos and blogs of one’s life in a webpage. This is yet another full proof of how technology and the internet have made its impact in our daily lives a nd how globalization spread outs in different fields.

The function of both technology and the internet in our present society continuously expands and attracts people from the many walks of life. And with the introduction of social networking and blogging sites, more and more people are being drawn to the magic of the internet. This doesn’t only holds true towards kids and teenagers but for adults as well.

Social networking and blogging sites initially had the youth as its captured market. And since this has now developed into profit generating means, those beyond their 20’s have engaged in the use of these internet-based recreations.

But what pros and cons has this new era of internet-based innovation brought about to the society? For globalization and reaching out to people, this has by far made a really great impact on how we go about socialization. Individuals can now keep in touch with people they haven’t seen or heard from for a very long time. They can also get connected with complete strangers form different countries who wish to acquire as many friends as they wish or relatives who are in a different country. This is also a means to speak one’s mind and be visible. At the same time it is used as venue to brainstorm questions and answers to the millions of information and topics around the globe. A large number of people have taken advantage of this by simply making money out of just sharing thoughts and opinions. As for this part, it doesn’t sound bad at all.

On the other side of the fence, reality check, once anyone posts anything on the internet through these sites, one has agreed to publicize certain aspects of his life that used to be known just among family, closest friends or professional contacts. It is true that these sites have encourage connectedness and globalization in a different aspect, but take note of the fact that this kind is more on a very personal level. A very personal level, that at times not even an individual’s parents are aware of these unless they have read or since it in one of those social networking sites. And not to forget the attacks on sensitive information such as password and credit card information. There are also concerns regarding harassment over these sites. In addition, this has also brought about lower productivity and more conflicts due to excessive use of use sites even during working hours.

Both social networking and blogging has its benefits and drawbacks. A remind for anyone and everyone to take precautions while enjoying this perks of the internet. So if you’re the type of individual who values privacy too much, be extra careful in venturing into this. It has made both money and friends for a lot but it has also caused a lot of trouble for some. This significant era of internet-based technology and feature have more in store for the world in the future and millions are continuously patronizing it. It would always be better to learn and understand it before jumping into it or even if you’re already a part of it.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If you’re looking for successful results, Social media is an important strategy that should be a part of any internet marketing campaign. Companies form internet marketing campaigns for the sole purpose of increasing brand awareness and attracting quality traffic to their website. It is becoming a popular trend with businesses all over the world, as it is an easy and cost effective method to spread the word out to their consumers. According to statistics, one conversation of a consumer can have the impact of 200 TV commercials! Human behavioral studies suggest that a person is more likely to consider a friend’s recommendation or opinion, than over what they see or hear from other respectable sources.

The results of these studies, have triggered a number of companies to literally stoop down to the “grass root levels” of the Internet, in order to mold themselves within the number of popular social media websites. Snail mail being ancient history, now even email usage has slowly declined as more and more people prefer using online community websites to converse with each other. The younger generation makes up a majority of the social network population. Businesses are also aware that the younger generation is good at spending a majority of the money they earn. These consumers hold the strength and the power in their words and what they communicate to others. Community websites have increased the efficiency in the way that we communicate to one another. Users recommending or expressing their disappointment in a particular product or service, can make or break a company’s reputation. The popularity of a product through online social network websites triggers what most marketers refer to as a “buzz”, which can indisputably boost a company’s profits overnight.

From the feedback and conversations of consumers through communal websites, corporations can assess how to alter their merchandise and services to the specific requirements of the consumers. Businesses have to be willing to listen to the feedback and act upon it within reason. Create interest by giving a reason for users to visit the company website. No matter how simple or unappealing your product may be, there is always a way to establish interest. Think of what the customer would want. Having a page of entertainment on your website would not be such a bad move. Many businesses have taken the initiative to integrate games, free sample offers, videos, blogs and interesting updates onto their websites in order to lure users and build traffic.

To incorporate social media into your internet marketing campaign you should begin with research. Scope out your competitors, see how they’ve designed their website and what they are doing to captivate social network users to visit. Study the wants and needs of the consumer. Conducting online surveys to understand exactly where you are doing well and where you are lacking would be a good way to embark on your research. Accordingly you can formulate a plan as to what online communities your company will target and what kind of information you can offer. There is no set formula to gain exposure through social community websites. Test out different combinations of social networks and online community platforms to see what works best for you. The main benefit to this strategy is that changes can be made almost immediately, to produce the desired effect. With a blog, companies can keep followers updated about their latest merchandise and advancements.

If your internet marketing campaign is running successfully, continue analyzing and monitoring the trends. It is definitely not something you can keep stagnant. Constant changes and updating of new content is required to make social media a lucrative strategy for your business.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

As the power of the Internet to put pictures in front on consumers, and then add sound and video, online marketing has grown and flourished. That all took place during the online era that will be labeled as Web 1.0. Web 2.0 introduced social networking on a wider scale, allowing applications to be run by people no matter what kind of computer they are using, or where they may be located. In response to Web 2.0, the millions of people who use the Internet on a regular basis began sharing, and that has created a phenomenon all in itself.

The concept of sharing is vital to successful social media Internet marketing. The idea is that you present visitors with something that is so informative or amusing or useful that the person wants to pass the info along to someone else. If you tell two people, and they each tell two people, there are only 10 levels required to reach a thousand people, and from there the numbers start to get big pretty quickly. And people want to share. They share their favorite videos, their favorite pictures, they talk about which products work the best, and ask another for advice about new furniture. Your goal is to be a part of that conversation.

A few well placed social media Internet marketing campaigns can have a notable impact on site traffic. This is especially true with the use of video banners, and amusingly eye-catching link images. If you make someone laugh, they will want to pass on the joke to someone else, because laughter is contagious. With video, you have direct access to a viewer’s emotions, and that can be a valuable opportunity.

Social media Internet marketing depends on frequent participation in message forums, on blog sites, and in the various social network sites. Having a listing in LinkedIn is not helping your bottom line unless you are actively participating on the site so people know you are there. In fact, the whole point of social media Internet marketing is to make sure people know who you are, and what you have to offer. Social media simply allows you a broader range of options in how to reach the people you want to be in contact with.

I cannot stress the importance of social media Internet marketing enough. It has grown from an off-shoot of web design to a complete and thriving industry in its own right, reaching into all parts of the Internet, and having a great deal more impact on our daily lives than most people even realize.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Social marketing has evolved into a VERY influential type medium whose effects are felt both on and off the internet today. From our recent presidential election, to the public opinion of the California Octuplets’ mom, social media has had a significant impact.

Spawned from the growing popularity of ‘all things web 2.0′ social network sites are popping up all over the internet. With little surprise it hasn’t taken online marketers’ long to see the potential for generating ‘free traffic’ from these sites for their business. If fact if you market anything online and haven’t included social network marketing into your online business strategies you’re ‘behind the times’ and missing out.

Effectively speaking social network marketing can be considered an online form of ‘word of mouth’ advertising! These online communities whose intent are to be gathering locations for social interaction are the perfect environment to ‘casually’ mention a new business or product.

These unstructured environments are perfect for any internet user who doesn’t want to deal with the regimentation associated with many onsite locations.

Undoubtedly both social network and social media sites offer the potential to put your viral marketing efforts on steroids. Imagine the impact these sites can have on your business when used correctly?

Imagine NOT having to create a ‘free giveaway’ product to gain the viral marketing effects that are so beneficial to any online business? By just visiting and participating at any social network site or perhaps posting photos or videos at a social media location you can gain the same benefits. Does it bother you there would be little ‘work’ involved also?

Let’s have a look at just a few of the countless social sites found on the internet with a quick synopsis of how they work:

• Digg

This online community is based upon the popularity of news articles. If members like an article it will hit the ‘front page’ of Digg. When this occurs the potential for thousands of visitors exist to view the article. If you can tailor your article to the apparent likes of this community and rank highly there is the possibility of a landslide of visitors to your site.

• Delicious

This social bookmarking site allows you to store your ‘favorites’ at their site. By viewing the favorites of other members you can better determine their reading interest. With this information you can organize a more effective marketing approach suitable to their likes or perhaps determine they’re not a candidate for what you have to offer.

• You Tube

This site uses short videos and viral marketing to the max. There must be something to it since even the Pope can be found here! By simply posting a short video of interest due to its humor or sensationalism you can generate significant traffic for your cause.

• LinkedIn

This online community focuses on working professionals. Like many other online communities you can locate categories or niches within the site that better relates to your field of interest or experience. The ability to offer services or products to like minded professionals allows you to target an audience with a pre-determined interest in what you may have to offer.

Ah yes no doubt I’ve left out one of your favorite sites but wait! I may just include it with the following ‘all encompassing’ sentence. Just ‘Google’ web 2.0 sites and then sit back and see if your favorite can be found.

Harnessing the unlimited potential of social marketing is not difficult. Heck even a caveman can do it! By simply ’socializing’ at few of these online communities and casually mentioning your business, product, or cause would be all it takes. Your results likely would be a significant surge of free traffic to your site!

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

We’ve discussed the huge impact of online videos. We’ve also discussed the huge impact of social networking for driving traffic. Now, it’s time to discuss the monumental impact of these two factors when combined together. Yes, according to experts and analysts, social networking and online videos are far ahead in the popularity race as compared to other digital media trends.

According to an Ipsos Insight’s study, it was found that video clips on the internet had replaced music and become the new driver of growth. The study further elaborated that 46-50% of all U.S. web users watch videos or TV shows online. While these numbers may have already gone up as we write this article, the power of social networking can’t be ignored.

With one in five people, aged over 18, visit social networking websites worldwide, it was found that Facebook was the 6th most busy site, while MySpace was the 10th most busy site over the Internet.
Small business owners can especially delight in these statistics, as social networking websites allow them to interact directly with the end user and give them precise information that can help build and grow their businesses as per market demand. With various communications avenues such as online chat, email, text messaging, voice chat, video and file sharing, blogging, and forums and discussion groups, business owners can build strong relationships with end users and drive traffic to their own websites.

Fortunately, social networking memberships are free and today, they have become a much sought after vehicle for effective and result-oriented internet marketing for one and all.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

How do we to get the biggest bang for our social media buck? In other words, understanding the metrics of Twitter is on everyone’s mind these days. As marketers attempt to determine the efficacy of their overall social media marketing strategy and how “the new kid on the block” fits into it, the challenge becomes, how do we optimize and monetize our efforts? In other words, how do we quantify Twitter?

As noted in the first two articles in this series, Twitter has taken the world by storm. Or to use a corny pun, Twitter has the Internet a-flutter! The fact is, the growth rate of Twitter is nothing short of phenomenal. The mini-blogging phenomenon has taken the social media world by storm, 140 characters at a time. On Thursday, June 25, 2009, Alexa ranked Twitter #17 in the world, up 66 in 3 months, with an average rank of 36. The growth has been steady, with quite a few peaks and very few valleys. In fact, the valleys seem to be reflective of daily usage patterns rather than any sort of a dip in popularity. The only two areas of decline are in Pageviews/User and Time on Site, down 14.2% and 5%, respectively. The popularity of Twitter in the United States is immediately apparent, with 43.5% of all traffic coming from the States. However, the social media phenomenon is also ranked high in South Africa at #10, #13 in Australia with 2.6% of all traffic to the site originating Downunder, #14 in the US and UK, with 6.2% of all Twitter traffic originating in the British Isles. Significantly, Germany is ranked #20, contributing 8.7% of all traffic to the site, second only to the US. Finally, Japan #137, Russia #153, France #161, and China #169 are at the bottom of the list, in terms traffic rank for those countries listed by Alexa.

One of the most remarkable things about Twitter is that it is entirely free, at least in terms of dollars and cents. Interestingly, the real cost, and one difficult if not impossible to quantify, is the cost in terms of time. As Marc Warnke notes in “ONO: Options Not Obligations,” his masterpiece on “Family First Entrepreneurship,” “money is time.” Marc Warnke discusses, at length, the link between family and business, the book is an awesome template for business and life. “Money is time,” not the other way around! An interesting point, crucial to understanding the real value of time, one that takes some time to get your thinking wrapped around. The book is an awesome template for business and life, one that places emphasis where it belongs and creates a new awareness of the value of time and family.

Money is time!

With Marc’s words in mind, it is easily recognized that Twitter can be addictive. Beyond that, the real benefits of having a presence on the social media platform may be difficult to track in terms of traditional “metrics.” Yes, I know I just used a gobbledygook term! “Metrics!” The real and lasting value of an online presence on Twitter, an Internet image if you will, may rest with the fact that the social media platform offers the “newbie,” just beginning to emerge as an Internet marketer, to establish himself or herself with a foothold, a place to test the waters and hone their message and skills. The advantage to such a presence should be immediately apparent, particularly if the entrepreneur has chosen the Internet marketing niche, a niche that may appear incredibly incestuous at times. A social media presence may allow the new marketer an opportunity to assert himself or herself in what some have referred to as an “old boy network,” and others have referred to as a “high school clique,” of sorts. Whether a valid point or not, the difficulty for the “newbie” to break into the Internet marketing niche is eased somewhat by the ability to connect, build relationships, and indeed bond with perspective clients and fellow entrepreneurs, alike.

So, how do you track the effectiveness of your social media marketing campaign on Twitter or on any other social networking site for that matter? Remember, I called that phrase, “social media marketing,” an oxymoron in a previous article! Beyond that, what is the return on investment (ROI) in this case; and, the chief investment being…time? Before we get into the various tools available to track message and impact, the balancing act between message and selling must be addressed. In other words, when does your message become spam and when is it posting useful information? Because of the nature of this very unique social media platform, it is recognized, even by Twitter, that because you consent to follow someone, either by following or following back, that the dynamics of the relationship come with an implied permission to message. If you don’t like the message, you may simply unfollow the messenger!

During an unscientific study conducted over the course of an hour on one of the slower days for Twitter, Saturday, June 27, 2009, I counted links. Peak days are actually Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The next highest “tweeting” day of the week is Friday, probably as a result of #FollowFriday, then Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and finally, Sunday. I counted tweets during the peak period for tweets on any day, from 12:22pmEST to I:22pmEST. And, I counted the number of links per page at 5 minute intervals, for 10 minutes at a time. The number of links was actually pretty surprising! Of 800 tweets, 20 per page, 200 every 10 minutes, there were 636 links provided by 612 Tweeple. Interestingly, 2 Twitterers or Tweeple linking up more than once on the same tweet, 1 with 3 on the same tweet. That’s 79.5% of all tweets having links, provided in 76.5%of all tweets provided on the individual Twitter result pages or TWRPs!

Spam or not to spam, that is the question?

Whether ’tis nobler to tweet for tweets’ sake, as opposed to “for Pete’s sake,” little pun there, or is it OK to link away? The evidence seems to suggest that the group-think allows it, if not by rule, certainly by action. However, I cannot help hearing the admonition of Mark Twain, written in his 1904 Notebook, that…”

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”

Certainly, the majority, by example seems to condone and even encourage what I have come to call “linking up!” I have covered my feelings on this topic at length in a previous article, and intend to address it again in an upcoming series, but suffice it to say that while I too, from time to time “link up,” I am a reformed “linker,” a reformed “linkaholic,” if you will. I do suggest an occasional program and even offer an affiliate link now and then but “I can handle it!” Sound familiar? I wonder! The fact is, linking up may be hazardous to your social media life, and to you Internet image. Why? For a myriad of reasons, some already covered and some we will cover in the upcoming articles.

Back to “metrics,” and how to quantify your Twitter experience. The first tool worth mentioning is TwitterCounter. This application has a number of useful features. The feature immediately apparent upon entering the site is the graph showing the recent follower buildup. The side panel also displays other recent trends, such as growth per day and predictions for the future. It is also possible to compare Tweeple, more than two at a time if you ever had a need for such information. Additionally, you can track your overall follow/follower growth over last few months, as well as the number of tweets during that period. The app also provides a “badge” for your blog or website, featuring the latest Twitter follower stats. There are also a number of other toys you can play around with but they are distractions, beyond the scope of this article.

The next tool to review, one that is also basic like TwitterCounter, yet offers a few nice advantages and is actually quite a powerful application, is Tweetstats. This Twitter application allows you to track how active you have been with a rather nice, colorful graph providing the number of tweets per hour, per day, per month, a nice Tweet timeline, the number of reply statistics, and the number of @’ed Tweeps. On the day this article was written, the number one spot for @’ed Tweeps belonged to DonnieWahlberg with 133, and that was as of 2:33pmEST. The day’s Top 10 Twitte apps are listed as follows: the web, as in Twitter direct, led the way with 58.6%; TweetDeck was next, at 8%; mobile web (iPhones) followed, at 5.7%; and, twitterfeed was right behind, at 5.6%. TweetStats also includes the day’s “Top 10 Trends” and “Current Trending,” useful information for marketers. The application also provides two clouds, one with the “Top 50 Trends of All Time” and the other “Today’s Twitter TrendCloud.”

While a very attractive tool, and one with a great deal of promise, the length of time required to access the information is a real drawback and one that may push Tweeple out the door, particularly those with too little time to wait for the system to load the information requested. I got this as I waited:

“Please be patient while I load your tweets. You are currently queued, with 439 other people. – Have a party! Hey, what can I say – people want their stats! ;o)”

Interestingly, once the information is finally available, in my opinion at least, it was worth the wait. Tweetstats provides a “Your Tweet Timeline,” broken down by the day (tpd) and by the month, a “Tweet Density” broken down by the day and by the hour, very cool, “Aggregate Daily Tweets,” “Aggregate Hourly Tweets,” “Replies to @’s” (as a percentage of total tweets), the “Interface” most often used (i.e., web, TweetDeck, etc.), and “Who You Retweet” (RT’s as a percentage of total tweets). This is a great tool for tracking time spent, when that time was spent, and whom you have been tweeting with, to, and about. On a single page, this offers as much useful information as any tool available.

Next in line is a site called Twist Flaptor, just one of the applications offered by Flaptor, a very useful information retrieval engine. You may already be familiar with another Flaptor application, TwitterSearch Flaptor. The Twist Flaptor application is very helpful for breaking information down over periods of time, providing a glance at various trends and activity patterns, as well. The big difference with Twist is the fact that it is very powerful and quite up-to-date. Not only can you get trends for the last 24 hours, you can get them for the past 7 days and the last 30 days, all on the same graph. It will also provide the actual tweets for any keyword, and trend, you are interested in for any given day. Very useful! The side panel on Twist also provides the current “Trending topics,” including the most popular links, something the others do not offer. Overall, this application is quite useful, particularly when used in concert with other apps, and may add to our overall marketing strategy.

Last but certainly not least is Hubspot’s Twitter Grader! The Grader application is available for Twitter and for facebook. Twitter Grader is very interesting and useful, collecting data and then running it through an algorithm to establish the measure of an individual’s reach, authority, and even their power on Twitter. As the developer of the Grader explains how it measures and “grades” users, “when you tweet, what kind of an impact does it have?” The application measures number of followers you have, the power of those followers, the number of updates and the recency of those updates, the following/follower ratio is accounted for, and the “engagement” level, based on the reach of an individual user. Once all of the above factors are entered, a grade calculation, a ranking, and an evaluation as to “areas of concern,” if any, are delivered. The Twitter Grader also offers a powerful search application, several features of adding badges to blogs and websites, others for making tweeting easier, and still others for discovering the top users, cities, states, and countries are. Overall, the HubSpot Twitter Grader is a very nice application and one every marketer should have in his or her arsenal.

There are other Twitter tools we will discuss in the next article in this series on Twitter and social media. Some of the tools to be discussed are awesome for tracking links, some are great for ascertaining overall influence, some for helpful for tracking “ReTweets,” and still others are good for establishing how deep and wide your reach is on Twitter and in social media generally. Additionally, we will discuss applications with marketing possibilities, particularly those tracking up-to-the-minute keyword and trends on a display similar to a Twitter page. Overall, Twitter offers a number of possibilities for marketers and should be considered a valuable tool. However, it is still this author’s opinion that many are simply not using Twitter properly or at least to its fullest advantage. We will continue to discuss this position during the ongoing series of articles on social media, and yes, “social media marketing.”

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Internet marketing has dramatically changed the way both people and businesses promote goods and services. The internet has really only been part of the public’s conscious awareness for a little over ten years. It is astonishing how much impact it has already had on the marketing strategies of both off and online businesses.

Even in the last couple years the advent of social marketing has revolutionize what was considered the norm for online marketing.

What new changes are in store for us next and where will it lead are questions yet to be answered. The only certainty is the changes are here to stay!

Let’s have a look at 5 ways traditional marketing strategies have been changed by the ever evolving online world:

Business Expenses

Online marketing has dramatically reduced the costs affiliated with promoting anything to the general public. The ability to contact and send messages to literally anyone online free of charge has significantly decreased the cost of advertising for many businesses big or small.

Formerly attempts to direct promotional messages to the masses were conducted thru channels that cost money. Television, radio, billboard advertising, and even direct mail could quickly chew up even the hardiest advertising budgets. Now free access to the internet has significantly relieved the pressure on business expenses due to reductions in advertising costs.

Performance Metrics

With the added ability to track marketing results online through various software applications business expenses can be even more closely monitored.

To be able to quickly and efficiently determine the performance metrics of any given promotion is priceless to any business. Reaction time to necessary cost adjustments or decisions is greatly reduced. This time savings can lead to significant profit increases or cost savings.

Global Access

The internet no longer binds people by geographical boundaries. This unlimited access has opened opportunities for businesses both large and small that formerly were not available.
Additionally, due to differences in time zones, many firms can now conduct business 24/7 with the aid of computerization. Imagine the growth potential of any business now that both the market size and hours of operation have been expanded!

Reversal of Marketing Direction

Traditional marketing strategies typically used a more aggressive approach when pursuing customers. This type of advertising relied upon delivering the intended promotional message to the consumer. The desired effect was to CREATE a need or want within the consumer to attract them to the product or service being advertised.

The typical online shopper now makes their OWN decision based upon a search they conduct. This selection is made with little influence from the promoters themselves.

Online marketing promotional efforts now direct their efforts more towards positioning their product for selection as opposed to directly promoting to the consumer. As a result promotional tactics formerly used known as “push marketing” have now transitioned into more of an approach referred to as “pull marketing.”

These types of marketing strategies requires the proper use of keyword research and utilization on the part of the seller. Also the correct usage of search engine optimization is needed to better position goods and services for higher search engine rankings.

Social Marketing

As the internet continues to evolve so do the preferences of the user and the way they interact online. Blogging as a result has seen a growth in popularity due to the interaction between users and site owners thru the ability to leave comments. Another leading factor in the growth of blogs is the frequency with which fresh content is posted.

Users want more involvement and stimulation from online sites and blogs answered this need. As of result social network sites started to dot the internet landscape and have now have fully blossomed to dominate the internet mainstream.

Marketers both big and small have recognized the potential of these sites for promotional purposes. Now social marketing is one of the most dynamic and effective means with which to promote just about anything online. From Wall Street to Main Street you can find just about any type product or service being offered on many of these hugely popular sites.

No doubt internet marketing has made an indelible impact on a global scale. From the change in promotional tactics to the geographical expanse it affordably offers, online marketing is here to stay. As it seems to continue to evolve merchants need to recognize and utilize the newly efficient ways in which goods and services will be brought to the consuming public.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

23-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez is a student of genetics, who loves interacting with new people, especially on the Internet. Being a member of several online communities, he has an impressive friends’ list that reaches out to all corners of the globe. When Jonathan was diagnosed with a brain tumor early this November, doctors advised him a complex surgery in order to save his life. However, the surgery was expensive, and it was difficult for Jonathan’s family to foot the bill. When Jonathan informed his friends about his situation, they launched an online fund raising campaign, collecting enough money to help him meet his medical expenses. Today, after a successful surgery, Jonathan is preparing to take up research in genetics, heading for a bright future.

17-year-old Carole Smith was a bubbly teenager who loved spending time with friends and family. Addicted to the Internet, she spent a lot of time chatting with friends on social networking sites. After splitting up with her boyfriend, Carole started seeking solace from her online friends. It was only after a failed suicide attempt that Carole’s horrified parents learnt of her friends’ role in the matter. In fact, the group gave lessons to Carole in self-destruction, and had providence not played a major role, Carole would have been dead by now.

Both the above incidents illustrate the far-reaching impact of social networking in our lives. With numerous websites offering facilities for social networking, the Internet has become a virtual meeting ground for people from all corners of the earth. Today, with the help of social networking websites, it is possible to find a potential life partner or get in touch with a long lost friend. You can interact with people of similar likes and dislikes, make new friends, or rally in support of some noble cause. Most social networking sites also offer facilities like blogging or chatting. While the former helps you to express your thoughts and feelings to the world, the latter can give you a feel of real time conversation.

Of the various online communities, the most popular are the ones that promote features like alumni reunion, dating and gaming. Several online gaming communities have come up in the recent years and are very popular with young users. Other online communities typically include business communities, parents’ communities and professional communities.

However, with such limitless possibilities in store, a social networking website can have a far-reaching impact on an individual. Unlike the real world, one cannot verify a person’s identity on the Internet. This at times can be a risky proposition, as unprincipled individuals may take advantage of the situation to commit a criminal act, as was evident in the case of Carole. Online communities may also become a meeting point for terrorists and extremists, posing considerable threat to national and personal security.

It is therefore, advisable for one to exercise a degree of caution and restraint while using a social networking website. Never divulge sensitive information like contact number and address to an unknown person. Meeting a person without sufficient interaction is also a risky prospect, and it is always prudent to schedule first meetings in some public place like a café or a restaurant, in order to minimize personal threat. Avoid interacting with people of extremist notions, and keep away from hate groups. Register with renowned networking sites that monitor user activities from time to time.

However, despite the possible drawbacks, the concept of social networking has become one of the most popular things in today’s world. Millions of people across the globe use social networking sites to interact with each other, breaking down barriers of distance, time, culture and religion. In fact, social networking sites foster the development of a global community, promoting peace, harmony and fellow feeling. In a world ravaged by incidents of terror, strife, disharmony and discord, social networking sites offer a hope of redemption by breaking down boundaries and bringing people together.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The influence of the Internet has caused a change in the way we communicate, learn and shop.

The Internet is probably most famous for the ability to spread information, fact or fiction. We were once limited to news editors of a local paper, then to national cable news. Now anyone can search the globe, visit local papers in foreign countries, and see the views of all sides. This ease of information has also brought with it a large amount of hoaxes, money schemes, and fallacies.

There is no question that easy access to the Internet, like the introduction of mail service and the invention of the telephone, has changed the nature of people’s connection to others in their social world. Mail made possible connections among people without physical proximity, and the telephone facilitated communication among distant people, making rapid connections possible across long distances.

But has this communication revolution changed the pure nature of interpersonal and group processes?

On the one hand, since the primary use of the Internet is communication, some people might speculate that the Internet will have positive social consequences in people’s everyday lives because it increases the frequency and quality of interpersonal communications among people. People with easy access to others would feel better connected and more strongly supported by others, leading to happiness and engagement in families, organizations, communities, and society more generally.

But, on the other hand, the ease of electronic communication may lead to weaker social ties, because people have less reason to leave their homes and actually interact face to face with other people. The Internet allows people to more easily work from their home, to form and sustain friendships and even romantic attachments from their home, to bank from their home, to vote and engage in political and social issue based discussions with others (from home).

In this variety of ways, Internet communications can potentially displace face-to-face communications. I think this point is important because psychologists in many researches have described and proved such face to face and telephone connections as being of higher quality, when viewed in terms of their contribution to satisfaction and well-being.
Reading a series of longitudinal and experimental studies (e.x. McKenna, Green, and Gleason), who test a theory of relationship formation on the Internet, these researchers directly address the argument that the psychological quality of Internet social interaction is lower than is the psychological quality of traditional face-to-face interaction.

Consider my own use. I’ve received several e-mail messages in the past hour. My boyfriend confirms the dinner for tonight. Even though it is weekend, my colleagues send me questions about the pending exam expects a quick answer. So does some graduate student from Europe, that I recently met on “MySpace” with an urgent request for a letter of recommendation. My friend Ksenija sends me an IM to tell me the latest news about her new love. And so on and so on…

I assume that I am also living a virtual life, and what’s the most interesting of all, all of my friends online, are also my friends in real life. And if they weren’t that in the past, I somehow managed to bring my cyber friends into my real life, so I could here in my real life enable real communication, real face-to-face “talks”, real exchange of emotions, feelings of happiness, satisfaction and well-being. I’d say for me, the Internet is a great new way for doing old things.

So, what else conclusion can I bring except the one that Internet life cannot stand on itself without real-life communication. It is simple: If we understand the qualities of face-to-face communication that influence the impact of such communication on people and their social interaction, we would be able to predict the probable influence of any new communication technology. However, researchers show that people sooner or later convert their cyber contacts into more traditional face-to-face, the same as I do. People use the Internet, in other words to help them achieve their real-life goals. And rather than technology’s changing people’s social and psychological reality, in other words, people change their use of technology to facilitate their creation of a desired social reality.
Internet users should closely examine their behavior, to ensure that excessive time online will not negatively impact their personal well-being. We shouldn’t throw our computers out the window, but neither should we charge on blindly into complete dependence on the Internet. As with many things in life, it seems that moderation and balance are key to maximizing the Internet’s positive effect.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

You would have to be doing the modern day version of Rip Van Winkle to not be aware of the controversy Internet Social Networks are creating. Everything from MySpace and Facebook to YouTube and LinkedIn have gained in popularity over the past few years. These sites do serve a purpose and among other things provide their users with a sense of community often lacking in the brick and mortal world.

These sites create the habit and practice of sharing, be it videos and music or friends, business connections and ideas. These sites reflect the general and specific tastes of their users. They reveal lifestyles and sensibilities, behavior patterns and perspectives. Overall, such revelations are good things for they are the celebrations of social and culture diversity in an increasingly complex civilization. Social networks help people of like minded tastes find each other, even in distant cities or nations. Their interchanges I am sure strengthens interests in a variety of lifestyles.

But then in certain hands access to such personal information may not be such a good thing. According to a report on CNN forty-three percent of employers roam the Internet in search of insight into the particular lifestyles of current and prospective employees. While I must seriously wonder whether a full 43 percent of employers use Social Networks to review their job candidates’ personal lives, cyber prying calls a lot of ethical issues into question. One has to wonder, where does scrutiny become invasive?

There are other issues as well. One has to wonder how a candidate’s personal lifestyle has an impact on his actual job qualifications. Now surely if a candidate is a habitual substance abuser or has a criminal record or even write ups for sexual harassment or sexual assault, these practices can have a most negative impact on their professional behavior. A worker with issues concerning substance abuse or volatile or criminal behavior is hardly your ideal candidate. His off the job activities can most certainly be factored into his qualifications for employment.

But then his behavior is obvious and generally accepted as unfitting behavior in or out of the work place. But then there is the other character, the guy or gal who can do his job with great facility but has made lifestyle choices that are not necessarily keeping with mainstream corporate life. The candidate could be a spiritual creature, adroit in metaphysics, but they are the unacceptable type of metaphysics, the kind that can keep him from a decent job. Some companies may consider his beliefs “witchcraft,” for example, when, clearly, they are far from it.

We are all aware of onsite surveillance of the work place. We are aware of the video cameras and the probability your email is being monitored. We can be sure with relative probability that you’re playing around on overtly sexual or questionable website during the working hours is subject to discovery and possible embarrassment. You are almost certain to leave yourself open to scrutiny when you use your company credit card to purchases items of a more personal nature.

But then these are all work related issues. You are not supposed to be surfing the Internet, whether you are shopping or looking for romance. You are supposed to be working. You are supposed to use your business credit card for business. You have seen enough Governmental Investigative Commissions, and you have certain enough horror stories about email coming back to bite you where it hurts, and that using company email for intimate or private correspondence is just plain stupid.

Most companies have clearly stated policies against personal use and abuse of company email and instant messaging. There are also clearly stated policies against posting on your own blog or posting personal information on corporate blogs. And if you are posting personal information on a corporate blog, you have to be pretty stupid or harbor a very strong desire for self-destruction. And for those of you who are uncertain about company policy, I suggest you read your company handbook. So few of us ever do,

If you have any reason to show pause, perhaps these statistics will encourage you to change your ways. According to CNN, 26 percent of America’s businesses have fired employees for misusing the Internet, and another 25 percent have discharged employees engaged in the misuse of corporate email. That’s approximately one in four who are looking for work, thanks to their penchant for email and the Internet. Then, of course, you should consider that what you post on your email or leave up on your computer is subject to the scrutiny of your coworkers. They are all gossips, after all. Oh, I didn’t mean you. But consider this, if you pay you bills on the Internet or work out your social relations over the Internet, chances are you are a sidebar in the water cooler dialogues..

But as I wrote earlier, this is all the stuff you do in the work place. As the cofounder of a background checking service, I am used to hearing anecdotes from puzzled and troubled employers. Most HR Managers have legitimate grievances in voicing their concerns. Although you might not think it fair they your Human Resources Manger is expecting, more or less, a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, that’s how it is sometimes in this cold cruel world of ours. But then, this is all work related.

What about the things you do at home, things that reflect your lifestyle, your sexual practices, politics and buying habits? Is it fair that these personal activities are being assessed by your employer? From an ideological level, it is really known of their business. From a realistic level, people will pry when given the opportunity. Visitors will sneak a peek inside your medicine and employers will read your page on My Space. It isn’t fair. But it is the reality.

I would love to advise you to resist these intrusions, to stand up for your rights and to fight tooth and nail against these invasions of privacy. But then this is the real world and you have to do those petty things like eat and pay the bills. You need the job, and more often than not the job needs you, even if your bosses have a bewildering way of showing it. Besides, if it is possible to monitor someone’s behavior and lifestyle, then the greatest probability is that your employers will continue to look into your life. Once the proverbial cat is out of the proverbial bag no one is motivated to try to stuff it back in.

In the end it’s safe to say that must of you for the most part live clean and decent lives that when combined with a little bit of fun and different interests make you unique but hardly a threat to society. As for those of us who live more esoteric lives is enough to satisfy most bosses who already know this about you anyway. Let’s face it, in today’s world of branding and segmentation there are few out there who don’t wear their behavior and beliefs if not on their sleeves then in their jeans or khakis. We are social beings, in the office as well as on the Internet, and what we like and dislike is pretty obvious to those around us.

As for the few surprises out there, perhaps they should be discovered before they disrupt the workplace. There are, after all, substance abusers, office thieves, sexual deviates and for that matter psycho killers who went undiscovered until the damage was done. Only then did we learn what percolating under the guy who was, otherwise, “quiet and kept to himself.”

So there is no real answer as to how to remedy employers spying on their workers. We could pass laws, but laws, as they say, are made to be broken. We could complain; a lot good that will do. Or we can realize it’s our life anyway, we only live it once. Live it well and take your chances. The chips will fall where they may. Remember, there is nothing worse than being boring. Almost, anyway.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The internet is now so embedded in our daily lives that all generations are becoming digitally fluent. This has had a massive impact on the way we acquire knowledge and e-learning is on the rise across the all areas of education from school to university and workplace learning. A recent Chartered Institute of Personnel Development survey showed that 80 per cent of public sector organizations use e-learning and 49 per cent of private sector businesses. In higher education, 79 per cent of students access course-specific materials at least once a week and Web 2.0 is used to discuss coursework (73 per cent use social sites), source material and communicate with both peers and lecturers .

It is now accepted that for technology to be used effectively in the learning process it must be led by firm educational principles rather than being driven by technology as an end in itself. This has led some experts to suggest that the term e-learning is replaced with something perceived as more inclusive such as interactive flexible learning . It’s also crucial to design learning solutions which users can get the best from instinctively. Expert Dr Matt Jones of the University of Swansea’s Future Interaction Technology Lab says that IT systems now play such a central role in modern life that ensuring they are designed so that their users interact more effectively with them is of paramount importance.

The impact of technology on communication
Undoubtedly the internet and devices used to access the internet are having a dramatic impact on the way we interact with all our contacts, from our peers to organizations and educators. Increasing use of social networking tools is helping to increase engagement and learners’ well being. Online tools can help usually shy or unexpressive learners to shine through use of mechanisms such as learner-generated podcasts, video podcasts, Powerpoint presentations or online contributions to discussions. New technology can also encourage deep reflection: the thought required to developing a podcast or a blog can help to improve cognitive learning, lead to better critical thinking and deep learning.

Today the relationship between learner and tutor is often less hierarchical and adopts more of a partnership approach, with formal meetings to review progress replaced by emails, ‘phone calls, texts or messages via a virtual learning environment. Most educators would agree that collaborative and blended learning approaches can help to ensure that the benefits of personal contact are combined with the undoubted benefits of elearning. Some distance elearning courses, for example, for dispersed workforces include ‘webinars’ or web seminars where the group interacts online with the tutor via text or webcam and text. Blended courses also include face-to-face sessions to encourage the group to bond and collaborate through activities such as away days or more formally in teaching sessions. And not all elements of the courses need to be online: many learners prefer to have hard copy documents, manuals or books which they can annotate and to use e-learning tools to participate in discussions and seminars online.

Social aspects of learning such as wikis and online social networking
Social networking is currently only used by a quarter of those on the internet but that figure is sure to rise. It was only four years ago in 2004 that Mark Zuckerberg developed a website which was the first iteration of the Facebook phenomena . In an indication of the growth in popularity of social networking sites, News Corp paid $580m for the parent company of MySpace in 2005 when it was just taking off and had a mere 17m members ; now it has an estimated 110m . Just two years later in 2007, Facebook was valued at an estimated $15bn . It is the UK’s number one social network with over 8 million users . Businesses are starting to use social networking tools for a variety of reasons from locating knowledge or experts within the organization to easing the path for new employees or to help post-merger bonding.

Social software can encourage learners to use e-learning as a way to collaborate and take greater control of their own learning. Learners perhaps do need to be more self-motivated than previously – in universities and in the workplace alike they are encouraged to find their own materials via the web. Web 2.0 tools also open up more possibilities for informal learning and group learning, which follow the popular social constructivist pedagogy.

Open source e-learning system Moodle was the creation of Martin Dougiamas, who holds graduate degrees in Computer Science and Education. Martin’s later Ph.D. studies examined “The use of Open Source software to support a social constructionist epistemology of teaching and learning within Internet-based communities of reflective inquiry” and this research has strongly influenced some of the design of Moodle, providing pedagogical aspects missing from many other e-learning platforms .

Moodle can be used with social networking tools in various ways and embedding social networking within a learning management system avoids ‘death by navigation’, the switching between applications identified by IT industry analysts IDC as a major hidden cost in the use of technology . Embracing social networking and including it in course management systems will help to ensure social networking is used for learning as well as social reasons. Course developers can’t afford to ignore social networking: the single largest growing Facebook demographic is people over the age of 25 who “typically spend their waking hours in the corporate world” and Facebook records show that already 30,000 Microsoft employees and 20,000 Accenture employees are subscribers. It’s certainly here with a vengeance: technology research specialists Forrester predict that “enterprise 2.0″ will spend almost $5bn on social networking tools by 2013 .

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Whether you are an internet marketing newcomer or have been around the block a few times, you are bound to make some mistakes. However, there are some mistakes that can be costly to you and your business. Fortunately, you can catch yourself prior to compromising your chance with a successful online career.

When coming in from a 9 to 5 job to internet marketing there is far more freedom given to you when you have your own business, which will present a number of challenges. Two of the most difficult things to do are to be focused and manage your time efficiently. To make an immediate impact and to help create an atmosphere that will influence your success with an internet marketing business or any home based business, you have to designate some space that will be solely allocated for your business. In addition, you must reject the urge to watch TV or play with the kids and get your work done.

Secondly…How you spend your time working is vital as well. When first starting out it is critical you take the time to research the market and the competition in your market so that you know who you are targeting and who is currently targeting your marketing. By knowing your target market you can do away with wasting your time marketing to people who are not interested. By knowing your competition you can quickly determine what marketing strategies work and what marketing strategies do not work. The idea here is to embrace the successful strategies and tweak or dismiss the unsuccessful ones. Researching the market and competition should be an on going process during the time you are actively running your business as well.

Once you have researched the market and your competition, you should select an internet marketing opportunity you feel will provide you with the best opportunity to be successful. In doing so, select an opportunity in which you will conform to your income goals and has a mentored training arrangement which will assist you in developing your business. This way you will not have to reinvent the wheel and can take advantage of the experience he or she has to offer.

The next pitfall to avoid with internet marketing is not promoting your business during the time it takes to get your web site up and running. Far too many people wait until their site is completely developed because of the fear that people will not like their site. The problem is by postponing the announcement of your site you are just taking away any potential business you could be getting.

Once you have your website up and running and have visitors coming to your site, customer service needs to be one of your top priorities. It can be easy to forget about the customer with all of the responsibilities you have as a small business owner. But, you have to remember it is the customer that determines whether or not you make any money. Therefore, put the customer at the top of your list.

Lastly, there is no room for passivity in your internet marketing business. Just because you never see your customers and may never talk to them on the phone does not mean you do not have to be social. Internet marketing is as much social as anything else. You have to be willing to go out on the internet and find prospects and build relationships if you want to have success.

You are bound to make mistakes along the way of creating your online business. However, these are some of the more costly mistakes you can avoid in starting your internet marketing business on the right foot.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Social Media Marketing combined with your website, will offer increased exposure and higher search engine rankings.

I know this sounds phenomenal and simple, but the hardest part about social media is simply getting involved and interacting with online communities. Some of the most popular communities that can be utilized to gain website traffic are: LinkedIn, Technorati, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Social media is considered one of the best standalone internet marketing strategies, this type of marketing has now become a recommended process for all SEM experts. There is a direct advantage that websites can obtain from utilizing social media. The most natural question at this point is: how does social media have an impact on search engine listings?

The Social Impact

So here we are, trying to figure out the different ways that we can improve search engine rankings. The 3 main ways of doing this are:

Inbound Links: Yes! You guessed it! Everyone needs inbound links, but very few website owners focus on getting relevant and high quality inbound links. Quality inbound links will encourage effective search engine optimization and have a positive influence on the overall ranking of your website. One of the greatest benefits of inbound links obtained from web 2.0 websites is this; they are all considered to be natural links and not reciprocal links. Hence, it is important that all website administrators, developers and designers to give the necessary importance to inbound links.

Reputation management: This social marketing method can help in building and managing your reputation on the internet. Some of the most popular and high ranking websites can help in building your online brand value and promote a positive image of your business or company over the Internet. Reputation is a very important aspect that can take your company down or help initiate a tremendous growth. Therefore, if your website is listed in Digg, Technorati, MySpace, Folkd, or others – then you should reap some benefits to your websites Trust, Authority and Page Rank.

Note: S.M. marketing has its finer points and if you are not careful about the social media website you want to be associated with then you can even have a disastrous effect on your SEO campaign and create a negative reputation on the Internet. You want to do everything carefully and make it appear to be natural progression. So don’t obtain 1,000 links on Monday and not do another thing for months – the search engines are starting to cater to common sense.

Ranking on websites like Digg, Folkd and others: Not every website can get a high rank from Day 1 itself. Ranking a website takes time. In order to succeed in these websites, you must interact regularly on them to build up your authority with each individual website. You must also provide high quality information that sets you apart in your industry, so that other people will promote your content or media. The reason social sites are beneficial is this : if you learn how to you them correctly – their authority can carry over to your website.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Has there ever been anything that has impacted society the way the internet has? Maybe fire, electricity, the automobile, the airplane or perhaps the printing press would be the closest comparison. The printing press made knowledge available to the common person. Over time it gave many great minds a chance to express themselves and share their knowledge and opinions with the rest of society. Books also motivated people to want to learn to read and write. To be able to share in knowledge and understanding.

With knowledge and understanding came motivation and the desire to aspire for a better life. Courage to fight for freedom and rights. Desire to change your circumstances and the combined will to fight oppression. The internet today shines a light on oppression and those in power are unable to hide behind lies and deception as they did in the past. The whole world is aware of what’s taking place via the internet.

With change comes pros and cons, benefits and detriments, good and bad. All aspects are debated. Those for and Those against. Through it all society evolves towards higher knowledge and better understanding.

Is the internet good or bad? I believe it is good. A true benefit to society. Providing an amazing benefit to society over all. It has it’s negative aspects such as the explosion of porn, misuse of information and the distortion of truth. For me the good out weighs the bad. Knowledge does and will set us free. The evolution of mankind does and will depend on increased knowledge.

My advice. Embrace the internet or be left behind. Control it’s intrusion into your life. Do not let it control you. Utilize it in your business because your competition is going to. Make it work for you. Do not let it work against you.

Larry Matthews

Larry Matthews is a successful entrepeneur and has operated various successful business ventures for the past 30 years.Over his life time he has risen from poverty to being a successful business person . He and his wife Peggy have been together since teenagers and his two grown daughters are active in his business along with his wife’s sister and her son. Larry has been awarded a certificate of recognition by the local municipal government for 25 years of quality service to the public and a resolution was passed by the government of Nova Scotia recognizing Larry and Peggy for their preseverance and hard work.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Every once in a while there is a creative revolution and out of the blue massive amounts of original thought appear. One would get tired trying to record it all or give credit to each and every idea, and even if they did, would each of these revelations and creative concept breakthroughs be the work of a creative genius; or would it be an incremental effect that builds very quickly, as ideas are shared and splinter and are then shared once more?

Sometimes new ideas in one area of science have applications unknown to the innovator in multiple industries, and other sectors of science. Thus, spawn new innovations and hyper-advances in those other endeavors. Perhaps, the Internet, which is often considered the greatest communication device ever created in the history of mankind has sparked another creative revolution. simply because it allows us to share information, innovations, inventions, and our research worldwide within minutes.

Does that mean that every innovator that uses the Internet to help them come up with revolutionary concepts and innovations is a creative genius? Well, it is often said that the imminent achiever creative genius is the one that comes up with the inventions or innovations. But if they did not do it themselves, and they were using tools such as the massive flow of communication, then in reality their personal flow of creativity was hyper advanced and supercharged by the communication medium.

This is not to say we shouldn’t give credit to the creative mind, or use their creative revolutionary concept to do good with it, to help solve the problems of mankind; we definitely should. Still, it makes it difficult to define who is actually a genius, and who is merely using the tools to the best of their advantage.

Now then, one could say since all humans have a brain and it is a tool for creative thought that each person who is considered a genius, is merely using their personal tools of their bio system better than the rest of us. Therefore, we call them a genius. But if half of the information of humankind is stored on the Internet, and the individual no longer has to memorize facts and figures, and all the concepts that came before them, then the Internet and the world’s information is only an add-on memory to the human brain.

Therefore let’s re-ask the question; are modern-day creative revolutions in innovation actually the work of a genius? Think of that.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

When people want to check out the latest products and services, one option and more convenient way for most is to search for it online. Online shopping is getting popular especially to those who don’t have the luxury of time because of a very busy lifestyle. With a few clicks, online shoppers can compare pricing, availability and when applicable, the shipping time frame. As competition in today’s business continues to build up, both big and small companies are devising plans to get ahead by way of online marketing.

Internet marketing simply means utilizing the web to market products and services. With more and more people getting online and searching for a lot of things other than academic concerns, this type of marketing is a good way to integrate your present traditional business model with modern ways to reach the market.

Also called e-Marketing, web or online marketing, this type of marketing can reach many people in any part of the world that uses the internet in a very short span of time. Internet marketing is not simply a website promotion activity. It involves different business models to be effective.

Aside from the technical aspects (that is by having a business website to begin with), it also incorporates the design, content, advertising and development to the marketing plan. Search engine optimization and marketing, use of PPC and even email marketing may be used to complement the total strategy.

Most traditional businesses use internet marketing to gather leads and explore additional market. This is a good way to gauge the market and improve on current services and products.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

If you’re not presently using an Internet or email fax service
you could be losing out on a lot of benefits and advantages.
Any company or individual must closely examine the benefits
of using Internet fax, you may be pleasantly surprised at what
you will discover.

First, as you probably already know, Internet or email faxing
uses the Internet and your email system to send and receive faxes.
You simply sign up with an Internet fax service provider and
receive the use of a Toll free or local fax number for a small
monthly fee. You can check and send faxes from your own online
login control panel and you can also store your faxes online.

Once you start using an Internet fax service you will realize
it has many advantages. Here’s a quick run-down at what you
will find:

1. Lower Costs

The set-up cost of any Internet fax service is much cheaper.
There is no need for a traditional fax machine and NO need for
an extra phone line. This will save you or your company money in
the short term and over the long haul. If your faxing requirements
or needs are very minimal, you can sign up for a lite service with
very inexpensive monthly or yearly fees. Some yearly fees are as
low as $20 or monthly fees under $5.

2. Convenient And Portable

Internet fax is very convenient and portable, you can access
it anywhere, anytime — wherever you find the Internet.
And these days that’s just about anywhere on the planet.

Because it’s web based, you are not tied down to the office fax
machine or limited to any physical location. Online fax services
are perfect for mobile professionals and business travelers.
It is also ideal for those people who work in the field: real
estate agents, sales people, medical personnel, engineers and
architects. Those workers will find Internet fax is flexible,
portable and very convenient to have.

3. Scalable For Any Business

Internet fax is completely scalable to meet any company’s
faxing needs, big or small. Most Internet fax services will
offer special rates for large scale fax broadcasting and other
faxing requirements of large businesses. It can be a good
alternative faxing service for most companies, one that is
easier to manage and run. A viable alternative to the old
fax machine whose days may just be numbered.

4. It’s Easier and Less Messy!

Internet fax is very easy to do, just attach a TIF, PDF, or
JPG file to an email and hit send. It is also a lot cleaner,
no more messy inks or paper jams. It truly is faxing simplified.

5. Internet Fax Is Progressive

Not to sound like a technical or business snob but Internet
faxing is the modern way to fax. In our increasing technical
world, it is probably the right route to take, unless we
want our company or business perceived as operating in the
dark ages. Granted, this is more a perception than actual
fact. Many companies and workers would rather have their
work confined to the office and the old fax machine — don’t
bother me after business hours, thank you please!

However, from a competitive angle, it would be beneficial for
any company or business to be permanently tied into their
work or clients. Imagine not getting that latest real estate
bid or losing that million dollar order that came in by fax
over the weekend and had to be finalized immediately, ouch!

As you can see from the examples and points stated above,
Internet fax does have many advantages and benefits. Online
faxing can save you money and help make your company more
competitive. Using or switching to Internet Faxing is one
business move that requires some thought and consideration
on your part.

Online faxing is the wave of the future and it is gaining ground
quickly in the business community. Since an Internet fax service
has so many advantages over faxing the old-fashion way, can you
really afford not to test-run this relatively new way of faxing?
The benefits of using an Internet fax service will make it worthwhile
for you or your company. It is a smart way to do business.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Of the many different methods of communication today, faxing is perhaps one of the most popular kinds. Faxing or facsimile, makes use of communication devices (such as a telephone network) to transmit a copy of a document from one place to another. Faxing is popularly used either for personal communication or for business purposes. It’s an easy and reliable method of conveying information over long distances.

Because of the advent of the more advanced Internet technology, even faxing has become more efficient and modern. We can now send fax documents online. This is done through the Internet fax.

Internet fax or also called as Email-fax or E-fax, is a communication method where a person uses the Internet and e-mail address to send and receive fax documents. The fax is transmitted with the use of an online fax provider and with a toll-free fax number.

Compared to traditional faxing, Internet faxing is more reliable, more cost-friendly and more flexible. Many people are converting to this type of fax technology today.

Internet fax has several advantages over the conventional method of faxing documents.

* You won’t have to worry about getting a fax machine- Fax machines are bulky office equipments, and using them can cause several drawbacks, such as paper jam problems and extra phone line installations. With Internet faxing, all you need to have is an efficient PC with an Internet connection and a functional e-mail address. There’s no more need for messy paper rolls.

* You can simultaneously receive multiple faxes- With the typical fax machine, you have to wait for a fax to finish transmitting before you can send another. This can be time-consuming. With Internet faxing, you can send and receive fax documents all at the same time.

* You don’t need to print out hard copies of the documents that you would be sending. If you have a computer-typed document to be faxed, you need to print it out before you can fax it. But with Internet faxing, all you have to do is save and attach the document to your e-mail and then send it. You can also keep the fax messages in the e-mail for safe-keeping.

* Internet fax messages are more personalized and protected. Since you can store your faxes in a typical password protected e-mail, the risk of another person reading your fax documents is lower.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Offline Network Marketing was once something that people easily got success in; that was before there was a definite negative stigma about MLM. You still hear stories in magazines published in various MLM companies about how someone achieved the highest pin in the company in a dramatically short period of time, typically a year or less. That always nearly occurs in the economies of third world countries, such as China, India, Mexico, South Africa, etc.

Why do you think there’s such a difference between first-world countries such as Australia and USA, and third world countries such as China and Mexico? Is it because third-world countries still haven’t achieved matured economies; economic development is still progressing? Or is it because people in third-world countries see the opportunity as something with more value and work harder than people with “good” lives in first world countries? Is it a reflection of the quote “Sometimes the good things in life get in the way of the great things in life” often passed around MLM communities? Is it because everything thinks “It’s a pyramid!!” much the same way as they think about get-rich-quick schemes? Well, there are some truth in those explanations and more.

Network Marketing is essentially just a form of distributing products, a kind of “human franchising”. Instead of buying products from shops and stores, people buy products from people. If it just stays that way it’s just like running a business as a Sole Trader without the shop. But people nowadays are always skeptical; people don’t buy with logic, they buy with emotion and back it up with logic. Emotion changes the way people think about everything in the world.

The interaction between buyer and seller is much more personalized because there is no store or shop separating the two. Thus there is much more emotion involved, it’s face-to-face and that’s where it gets interesting. Instead of getting “profit” as a Sole Trader would, the distributor of the MLM gets “commission” to the outside world (or “retail profit” to the insiders). There are two sides to every story, and just the phrasing of the end result of a buy-sell transaction changes the opinions of people.

Outsiders, the buyers, think that the distributor gets “commission” because they still see them as employees working for a business, rather than being independent business owners. Essentially they are operating their own business (or franchise, per se) without any of the headaches of traditional small-business owners. Insiders, the sellers, believe that they receive “retail profit” because they do believe they are running a true business (as reinforced by the trainings and teachings of their upline).

Along with profit that distributors receive when they sell products, they also receive bonuses, overrides or royalties (depending on the terms used in their particular MLM) on the sales of the people the introduce into the business. This is especially hard to explain to prospects as they still think in their “employee” eyes, and this is where MLMs are confused with get-rich-quick schemes.

Essentially people in first-world countries forgot about the profit they get from selling products and only focus on the royalties they receive from their downlines, which is where the real “passive” income comes from. This changed the whole concept that network marketing was thought as; distributors only cared to promote their business opportunity to everyone they met.

After the effects of being hit by advertisements twenty-four seven and the modern lifestyle of instant gratification, distributors only cared about generating a massive downline in order to generate the large amounts of money that was promised in the opportunity meetings. Distributors, about 99% being ordinary people, lacking the money to use marketing techniques that traditional companies use, were forced to heavy-handed tactics involving prospecting anyone in a 3 foot radius, cold calling, and inviting your friends and family to “just a meeting”.

After a couple of decades of such techniques a negative stigma surrounded MLM, much the same way as one is cast around telemarketers and dodgy car-salesmen. Even the mention of the word “MLM” or “network marketing” caused people to shut their eyes and ears and attempt to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

Even so, stories of people involved in MLM in third-world countries rave of fast-tracked success despite the problem of the negative stigma attached to MLM. Why is that? Like what was described above, emotion cause people to view the same thing in different ways. People in third-world don’t care about the negative association with MLM, all they care about is getting out of the life that they are currently in. And this might mean the difference between an early death of starvation and life. Reportedly in Mexico prospects could not even afford the price of one product, and so instead they buy a portion of one product until they had enough income from selling products to buy the business license!

The problem with MLM in first-world countries is the stigma that surrounds it, and the complexity of a modern lifestyle in a striving economy. There are only two reasons why people stay with a MLM: a love of the product, or relationships with people who undertake the MLM. The main problem to even get success in MLM in a first-world country, or even achieve success faster in a third-world country is to generate enough leads that will convert to either distributors or customers.

The stigma of MLM prohibits promoting the business opportunity directly. Sure, you could do that but the result will be very little leads for any amount of effort. You can promote the product and after the prospect becomes either a lover of the product or builds strong relationships with people involved in the MLM, they might ask about the business opportunity. But promoting a product in a modern world filled with advertisements and competition everywhere you look is going to be tough for a single person. Yes, you might get help from your team members but in the end people are working for their own individual results.

A new solution arrives in the form of the internet. However hasn’t the internet been around for decades? Yes, but much like everyone else who uses the internet to promote their business, network marketers just increase the advertisements and sales pitches that the internet is already overflowing with. People turn a blind eye to advertisements or sales pitches on the internet much the same way as on television, radio, newspapers, magazines and all the posters on the walls.

Business in the modern world is about relationships. Relationships with the customers will make them trust you more easily and keep them coming back for more. There’s enough competition out there even different network marketing business opportunities for them to just take their business elsewhere. But how do you do that on the internet?

Get rid of all the sales pitches and paid advertising; put forth quality content that doesn’t even promote any products and people will start flocking to you. Who would someone rather do business with? The person who gave out good quality information for free, or the person who just puts out sales pitches or advertising like the rest of the competition. If you position yourself as an expert and build good relationships with potential prospects even before they become customers, they will trust you. When you do promote your business opportunity to them on the back-end after they’ve become customers, even with the negative stigma attached to MLM, they will have known you and trusted you long enough to consider it as a real option.

You’ve read the article, but don’t where to start using the internet to attract high-quality MLM leads?

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Lets think about this rationally, would you ever try to fix a broken bone, cure a headache, or make your belly feel better by rubbing stuff on them. NO! Well, then why would you choose to do that with Acne? A ton of the main line commercial ache treatments, for example Active as as Proactive for example, only try to control ache from the outside, and don’t do anything about the internal issues that are causing it. Your are often just left with a red – and now men.

You have acne just because your body is out of balance, and acne is a way of your body letting you know that you need to change what is happening on the interior. But you do not want to do that with hard machines, which can hurt your liver and have other dangerous effects, so it is best to seek out quality natural paths to cure acne. There are many special blends of herbs, botanical, and/or natural compounds such as Vitamin E and Alpha Lipoic Acid, which are all available widely and cost awfully little.

Why Go Natural?

Simply because it is the most effective way that it has worked – worked – and worked for me, personally – in the long run. No one how simply uses topical treatments ever has a completely clear face, and relying on medicines from a doctor can be very damaging in alternative routes. They are regularly terribly hard medications and should not be treated trivially. A natural approach is the modern solution to this problem. Treat yourself better and your skin will be better as a result.

For girls, acne is mainly caused by two different hormones, that will become out of alignment. The hormonal imbalance causes the body to secret more oil, which ultimately becomes clogged in your pores, and then forms the lovable little red bump that we can a pimple.

Antioxidants are also very potent as hormonal equalizers, as well as “blood purifiers”, and they actually can aid your body in getting over current acne breakouts, acne scaring, and help seriously in stopping new breakouts as well.

1.) Fix the hormonal imbalances in your body that are causing the difficulty in the 1st place.
2.) Reduce the quantity of redness, flakiness, and swelling, and return your skin to its healthy state.
3.) Make sure to drink at lot of water. This helps seriously with your skin.
4.) Relax. Try a calming exercise for when you get stressed out.
5.) Use a light, non-oil based sunscreen, so as to make sure that you don’t clog your pores further and make your breakouts even worse.

This, however, only scratches the surface, as eat all that you can be doing, very simply and without spending much at all. There are various guides on the Internet, but I think that the one by Chris Gibson is truly top notch. He is an authority on the subject, having spoken on TV many times, and truly has a great natural guide that helped me get rid of my acne very quickly indeed.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Your mind is like a gold mine and it can bring you great riches if you would only harness it.

Indeed Philip Emeagwali did give us great wisdom in his September 23, 2006 speech delivered at University of Alberta, entitled “Ideas, Not Money, Alleviate Poverty”.

Ideas, which certainly issue forth from the human mind, are the true riches that could take any person (or nation) from poverty to prosperity. Have you heard the story of the man who spent a life time in poverty searching for riches out there, only to find, on his death bed, that his house was sitting on top of a rich gold mine? If you think this man’s case is pathetic, then think again of any man who in his twilight years discovers the great riches, (far more plentiful than any gold mine) that reside in his mind — the storehouse that fills your cup to overflowing when you harness is properly.

Inside every person are multiple oil wells and gold mines as richly exemplified by the great discovery and magnificent contribution to science and hence wealth and prosperity by Philip Emeagwali (Africa’s Bill Gates) himself.

I have for long cherished a quote I borrowed from the Courier Magazine to the effect that, the greatest resource of any nation is contained in the brains of her citizens, their ingenuity resourcefulness and hard productive work.

I have since read tons of volumes which all attest to this same truth which has just been refreshed in my mind by Emeagwali’s great speech. He says “The potential for progress and poverty alleviation … relies on capital generated from the power within our minds, not from our ability to pick minerals from the ground or seek debt relief and foreign assistance”.

Many people think that only money could create prosperity, but experts have for long disputed this notion; prosperity and all riches are the result of the crystallization of ideas into concrete form.

Take care of your mind and nurture its development as your greatest resource, your gold mine and oil well, and you will never be without riches. The control of the mind and directing of it toward the achievement of worthwhile goals is the little known secret that is responsible for the difference between poverty and prosperity.

The Storehouse of Ideas

Ideas are the fruits of the great and often neglected garden of the human mind. Yes, your mind; the great riches of the human mind so perplexed Earl Nightingale that he asserts, with great enthusiasm, in his gold record “The Strangest Secret”: you see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth! How right he is! For truly in spite of the major strides made in science we are yet to get to the depths of the secrets of the human mind.

You can generate many useful ideas by simply using your imagination. The synthetic imagination is the faculty of the mind that uses known facts and ideas to arrange them into new combinations. This could be of great use to you if you fix in your mind what you really want out of life. If you clearly define the object of your creation and keep it refreshed in your mind, you can use your synthetic imagination to solve many problems like the great inventors of old did. The world’s great inventor, Thomas Edison of electric-lamp-fame used synthetic imagination for most of his inventions.

The creative imagination, though, is the workshop of the real genius; this is the medium of communication resorted to by the genius when synthetic imagination would not yield his desired results. Through creative imagination, you can commune with the Source of All Knowledge. Hold in your mind a clear mental image of what you want to create, ACT the part and then leave the rest to The Creator.

In spite of the great achievements of our great universities, it is through this Source of All Knowledge that the most reliable and infallible knowledge and Ideas are received. In the words of Robert Collier, author of “The Secret of the Ages”, creative imagination “is the means by which we avail ourselves of all the good which God is constantly offering to us in such profusion. It is the means by which we can reach any goal, win any prize”. And as he put it elsewhere, CREATIVE IMAGINATION BRINGS FINANCIAL REWARDS!

Harness the resources of your mind and out of it will flow abundant riches!

It Cannot Be Done?

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt” says the Bard of Avon. William Shakespeare’s words are as true today as they were when he uttered them centuries ago. Man’s greatest enemy is himself in that he doubts his own capacity to perform miracles. Yet the oldest of admonitions is, “man know thy self”!

A clear case of one man who harnessed the resources of his mind and created riches is Nigerian-born Kase Lawal who came to the United States as a student and having completed his studies went into business growing his CAMAC Holdings from humble beginnings into an oil industry giant. His company, reports Ebony Magazine, “raked in a mind boggling $1 billion in 2005 alone”. Kase Lawal’s advice to young people is to go out there and be courageous. You should not let the lack of money hinder your progress. Teaching youths to learn from his personal experience, Kase advises that you should have the courage “to go out there meet with people to tell people what you want to do, what you are trying to do and what you can do.”

Out-of-the-box thinking

Philip Emeagwali did mention in his speech, that he used out-of-the box-thinking to create his most outstanding contribution to the sphere of knowledge; a great feat that earned him the enviable accolade of being “A Father of the Internet”. This same kind of thinking could be used to solve your personal problems, and national socio-economic and political problems currently besetting the world. Do not just think of things as they are, but rather use your imagination to perceive things as they COULD/MIGHT be.

The mind was made to soar; you should not confine your thinking to established norms and trends only. If Galileo and Newton shackled their minds to then-conventional thinking, the world would not have made such giant strides as we all proudly cherish in our modern civilization today. If Emeagwali and his contemporaries did not get “out of the box” you would not have been reading this article because there would have been no such thing as the internet!

Free your mind of its fetters and let it soar as it was designed to be, be receptive to flashes of inspiration and hunches and strengthen your thoughts and efforts with faith; this is the key to success in any field!

The productive utilization of your mind, that idea-generating machine, is a great compliment to the Creator. Mine ideas from your mind and ACT on your ideas, for truly Ideas, not money, are the key to enduring riches!

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Learning English can be a challenging and daunting task. Fortunately, technological advancements have now made learning the English language much more easy, fun, and convenient. One technologically advanced method that has improved the way people learn English is the Internet. This modern form of communication has opened the world to a whole new way of learning the English language. The vast resources on the web makes learning English a less intimidating undertaking.

When one embarks on the process of learning English, they require a number of learning materials such as text books, videos, and audio tapes. Traditionally, it was difficult to locate all of the appropriate educational materials. It took a lot of time an effort to find the most appropriate learning tools. Now, with a simple click of the mouse, one has a world full of materials that they can access. For instance, sites such as YouTube contain many video lessons on learning to speak English.

They are also English language learning sites where you can find every resource needed to learn the language. These special English languages learning sites are designed so that one can learn the language online in the comfort of their own home. These sites provide learning material in such areas as pronunciation and vocabulary, fun learning games, quizzes, English books, articles, magazines to read online, English chat forums that provide a place where one can meet other learners and practice conversational English, lessons for beginners, as well as a place to share English stories and poetry. Instead of buying piles of newspaper, books, and magazines and then sifting through information that does not interest you, you can find anything that interests you. The Internet has just about every medium that uses English. This includes English newspapers, magazines, journals, video, music, e-books, online news networks, and radio. You can find just about any topic online. It is much more fun to learn English with a topic that is interesting.

There are also online English learning sites that provide teachers who give lesson plans that includes tests, converse live with students, or correspond with them through email. Lessons can be obtained any time and any where. All that one requires is access to a computer and the Internet. For those with a busy life, students have the ability to learn at their own pace. These programs are designed to meet the students’ needs and have top native-English speaking teachers.

The Internet also contains sites where learners can utilize internet voice communication tools to practice their language speaking skills. People can speak with others in order to practice and even make some great friends. It is always beneficial to have good support system that will help motivate you to keep learning. There are also discussion boards, chat rooms, and email, where people can practice how to write and speak English properly. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are a great way to meet and interact with English speakers.

Learning the English language will improve job opportunities and open up the doors to career advancement. Because the Internet has become a big part of most people’s lives, the wealth of information posted from all over the world makes it a valuable tool when learning to speak and write the English language.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Modern technology is a great help for every people search. Whenever people need some answers, every individual turns their head directly to the computer and search in the internet. There are lots of information that you can learn from the computer, as we all know that internet is a one-stop shop for all the information that people need.

There are lot of people who take a resource on the computer to search for solutions and answer to the questions that arises from their mind. Because of these, there is a continuing increase in numbers of those people who uses this method. Whenever there is a need for people to search like those products which they need to use regularly or some products that they need to avail, they usually consult the internet. This is how in demand the internet is when it comes to the needs of every individual.

The information on what and how people search for a product allows the manufacturer to understand why people need that certain product. It gives a clear market for all the products that people need. It also gives the manufacturer to exert more effort to develop more about that product. In this way, they can meet the demands and requirements of the consumers.

The internet shows a clear vision on how important the internet to both consumer and manufacturer. It is a great help for making some innovations to improve the product. It gives satisfaction for every people search. You can find people, products or services by using people search online.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

An IP changer just may be the solution among Internet surfers who are concerned with keeping their identity anonymous on the Internet. It gives a better solution in maintaining an Internet user’s privacy while browsing online. Furthermore, frequent IP address change also provides better security.

There are many benefits of using an IP changer software by frequent changes in one’s IP address while surfing the Internet. IP Change can help people who frequently visit blog sites hide their activities on the sites they visit. One can also change their IP address when they want to remain anonymous as they participate in different chats and forums.

There are also people who prefer to have an IP changer once they participate in ICQ and when sending emails as a means of protecting their email activities. An IP changer can also be a helpful tool when playing online games when the online site game bans players from other countries. When using P2P, a change in IP address can help one to use well-known torrents. With FTP, changing IP will allow secure exchange of information between friends. When using the World Wide Web, frequent change of IP address can also protect one’s general and personal internet activities.

Because of the innumerable benefits of frequent changing of IP address, there are several IP changer solutions available these days. Because hiding the IP address is an effective solution for preventing intruders from obtaining valuable information from one’s computer. Software for IP changer can be a helpful tool in keeping anonymity throughout Internet surfing.

Many IP changer software have tools that can help one technically change its user’s IP as well as execute other performances such as hiding the IP address and the ability to change the address according to your chosen country. This valuable tool can help hide a person’s identity on the web, protect financial information of a user such as their credit card information and other personal information.

A good IP changer can help make these changes without unnecessary trouble with the Internet connection and is easy to use and access. It helps prevent information theft to take place as well as improve the Internet speed with better data encryption about websites and instant messages.

With these benefits, an Internet user has the advantage of researching on the net anonymously, block hackers from getting access to their port, and avoid spam mails and unsolicited ads from one’s email inbox. It gives them better pleasure of browsing the Internet securely with better privacy protection free from malicious snoops of third parties in the Internet.

With the modern technologies used in IP changer software there is better solution from the common problems of security issues when using the Internet, banning of IP addresses from some websites and information theft. Some software for changing the IP address has added tools and functions that can aid with online marketing. It can allow its users enjoy secure web mail services use multiple IP locations, monitoring overseas campaigns on search engines, and other entrepreneurial uses. These make IP changer software valuable for enjoying better protection and invisibility on the Internet.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

The Heroes of the Internet World

Assuming that everything runs as expected, in the near future there will be great heroes coming out of the Internet world who will be hailed throughout the world. Who are they? No, they are not Santa Claus(es). They are the founding members of a free money-making program. When this article was written (March 18, 2007) there are thousands of people all over the world who are excitedly waiting for the official release of this Program’s Viewbar which will add the screen features of million computers of its members world wide and at the same time add to their source of income while surfing the Internet. Since November 2006 the founding members of this program have been working hard to build the so-called Economic Network. Various ways, both online and offline are used by the members to grow their network. Up to this time (March 18, 2007) there is one member who has gathered over 25,000 downlines in less than 4 months. Translated into monetary unit using the Program’s Online Calculator, it will give him or her (This member prefers to remain anonymous, possibly “him” since his title is Mr.) more than US $100,000.00 monthly. It will be a truly shocking and nerve-racking news to many established millionaires who have been working so hard and spending so much to earn their fortune, because this person spends very little or almost none if you exclude the fee to get access to the Internet.

New Concept of Internetting

Going on line or surfing the Internet to many citizens of the world, especially those of the under developed and developing or the third world, equals to going to a big mall. By that statement, the author wants to emphasize the fact that to many people of this class, going online is on their lowest priority list. Why do you have to go to a mall if you get nothing to spend or if you cannot afford even to pay the bus fare to go there. All this time, the access to the Internet belongs to those people who are able to pay for it and the Internet itself belongs to a limited number of the Internet geniuses wearing the clothes of ISP (Internet Service Providers), Internet Industrialists, and Online Merchants. For the majority of the Internet users, it is merely a means of information searching, long distant communication by email, chatting, video conference, alternative entertainment in the forms of online gaming, audio and video streaming, and education in the form long distant schooling. It is very unlikely that these people will feel that they own the Internet.

The coming of this free money-making program will change the way people view the Internet and the true Power of Networking. More people will be invited to use the Internet since they know that this modern facility offers them a new source of income without having to invest much beyond the fee to get access to the Internet Service. At this difficult time where million of people are jobless, an opportunity offered by this program is truly like an oasis in a vast desert. Where else can you go to be paid while doing something you really like doing even for nothing? This free money-making program is possibly the only answer to that question, at least for the time being.

Positive Impacts Brought by A Free-Money Making Program

The presence of a free money-making program will certainly bring many positive impacts on the whole world. Among those impacts which can clearly be seen and predicted to happen in the near future are:

1. There will be more people attracted to use the Internet for economic reasons, which is good for boosting the activities of interstate economic relationship and distributing welfare and prosperity throughout the world.

2. As more people use the Internet, it will be more appreciated as a an effective medium of advertising, communication, business, information searching and dissemination, and hopefully education for the citizens of the whole world.

3. The problem of digital divide will hopefully be resolved as more and more governments realize the importance of the Internet for the improvement of their citizens’ quality, welfare, and prosperity.

4. The Internet will hopefully be an agent of equalizing of information, education, economy, welfare, and prosperity.

The statement “You Own the Internet.” seems to be logical when applied with the concept that this free money-making program is going to implement soon. It is very much expected that more positive uses of the Internet will be realized and negative uses will be minimized.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Using criminal background checks to find out the truth about people is nothing new. In fact, they have actually been around for a very long time, ever since the 1800’s. Nowadays, you can harness the wonder of the Internet to make your background checks as powerful and revealing as possible.

Criminal background checks are essentially where you get a report of someone’s criminal past from a company who deals with public records. A ‘background report’ is basically a report which details such background information as someone’s financial details, criminal past and marital history. They actually allow you to keep your identity anonymous whilst revealing the truth about other people. Because background checks have long been seen as a way to quickly find out someone’s criminal past, you can easily use them to determine exactly what someone has been up to, without any bias in the matter.

Performing criminal background checks on the Internet is all about trying to find the most information about someone from one background check. This means that you need to be able to use a website which actually has the most amount of records & information about people, giving you the best possible glimpse into their past. There are several different background checks websites online, but the most popular (and often cited as the best) is called “Public Records Pro”.

This website not only has over 400 million different records, but it also stores a multitude of records for each background check. This means that when you perform one background check, you’re actually getting access to a lot more information than just someone’s criminal history. You’re getting access to such high quality information as their past marriages, financial history and criminal convictions

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

Suffering from a bad credit history?

If you have a poor credit score, you are most likely to get a loan that does not involve the credit check. It can be hard to find lenders who are ready to give unsecured loans with no credit check. This is because the unsecured loans do not need any collateral and they would need the credit score to be good. Bad credit score can prevent you from getting accepted. Credit plays a vital role in the approval process. There are lots of lenders who would straight away neglect your loan application after finding that the credit history is not good. Accepting people with bad credit history would mean high risks for the lender.

Getting unsecured loans through the internet:

There are many solutions for people requiring these loans. It is difficult to get the loans with a bad credit history. But it is not impossible. I will tell you few solutions in this article that will help you get these loans as soon as possible. The best solution to get the unsecured loans is to use the internet. There are so many lenders waiting to give you the loan. They require no credit check and thus this might be the best solution for all people with a poor credit. The process is so simple that the loans would be given in a very short period. Unsecured loans do not require any collateral. But a major disadvantage of these loans is that the rate of interest is very high. Make sure you get the right amount of cash you need. Do not get more than what you really require. This will only amount to higher interest.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.

So where did it all start? In the first of three posts on the history of the Search Engines, I look at the history of the internet itself and the forerunners to modern, web-based search engines (in the period immediately prior to the emergence of the first widely-used web browser). In this whistle-stop tour, I take in now forgotten tools like Archie, Veronica and WAIS.

A brief history of the Internet

The internet is arguably the greatest invention of the 20th Century, allowing the almost limitless connection of people to each other and to the resources they seek. Whilst the invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio and computer set the stage for this communications revolution, it was a series of rapid developments in technology during the 1960s that paved the way for the creation of the internet.

The grandparents of the internet were arguably J.C.R. Licklider and Leonard Kleinrock, both at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Licklider was the first head of the computer research program at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and in August 1962 wrote a paper about a “Galactic Network” of globally interconnected computers, through which everyone could quickly access data and programs from any site. Kleinrock made this dream achievable through his work on packet switching theory (from 1961 to 1964) and the creation of the first (however small) wide-area computer network (or WAN), in 1965 (connecting a TX-2 computer in MIT to a Q-32 in California).

Kleinrock worked closely with Lawrence G. Roberts in the creation of the WAN and it was Roberts who went on to pen the design for ARPANET (the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) in late 1966, collaborating increasingly with teams from the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom and the RAND Corporation (both of whom had independently developed packet switching technologies without being aware of each other’s work).

During 1968, Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN) were selected to build ARPANET and in September 1969 the first node was installed at the University of California (UCLA). A month later, the second node was added (at Stanford Research Institute) and the first Host-to-Host message ever to be sent on the Internet was launched from UCLA. The month in which I was born!

During the period from 1970 to 1972, many computers were added to ARPANET, protocols developed and software written. In October 1972, March Ray Tomlinson at BBN developed the first email system and sent the first email (”quertyuiop”). In the following year, the first ARPANET connections outside the US were made, to NORSAR in Norway and to University College London (UCL) in the United Kingdom. For a great 1972 video documentary on ARPANET, visit my blog.

Whilst the original ARPANET grew quickly during the 1970s, it remained mainly an academic preserve. The key next step in the development of the modern web began in 1982, with the adoption by many participants of the TCP/IP protocol, which was faster, easier to use, and less expensive to implement than earlier protocols. This in turn made it much easier for small networks to connect to the network and for those links to branch in every direction. From this point on, all networks that use TCP/IP refer to themselves as part of the Internet (rather than ARPANET) and the standardization on TCP/IP allows the number of Internet sites and users to grow exponentially.

To use an analogy, these developments created the easel but there were still precious little paints for the artist to use. Most early mass-market internet tools were overly technical in nature and difficult to use. Any of you remember terms like WAIS (wide-area search), Archie (file search), Gopher (data retrieval), Newsnet and more?

Two key tools were to change all this forever. In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee and the team at CERN (the European Particle Physics Laboratory) invented the hypertext-based World Wide Web. Four years later, in 1993, the world’s first commercial-strength web-browser, Mosaic, was launched by Marc Andreesen of the National Center for SuperComputer Applications (NCSA) in the US. Tim’s original specifications for URIs, HTTP and HTML were further refined over the coming years and Andreesen went on to develop the Netscape web browser, based on the original MOSAIC kernel.

The rest, as they say, is history! Since this point, the internet has grown exponentially. According to internetworldstats.com, in December 1995, there were just 16 million internet users (0.4% of the world population) but this had grown to 361 million by December 2000 (a 2,300% increase) and 1,018 million by December 2005.

The World’s first search engines

The father and mother of the modern search engine were Archie and Veronica. Archie, developed in 1990 by Emtage, Heelan and Deutsch (students at McGill University in Montreal) was, in a sense, the world’s first search engine. Archie was a tool used to index FTP archives and allowed users to search for and find specific files. The user had to have a pretty good idea of the file name they were looking for, as Archie only indexed filenames (although wildcards were supported, which helped).

In the earliest versions of Archie, the system worked by simply running a job once a month to log-on to each of the member FTP servers and request a listing. These listings were stored in local files to be searched using the Unix grep command. Once a user had found a file in the Archie index, they had to connect to the FTP host and rummage around until they found the file they were looking for (much like the early days of Napster music file sharing nearly 10 years later). This was not for the faint-hearted and the system was only heavily used by the tech-head or academic!

The name Archie derives from the word “archive”, but became associated by users with the comic book series of the same name, created by Bob Montana (featuring the fictional teenage characters Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe “Jughead” Jones characters). As such, when Gopher began to take off in 1992, Foster and Barrie (at the University of Nevada) named their newly developed Gopher search engine Veronica after Archie’s comic book girlfriend. Officially, Veronica stood for “Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computer Archives”.

Veronica was a constantly updated database of the names of almost every menu item on thousands of Gopher servers and could be searched directly from most major Gopher menus. Veronica was, technically, an improvement on Archie in that it (a) indexed the full title of a document rather than just the filename and (b) connected the user directly to the source file with a single click. What neither Archie nor Veronica did, however, was to fully index the target document. This meant that both lacked so-called “semantic ability” – i.e. the ability to connect documents with diverse titles but similar content.

In 1991, Brewster Kahle (at Thinking Machines) launched Wide Area Information Server (WAIS) at Xerox PARC. WAIS only enjoyed a brief presence on the stage of internet history. However, it could certainly be described as the first genuine forerunner to modern search engines, in the sense that it was the first to fully index all the text in Gopher and other internet documents. As Kahle put it at the time, he wanted users to be able to “jump into the middle of the scroll”. WAIS supplemented Veronica, which only searched the menu titles of Gopher sites, but was itself quickly rendered obsolete by the rapid growth of the World Wide Web (which came to replace or front-end all major FTP, Archie, Gopher and WAIS properties).

Comment

At time of writing, internet sales are approximately 15% of all sales in the UK (having risen by 50% over the last year). The numbers are higher still in North America. U-Switch predict 40% of all sales will be over the internet by 2020 and Google is now the world’s number one ranked brand; not bad for a business less than ten years old! Sometimes it seems incredible to me that so much has happened so quickly. My reasons for writing this series of articles is, in part, to pay testimony to those early internet and search pioneers, lest we forget their vital contributions.

In part two of the series, on my blog, I review web search before Google came to dominate; looking at the first web crawler, WWW Wanderer, and early pioneers like Altavista and Northern Light.

“This article is brought to you by Gus Woltmann”.