Satellite Internet Service Is It Right For You?

There are many rural areas where DSL (direct subscriber line) or cable Internet service is not available. If you live in one of those areas and want fast, reliable, high-speed Internet service, satellite Internet is what you're looking for.

Though not as fast as DSL or cable Internet service, satellite Internet service is much faster than 56K dialup service, and is available to anyone in the United States who has a clear view of the southern sky.

Satellite Internet Service Features

* Satellite Internet service is up to 10 times faster than dialup service, so you can surf the web and download files in a fraction of the time it takes with dialup.

* Satellite Internet service is always on, so you don't have to wait to connect to the Internet.

* Satellite Internet service is separate from your phone line, so you can surf the Internet and talk on the phone at the same time, plus you won't miss any telephone calls.

Satellite Internet Compared to DSL and Cable

To give you an idea of the differences between high-speed services, here's a comparison of satellite TV service from DirecWay, versus DSL and Cable service from EarthLink. For more information on these services click on the links below.

Speed

* Satellite Internet service: Up to 10 times faster than dialup service (700 Kbps download speed and 128 Kbps upload speed.

* DSL Internet service: Up to 70 times faster than dialup service (up to 3 Mps download speed and 128 upload speed).

* Cable Internet service: Up to 100 times faster than dialup service (up to 5 Mps download speed and 384 Kbps upload speed.

Monthly Service Fee

* Satellite Internet service: From $59.99 per month.

* DSL Internet service: $19.95 for the first six months, then $39.95 thereafter.

* Cable Internet service: $29.95 for the first 6 months, then $41.95 thereafter.

Equipment Cost

* Satellite Internet service: $499.98.

* DSL Internet service: Free.

* Cable Internet service: Free.

Installation

* Satellite Internet service: Free.

* DSL Internet service: Do it yourself or pay an installer.

* Cable Internet service: Free.

Activation Fee

* Satellite Internet service: None.

* DSL Internet service: None.

* Cable Internet service: None.

Email Accounts

* Satellite Internet service: 5 accounts.

* DSL Internet service: 8 accounts.

* Cable Internet service: 8 accounts.

Virus, Spam, and Spyware Protection:

* Satellite Internet service: Yes.

* DSL Internet service: Yes.

* Cable Internet Service: Yes.

Customer Service

* Satellite Internet service: 24/7 toll-free telephone and Internet service.

* DSL Internet service: 24/7 toll free-telephone and Internet service.

* Cable Internet Service: 24/7 toll free-telephone and Internet service.

DirecWay Satellite Internet Service

DirecWay is the largest and most reliable satellite Internet service. Most other satellite TV providers are actually DirecWay affiliates, meaning they use DirecWay's equipment and satellites, but offer different services.

DirecWay offers two satellite Internet plans:

Plan A -- You pay $99.99 per month for 15 months, then $59.99 per month thereafter.

Plan B -- You pay $499.98 for your equipment and installation, then $59.99 per month for service.

Bottom Line

Because DSL and cable Internet services are faster and cheaper than satellite service, I recommend clicking on the links below to see if they are available in your area.

If not, then satellite is the way to go if you want high-speed Internet service.

Click on the following link for more information on satellite Internet service, or these links for ordering information and the latest offers from DISH Network satellite Internet service or DIRECTV satellite Internet service.

Brian Stevens is the senior editor for TheSatelliteTVGuide.com and has written extensively on satellite Internet service.

What is a Web Directory?

Do you have a website and are looking for more traffic? If so you don?t have to despair trying to figure out how you will direct traffic to your site because there is a tried and true way to increase your traffic in no time! The best method to get more traffic is with one way links. You may have heard of reciprocal links in the past, but that requires you to host a link on your site as well. With one way links there is a link to your site, but you don?t have to host a link as well! You might be wondering how you can possibly get other sites to host a link to your site without you having to host a link back, but fortunately it is not only possible but really easy with web directories!

One Way Links and Web Directories

Website directories are simply directories that focus on compiling links to other websites and then categorizing them. There are thousands of web directories on the Web that will allow you as a website owner to submit your website information and link to have included in the web directory. Then, a human will review the submission to approve it for the web directory. Then, your site will have a new one way link in the web directory that will help you reach more people and ultimately get more traffic. Since there are so many web directories you can spend a lot of time submitting your information in order to receive those important one way links. Or else you could hire someone to do it for you. Amazingly, there are many online companies that focus on submitting your link to website directories and since they already know the web directories and how to go about the process they can do it fast and cheap!

Since there are so many directories out there and you want as many links as possible then this might be the best bet for you. Trying to link your site with all of the web directories on the web will take a lot of your time and you won?t be able to focus on other projects or business. Of course, if you have a lot of free time then you can visit all of the web directories you want to submit your website to get a one way link. That is completely up to you, just know there are companies that offer this service for a very reasonable rate.

Some of the most famous web directories are Yahoo! Directory, Open Directory Project, as well as LookSmart, so you will want to start with these. Of course, there are plenty of other web directories to choose from and you might need to do a little online research to figure out which ones are best. Just remember, if you want more traffic for your website start placing some one way links to your site in web directories and watch the visitors come.

Article supplied by Ian Walsh, owner of Villas2u - Orlando Villas as well as editor of the Categorized Web Directory and Directoree Website Directory. Want to know more about one-way links? Visit http://www.categorizedweb.com or http://www.directoree.net

The UK Broadband Revolution Continues

Who would have thought two years ago that we would be able to get broadband for free? Those were the days when it cost on average ?25 for a 512k (per second) connection. Broadband was reserved for ?cyber geeks?. The rest of us were happy enough with our super slow dialup connection.

A broadband revolution has been sweeping the nation ever since. Broadband speeds have increased dramatically and prices have plummeted. Now 512k is considered slow. Anything under 2Mb (per second) won?t do. The ?cyber geeks? are really moving into the fast lane, with download speeds of up to 24Mb available.

Prices for broadband fell significantly during 2005 and continue to do so. This led to more people signing up to broadband as it became more affordable. This, in turn, lead to more companies offering cut price broadband to attract those customers, which led to even more customers becoming interested. And the cycle continued. About 80,000 per week now sign up to a broadband package in the UK.

It has gone so far that you can now get broadband for free. If anyone mentioned free broadband 2 years ago, they would have been branded as being insane. Now it is a reality with TalkTalk offering free broadband to its Talk3 customers and Orange to its mobile customers. Cynics argue that it is not free, as you have to buy another service to get it. But even then, it is a damn good deal.

So where is the market going to go?

The rapidly changing world of telecommunications is going to force many of the smaller players out of the market. They simply will not be able to survive as margins are squeezed. Even the big players are finding the going tough. Telecom giant Cable and Wireless announced this week that it is broadband subsidiary, Bulldog, will no longer be offering broadband to residential customers.

Packages that include 2, 3 or even 4 products will become commonplace. Broadband providers have realised that they cannot make enough money from broadband alone to survive. So they are bundling broadband with other products, such as home phone, digital television and mobile. Market leaders such as TalkTalk, NTL and Telewest have been doing this for some time.

Broadband speeds will continue to rise as the technology moves forwards. This will lead to broadband becoming the centre of home communications. Your digital TV and home phone will be transmitted over a broadband connection.

The world of broadband has certainly come along way in the past 2 years, from a geeks product to mass market. The next 2 years will just as interesting, as broadband becomes the main communications platform in your home.

Tony George is the editor of http://www.StellarDeals.co.uk StellarDeals.co.uk is a free and impartial comparision service for broadband, home phone and digital television products. StellarDeals.co.uk will help you decide on the best package for you.

What are Your Internet Connection Solutions?

Of primary concern to all internet users is their actual connection to the internet.

A user needs to look at all the factors and weigh the benefits and costs

Reliability - is the connection available 24/7, or do you get a busy signal?

Speed - at what speeds can a user upload and download files?

Costs - what are the setup and monthly costs for the internet connection service?

Support - is support available 24/7 and is it free or is there a cost associated with it?

Availability - is the desired service available at your location?

Available options with good and bad features include:

Local dial up with phone company (local isp) - While this many times is the simplest, often times, they are the most costly and support can be an issue. Speeds are typically the slowest at 26k to 56k connection speeds.

Software file compression- If you only have 26k dialup isp connections available to you or you want to speed up your DSL connections, this is an important option you should take a look at. With this type of software you can increase your internet connection speeds by as much as five times for very little money. Popular software products that accomplish this are ActiveSpeed, PropelAccelerator, Dr. Speed, and SuperSpeeder, Highly recommended solution to increasing your browsing experience.

Local dial up with national firm - This is by far the most popular with companies like AOL, People PC, Juno, EarthLink, and Netzero providing this service to millions of users. These certainly are the most cost effective and provide excellent 24/7 support. With the high speed upgrade options you can approach 112 k speeds. If the company has a local or toll free number available in your area, then this alternative provides the lowest cost isp internet connection.

Cable connection - If cable TV is available in your area, many firms also provide an internet connection for an additional fee. Requires special cable modem. Speeds are anywhere from 512k to 10Mps.

DSL or digital service line - Many local phone companies are providing this service to selected areas. Requires installation of DSL modem on your computer and speeds typically are from 512k to 9Mps. The distance from the local hub also affects your speed. You will pay 2 to 3 times the costs of basic dial up.

Broadband - Is a term loosely thrown around that is applied to a DSL, cable, wireless, or satellite internet connections. Technically broadband is a minimum of 1.5Mbs but is used to market products with bandwidth as low as 512k. When you hear the term broadband used, think like health food, an undefined marketing catch word.

Wireless internet connection - This option is available in limited area's and requires a wireless modem on your computer. Speeds typically are 2Mbps and this is a flexible approach as you do not need to be hardwired or plugged in. Available in many metro area's.

Satellite internet connection - This is the perfect solution for remote area's if you require a high speed internet connection. Upload and download speeds are different and in some cases you can only download via satellite and are required to upload via dial up. This is the most expensive alternative, but you can get service basically anywhere in the world. Speeds starting at 500k are available. Contact Directway for dependable and fast satellite internet connections.

About The Author

Ray LaFoy has been providing professional web and software development services since 1999. Living in Montana, he has made a career of excelling in marketing.

http://BroadBandQuick.com

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Copyright 2004 - All rights reserved worldwide

Using your High Speed Broadband to the Full

As the price of broadband has come down in recent years, its availability is far spread, with more and more people choosing to make the switch to a sophisticated technology, that can cope with the demands of modern living. In order for you to get full value for money and usage, here are some advantages on getting connected to broadband over dial-up.

1. You can download software, and transfer files quickly, such as, email photos from the digital camera, or send home movies from your camcorder to friends and family etc.

2. With a high speed connection, you can play games online, against other people in real time, via gaming websites. This can be done on the PC or games consoles such as PSP, PS2, Xbox etc.

3. One of the best aspects of broadband is that you can now easily watch thousands of web cams set up all around the world, so you can see what?s going on anywhere you want. If your friends or family have a web cam at home, this could provide an excellent and FREE way of communicating with loved ones around the world.

4. Watch live web casts, internet tv and short films online.

5. You can now watch music videos at a much better quality than before, with high speed downloads, you can watch the latest videos from your favourite bands and artists.

6. Music downloads are now a doddle, and you can now order singles and albums, which are cheaper than buying it at your local store. Total convenience.

7. One of the latest innovations is VOIP. This, in a nutshell, allows you to use the internet connection to make and receive phone calls. With technology currently developing, this will gain in popularity and eventually bring prices down for current call charges.

8. Listen to a selection of streaming radio stations for free, whilst you surf the web, and not have any interference.

There are so many other uses for ADSL broadband in the home and at work, that being without it can have you missing out on some of the greatest innovations of this era.

Nick Singh runs a website committed to serving customers in finding the best deal on getting a cheap broadband connection. For a comparison of the best ISP?s go to http://www.cheap-broadband-in-the-uk.com.

Seeyin K. has sent you "Go Home Improvement." on iList

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Seeyin K. thought you might be interested in the listing "Go Home Improvement." on iList, a free classifieds service. You can view the listing on iList at

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where you can also respond to the listing.

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Seeyin K. has sent you "Go Home Improvement." on iList

Hey there!

Seeyin K. thought you might be interested in the listing "Go Home Improvement." on iList, a free classifieds service. You can view the listing on iList at

http://ilist.com/go/idru

where you can also respond to the listing.

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Seeyin K. has sent you "Idea Home Decor" on iList

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Seeyin K. thought you might be interested in the listing "Idea Home Decor" on iList, a free classifieds service. You can view the listing on iList at

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where you can also respond to the listing.

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Broadband Will it Affect Your Online Marketing Future?

The coming age of general Broadband use bearing down upon us, minute by minute, is going to leave many changes in its wake. Some will be welcome; others will demand all we can do, just to keep up!

Of course, items like high quality graphics, streaming video and movies on demand will be commonplace. On the other hand, Broadband spells the end of most common text-only websites. Let's face it: the consumer wants more! Offering a good deal with high quality service won't do it anymore.

Websites that cater to the newfound appetite for quality audio and video content will get the sale. Obviously, that makes perfect sense! It brings to mind an experience I had while learning Photoshop. I purchased a very big manual and it took me three weeks just to get my feet wet. A good friend bought a video tutorial and arrived at my level of skill in two days!

There are many other things audio and video can explain better and in much shorter time than text, as in the example above. We're not talking just innovation; but also, the very deep and long-lasting impact the technology is going to produce.

I was reading an informative article written by Darrin Coe, titled The Internet Consumer Exposed. It's a piece compiled from larger studies of the habits and lifestyles of Internet centered consumers. By the conclusions reached in the item, it does appear the consumer will smile upon the coming Broadband changes. Here is Darrin's website: http://dcoe1.tripod.com/exposed1/

There are some Marketers actively staking out their Broadband future. One that comes to mind is Jim Edwards. Jim is also a well known writer and syndicated newspaper columnist and - not to mention - a very pleasant person.

A week or so ago, I received an email from Jim inviting me to witness the birth of his new multimedia Newsletter I Gotta tell You. I was speechless! Very seldom do we get to watch one of the early events giving birth to a revolution! It is content delivery that's light years away and will only get better and better. Good work Jim!

Here is Jim's Newsletter: http://www.igottatellyou.com/

Another application that's blazing a trail into Broadband is the Instant Video Generator sold by Armand Morin, Alex Mandossian and Rick Raddatz. Though they claim it works as well with a dial up connection, I can see it carving out a big chunk of the Broadband market. I've gone to the website and viewed a few presentations. It does seem to work quite well! The buffering is almost instantaneous and the quality very good. Here is the website: http://instantvideogenerator.com

Conclusion

Start taking the necessary steps to get on the multimedia bandwagon or suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs! Broadband dominance will become an inescapable reality of the very near future. As Stark Trek's Borg say: Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated!

About the Author:

Francisco Aloy is the author of Yes, I Want to Start My Internet Business Without Being SCAMMED!. He has an online business catering to the needs of the Newbie Net Entrepreneur. Visit his site to see more of Mr. Aloy's articles. http://www.newbie-business-guide.com

A Cheap Alternative To Broadband?

Are you a dial-up user looking for a faster connection, but don't like Broadband prices? If so, you should take a look at a new service called OnSpeed, which has received rave reviews in Internet technology publications.

What OnSpeed does is to re-route web pages and email via its own servers, compressing the data on the fly prior to sending it onwards to your PC. A small program then decompresses the data, so that you can view it in the normal way via your browser or email client.

In my own dial-up tests, with a modem running at a nominal 49kb/s I appeared to get speeds close to that of my normal broadband connection of 598 kb/s - very impressive. Image quality is often reduced but the compression for this can be improved, though with an adverse effect on the speed of course.

Some file types like MP3 also cannot yet be compressed. The company is working on these issues however and expects to find solutions soon.

Unfortunately I was unable to use email in my tests, due to a 'port' conflict with a spam filter that I was using. The standard advice on the OnSpeed site for such cases is to disable the offending program. Not a constructive approach - to say the least - so I hope that the relevant instructions will be changed soon.

More significantly, the problem persisted even when I switched off the OnSpeed application on my PC; in the end I had to remove the program to get the spam filter working again. I expect that this fault can be resolved, but clearly there are issues in this area that need to be addressed.

The software is easy to install, and is available for Mac as well as Windows PCs. On the whole the service is surprisingly good, and a lot cheaper than broadband. Unlike other 'speed-up' techniques that tweak your computer's settings but result in little noticeable improvement, OnSpeed really works.

I can recommend OnSpeed for dial-up users who can't justify the expense of broadband, or who are not located close enough to a suitable exchange. OnSpeed is also stated to be great for mobile or PDA users, as GPRS (wireless) speeds can be boosted by as much as 8 times. It even helps with broadband if you can only get a reduced service in your area.

My overall rating is 4/5 - very good, but the email support needs to be improved.

If you want further details of OnSpeed, please visit http://www.On-Speed.net. There is a 14 day money-back guarantee, so you can try the service without any risk.

Copyright ? Richard Prosser 2004

Richard is a software developer and entrepreneur, and may be contacted via the 'Article Tips' site given below. This article may be published without permission, but only in its entirety.

Free email course: Drive 'Hot' Prospects To Your Site For Free! http://www.ArticleTips.com

Bandwidth

The term bandwidth is very common these days, especially because its technology affects almost all aspects of our lives. You use bandwidth when you connect to the internet, when you use the telephone, when you watch television, and in many other activities. But what exactly is bandwidth? Read on to find out and see how it can change your life.

Bandwidth defined

The term ?bandwidth? refers to the amount of data or information that can be transmitted over a network in a given time, or, in much simpler terms, is a measure of how much ?stuff? is sent through any connection. Information sent can take many forms depending on the channel.

How bandwidth affects you

Bandwidth in internet terms is usually expressed in either bits per second (bps), kilobits per second (kbps), or megabits per second (mbps). The higher the bandwidth of your connection, the faster you can upload and download data from the internet. Dial-up connections are low speed at only about 50+ kbps, while better cable connections go from 500 kbps and up. Whether you need a connection that has bigger bandwidth depends on your purposes for using the internet. If you only use the net for text-based research purposes, you don?t need much bandwidth. A whole page of English text is only about 16,000 bits, so if your modem can move about 57,000 bits per second, you are more than covered. You may need higher bandwidth if you upload or download full-motion and full-screen video, which, depending on compression, requires roughly 10,000,000 bits-per-second. It is wise to subscribe to a high-bandwidth connection if you use the internet for pictures, graphics, music and videos.

The telephones use bandwidth, too ? in fact, a bandwidth of about 3,000 ?cycles per second? (cps) is required for voice transmission. The bandwidth required for television broadcasting is even higher at about 6 million cps, and satellite system prevent interference by spreading television signals using bandwidth of as little as 17.5 MHz to a as much as 72 MHz.

Bandwidth provides detailed information on Bandwidth, Bandwidth Tests, Bandwidth Management, Bandwidth Meters and more. Bandwidth is affiliated with Colocation Hosting.

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Just What Is Optical Carrier (OC) Bandwidth?

Ever wonder just what the heck was an OC48? Not surprisingly many network engineers and IT managers aren't up to speed (no pun intended) on just what OC really means...and what all is available to enahnce their company's applications within this bandwidth category.

So....here's a quick run down to set you straight.

The OC (optical carrier...fiber optic based broadband network )hierarchy goes as follows, starting with a T3/DS3 electrical carrier and then on to an OC-1:

DS3 (Electrical) = 44.736mbits/sec = 28 T1s/DS1s

STS1 (Electrical) = (1) DS3 @ 44.736mbits/sec with SONET (Synchronous Optical NET) overhead = 51.840mbits/sec

OC-1 (Optical) = (1) STS1 on Optical facilities

OC-3 = (3) OC-1s = 155.52mbits/sec

OC-9 = (9) OC-1s (not commonly used) = 466.56mbits/sec

OC-12 = (12) OC-1s or (4) OC-3s = 622.08mbits/sec

OC-18 = (18) OC-1s (not commonly used) = 933.12mbits/sec

OC-24 = (24) OC-1s (not commonly used) = 1.244gbits/sec

OC-36 = (36) OC-1s (not commonly used) = 1.866gbits/sec

OC-48 = (48) OC-1s or (4) OC-12s or (16) OC-3s = 2.488gbits/sec

OC-192= (192) OC-1s or (4) OC-48s or (16) OC-12s or (64) OC-3s = 9.953gbits/sec

The reason for the stair-stepping of the OC Hierarchy is due to the fact that the next available level of multiplexing ('muxing) of lower-level circuits is usually 4: (4) OC-3s = (1) OC-12, and (4) OC-48s = (1) OC-192.

This muxing scheme is usually dictated by the equipment manufacturers and is pretty much an adopted standard in the Telecom industry - hence the lack of the lesser-common bandwidth aggregations like OC-9, OC-18, etc. The only exception is the OC-3, which was needed to allow the upper-level hierarchy to work.

Hope this tidbit of info helps the network design decisions for your business now....and in the future!

Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including DS3-Bandwidth.com and Business-VoIP-Solution.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.

Tim BernersLee: The Man Who 'Invented' The Internet

While working as an independent consultant at CERN (a nuclear research laboratory close to Geneva) in 1980, Tim Berners-Lee developed an innovative way of storing information in a program named Enquire.

Many of the fundamental concepts in this program were later used in the development of a global hypertext system - popularly known as the Internet or the World Wide Web.

The WWW was developed to increase the ease with which people could exchange information. This became a reality with the introduction of the first WYSWIG (What You See Is What You Get) hypertext web browser which was written by Tim Berners-Lee.

The advantage of the WWW over previous systems was the lack of a need for a centralized server. In short, this meant that it was just as easy to retrieve, as well as link to, a document that was down the hall as across the world.

This was a huge breakthrough in computing science.

The Web and the first web server were released to the hypertext communities in mid 1991, after being released within CERN in late 1990. In order to achieve a coherent standard for the WWW, specifications for URLs, HTML and HTTP were published.

The universality forced by these specifications, the non-dependence on a central server and decision by Berners-Lee not to profit from the WWW led to a high level of adoption of the technology between 1991-94. A ten fold increase in annual traffic was recorded on the first Web server during this period.

With the advent of the Web, a number of spin-off technologies have emerged. A vast array of server side, client side and database languages have been created to fulfill needs of businesses and individuals.

There are two types of programming languages used on the WWW: client-side and server-side.

A client-side language is executed in the users' browser and is not dependent upon the Web server. Client-side programming is done almost exclusively with JavaScript.

A server-side language executes on the Web server. In recent years server-side programming has become more popular than client-side programming because it is independent of the type of browser that the surfer is using. Programmers refer to this as being 'cross-platform'. Perl, PHP, ASP and JSP are popular client-side programming languages.

Databases have been developed to allow for 'dynamic' websites.

Dynamic websites allow for a high level of personalization when retrieving information.

Whenever you type in values in a form on a web page - whether those values are for a user id and password, the characteristics of your ideal partner or an author's name - it's a 'dynamic' web site. That is just a way of saying that there is a database being used to run the website.

Popular databases used include MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle.

An area of the WWW that Berners-Lee has direct involvement is in his role as the Director of the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3) which has existed since 1994.

The aim of the WC3 is to achieve coherent standards between all companies using web technologies such as HTML, CSS and XML. Prior to the creation of the standards detailed by the WC3, companies used different standards, which led to potential incompatibilities. The WC3 remedied this by creating an open forum - allowing companies to agree on core standards for WWW technologies.

The future of Berners-Lee's influence on modern computing is in the context of the Semantic Web. 'Semantic' means 'meaning'.

A semantic web is one where elements that appear in a document hold some meaning that can be automatically processed by a machine in some form of data gathering. Currently, documents on the WWW written in HTML hold no meaning ? they're presentation based.

Tim Berners-Lee laid the conceptual foundation for the World Wide Web. It was his initial idea to create a way where information could be freely and easily exchanged. The standards associated with it and the lack of reliance upon a central server, gave the Web a cross platform advantage and independence, which led to its meteoric rise in popularity.

In turn, its popularity spawned and popularized many different programming languages, databases, markup standards, servers - as well as - viruses and worms.

However, while Tim Berners-Lee is the 'father' of the Internet, its development over the years is a result of the efforts of an extraordinary number of individuals. There is little question that 500 or 1,000 years from now, historians will look at the invention of the Internet as one of those rare, seminal historical events - much like Gutenberg's printing press.

If you found this article educational, please visit my blog Creative And Unique Gift Ideas. There's nothing educational about it but it is a lot of fun!

Beta Testing First Mobile Internet Satellite Broadband Part III

Back in 1999 when we beta tested the first wireless mobile office with satellite broadband Internet we had something that no one lese had. Today you can buy these systems for $5,500 fully installed on any RV. We probably had $10,000 in the first system and we had mobile satellite number 34. Today there are thousands of systems out there. Continuing the beta testing story of the first broadband satellite internet system.

It appears the Canadian based companies for obvious reasons are gaining fast while the US companies were hampered by the FCC in the last few years, forcing communications to move out of the country, yet the customer bases will be here and many of these companies will have 50K subscribers in no time, and the US mighty powerhouses will end up with all the technology and hardware through acquisitions or set up new systems in the coming years with higher capabilities. But do not count out the GM Hughes Team, Craig McCaw (he is a lifer when it comes to passion of the industry) and of course Lockheed and Microsoft. Teledesic, and the other recent alliances and projects prove that the world will be more than united and on the same page it will be doing so in real time. Expect the human rights violations of yesterday to disappear in all nations, religion to be put in check and knowledge to be the universal truth. I would like to thank; John Kettlewell, Jon Haugan, Steven Genuser, Stacy, Allen, Steve Ford WB8IMY, Michael Tavern, Frank Morring, Kim Komando and a few other writers, researchers and industry insiders for all the data in our research. We have scoured over 20 magazines for the last year for bits and pieces of the puzzle and personally visited all kinds of people around the US for this input.

We at WashGuys are sitting on the latest and greatest technologies on this Planet. We will always be on the leading edge of anything that makes us great. And when we say us, we mean all of the US, but of course this costs the big bucks and we like out electronic toys, but it is not for everyone. Okay back to the talk. TracNet is another purely Internet Based satellite service and has download speeds of 400kbps, but since it is not directly two way it?s upload speed is 14.4 Mbps on a cell phone or at 9600 through the satellite, bummer, but it works no matter where you are in the US. Truck drivers like this one a lot. It also works about 100 miles from the coastline in a boat and is good on yachts. Many high-end motor homes have this system too. TrackNet uses the 802.11b wireless standard WiFi; this is at 11Mbps, same as an Ethernet network. The cool thing about this system is you can be outside on the grass in a park doing you work as long as you have the server in your car with the Trac net antenna set up. Of course you need some space for all this but the size of this technology is getting smaller and the price is coming down too. Right now this system costs about $6K. It uses the ExpressVu Bell Satellite and it requires a 14-inch antenna. Let me know if you want to see what the dome looks like. This will cost an additional $3,000. Cost is $ .99 per minute and after 900 minutes it is only $ .79 per minute. MotoSat System, 12Kbs on down load and 1.28Kbs on uplink all satellite, no cell phones unlimited use for $79 per month. Hell you can even watch TV on the damn thing.

Got to love the diehards from GM Hughes Spin off. What?s the catch? A 39 inch antenna, not exactly transportable or brief-casable. DataStorm it is called. Our WashGuy Command Center antenna is 42 inches high and 39 inches across in an ellipse shape. We believe the next wave of technology is where it is at however and predict this to be in place where WiFi is sitting on top of every billboard in the US for uplink and the antennas are 5 inches high and self tracking the downlink from the satellite and with this technology and user codes each company can help America track terrorists and once a terrorist is coded like a whale that has been tagged, you always know where he is. When will this be? Not long. Give it three, maybe four years or so tops, five if the FCC does not see it?s obvious value.

Another system, which may enter the market, is GE Capitals Americom Communications Unit. Our founder met the president of Americom once, about 8 years ago, interesting guy. Societe Europeene Des Satellite (SES) added these satellites to its 28 owned and 13 satellites that it has an interest in. Why? To have a piece at the broadband seamless global conductivity market. This was talked about in April 2 issue of Aviation Week and Space technology. This means that SES will also control AsiaSat and Embratel?s Brazil StarOne. Other articles to tell the history of this whole thing are; Nov 13 2000 AW&SPT and AW&SPT of July 24,2000. SES maybe the most profitable in the entire sector due to the contract backlogs of 6.4 Billion as of June 2001. So now what will they do with others entering the markets? It appears GE was smart to sell and now needs to get back into the game somehow. I see the coming of a new age. Where information, innovation, security, safety, will change the world. And just imagine the power it will give to all the research going on in the World. Very cool. Car Wash Guys are in close contact with these technologies so we can put a small antenna on every until and address the entire company and every crew in it every morning of everything going on by way of satellite video conferencing. WOW, we are almost here.

And that is the story of our Beta Test Project and we are glad to be a part of Communications History and we have now tested the satellite system in every city in the United States over 10,000 people. Think about it.

Lance Winslow

New ISP Ten Tips for ISP Shopping

Looking for a new Internet Service Provider (ISP) but don't know which one to choose? Though difficult, it's something we all must do every once and a while. This article will make your ISP shopping experience much easier.

Before signing up for an ISP, ask yourself these questions:

1. Do I need dial-up or broadband? If you use the Internet for more than three hours a week, you should get broadband. Generally, the lowest speed broadband is the same price or only a little more than dial-up and significantly faster.

2. If I'm going to use broadband, how will I get it?
There are a variety of ways to get broadband Internet. The two most common and probably the best are through a phone line (DSL) or a cable line (cable). Less common ways to get broadband are through WISPs (wireless Internet Service Providers) or via your satellite dish if your satellite TV provider offers it. WISPs and satellite Internet are generally used in rural areas and are more expensive than DSL and cable broadband. Some areas now have fiber optic broadband, such as Verizon FiOS. Fiber optic Internet offers speeds much faster than typical broadband and is the best choice if available.

3. What ISPs are available in my area?
Gather a list of all available ISPs in your area.

4. What download speed do I need?
If you use your Internet infrequently, you can probably get away with a 256 kbit download speed. For online gaming (and I do not mean games like Internet Checkers), the faster connection you can get, the better. If you plan on setting up a home network and having more than one PC on the Internet at the same time, make sure you have at least a 1.5 mbit download speed. There is no need to get Internet faster than 1.5 mbit unless you share your Internet with others on a home network, download large files frequently, or play online games.

Note: Note that Internet speeds are measured in kilobits and file sizes are measured in kilobytes or megabits and megabytes if the number is 1000 kilobits or kilobytes or more. There is a huge different between bits and bytes! In fact, One kilobyte is equal to 8 kilobits! For example, a 3 mbit (3000 kbit) broadband connection will only yield a download speed of 384 kilobytes at the most.

5. What upload speed do I need?
You're upload speed is less important than your download speed. You should only pay attention to how fast your upload speed is if you use bittorrent, upload files to the Internet frequently, play online games, or plan on running any kind of server, such as a game server or web server. Upload speeds are often much slower than download speeds and like with download speeds, the higher they are, the faster they will perform. Upload speeds are measured in kilobits and megabits respectively.

6. Do I want to run a game or web server?
If you want to run a server, you will need a dedicated IP and your ISP must allow servers. Read your ISP's terms of service to make sure they allow customers to run servers.

7. Are there any limits to my Internet connection?
Make sure there aren't any limits on your Internet you don't know about, such as a monthly download limit.

8. What ISP is the best?
Search the Internet for reviews about your local ISPs. I personally recommend Dslreports.com for ISP reviews.

9. Cost and Features
Weigh the cost and features of each potential ISP. Which has the best value for the money? Does one ISP have a feature you really need? Can you get more speed for the same price with another ISP? Do I need to pay extra for a modem? Are there any termination fees?

10. Choose an ISP
After completing steps 1-9, it's time to choose an ISP! Sign up, set up your new Internet connection, relax, and have fun on the web!

Daniel Foster is the owner of PC Fastlane, a great place to find computer help, interesting articles, tech news, a list of over 160 free PC games, and more. http://www.pcfastlane.com

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To find out more about Twitter, visit the link below:

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-The Twitter Team

About Twitter

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This message was sent by a Twitter user who entered your email address. If you'd prefer not to receive emails when other people invite you to Twitter, click here:
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How to Test Your DSL and Cable Internet Connection Speed

There are two measured elements that determine your internet connection speed. They are: The download rate, and the upload rate of data measured in bits per seconds. Usually, it is expressed in Kilobits per second.

A bit is the smallest piece of data that can be stored in a computer. The bit can be either 0 or 1. The byte is eight bits. Example of a byte and bits are the following:

bit= 0 or 1

byte=8 bits

1 byte=10011101 (eight bits)

A single charcter needs one byte or eight bits to be stored in a computer. So, when the data rate is 1 byte/sec, that means one character per second is the rate at which data is transferred through your connection.

This is very slow, and only intended for an example. In order to browse the internet, you must have at least a dial up access with a 56kb/s modem, in order to get a meaningful and practical result.

There are different types of internet connection. First they introduced the dialup connection using your phone line, then the broadband was introduced.

The broadband internet connections are DSL, Cable, or Satellite internet services. They are widely used and expanding due to the high bandwith.

When you get an internet service, your provider states that your speed will be a certain numbers. They usually give you a good idea, but not an exact one. The common asked questions among internet users is:

How do I know what is my connection speed, and if I am getting what I was promised?.

If there anyway I can test my connection, and do I need to buy expensive software to test it?.

The answer is simple. There are two ways to test your internet connection speed:

1- The manual simple calculation test that you can do yourself without any software or third party services.

2- You can find a service that lets you run a test through their servers, and get your numbers displayed at their webpage.

1-The manual method:

Since I mentioned that the connection speed consist of two numbers, the download and upload speed. So, what you do is download from the internet any free software, and watch the result box with the result that show the size of the file and how many seconds it tool to download.

When you are done recording the download speed, upload a file of a specific size (1 Mb, 2 Mb), and time your watch when you start. When the file is uploaded, check your watch and record the time it took for the task. Then divide your file size by the seconds it took.

If you file was 2 Mb. that took 5 minutes to upload, then your upload speed is 2 Mb./300 sec. or 6.826 Kbits/sec.You can run the above test couple times, and then take the average for a better result.

2-The automated test at a third party service:

This is my preferred one, where you get to a website where the test is done for you. It is done using a script installed on their server, and letting you download and upload to their server a test file (invisible to you). Then, the result is displayed on their webpage. You just have to register for free using your email. It is free. This is a website address where they offer you a free internet connection test:

http://www.visualware.com.

In summary, don't settle for numbers given to you by your services, do the tests whenever you can. You enjoy it, and feel that you are getting your money worth. This is because some servcies charges you 35 dollars or more for a high speed internet service.

Thanks,
George Chamoun

I have created an Ebook about troubleshooting procedures for DSL, or Cable connection problems. You can get it for free by right clicking the link and saving to your computer:

http://www.ebookfreestore.com/software/ComputerEbook.pdf

Broadband Deals Spread Throughout Europe

From gas suppliers, to mobile phone companies, the EU is not afraid of anyone ? not even the mighty Miscrosoft, one of the largest companies in the world. Research has revealed that the broadband industry in Europe, however, has nothing to fear.

Europeans are signing up for Broadband Deals faster than ever before. High-speed Internet services are growing in popularity because intense competition from broadband providers is continually driving the product?s exposure in the marketplace to new highs, and prices to new lows.

As a result, it is estimated that up to 8 million UK households will have broadband by 2008. Overall, the rate at which people are signing up to broadband providers is constantly increasing, thanks largely to the high level of competition in the telecoms industry. It seems the EU is right ? competition is good for consumers.

This feverish competition is forcing telcos to mount aggressive marketing campaigns in order to make consumers aware of their broadband services. At the same time, broadband access has improved on a geographical basis as well as a technical basis, making it available to a larger pool of potential customers. Some telcos are also advertising very high broadband speeds to attract power users. The competition has also led to telcos lowering prices in a bid to undercut rivals.

Because of the real competition between telcos offering broadband, the EU has not interfered on a trade practices level. It has, however, issued a ruling that mobile phone and broadband access is not to become a right for all European citizens. Currently there is a universal service obligation that covers fixed landline telecoms that exists to ensure that every European has access to landline service if they want it. According to the EU, this obligation will not be extended to cover broadband and mobile phone services.

This is of little concern to broadband providers. In some European countries the consumer broadband market is growing by 10% a year. While this is expected to peak in a few years time, there is still a lot of money to be made for the telcos in the immediate future. With the number of online services increasing each year, and film and television programmes soon to be legally streamed into every household with a fast enough broadband deal, the market still has plenty of life left in it.

Let?s hope the competition continues, and our monthly broadband bills do not mimic our ever-increasing gas bills.

Broadband-is-cheap contains up-to-date news, information, and Cheap Broadband deals from the UK broadband market.

How to Secure your DSl / Cable Internet Connection Against Malicious Attacks

Securing your Windows Xp computer is done by achieving two main tasks.

The first, is to prevent unauthorized users sitting at your computer and logging in through your keyboard.

The second, is to prevent access to your computer through your internet connection. Preventing unauthorized users is done by controlling your user accounts management.

This is done by creating one account beside the administrator account. This way, you end up with one administrator account for managing the whole system, and another user account for using all the time you are not managing your system.

Once you install Windows Xp operating systems, you create a user account beside the administrator account. This new account user ID and password is only known to you, the administrator. By doing this, you disallow anyone from using your computer by sitting at your keyboard.

The second task is to prevent unauthorized internet access from the outside world. Your computer internet connection is the main source of all kinds of attacks that will damage different programs installed on your computer.

Attacks from the Internet can be of different forms. Their effects can vary from slowing down you machine to producing annoying messages. Today with the high speed Internet access, you get bombarded with problems much more when you were using dial-up connection.

There is certain measures you can take to stop the Internet attacks through your high speed connection. I recommend you do four things:

a-Install an Adware / Spyware removal program on your computer.

b-Install an Antivirus program.

c-Install a Pop-Up blocker program.

d-Install a Firewall, software or hardware.

In Summary, there are many numbers of ways your computer can be attacked, and result in damages of many sorts. However, There are only few ways of protecting your computer, which makes it easy for every computer owner to secure their computer.

Thanks,
George Chamoun

For more about steps to secure your home computer, get my free e-books at http://www.ebookfreestore.com

Interactive TV Services for IPTV

IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a method of distributing television content over broadband that enables a more customised and interactive user experience. IPTV will mean a fundamental change in viewing habits. Viewers will be able to watch what they want, when they want to. Interactive TV services will be a key differentiator for the multitude of IPTV offerings that are emerging. Interactivity via a fast two-way connection will lift IPTV ahead of today?s television.

IPTV brings together the television, internet and telephone. Much like cable or satellite television, IPTV uses a set-top box (STB) that allows viewers to watch hundreds of channels and order movies through video-on-demand (VOD). IPTV uses broadband ADSL, the same technology that delivers high-speed Internet to the computer. This opens the door to much more interactivity and the potential for thousands, as opposed to hundreds, of channels.

Find What?s On

All IPTV services will offer basic interactivity to support navigation and search of the vast amounts of content. An electronic programme guide (EPG) will allow viewers to browse the linear and on-demand content that is available.

EPGs are likely to allow viewers to look at programme listings up to two weeks in advance, and also look back over programmes from the previous seven days broadcast schedule. A powerful search facility will allow viewers to look for programmes by title, genre and keywords. Filters will allow viewers to display lists of movies, music, pay-per-view events and high definition programmes.

The EPG will be customisable by viewers, who will be able to create their own line-up of favourite channels and content. As well as full-screen layouts, EPGs will have a mini-overlay mode which will allow the viewer to keep watching the current programme while browsing the schedule.

Personal Video Recorder

Many IPTV set top boxes will incorporate a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) that will allow programmes and interactive content to be recorded. Viewers will be able to watch one programme while recording another. They?ll also be able to use interactive services or video on demand while recording in the background. While watching linear TV programming, viewers will be able to pause and rewind live television.

The PVR will be programmed via the Electronic Programme Guide. Intelligent series linking will allow programme episodes to be recorded based on preferences; first-runs, repeats, or all occurrences. Programme and movie trailers will contain interactive links that can be selected to schedule a recording. Remote scheduling of recording will also be possible using a mobile phone or the web.

Enhanced TV

With IPTV, viewers will be able to watch a lot more television at the same time. Sports fans will be able to keep an eye on six games at once, on the same screen, or study one game from multiple camera angles. Viewer involvement will be encouraged through voting, competitions and messaging services.

Advertising

Interactive advertising will extend traditional linear advertising. It will allow advertisers to give product information in the form of an on-screen interactive brochure. This will re-enforce the brand messages and encourage viewer involvement with the product. It will also allow a direct element to be added to any TV campaign, with responses being captured from viewers.

Communication Services

The two-way nature of an IPTV connection makes it ideal for providing person-to-person communication services. Instant messaging services will allow viewers to ?chat? via text messages while continuing to watch TV. Video conferencing over television will allow virtual family gatherings when family members are spread across the world.

Services will be used both as stand-alone applications, and as add-ons to programming. Friends will be able to chat while watching a programme ?together? in different locations. Phone-in shows will be able to display callers, linked directly from their home.

Community Services

IPTV will provide many feeds of news, entertainment and information. Viewers will be able to personalise their ?feed reader? to match their particular interests. This will then collect up-to-date information such as news headlines, sports results, share prices and travel updates in a single place.

Dating services will allow subscribers to set up a profile and find compatible ?matches? to communicate with. Messages will be exchanged quickly, cheaply and safely, without the security concerns of meeting in the real world.

Betting & Gaming

IPTV will offer a range of betting and gaming on demand services. These will include sports betting services, where bets are placed on both live and virtual sports. The betting will be closely linked to the TV coverage, and will include in-running betting. There will also be a range of casino style games including roulette, blackjack, slots and poker. Some of these will be stand-alone games, others will be linked to programming with either live or virtual presenters.

Personal Content

IPTV will enable the secure sharing of video recordings, photos and music. Users with a home network will be able to share digital content with other devices such as PCs and portable media players. IPTV will be a key component in the connected home.

Users will also be able to share content with family and friends across the Internet. Effective digital content protection with consumer flexibility will be essential for such sharing to flourish. IPTV could even allow users to have their own television channel where they could share their views, photos and videos with the rest of the world as a video podcast.

Conclusion

Interactive television will provide genuinely useful applications that enhance the overall user experience of IPTV. Interactive services must be seen as part of the overall infrastructure of delivering television ? not just a bolt on.

To get the right interactive services to meet consumer demands will require experimentation. Content providers, broadcasters and network owners need to develop, trial, refine and roll-out interactive services. A lot has been learnt over the past ten years about interactive TV. This knowledge can help inform the design of interactive services for IPTV.

John Withnell is Managing Director of Long Dog, a company that provides a one-stop-shop for project planning, design and build of interactive TV solutions. See http://www.longdog.tv/ for details.

Advantages of a Broadband DSL Internet Connection

Anyone who has switched from a dial-up modem to broadband DSL knows the advantages of DSL internet access. The differences between the two are truly astounding. When people begin surfing the internet using broadband DSL after struggling with a dial-up modem, they never want to go back to a slow and often unreliable dial-up connection.

Broadband DSL connection speeds vary, but the average DSL connection rate ranges on average between 128 kilobits per second all the way up to 1.54 megabits per second. Typical dial-up modems can't even come close to reaching typical broadband DSL speeds.

The remarkable speed of broadband DSL has made internet use more convenient, and DSL has improved the quality of many existing online activities such as shopping, banking, downloading audio and video, and gaming. Besides a notable increase in connection speed and website navigation, with broadband DSL, internet users are always connected to the world wide web. DSL provides valuable information and online activities that remain just a few keystrokes away.

Broadband DSL saves money as well as valuable time. Broadband DSL eliminates the need for additional phone lines. People using broadband DSL are able to talk on the phone while browsing the net, and all computers within a household can surf the web independently with the use of wireless routers.

Security is another plus for broadband DSL users. Broadband DSL subscribers use their own private telephone lines to make contact with their DSL service provider. Cables and lines are not shared by other internet subscribers, and therefore user access is private and very secure.

Broadband DSL is constantly improving as new technology is discovered and implemented. When considering the cost of broadband DSL versus the cost of dial-up, there is no comparison. The benefits of broadband DSL are immeasurable. Broadband DSL is truly the solution for businesses and consumers wanting quick and reliable internet connectivity.

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides information on broadband at 123 Broadcom!

Are You Using A DialUp ISP for SEO?

If you are using a dial-up internet service provider for SEO, it could be costing you a lot of time and money. This is especially true if most of your search engine optimization work is off-site optimization, including building links by submitting your websites to directories and submitting your articles to article directories.

I was submitting my articles and websites to directories using a dial-up internet service provider for several months. The work was very tedious and time consuming. Then, later using a cable internet service provider, what took me almost 3 months to do with the dial-up internet service provider, I was doing in a week with the cable internet service provider.

Going from a dial-up internet service provider to a DSL internet service provider can drastically improve the amount of work you can do in a certain amount of time also. Say, for example, your current dial-up connection speed averages around 30 kilobits per second and you switch to a DSL internet service provider. that has an average connection speed of 300 kilobits per second. The new DSL ISP is ten times faster than your dial-up connection. So, you would be able to do around ten times as much work.

Brian Shoemaker is the owner of ISPShakedown.com - directory of DSL and Cable internet service providers.

Broadband Suppliers Predict Internet TV Boom

Figures from European broadband suppliers reveal that the total number of broadband TV subscribers is estimated to reach almost 10 million by 2010. This will be a huge increase from the current number of about 650,000 and will give broadband suppliers almost 10% of the total pay-TV market.

Currently France and Italy lead the way in terms of numbers of subscribers to broadband TV services. The concept has taken longer to catch on in the UK, which is largely due to fierce competition from established satellite and cable TV firms. However, broadband itself is very popular in the UK with over 10 million subscribers in 2006, and growing by the minute, suggesting that there is a large untapped market for broadband TV services.

Broadband TV is more accurately known as IPTV (Internet Protocol TV). The acronym is used to describe services which broadcast on-demand television programming to consumers, delivered via a broadband connection on normal telephone line to TV screens. In recent years revenues from traditional fixed-line services have been declining in Europe so telecoms firms are looking to both IPTV and broadband to offset this. Increasingly they are offering customers such services in bundles rather than individually.

While broadband suppliers are using IPTV as a means to challenge established cable and satellite operators, the opposite scenario also exists. Cable and satellite TV operators are beginning to make headway into the broadband market in order to ensure they do not lose their coveted share of the lucrative television market to traditional ISP?s.

In the UK, Sky TV has acquired Easynet, a leading broadband supplier and heavy investor in Local Loop Unbundling (LLU), which signals its intention to broaden its range of services. The enormous company has also launched a film download service which currently provides 200 films for free to digital subscribers.

This is, of course, only the beginning as Sky intends to supply more than 1,000 films via broadband from their extensive back catalogue. Sky Sports subscribers will also be able to download sports clips through their broadband connections.

Peoples' entertainment needs are changing fast in the 2000?s and audiences expect to be able to access content whenever and wherever they want.

Broadband-is-cheap contains up-to-date news, information, and deals from leading UK Broadband Suppliers market.

Wireless Broadband Basics

Wireless broadband is a general term used for the technology that is able to gain access to the internet wirelessly, and at high bandwidth speeds. Wireless broadband is available on virtually any digital device, so long as it has the proper connectivity hardware. Such hardware can easily be attached to most PDAs and laptop computers.

One of the most popular and well known wireless technology standards is Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), which allows users to access the internet over a wireless Local Area Network. The speed and range of Wi-Fi, however, is severely limited. There is another wireless connectivity standard, called WiMAX, which is considerably more advanced.

WiMAX is a protocol by which signals are sent to wireless broadband users. A WiMAX base station can theoretically beam a signal as far as 50km (31 miles), meaning that a single station could potentially cover an entire city (unlike Wi-Fi, which is only available in hotspots).

Although WiMAX are networks are available in several major metropolitan areas in the US, base stations are very expensive to build, and aren?t cost effective in less densely populated areas. Because of this limitation, WiMAX technology is not yet available in most non-urban regions.

Although WiMAX has been a major technological achievement, wireless broadband certainly doesn?t stop there. There are a number of other cutting edge wireless protocols currently in development. The most notable of these is a new protocol called xMax, which is similar to WiMAX, but a lot more efficient. It can cover a broader range at a lower cost, by piggybacking on radio frequencies. Although xMax is not yet available to the public, it will most likely be launched within the next couple of years.

Jeremy Maddock is the owner of a successful telecommunications news website.

Broadband Providers Cover 100% of Northern Ireland

This is a significant achievement for the region. Although it is not an EU prerogative to enforce governments to provide universal broadband access to their citizens, Northern Ireland has shown that it is highly regarded. Thanks to this achievement, NI broadband providers are now able to offer broadband services to every household and business in the country, regardless of their location.

In other parts of the EU, coverage has reached levels of around 90% but no one else can claim 100% coverage as yet.

It is widely believed that the universal availability of broadband has played an important part in the growth of businesses in the region. Various industry sectors have reported new levels of growth since the inception of broadband and it may have been impossible to achieve this without the service.

However there are still areas in which progress can be made. Just because there is 100% availability, it does not mean there is 100% take-up, so now the NI government must encourage as many businesses and individuals as possible to sign up to the service in order to reap its full benefits. The last thing they want is a big white elephant instead of a fully functional communications system.

100% availability also does not necessarily equal 100% satisfaction. Some customers who cannot receive the service through their fixed telephone lines have complained that they are being forced to pay more for broadband via an expensive satellite link.

However work is being done to rectify this situation and improve the networks, so many of households who currently may not be able to receive broadband via their telephone line, should be able to in the future, ensuring a more fair system.

At the other end of the spectrum there are people who can connect to broadband through a choice of mediums ? everything from cable or ADSL through a phone line, to wireless solutions such as satellite and radio broadband.

Northern Ireland will probably act as a blueprint for many other EU regions in the following years as broadband take-up continues to increase.

Broadband-is-cheap contains up-to-date news, information, and deals from leading UK Broadband Providers market.

Google Brings Millions of HardtoFind Library Books to Your Fingertips

Millions of hard-to-find books from five major libraries will soon be a lot easier to access: Google has made plans to scan and digitize them, making the books available on their widely used Internet search engine.

Google's latest endeavor is a large step beyond previous attempts to scan books so they can be read online (Google, Amazon.com and other smaller sites have offered glimpses of books and libraries online before). What makes this initiative so different is the sheer breadth of material that Google plans to cover.

Five libraries will be involved in the project in various stages:

* New York public library: Allowing Google a small portion of books no longer covered by copyright.

* Harvard University library: Is contributing a limited 40,000 volumes to guage how well the process works.

* Stanford University library: Will submit its entire collection to Google's scanners.

* Michigan University library: Will also submit its entire collection.

* Oxford University library: Contributing all its books published before 1901

To get an idea of just how large a project Google is taking on, consider that Michigan's library alone contains 7 million volumes, which is about 132 miles of books, while Harvard's library contains 15 million. The Michigan job is expected to take six years.

Although some in the field worry that this trend could signal the end of libraries, others are excited at the prospect of putting valuable information that was once limited in its use at the fingertips of all Internet users. The project will also create a digital record for material that was created before computers, thereby preserving it in a way that could not have been done in the past.

Google users will only be able to view bibliographies and other brief excerpts from the copyrighted books scanned from the libraries, while works no longer covered by copyrights will be completely available to the online public.

USA Today December 14, 2004

New York Times December 14, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Google's founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, have long vowed to make all of the world's information accessible to anyone with a Web browser. Now that vow will come closer to being implemented as Google has made an agreement with some of the nation's leading research libraries and Oxford University to begin converting their holdings into digital files that would be freely searchable over the Web.

Harvard, the University of Michigan, Stanford and the New York Public Library are some of the U.S. institutions that will be involved. The whole project will convert about 15 million books at a cost of $150 million, or about $10 per book.

Plus, the Library of Congress and a group of international libraries from the United States, Canada, Egypt, China and the Netherlands announced a plan to create a publicly available digital archive of 1 million books on the Internet. The group said it planned to have 70,000 volumes online by next April.

Doesn't that just want to make you get out of your chair and shout! I don't know about you, but I am excited.

As long as I am excited about Google I want to let you know that Google has been my home page for over seven years. Why would anyone want to have anything different?

Well, last week I changed my home page. Don't get worried, it is still Google but it is their new Google Suggest. It suggests queries as you type what you are looking for into the search box. By offering more refined searches up front, Google Suggest can make your searching more convenient and efficient, because it eliminates the need to type the entire text of a query.

In addition, the service can connect you with new query suggestions that are useful, intriguing and fun. Go ahead, try it, you might even make it your new home page. My guess is that in a few years this might be the main Google search engine.

While I am on the topic of Google, I have to tell you about the new version of Firefox 1.0. If you haven't switched to Firefox you simply must read my article on why you should do so immediately. Firefox isn't just for alpha geeks anymore. As of last week over 10 MILLION people have downloaded Firefox and installed it as their browser.

Many of you are already one of those 10 million, but the majority of you probably don't know that Firefox comes preinstalled with search engines other than Google in its toolbar.

I just found out the newest version has a neat feature where you can click the small triangle next to the bottom of the default G on the left of the Google search box and you will be able to use other search engines. There are three in there that I use all the time: eBay, Amazon and Dictionary.com. But I recently was able to go to a Firefox add-in page and with one click insert my favorite gadget blog Engadget so now it is one of the options.

Dr. Joseph Mercola
Author of Total Health Program
Founder of the renowned Optimal Wellness Center
http://www.Mercola.com - The #1 Natural Health Site on the Internet!

How to Get Cheap Internet Service

Ever want to have an internet connection but couldn?t afford it?

Did you ever encounter companies offering cheap internet services but has doubtful quality of service?

It is possible to get cheap internet service providers that offer quality services. All you have to do is look for it.

Try searching the internet, here you can find many internet service providers that can offer affordable rates with great quality. If you live in a large city, chances are, there will be so many internet service providers that compete with each other.

These internet service providers will offer great deals with quality services in order to attract and keep customers.

They can offer a wide variety of internet packages with incentives for their customers. With competition, you can be sure that they will try to attract as much customers as they can with low prices with rewards and bonuses included.

If you live in a small community, there will usually be one or two internet service providers. These providers usually charge higher rates because of lack of competition. You can find internet service providers online that can offer cheap internet services in many areas.

You just have to find out if these companies can reach your area. They can offer you WiFi or wireless internet connection, which requires just a computer and an antenna or internet satellite dish. WiFi internet connection can be relatively cheap.

You can also have cheap internet connection by using a dial up. Because of advancement in internet technology, dial ups are now very cheap and in some countries, free.

However, dial up internet connections are not fast, this type of connection is only suitable if you are just going to use the email or surf the web. If you are more into downloading large files, dial up will not work for you.

Research your local library about cheap internet connections and cheap internet providers that offers services in your area and can offer you some pre-requisites.

You can also find cheap high-speed internet services by researching in the internet, your search results may come up with cable, DSL, and mobile internet services. In these three, the most expensive is cable, and DSL will require a telephone line.

Researching in the internet also enables you to compare different companies and different kinds of internet packages. It is up to you to choose which of these are the cheapest and that meets your needs.

High-speed internet service are becoming more popular and because of this the price becomes cheaper and cheaper. Installation fees can be a bit expensive, but monthly fees can get closer to the price of the dial up. Some high-speed internet service provider?s offers free installation to attract more customers.

Keep in mind that the price of the internet depends on how you use the technology. If you use internet for just emailing, it is probably not practical to get a high-speed internet connection.

Instead, go for the dial up internet, it may not be fast, but can produce enough speed for email purposes. If you use the internet for downloading large files, then high-speed internet is for you.

Basically, this means that determining the price of the internet does not really depend on the numbers you see on a sales quote but it is really about getting your money?s worth.

Bob Hett has extensively covered the Internet Service Provider industry as an analyst and has researched the various companies for factors based on price, reliability, support and overall quality. Learn more at Cheap Internet Service

Panasonic Globarange Dual Land and VOIP Cordless Phone BB-GT1500E

Full Review: Panasonic Globarange Dual Land and VOIP Cordless P...
Ok, so we're not ready to totally cut the cord yet and go fully VoIP. We still want the local POTS phone service in case of (knock on wood, hopefully not) an emergency where we need 911. VoIP does not give you real 911 in your city, you get connected to some call center in who knows where. No thanks.

We were paying AT&T $15/month for unlimited long distance, which was a good deal a few years ago, but now with the cell phones we don't use long distance at home much. Only a few hours, it shouldn't be more than $5/month.

The Globarange is one of the only devices available in the US that lets you use your regular home phone, has an answering machine, and lets you make long distance calls over the Internet with VoIP.

I did not sign up for a JoIP plan other than the pay as you go. It is very reasonable, it's like 1.5 cents/minute in the US for long distance (and free to call other JoIP users; I am trying to get my family to sign up). I have a family member moving overseas this summer and it is only a few cents a minute more for overseas calls to him. If he gets a JoIP phone there, it will be free :)

The phone is easy to set up. You plug it into your router and into your PSTN (regular phone jack). I have mine hooked up to an Apple Airport Extreme base station I am using in "WDS" mode because I don't have a phone and internet jack in the same room. Works fine, no problems.

Voice call quality is excellent over both the VoIP and PSTN modes. The VoIP mode (internet call) connects very quickly. I have a high speed internet connection from Comcast (15mbs down, 1.5-2 mbs up) and have not noticed any quality problems.

The phone itself is easy to use (we came from another Panasonic cordless, the interface is similar). The answering machine works. It is easy to choose either IP or PSTN based calling (orange button or green button).

I would highly recommend this phone system for people who want to benefit from the MUCH cheaper long distance and overseas rates possible with VoIP but do not want to give up their regular phone service for various reasons (911, etc).

I tried the Skype dual mode phones but they are awful. The sound quality is awful, the phones are very slow to respond, and they do not have an answering machine. Skype is a great deal at only $3 for unlimited long distance (ie what they used to call SkypeOut) but the standalone phones are NOT ready for prime time.

I have heard there are issues with Panasonic/JoIP customer service but I have never called them.

The only downside of this device is you are locked into the Panasonic/JoIP branded VOIP service. You cannot use it with any other SIP provider that may have better rates to where you are trying to call. Actually, however, if you are highly technically inclined, do a google search for "globarange and asterisk" and you can manage this issue. Not worth it to me, personally.

Right now in the US there are no alternatives to this device. Overseas, Phillips sells a very well regarded phone line called Gigaset IP that has a dual mode IP + PSTN phone including answering machine that you can use with any VoIP provider you want. But it's very expensive and not available in the US right now.

The Panasonic can be had for $60-70 and the extension handsets are only $30.

I am very happy with this purchase and cannot recommend it highly enough! Get one!

Recommended:
Yes


by peter
If you register your VoIP phone for so called "E911" then the call center does get enhanced information about your name, address. However there is still the fact that your VoIP E911 call goes to a different call center not run by your local municipality. At least that is my understanding.

Also your 911 won't work if the internet goes down for some reason or the power is out (unless you have a UPS). Most of the time your regular phone line provides power (though not to cordless phones).

Why Choose Dial Up ISP Services

Dial up ISP service is the cheapest choice of any of the ISPs and may be a good option for that family on a tight budget. The software upgrades have definitely increased the speed of dial up ISPs, but their speed is still slower than some other options. Dial up ISP service can be purchased from several different companies including Earthlink, AOL, Juno, and others.

One of the major issues with dial up ISP service is how long it takes to connect to the internet and disruptions in your connection. Depending upon the time of day and your company, connection can take anywhere from 30 seconds to two to three minutes or longer. Disruptions occur when you lose contact with the provider because of phone line static, storms, or problems at the providers end. This can be very irritating if you are working online or researching and have to keep reconnecting to the internet.

When choosing dial up ISP service, choose a company with a long track record and software upgrades rather than the newest, cheapest service on the market. Cheaper does not necessarily translate into better, especially in an ISP service. Read the fine print of your policies. How long can you stay online before being cut off? How many email addresses are allowed per account? Is there a limit on the number of hours a month you can be online without additional charges?

Access numbers are a necessity for dial up ISP service since you use the phone line to connect to the internet. Ensure that there are local access numbers for your use so you will not have to pay long distance charges. If you travel, do they have access numbers in a wide variety of locations or, even better, a toll free number for connection?

What comes with your dial up ISP account? Do they offer SPAM blocker or virus protection? These are important tools for your internet experience and your computer. SPAM blocker helps to block some of the unsolicited email that you get from sellers and different companies. Although it does not block all of it, it will make a large difference in your email. Virus protection is something that no computer user should be without. It scans incoming email and downloads for viruses that may harm your computer.

Dial-up ISP service is a great choice for budget minded people. Although the connection is slow and websites may be slow to load, the cost difference may be more important to some consumers. Think of it like this, if you have dial up service, then while websites load you have time to clean the house and balance your checkbook!

Learn the essential information for picking the right Internet Service Provider at High Speed Internet Provider

For LightningFast Speed What You Need is Comcast Internet

Just 10 years ago, the Internet was a novelty, a rarity and a luxury that most Americans were aware of but did not participate in. Now, 75 percent of Americans have Internet access at home, and many of them are using Comcast Internet.

With so many choices out there, how do you find what kind of Internet service is right for you? Simple: Choose the fastest, most reliable and most affordable. And that's Comcast Internet.

Until a few years ago, the standard for Internet access was dialup. Today, that method of connecting to the Internet is no longer favored, as many Internet customers have high-speed access, either cable or DSL. Nearly all businesses and offices with Internet access use broadband of some kind. And Comcast cable Internet is leading the way.

Comcast cable Internet offers broadband service that is faster than most DSL services -- about 6 Mbps (6 Megs) of download speed -- so fast you'll barely notice anything is happening. (Most DSL services only go as high as 1.5 Mbps.) When Comcast Internet says high speed Internet, they mean it!

With Comcast Internet access that fast, you have all the speed you need to watch videos, download songs, play online computer games and take advantage of everything else the Internet has to offer.

But look what else comcast high speed internet

gets you: As a Comcast Internet customer, you'll have access to exclusive features like Video Mail, PhotoShow, and a variety of music, entertainment, sports and financial news at Comcast.net. The Comcast Internet home page makes you part of a vast community of fellow Comcast Internet users.

Another advantage of Comcast high speed cable Internet is that you have customer service available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If there?s a problem with your cable Internet, there will always be someone on hand to help you solve it. This is important especially to businesses, where a large portion (or sometimes all!) of their business is conducted over the Internet, thus making reliable high speed Internet a necessity.

You can also get Comcast Internet in conjunction with other Comcast services, such as Comcast digital cable. Customers often get a price break if they order a package of services -- cable Internet and cable TV, for example. Comcast digital cable TV has a digital video recorder (DVR) option that allows you to record your favorite programs digitally and watch them later, at your convenience. With high speed Internet and digital cable with DVR, all your news and entertainment needs are taken care of through Comcast.

Comcast Internet is one of many Internet service providers, yes. But none are used as often, or praised as widely, as Comcast is for its high speed broadband Internet services. When you want to use the Internet, you want to use it quickly, efficiently and without it costing an arm and a leg. Comcast Internet gives you all that and more, making it one of the leaders in today?s broadband Internet marketplace.

Christopher M. Luck has an extensive background in working exclusively with Comcast and is now offering his free personal internet tricks to the public. If you are at all interested in Christopher's advice, tips, or secrets, you can visit his comcast blog