| Should Apple Develop Its Own Search Engine? |
[Feb. 1st, 2010|03:01 pm] |
Last week, we heard all the buzz and hype about the Apple iPad Tablet but if Steve Jobs wanted to create some revolutionary news... he would have announced Apple is designing its own search engine to go along with all those handy mobile devices.
Of course, Jobs did no such thing!
But the question remains, why doesn't Apple have its own search engine? Wouldn't this be the next logical step, if Apple wants total control of the mobile marketplace? Simple search engine to go as default on all those Apple machines... they have the resources to create one but do they have the vision?
How would Google react to this News?
Well, just look how they reacted to the introduction of Bing. Google has made more changes in the last six months, then it has done in the full 10 or so years it has been in existence. Competition has been a very good thing for Google. Wouldn't even more serious competition make it an even greater search engine?
Besides, with the Nexus One Phone, hasn't Google entered Apple's playpen first. Why can't Apple answer back with a search engine of its own, surely they have the resources to do this....
Anyway, if you want to find out more about this interesting issue - go here:
Should Apple Develop Its Own Search Engine? |
|
|
| Internet Fax Providers - Which One Is Right For You? |
[Jan. 20th, 2010|08:44 am] |
Online or Internet fax has become extremely popular in our ever-increasing mobile society and workplace, mainly because with this modern way of faxing you can take your faxing with you, no matter where you go. While it is far too early to forecast the demise of the traditional fax machine, the writing is on the wall. This is one form of "cloud computing" that's here to stay.
Internet fax is often referred to as email fax because you use your email system and your Internet connection to send and receive all your faxes. You sign-up to an online fax service provider where you're given a local or toll-free fax number. There is no need for an extra fax phone line since everything is handled through the web. Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually in Tiff or Pdf formats.
If you're in need of online faxing, there are many top-name Internet fax service providers to choose from. Average monthly charges run around $10 a month, but there are cheaper rates and plans out there, especially if your faxing needs are minimum. Since this is an ongoing business expense, it pays to do your homework and shop around. If you choose wisely, you can save significant amounts of money, especially over the long term, .
But which fax service is right for you or your company?
First, you must make a close examination of your own faxing needs. Do you or your company depend heavily on faxing to bring in sales, for contacting clients, or for communicating with your employees? If you need a robust faxing service with thousands of faxes sent and received each month, then you have to be extra careful when picking your online faxing service. Are their services 100% reliable? Can they handle your heavy faxing? Are the rates competitive with using a traditional fax machine?
Now on the other hand, if your faxing needs are very minimum or low, you probably only send 4 or 5 faxes a month and they're not crucial to your business, then choosing an Internet fax service will require less consideration. Keep in mind, you still want a good quality service but you can probably get a service for under $20 a year if you shop around.
Regardless of which type of service you're seeking, here are some common points or a checklist of things to look for when choosing an online fax service.
1. Check the monthly fee or charge. The average is around $10 but there are cheaper ones which you can choose. Also keep in mind, some of these services also offer bundled plans which include voice mail, call-waiting, call-forwarding... or a virtual PBX service which may be well suited to you or your company especially if you're operating a home business. Charges will be higher, but they will be much less expensive than setting up a real system with phone lines and receptionists. Just consider the virtual PBX option, especially if your overall business operating funds are low.
2. Check the set-up fees or charges. Most online fax services don't charge a set-up fee but there are a few that do. Don't necessarily rule these companies out because of the set-up fees but just be aware of them.
3. Check the number of Free Faxes allowed each month. The average is around 300 (incoming/outgoing) faxes each month, but these numbers will differ depending on the company or even the fax plan you choose. Also check how much it costs for faxes once you go over the allowed monthly limit, rates can be anywhere from 3 cents to 10 cents per fax. Might not seem like much but like phone bills, these costs can quickly add up.
4. Check if your service is completely scalable for companies. One of the great advantages of using an online fax service, it can be scaled up or scaled down very quickly and cheaply since you don't have to install extra hardware such as fax phone lines or fax machines. Most of the better known fax services are completely scalable but also check before you sign-up.
5. Check the online storage amount and how long your faxes are stored online. With most fax providers you are given an online account or interface which you can use to check and send your faxes. Your faxes are also stored online here so check for how long and what amount of storage you get with the service. You should also check how exactly are your faxes sent, many companies have a desktop application you can use besides your online account and/or your email system.
6. Finally, check to see if the service offers a 30 Day Free Trial. Most Internet fax services offer this feature and it is a great way to thoroughly test-run the quality of a service before actually buying. This way, if the service or provider doesn't meet your needs or come up to your standards, you won't have lost any money.
Finally, if you take into consideration all of the points mentioned above when checking out the different fax services, your job will be much easier. Just remember, like buying any product or service, find one that perfectly meets your needs and you won't be disappointed. Choose wisely.
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: internet fax providers
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: internet fax service providers.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Cleaning All Your Audio/Video Home Entertainment Components |
[Jan. 13th, 2010|08:43 pm] |
If you have a nice Audio and Video system setup in your home, you are fully aware that keeping good care of it and cleaning it correctly and consistently is vital to its longevity and performance. Keeping it free of fingerprints, dust, pet hairs and other harmful substances can be a real hassle; if done incorrectly it can even damage your system. Furthermore, not cleaning your system can lead to excessive dust and dirt build up that will harm the Audio and Video performance. It can even cause enough damage that you will have to replace certain parts. So below are some guidelines to walk you through keeping your audio and video system clean and performance ready.
Televisions
Televisions are usually the largest items in anyone's home entertainment system. They also seem to attract the most dust. Of course build up of dust on ones TV screen is not ideal. Therefore, cleaning your Television seems to get top priority. Unfortunately, a great deal of damage can be done if the cleaning is not executed properly.
Most everyone is aware you must be extremely careful when trying to clean the screen of a LCD TV. Using regular cleaners will harm the screen, resulting in streaks and even discoloring on the screen. To clean your HDTV, whether it be a LCD or plasma, you can follow these guidelines:
- Power off your TV and unplug it from the power source.
- Wipe the screen very gentle with a soft dry cloth. Try to avoid too much contact with the TV screen. This is because a LCD screens have a specific kind of outer layering that can be damaged with too much contact. Never use a wet cloth or products like alcohol or thinner to clean the TV screen.
- There are commercially available cleaning sprays for LCD screens which are Alcohol & Ammonia free - you should spray these on a cloth or microfibre cloth first and then clean the screen with the dampen cloth.
- If it is not a LDC TV, but a rear-projection TV. You can clean the screen the same way as above, but it is fine to use a damp cloth.
- Other parts of the TV can also be cleaned using a soft dry cloth.
Blu-ray Players-DVD Players-Receivers
These items, even if they are tuck away or enclosed, can still build up significant amounts of dust that can cause damage, especially if the dust makes its way internally. Some people will only dust around or on top of these items, leaving the front buttons alone not to mention its collection of cables that build up large dust pockets.
The problem that arises is from the venting fans these items have because these fans circulate the air and cool down the Blu-ray and DVD Players. But the fans also inadvertently circulate the dust as well. If this dust gets into your system it will lead to many problems. In most cases prevention is your best weapon. Cleaning your items often and thoroughly will give them a greater lifespan, especially in optical laser items such as Blu-rays and DVD Players.
- Removing dust from the outer layers can be done with a soft cloth. You may want to use a touch of glass cleaner on the cloth since this will make collecting the dust easier. When dusting, try to start from the top down. When dusting around vent openings, push the dust away from the opening. This will avoid you pushing the dust into the component.
- Front panel buttons need to be given extra effort to clean. Try using a dry paintbrush to clean the buttons and knobs. This way you should avoid changing any settings.
- If you can not reach or find it hard reaching certain areas, try using a can of compressed air. Again be careful where you use it. You do not want to blow the dust into the interior of the component.
No matter how diligent you are in cleaning, there is always the possibility of dust or pet hair getting inside of your Blu-ray or DVD players. Because simply opening and closing of the loading tray dust can get into the component and cause problems, a good practice to adopt would be to always check a disc before inserting for dust, hairs or other substances.
Using an optical lens cleaner disc will help you clean the inside by getting rid of any dust or foreign substances. This disc will have tiny brushes or holes in the disc to create air currents to keep the lens clean.
It you believe dust has gotten into the interior of the component, beyond the optical lens, then your best course of action would be to take the item to a repair facility.
Cleaning cables can also be a little difficult. You do not want to disconnect anything or damage any connectors. Some ideas you may want to try are:
- If possible use the extension on a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the excess dust build up around your cables.
- Try using the dry paintbrush again around the connecting ports.
- Do not use excess force when dusting because you do not want to bend or crack any connector pins in your cables.
- Another good practice to adopt, is to disconnect your cable every year to see if the connection is clean and to look for erosion. If buildup is found, you will need to use a good contact cleaner to securely get the connection clean.
Speakers
Speakers usually have three different areas you need to keep clean: the cabinet, grille and the drivers.
Cabinets can come in different forms, whether it be a real wood veneer, a wood-like veneer, laminate material, plastic or metal - each one will need cleaning. Do not be tempted to use any type of household furniture sprays because they can damage the finish. It is best to use a soft dry or slightly dampened cloth.
Grilles are designed to keep dust away from the drivers. Therefore, an excessive amount of dust build up on the grille should be normal. It means they are doing their job. If the grille is fabric you may try using a vacuum to remove the dust. If the grille is removable, you can rinse them carefully in lukewarm water and dry them. If the grille is plastic or metal clean them with a dry or slightly dampened cloth. When using a dampened cloth be careful not to get the drivers wet. A can of compressed air can also be used.
Drivers should be touched as sparingly as possible. Your best option is to use a can of compressed air to remove dust from your drivers.
Always remember to power off and unplug electrical equipment you are cleaning. And refer to your instruction guide for details to clean a specific item. Manufacturers know their products and will give you good cleaning advice. Use the advice you are given because cleaning every item in your Home Entertainment System will definitely increase its lifespan and keep the high quality of performance you are accustomed to receiving from your system
for years to come.
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide:
bluray dvd players
For more information on Handy Spray Kits for cleaning LCD screens go here:
clean lcd display screens
Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this
resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Make Your Home Business Mobile With Online Fax |
[Jan. 5th, 2010|10:09 am] |
Online fax is one form of "cloud computing" which has become extremely popular with many home business owners. One of the main reasons for this growing popularity of online or Internet faxing is the mobility it gives to any business. Your home business is no longer "just" located in the home or home office, you can take it with you, no matter where you go!
Online faxing is simply using your current email system and the Internet to send and receive all your faxes. You and your business can be reached anywhere anytime, as long as you have Internet access. And these days the web is everywhere.
You can use any mobile device as a fax machine such as cell phones, pdas, netbooks, laptops, smart phones... and just about any other gadget or device which has web access. This really takes your home business and liberates it from the home office or location. You can have your office anywhere.
Besides this complete portability, there are several other important reasons why many home business owners are switching over to this new modern way of faxing. First, there is no need for an extra fax phone line since everything is done online. There is no need for a fax machine or inks, toners and papers. All of these costs add up and by switching or going with an online fax service you eliminate these monthly costs.
In order to start using online or email fax, you first have to sign-up to an Internet Fax Service Provider who will give you your own local or toll-free fax number. You also receive an online site or interface where you can check or send your faxes. Remember, with an online fax service your faxes are sent via email attachments, usually in Tiff or Pdf formats.
This new way of faxing is relatively cheap, with monthly average fees around $10, but there are cheaper quality services out there so it pays to shop around. Especially when you consider this will be an ongoing monthly charge so doing some homework now, can save you significant revenues over the long haul.
Keep in mind, in order to save even more money, many home business are not only switching over to web faxing, but they are switching all their phone services such as voice mail, receptionists calls, answering services... over to a virtual PBX service. This is much more cheaper and efficient, especially in the home office environment. It is ideal.
Regardless of which type of service you choose, an online fax service will make your home business more mobile and portable. You will have "location independence" for your business and in this very competitive business world, this may prove very beneficial to your business and a significant advantage which you can't ignore. If you want to give your home business all the freedom it needs to really prosper, sign-up to an online fax service today. Your business will thank you.
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information PBX Full Voice Mail services
try here: RingCentral virtual pbx.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Online Fax And The Small Business Start-Up |
[Dec. 22nd, 2009|09:40 am] |
Online fax does play a significant role in the start-up of many small businesses and companies, mainly because it is a cheap alternative to the traditional fax machine. Since everything is done through the web and with your computer, there is no need to have an extra phone fax line, no need for messy inks and toners or even paper for that matter; and of course, no need to purchase a fax machine.
However, there are many more reasons why many business start-ups are using Internet or online fax. Chief among then are the following:
1. Setting Up a business fax number is almost immediate and in most cases the set-up is free.
2. Monthly fax services on average are only around $10 a month, less if you shop around and find a good deal.
3. Online fax is completely scalable for your business or company, if you need extra fax numbers, you can get them immediately.
4. Online fax is completely mobile and available 24/7 anywhere you have Internet access, which makes your business more competitive.
5. Web or email faxing also ties your company into today's business environment, it's the modern way to fax!
Perhaps, another main reason many individuals and companies are turning to web or email faxing is because the whole actual "set-up" can be easily done. You choose an Internet fax service provider where you're given a local or Toll-Free number which you send out to all your contacts. You are also given an online interface or site where you can check and send your faxes. Keep in mind, online faxing uses your computer and your email system to do all your faxing - your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF formats. Getting your faxes is as easy as reading your email. Should you need a hard-copy of a certain fax, you can just print it out.
In addition, what seems so popular with many small business start-ups is the whole PBX system, where faxing is just one component. With these fully loaded systems all your faxing, phone calls, voice mail, receptionist calls... is farmed out to a virtual service which handles all your messages, faxes and phone calls. For the small business start-up, using such a virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) can be a real time and money saver since costs are significantly cheaper than going the traditional route.
This is a popular form of "cloud computing" which you hear so much about in business circles these days, but it is also one of the least expensive ways of setting up a new business, especially if funds and/or space is a problem. For the home business it can be a very beneficial and effective business model to follow and use. Actually, online fax may just be the ideal business service whose time has come. So are you or your company using it?
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information PBX Full Voice Mail services
try here: RingCentral virtual pbx.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Internet Marketing - Why 2010 Will Be A White Knuckle Ride For Web Marketers |
[Dec. 17th, 2009|09:37 am] |
Next year may just prove to be one of the most challenging times for pursuing online or Internet marketing on the web. It may just be a watershed moment for many marketers struggling to keep abreast of all the different factors which have come into play in recent months. Most of these changes will stem from two main sources for potential upheaval: the first being the New FTC (Federal Trade Commission) Guidelines regarding Testimonials and Endorsements and the second being "ALL" the recent changes within Google.
Actually, we already have the new FTC Guidelines which came into effect on Dec. 1st of 2009, but how these new rules are enforced will play out in the coming year as test-cases are brought to court. Basically, these new rules call for absolute disclosure and full transparency regarding Testimonials and Endorsements when a product or service is being offered for sale. Any business (monetary) relationship between the endorser and the company must be made known to the potential buyer. Obviously for those in online or affiliate marketing this could have a great impact if these new rules are strictly enforced. Just imagine all the website owners and bloggers who slap a few banners or affiliate links on their sites to cover hosting or operating costs... will they now have to disclose all these business arrangements?
For professional affiliate marketers and the companies/products they're promoting, these new guidelines could cause potential headaches and/or legal ramifications since a general blanket disclaimer on their sites will no longer be suffice. To help solve this problem, many of the major companies are now placing an "affiliate" tag on all their banners and making it obvious a business relationship exists with its affiliates. In addition, many online marketers are placing additional disclaimers, affiliate seals and in other ways making it known certain links are indeed affiliate links and a relationship does exist with the product and/or services being promoted.
With these new guidelines, another big issue is email marketing, one of the major marketing techniques of most online marketers. Will a full disclosure be necessary for every email sales pitch? Savvy web marketers know the key to increased sales is in the "follow-up" and the "cookie-ing" of potential buyers; how will the new Guidelines affect this very effective marketing practice? How all these new rules or guidelines play out will make next year a very interesting one for marketing on the web.
Despite this, perhaps the greatest cause for upheaval in the coming year will be Google. There are countless reasons why Google will be a major game changer in 2010 for online marketing. Ever since Bing and more recently the potential Bing/Yahoo competition, Google has gone into complete overdrive, implementing new changes and debuting new programs like there was no tomorrow.
First, we have Google Caffeine which Google is introducing (full force) early in the new year. Google Caffeine, which is a major overhaul of its search engine, will no doubt cause many a marketer some sleepless nights as the total fall-out becomes evident. Other Google updates in the past (Florida Update comes readily to mind) have wrecked havoc on many top ranking sites, but this time Google is doing things a little different and have even given webmasters a beta version of the new search engine. Still, rightly or wrongly, many online marketers are bracing themselves for the full impact of Caffeine, will it mean smooth sailing or a stomach sickening roller-coaster ride for marketers and webmasters?
Second, we have the introduction of "Real Time" search which will be featured in Google's SERPs. This will make the social media sites like Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace... much more important. Again, the implications for online marketers could be enormous since many can now reach the first page through a different route. Will it also mean more "Real Time" spam? But more importantly, will it mean a greater marketing opportunity for the online marketer who exploits it?
Third, we are seeing Google moving more and more towards "Visual Search" with the introduction of Google Goggles for mobile phones. Just take a picture and you get the Google results instantly - no typing, just point and click. Just envision countless clueless teenagers or more importantly helpless shoppers suddenly being empowered with knowledge and wisdom. Could do more for education since the invention of the printed word and the info-commercial combined. Talk about scary! But will the implications for web marketing be just as revolutionary and enlightening?
Fourth, Google has made it known through its spokesperson Matt Cutts, that site-loading times will be a ranking factor in the new improved Google. Also, proper and correct page coding will also be more important if you want your site to be at full advantage. Broken links will be a big "No-No", while linking out to important related sites a big plus. All this is only logical, Google's main product is and has always been its search results, anything which improves those results and provides a more pleasing experience for the Google user should be front and center. Obviously, one way for Google to stay on top, is to provide the best search results to its users.
Fifth, in order to please the end-user, Google is also moving more towards "Personalized Search" which will make SEO and ranking in the top spot for your chosen keywords a total nightmare for many professional SEOs and online marketers. If everyone can choose their own top results, isn't SEO more or less, a lame duck? Again, the ramifications of personalized search will further play out in 2010, but will professional marketers like what they see?
Finally, while no one would argue Google is King of the Hill when it comes to online search, will all these new changes strengthen or weaken Google's grip? Will the combined Bing/Yahoo be able to give this giant some much needed competition? Or will Google's main competition come from an unlikely source, such as big name multi-national corporations who are moving their operations online. Can these big-name keyworded domains start directly pulling in the majority of the web's traffic, making all search engines secondary? As people become more web savvy, will they go directly to what they're looking for on the web, bypassing the search engines altogether - including the mighty Google? Such a scenario could have greater consequences for the affiliate marketer since a direct line to a company's site or product will obviously mean less sales for the online marketer, who really works in coordination with the search engines, either through organic search or PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising in these same search engines.
Overall, the new FTC Guidelines and recent changes to Google, will make next year one of the most interesting times to be pitching anything online. Throw into this the full effect what a combined Bing/Yahoo might bring to the table, and you have the recipe for a tumultuous white knuckle ride, until the dust finally settles and marketers make adjustments like they always do. Until then, hold on because things will probably get a little hectic for many web marketers before we see the light at the end of the tunnel.
...
The author is a full time online affiliate marketer who has sold millions of dollars worth of other people's stuff (mostly electronics) on the web.
His livelihood is derived from and depended upon search engine marketing and the daily monitoring of targeted keywords, mainly within Google. He operates numerous niche sites, as well as two sites on Internet Marketing, where you can get valuable marketing tips for free: Internet Marketing and Internet Marketing Tools
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Free Fax Trial - Is This A Rip-Off Or Not? |
[Dec. 7th, 2009|06:18 pm] |
Because Internet users have become so web savvy, when they see a free offer promoting any product or service, they immediately become skeptical and a warning bell goes off. A free fax trial is generally placed in this skeptic's corner until one takes a closer look at the offer. Most web users are pleasantly surprised to discover what's actually being offered and the benefits of using free fax trials to find the best fax service provider to meet your needs.
Actually, it is a common practice for very reputable companies to offer a free trial period to test out their services to see if they're suitable for you or your company. Cable companies use this marketing technique to great effect, so do many phone companies; some even give out free cell phones if you sign up to their services. However, many people think of this as a ploy to get you to sign up; but in most cases this actually works out to be a beneficial arrangement for both parties.
The same goes for a free fax trial, a potential customer is given a local or toll-free fax number so that they can test-out or test-run the chosen fax service for a month without having to pay. This is a great way to check out an online provider before you actually buy or sign-up. Of course, once
you have your fax number and see the high quality of the service... most of these companies are betting that you will keep using their service for a longer term.
While this is indeed a marketing ploy, it is not necessarily a bad idea since you do get to check out the quality of the service. You can discover what the customer service is actually like, such as is it available 24/7 and are your questions answered in a timely manner? If you have any problems are they dealt with immediately or do you have trouble reaching support? What is the overall quality of the faxing service?
Online fax is simply using your email system (faxes are sent as attachments, usually TIFF or PDF) and your Internet connection to send and receive all your faxes. It is becoming a very popular form of cloud computing - where your computer services are outsourced to a third party. There is no need for an extra fax phone line and no need for a traditional fax machine. And since online faxing is web based, it is available anywhere, anytime; as long as you have Internet access.
Many small businesses, as well as many large businesses are switching over to online fax to handle all their faxing, mainly because it is cheaper, faster and more secure than the old way of faxing. No more missed faxes because of paper jams, busy signals or your machine has run out of ink. Your faxes and your business is open and available 24/7, 365 days of the year.
There are many online fax service providers which you can use and most of them, if not all, offer a free fax trial where you can check out the service before you buy. This will save you time, money and a lot of headaches down the road. This way you can make sure you are satisfied with a service before you finally go with it. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved, so if you're considering using an Internet fax service do yourself a big favor, and take a free fax trial first.
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide: online fax services
Or try here: free fax trial.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Online Fax - Why You Never Have To Miss Another Fax Again |
[Dec. 1st, 2009|11:59 am] |
We have all been there, that important fax gets lost or misplaced, ending up on another person's desk or it gets thrown in the waste basket by mistake. For any company or business which relies upon faxing to bring in sales and communicating with its customers and clients, these misplaced or lost faxes can have a negative effect on the smooth running of your business. In some cases, it may even negatively affect your bottom line.
Mainly because missed faxes can cost you or your company money.
That's one of the major reasons why many businesses are turning to a new way of faxing: Internet or Online Fax. This new way of faxing works by using your computer and the Internet to send and receive all your faxes. And because you use your email system and your web connection - you never have to miss another fax again. Ever.
In order to use online fax, you must first sign-up to an Internet Fax Service Provider who will give you your own local or toll-free fax number which you can give out to all your clients and customers. You are also given an online site or interface where your faxes are stored. You can simply logon to your online account to send and receive all your faxes. Your faxes are sent in an email as attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF format, although there are countless other formats you can use so check with your provider to discover which ones you can use.
When a fax arrives, you are notified by email and you can read it immediately. These faxes can be stored on your computer and they will also be stored in your online fax account. Again, check with your fax provider to see how long your faxes are stored online, while your faxes are secure, many prudent users delete faxes containing sensitive company matters once they are read.
The reason online faxing is so beneficial, you can store all your faxes on your computer and you can view them at any time. No more scrambling through piles of paper to find that important fax from last month. All your faxes can be easily accessed and read. If you need a hard-copy of any important fax, you can use your computer printer to print it off. You can also send numerous faxes simultaneously, which is important if you want to reach a large group of contacts quickly.
Plus, since online fax uses your email system and the Internet, you can send and receive a fax anywhere anytime - as long as you have web service and these days that's just about everywhere. You can do all your faxing via any mobile device such as netbooks, laptops, pdas, smart phones, cell phones... as long as these devices are connected to the Internet. No more trips back to the office at 10 o'clock at night to retrieve that all important fax.
Again, if your company or business, depends upon faxing to bring in sales and to communicate with your clients, one can easily see why using such a service will make your business more competitive. In these tough economic times, companies need every little advantage they can muster. Having a business that's running and accessible 24/7, 365 days of the year is indeed an advantage.
In addition, online fax can make your company more competitive mainly because most of these fax services are completely scalable for business. If you have to quickly increase or decrease your number of fax lines, you can do this almost instantly because there is no hardware to install. Since everything is done via the web (cloud computing) you don't need an extra fax phone line to receive your faxes. Also remember, with online faxing you don't need a fax machine so you won't have the expense of inks, papers, toners or even fax machine maintenance for that matter. It can mean significant savings for a company, especially over the long haul.
Online faxing is also relatively inexpensive when compared to the traditional way of faxing. As mentioned before you don't need an extra fax phone line and monthly service charges run around $10 a month, but there are less expensive options out there, especially if your faxing needs are minimum. So it pays to shop around and check out the different providers and options available to you before you sign up. Always remember, by simply using an online fax service you will never have to miss another fax again.
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: internet faxing services.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| 5 Hot Tech Gifts For The Boss Or Employee |
[Nov. 30th, 2009|11:20 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | blu-ray players, boss gifts, corporate business gifts, e-readers, employee gifts, gaming laptops, gifts, holiday gifts, netbooks, pdas, tech gifts | ] |
Finding the right Boss Gift or Employee gift is always a problem at this time of the year, so it might prove helpful if you turned towards technology for a solution. Every holiday season has special hot tech gift items that everyone wants to see on their wish list, and this season is proving no different. So this side of a Zhu Zhu Hamster, here are five tech gifts you might consider putting on your list for that favorite boss or employee:
1. E-Readers. In case you're wondering, E-Readers is just as the name indicates, these are hand-held electronic devices which let users read books. They are also called digital or electronic readers. Probably the best known E-Reader is the Amazon Kindle which was introduced in 2007 and according to a recent Time article, Amazon has already sold 1.7 million units. Not to be outdone, Barnes & Noble has launched its own E-Reader call the NOOK , which retails for around $260. There's enough memory for holding 1,500 books (2 GB) and there's a microSD slot which could give you another 16 GB more.
Other companies are also offering E-Readers such as the Sony Reader, Asus Eee-reader and Irex Digital Reader. According to the Association of American Publishers, total revenue from digital-book downloads has risen 149% this year, while they estimate e-book readers sales to top 3 million by Dec. 31. Plus, according to Forrester Research around 1 million of these gadgets could be sold this holiday season, and sales in 2010 are projected to double, to 6 million.
2. Netbooks. These are the smaller cousins of the laptop, often referred to as mini-laptops. They usually have screens of 10 inches, although some displays can be slightly larger or smaller. Netbooks have smaller Intel Atom processors, one GB of RAM and run Windows XP. Prices are well under $500. Keep in mind, the category of "netbook" is a fairly recent one - Asustek launched the netbook category when it released its first Eee PC in the fall of 2007.
Some of the most popular Netbooks include ASUS Eee PC 1000HE, Lenovo Ideapad S10, Acer Aspire One, MSI Wind U100 and the HP Mini 2140. But shop around because there are other very good Netbooks on the market which also deserve a prominent spot under anyone's Christmas tree.
3. Blu-ray DVD Players. Blu-ray technology which offers glorious High Definition 1080p images and Superior sound, is becoming extremely popular with the buying public. Prices for Blu-ray DVD Players are also coming down which is further fueling the demand for these high-tech items of the moment. Keep in mind, to fully enjoy the benefits of a Blu-ray system you will need a full 1080p High Definition Television, the larger the better!
Some of the best rated Blu-ray players include the Sony PlayStation 3, OPPO BDP-83, LG BD390, Panasonic DMP-BD60k and the Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-ray DVD Player. Again, prices have fallen drastically and if you shop around you may even find ones listed for under $100.
4. Smart Phones. PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), also known as smart phones are always an appropriate gift for a boss or an employee. These hand-held electronic devices are becoming even more dazzling and feature rich. Pretty soon, they will probably be bringing you your morning coffee! All joking aside, the smart phone is proving to be a popular gift as prices have dropped. The Apple iPhone has also opened up this market to a broader audience, further fueling the demand for this popular tech gift.
Some of the best rated smart phones and PDAs include the whole Blackberry line, the Palm TX, the Sony CLIE series and of course, the Apple iPhone. Again, shopping around will get you a lower price but be wary of Free PDAs offers in return for a service plan, unless that's what you're looking for.
5. Gaming Laptops. These laptops have high-performance Graphics Chips, fast powerful processors, tons of memory (including dedicated Video RAM), large high resolution displays usually backed up with a Blu-ray Optical drive. Despite their somewhat flashy exteriors, gaming laptops are not only used for gaming, many business people, graphic artists, architects, video producers... enjoy the benefits of having a powerful laptop which can do heavy-duty graphics without crashing. Of course, any boss or employee can also play video games on them too.
Some highly rated gaming laptop include the ASUS G71Gx-A2, Toshiba Qosmio X505 - Q850, MSI GT740, Alienware M17x and Rock X790 (Clevo D900F) which is basically the same laptop as the Eurocom D900F Panther, Falcon Northwest Fragbook DRX and the AVADirect Clevo D900F Core i7. Clevo is the Taiwanese OEM (original equipment manufacturer) of high-end quality laptop components, which these ODMs (original design manufacturers) such as Rock, Sager and Eurocom use to build their gaming rigs.
Check over these five high-tech devices and you may find a suitable boss gift and/or employee gift that will be very much appreciated by the receiver. Shop around and you will probably find many of these tech gifts at a very suitable price; if all else fails, go with the Zhu Zhu Hamster!
For the latest boss gift ideas and a handy Amazon
gift-organizer try here: boss gifts
For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Corporate Gifts...click here:
employee gifts
Copyright 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Online Fax - Can You Explain To Me Exactly How It Works? |
[Nov. 19th, 2009|06:08 pm] |
For the very computer savvy young person who probably already has more than a few micro-chips permanently coded into their DNA, the above question might sound rather silly. However, for many of us, understanding just exactly how online or Internet faxing works, is still a bit more puzzling, especially for those of us who are used to faxing the old-fashion way thru the good old reliable fax machine in the office.
And that doubly goes for those of us who don't necessarily keep up to date on the latest developments in technology. For older workers who have always used the traditional fax machine, online faxing can be seen as down-right perplexing. With the traditional way of faxing, we are used to punching in a few numbers and scanning off the fax in the machine in order to send a fax.
Now, with online fax, I have to use computers and the Internet? What's up with that?
Like the introduction of any new technology there is a learning curve, especially for seasoned workers and small business owners who are set in their ways. Online fax has become extremely popular but there are still many people and many businesses not taking full advantage of this new way of faxing.
Perhaps, the biggest obstacle, a lot of people simply don't understand how online fax works? They might know it has something to do with computers and the web, but just how does it work?
First, you must understand, online fax is simply using your email system and your Internet connection to send your faxes. You sign-up to an Internet Fax service provider who gives you your own local or Toll-Free fax number and you are also given an online site (interface) where you can view and send your faxes. This online provider acts as your intermediary to handle all your faxing. You use your fax number to receive and send your faxes as email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF formats.
But how does it work?
This question was actually put to Christian Watts, the co-founder of FAXAGE, an online fax service provider operating out of Denver. Here's his answer:
"Ultimately, every Internet Fax service works by receiving faxes by having some sort of dedicated phone numbers coming in to fax servers at their site or sites. Once a fax is received on the fax server, it is converted to a suitable format (PDF or TIFF with FAXAGE, PDF by default) and then sent to the customer. In our case, we send these as email attachments and store them in our website as well by default. We offer many customizable parameters around the messaging for received faxes, ability to route ‘fax received' emails to an unlimited number of email addresses, API methods for receiving
faxes into systems, etc.
On the sending side, the process is reversed – the customer sends in an electronic document (either via email, website, or, in the case of FAXAGE, an API method is also provided), the system converts it to a format suitable for faxing (The fax standard is G3 or G4 TIFF) and sends it out via a fax server. Status is then posted to the FAXAGE website as well as emailed back by default. Again, we offer a lot of flexibility around number of retries, resolution to use, priority control, which users can send faxes in a given account, etc."
Basically, what you're doing is switching all your faxing chores over to the computer, the Internet and your email system. You are simply bringing your faxing into the modern computer age. Just as you have modernized many other aspects of your business, you should also modernize your faxing. Keep in mind, you can still send and receive faxes thru the old fax machine but now you have the option of using computers and the web.
Obviously, online fax must have many benefits or advantages, otherwise everyone would still be using the old fax machine. In other words, why has Internet faxing become so popular?
Mainly because with Internet fax you and your business are no longer tied down to the fax machine in the office, you can send and receive your faxes anywhere, anytime. Online fax is also cheaper because you don't need an extra fax phone line, no need to purchase all that paper, inks and toners since online faxing is paperless.
Internet fax is ideally suited for companies since it is completely "scalable" for your growing business, you can quickly add more lines/numbers without having to install all the needed hardware as with the old way of faxing. It can also make your business more competitive, especially if you depend on faxing to bring in new sales and/or clients... your business is open 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Simply put, online fax works by utilizing all the modern contractions of the workplace, mainly your computer, your email system and the Internet. It uses all of these to give you fast, inexpensive, reliable faxing that's available anytime, anywhere. What more could you ask for?
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Fax Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax services
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: internet fax providers.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Four Features Every Good Blu-ray DVD Player Should Have |
[Nov. 18th, 2009|09:28 am] |
With the Blu-ray format becoming more and more popular, there are now many different versions of Blu-ray DVD Players in the marketplace, all having their own set of features and functions. Combine this with the fact Blu-ray is a relatively new technology, it can get a little confusing for us consumers to figure out exactly what to look for when buying a new Blu-ray player. To help you decide, here are four features every good Blu-ray DVD Player should have:
BD LIVE
All Blu-ray Players are divided into Profiles and each Profile offers certain functions and features. Older profiles are 1.0 , 1.1, 2.0 and BD-Live is the latest and newest Profile. It is the best profile and contains all the functions and features of 1.0 and 1.1, as well as a few new ones. Most Blu-ray Players manufactured today are Profile 2.0 or BD Live, but not all of them. BD-Live allows you to access a wide variety of bonus material found on the web, such as online movie related games, latest trailers and other content. It allows your movie experience to be interactive since you can go into chat rooms and discuss movies online.
Ethernet/Wireless
Blu-ray Players are not sorely about the Blu-ray disc anymore, it offers so much more. Being able to connect your Blu-ray Player to the Internet or your home computer is no longer a convenient perk but a definite must. In the beginning the Ethernet port was mainly used as a nice and fast way of upgrading your Blu-ray Player's firmware. Although this is still the case, having your Blu-ray Player connected, now offers so much more. There are many services out there that have online streaming of movies and TV shows in High Definition. Services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon-on-Demand offer a wide variety of movies and TV shows in HD. Therefore, you no longer have to pay for specialty HD cable channels in order to watch your favorite TV shows or movies; you can Stream them online for free.
The Blu-ray DVD Player having a wireless connection is big plus since you don't have to deal with all those annoying cables. Blu-ray Players with wireless Ethernet, once you turn the power on, will automatically pick up your wireless home network and connect you to it. Streaming movies and pictures from your home computer is also something you can do via some Blu-ray Players.
Fast Load Times
Blu-ray DVD Players have a reputation of very slow disc loading times. In the past, and to some extent still today, this has been a main criticism of Blu-ray DVD Players. It may seem like an insignificant feature, but most people when they insert a disc want instant playback and waiting around for a few minutes before you can access your disc can get rather annoying. Adding to the annoyance is you get different loading times with each movie Bluray disc. The good news is that Blu-ray Players are improving their load times. Players like Sony's PlayStation 3, OPPO's BDP-83, and Samsung's BD-P3600 have very fast loading times, and most Blu-ray movies have the exact same loading time. Remember, updating the Blu-ray Players firmware can increase loading times, as manufactures are always trying to improve playback.
Audio/Video
Lastly, but certainly not least, it should come as no surprise that a Blu-ray Player should have great audio and video. Having a clear, sharp, crisp image/sound is a very important feature and Bluray Players can deliver this if they have Ful HD 1080p video output. Every Blu-ray Player will have Dolby Digital, DTS, and PCM audio formats. However, if you want the best, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution and DTS-HD Master Audio; these are the formats you should look for in a Blu-ray DVD Player. These will bring you the best possible sound and most blu-ray movies will be encoded with these audio formats.
Of course, there are other great features and functions that a Blu-ray Player might have, but these four features are the core basics to every good Blu-ray DVD Player. Having all four of these features will make for a solid, dependable Blu-ray DVD Player, fully allowing you to get the best enjoyment out of your movie viewing experience and even a little bit more.
...
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players
try this handy comparison guide:
bluray dvd players
Or view our Videos on our Blu-ray YouTube Channel here:
top 5 blu-ray players
Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this
resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Corporate Business Gifts That Won't Nuke Your Budget |
[Nov. 16th, 2009|03:42 pm] |
In these harsh economic times, many companies and corporations are struggling to find ways to cut operating expenses and stay in business. Many may find it difficult to participate in the whole gift-giving festivities of the upcoming Holiday Season and some may even be dreading the looming gift-fest, especially if they have given generously in the past.
Those same companies may be struggling to find appropriate corporate business gifts which won't break the bank and put a further dent in the company's coffers. They will be looking for tasteful, yet inexpensive corporate gifts, to hand out to their employees and clients.
If you're on a tight budget, you may have to find more creative ways to celebrate the holidays this year. If you're scaling back on your gift-giving, here are some general suggestions you should consider while you're making your choices.
First, like everything in life, honesty is probably the best policy. If your company is cutting back on the festivities this year, explain to your workers and everyone concerned why you're cutting back. Be open and honest with all concerned and explain the reasons; just don't take it for granted they know. Most workers will understand and appreciate this honesty.
Second, while you may be cutting back, don't forget one of the most powerful aspect of gift-giving is personalization. Make sure your gifts are personalized. Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated; your employees and clients are no different. So personalize that gift with your employee's name and/or any other recent awards/accomplishments that employee has contributed to your company. Keep in mind, almost any object can now
be engraved with lasers, so think outside the box for an inexpensive item that can be personalized to match your worker or client.
Third, practical gifts which the receiver can actually use and benefit from, will always be appropriate and appreciated. Practical gifts which will make that employee's job a little easier to do will produce a lasting effect for all concerned. Even simple work-related items can be given and they won't break your budget.
Fourth, look for creative ways to celebrate the season within your company. Have gift-raffles where all your employees will a chance to win a major gift or gifts; if you have thousands of employees this could be a fair way of celebrating and rewarding your workers. If your company makes products or retail items, you can always give away these items as gifts. Do volunteer gifts where time is donated in place of gifts. You can even give time off as a gift because everyone loves a holiday.
Fifth, shop around and buy in bulk, if you have a large number of workers buying gifts in bulk could be a good bargaining chip to get a lower price. If your company has many branches, consolidate all these numbers and approach a supplier for a special deal. Even simple personalized gifts like mugs, company t-shirts, USB memory sticks, key chains... can be simple tokens of appreciation which will suffice in these harsh times.
Finally, don't think of corporate gifts as objects or items, instead these are merely ways of saying thank you to your employees. They are ways of saying that your employee is special and appreciated. Everyone wants to feel they're needed and their work and worth is appreciated by the company they work for.
A simple inexpensive personalized plaque or a hand-written framed letter of appreciation can be perceived as priceless in the eyes of the receiver. Corporate business gifts, no matter how expensive or inexpensive for that matter, should always cement that special bond that exists between the employer and employee. Never forget that bond and all your gifts will leave them smiling and appreciated, while leaving both your reputation and bank account intact.
For the latest corporate gift ideas and a handy Amazon
gift-organizer try here: corporate business gifts
For Timely Special Savings/Deals/Coupons on Promotinal Corporate Gifts...click here:
corporate promotional gifts
Copyright 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| 10 Best Movies of the 70's Now Available on Blu-ray |
[Nov. 4th, 2009|11:35 am] |
Many people have called the 1970's the second Golden Age of Cinema, on par with movies produced during the late 1920s up to the late 1950s. With new directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese coming onto the scene, it's very hard to argue this fact. The 70's were without a doubt a time of great storytelling, producing high quality movies driven by characters more so than by plot. Great movies that still hold up today.
Below are some of these 70's movies now available on Blu-ray. Each one is a great achievement in cinema and would be essential to anyone's movie collection. One of the greatest advantages of owning a Blu-ray DVD Player is the fact that you get to relive watching all these wonderful movies you enjoyed in the past, as if you were watching them for the very first time. Check out these top movies of the 70's and enjoy them once again.
M*A*SH (Director: Robert Altman, 1970)
While being one of the most acclaimed comedies ever made, M*A*S*H is also one of the most iconic antiwar movies ever produced. Directed by Robert Altman, it is based on the novel "MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors" by Richard Hooker. Adapted for the screen by Ring Larder Jr., it tells the story of a group of medical doctors and nurses stationed in Korea during the Korean War. With no real plot, the film is about the arrival of two surgeons, Captains "Hawkeye" Pierce and "Duke" Forrest and their interaction with the surgical staff. They use a series of humorous hi-jinks to keep their sanity during all the horror that war brings.
Video Quality: M*A*S*H was never a film that looked crisp and sharp; or particularly bright. This was the intentional purpose of the original cinematographers. They used filters and brownish tones to give the film its unique look. While this look is preserved in its 1080p with AVC-encoded transfer, it still gives us the best image quality the film has ever had.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2:35.1
Original aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Quality: The film has been given a newly lossless sound in the form of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 soundtrack.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Thai: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- "The Complete Interactive Guide to M*A*S*H"
- "AMC Backstory: M*A*S*H"
- "Enlisted: The Story of M*A*S*H"
- "M*A*S*H: History Through the Lens"
- "Remembering M*A*S*H: 30th Annual Cast & Crew Reunion"
- Two trailers
- Stills gallery
A Clockwork Orange (Director: Stanley Kubrick, 1971)
A controversial film even to this day. Its depiction of sex and violence is some of the most graphic ever put on screen. But simply stated, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange is a cinematic masterpiece. Adapted from the Anthony Burgress novel of the same name, the film is about a man, Alex DeLarge, who is a psychopathic delinquent. Among his many delights is Beethoven, rape, and ultra-violence. He is the leader of a group of young criminals who spend their nights stealing cars, breaking into peoples homes and vicious attacks on their follow human beings. Alex is taken by the government and is used as a test subject in an experiment to force criminals to become well behaving citizen. With this film, Kubrick asked us to consider the greater evil. The monstrous acts committed by Alex throughout the film or our willingness to destroy a person's own moral choices to maintain social order.
Video Quality: The film is presented on Blu-ray in 1080p with VC-1 encoding and a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Its many brilliant and crude colors are given a tremendous upgrade.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Audio Quality: The audio for the movie has been remixed into a PCM 5.1 uncompressed track and a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. You can now enjoy synthesized Beethoven symphonies in all their glory.
English: PCM 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Film Historian Nick Redman
- "Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange"
- Great Bolshy Yarblockos: The Making of A Clockwork Orange"
- "O Lucky Malcolm"
- Theatrical Trailer
The Godfather I and II (Director: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972/1974)
Generally considered two of the best American Movies ever made and landmarks in world cinema. Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather and Godfather II is a multi-generational crime family saga. Staring Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as his son Michael; the story takes place in New York in the late 1940's. The Corlones are a Mafia family, and Vito is the Godfather or Don. Michael is initially an outsider in the family. Making the decision to stay out of the family business. Through a series of unfortunate events, Michael is soon drawn into a life of crime and eventually rises to the position of ultimate power. Through both films we are shown every aspect of their lives; from births, marriages, dealings with friends and allies, to deaths. What we are left with, in essence, is a great family drama.
Video Quality: Noticeable better than their DVD counterparts, The Godfather Films on blu-ray are delivered in 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. It offers great fullness and sharp images.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Presented in Dolby TruHD 5.1 Surround for all films, it offers great clarity and the best sound ever for The Godfather films.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz/24-bit)
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Young Frankenstein (Director: Mel Brooks, 1974)
They don't come any funnier than Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein. A spoof of the classic horror movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein. Using the same sets as the original, the story centers around Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) and his on going effects to re-animate the dead. With the help of a bumbling assistant Igor (Marty Feldman), and the beautiful Inga (Teri Garr) he is able to create life, The Monster (Peter Boyle). With scene after scene of comedy highlights, Mel Brooks brings out the very best in his cast which includes: Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman in a classic cameo. Unlike many comedy films, this one does not age and its jokes are still as funny as they were 30 years ago.
Video Quality: It gets the absolute most out of its 1080p with AVC-encoding. The remastering of the black and white imagery looks fantastic.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The film has a DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 sound track and a remix of the film's original mono.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English Mono
French Mono
Spanish Mono
Special Features:
- Inside the Lab: Secret Formulas in the Making of 'Young Frankenstein'
- Alive! Creating a Monster Classic
- Making FrankenSense of Young Frankenstein
- Transylvanian Lullaby: The Music of John Morris
- The Franken~Track: A Monstrous Conglomeration of Trivia
- Mexican Interviews
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director: Steven Spielberg , 1977)
This, Steven Spielberg 1977 film, has become one of the most revered Science Fiction movies of all time. It stars Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Melinda Dillon, and Teri Garr. It is the story of an electrical lineman whose life takes an unexpected turn one evening when he encounters some unidentified flying lights in the sky. He soon becomes obsessive and can not help himself from being drawn to a rural site in Wyoming. Government agents are also at this site keeping away the general public. More of a character driven movie, this science fiction tale is no less riveting and visually spectacular.
Video Quality: This is a visual stunning film transferred to 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. The film remains to keep its grainy tone but you will never see this film look as vibrant as it does on Blu-ray.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audio Quality: You get two audio options, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Both giving you high resolution sound making the soundtrack absolutely brilliant as well.
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- Steven Spielberg: 30 Years of Close Encounters
- Storyboard to Screen Comparisons
- Photo Gallery
- Making of Documentary
- "Watch the Skies"
- Deleted Scenes
- A View From Above
Saturday Night Fever (Director: John Badham, 1977)
Most movies come and go without much notice or impact on our daily lives. While others, all be it rare, can come along and in an instance have an impact and even change our culture. Saturday Night Fever is one of those movies. After its 1977 release, disco rules the music airwaves and the dance floors. It tells the story of a 19 year old Italian American living in Brooklyn by the name of Tony Manero (John Travolta). He works at the local paint shop and still lives with his family. At night he frequents a nightclub and becomes a disco dance god. Director John Badham does a great job showing the spiritual connection between music and dance, and how Tony sees this as a means of escaping his limited life to something bigger.
Video Quality: Great quality with the Blu-ray format in a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding. This version of Saturday Night Fever is the best the movie has ever looked including theatrical revivals.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Remixed in Dolby TrueHA 5.1 Surround, the sound track is very impressive. You be able to enjoy all those classic songs like never before.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Special Features:
- Commentary by Director John Badham
- Pop-up trivia
- Documentary: Catching the Fever
- Back to Bay Ridge (9 minutes) hosted by Joe Cali
- Dance like Travolta and John Cassese (9 minutes)
- Fever challenge – Interactive feature
- Deleted scenes
Midnight Express (Director: Alan Parker, 1978)
Midnight Express is about Billy Hayes and what happens to him when he is caught trying to smuggle out two kilograms of hashish from Istanbul, Turkey. Sentence to 4 years in prison, the sentence was soon extended, with Mr. Hayes experiencing terrifying and unbearable acts of physical and mental torture. While being committed to the prison's insane asylum where he manages to escape in 1975. Told with fine skill and detail, director Alan Parker and Screenwriter Oliver Stone, have created a powerful film.
Video Quality: This films is delivered on Blu-ray with a 1080p with AVC MPEG-4 encoding at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 .The image quality is good and faithful to its source.
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: Audio is also, faithful to the original source. Remixed into Dolby TrueHD 5.1 you get very good results.
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Special Features:
- The Producers
- The Production
- The Finished Film
- The Making of 'Midnight Express'
Being There (Director: Hal Ashby, 1979)
Peter Sellers gives an award winning performance as Chance the Gardener (Chauncey Gardiner) in the truly classic comedy film. He plays a simple man who has been isolated his entire life in a townhouse in Washington, DC. And the only things he knows anything about is what he has seen and heard on TV. Once he is thrown out into the world, he comes across an array of characters from the inner circles of political power makers and the resulting fall-out
makes this one of the best comedies of the 70's.
Video Quality: Remastered with a 1080p with VC-1 transfer the image is the best this movie has ever been.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 1.0 or lossless Dolby True 2.0 mono.
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0
English: Dolby TrueHD 2.0
English: Dolby Digital 1.0
Spanish: Dolby Digital 1.0
French: Dolby Digital 1.0 (less)
Special Features:
- Memories from Being There
- Deleted Scenes
- Alternate Ending
- Gag Reel
- Theatrical Trailer
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Director: Milos Forman, 1975)
Milso Forman directed this 1975 film depicting the lives of patients in a mental institution. This film is regarded as one of the greatest films in American Cinema. The main character in the story is Randle Patrick McMurphy, played to perfection by Jack Nicholson. Who is sentenced to 18 months in prison for statuary rape, but he soon convinces the prison guards he is crazy and in need of psychiatric care. His rebel nature soon attracts a following with the other patients. He soon gathers them up to take on Nurse Ratched, who runs the institution more like a dictator that a dedicated
health care giver. The resulting conflicts and battles will give viewers some of the most powerful emotions ever experienced while watching a film.
A solid masterpiece of cinema, well worth experiencing once again on Blu-ray.
Video Quality: This film comes to Blu-ray in a 1080p with VC-1 encode. Certainly the best remastered version produced. With it high quality 1080p images, the resolution is a giant lead forward over any other version released previously.
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio Quality: The sound resolution is in Dolby Digital 5.1.
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono... (more)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
French: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital Mono
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary
- The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- Deleted Scenes
- Theatrical Trailer
- Collectible Booklet
Enjoy Once Again!
...
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide:
bluray dvd players
Or try subscribing to our YouTube channel which will give you a
list of trailers/movies being released on Blu-ray each week:
BlurayDVDplayers's YouTube Channel
Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this
resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Gaming Laptops - 5 Reasons To Put Them On Your Christmas List |
[Nov. 1st, 2009|02:36 pm] |
One of the major categories of laptop computers is gaming laptops. Usually, these are the laptops that offer high processing performance, superior graphics, brilliant displays and possesses a large hard drive for plenty of storage. In other words, you want a laptop that has a high-end GPU, fast processor, tons of RAM, large 17inch or bigger display, large hard drive and many throw in a Blu-ray optical drive to make sure you're getting the best viewing enjoyment possible.
You should also know, in the quest to produce the most powerful gaming notebook computer, the ideal machine will now sport multiple graphics cards, dual or even quad processors, multiple hard drives... and as gaming technology has progressed, these fully loaded laptop rigs are just about on par with what you would find on a gaming desktop PC.
Gaming laptops have also been a popular Christmas gift in years past and this year will probably prove no different. These dream machines are on everyone's list for a number of reasons so here's why you should consider getting or giving one this year...
1. Price & Variety
As competition in this market heats up, prices have been steadily falling. Once this category was dominated by gaming specialists such as Alienware and Rock, but not anymore, as many of the major computer makers such as Dell, HP, Sony, Toshiba... are all entering this niche market. The resulting fall-out has seen most prices drop and a whole variety of options presented to the consumer. There are a lot more quality gaming machines to choose from and you can expect to pay less than in previous years. However, lets not kid ourselves, to buy a fully loaded gaming rig with all the extras can still set you back 4 or 5 grand. Ouch Santa, that hurts!
However, this factor plays into another segment of the buying public, despite the down-turn in the economy there are still those amongst us who only buy the best of everything. The ultimate gift for those who want the very best of everything. The highest price laptop you can buy. Then these buyers will have to go with a gaming laptop as these are usually the most powerful machines on the market; not counting desktop PCs.
2. Supreme Performance
Gamers want and demand the highest performance possible in their machines. Manufacturers are gladly supplying that power by utilizing more and more powerful processors such as the new Intel Core i7 (64-bit x86-64) processors. And decking them out with ever increasingly higher performing Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and neatly presenting all this power and performance on High Resolution and High Definition Display systems, many incorporating the newer Blu-ray technology. For those who want to receive the latest in tech gadgets and gizmos, then gaming laptops fit the bill perfectly.
3. Portable
Sometimes it's hard to imagine some of these 10 plus pound monsters as portable but when compared to a gaming desktop PC, a gaming notebook computer can be said to be much more portable. One of the major selling points of gaming laptops is this mobility, you can quickly pick one up and carry it around with you and as these machines are getting sleeker and smaller - they will only become even more portable. Ideal gifts for college students, travelers and your very active teenagers. You can send both of them to their rooms without getting those dirty looks. Some gifts do come with fringe benefits.
4. Windows 7
Windows 7 has just been released and now is an excellent time to upgrade your computer. Unlike all the negative press that Vista received, Windows 7 seems to be getting much better reviews, mainly because Microsoft actually listened to its customers and designed an operating system that satisfies the end-user. Unless you're Mac fanatic, now would be a good time to purchase that new laptop either for yourself or someone you like, and obtaining the new Windows 7 would just be an added reason to get one this Christmas Season.
5. Fun/Enjoyment Factor
First and foremost, Christmas gifts should be all about fun. If it's not already written into the constitution, it should be! Mainly because nothing says fun more than a gaming laptop and it will surely please the receiver. And while it will deliver hours and hours of enjoyment throughout the year; always remember, unlike other toys, gaming laptops can be very practical - especially for students. Remember, these machines are powerful computers which have many more beneficial uses than playing computer games. Just try to convince yourself, Junior is destined to do more than kill imaginary aliens for the rest of his life.
If you think for a second, you can probably come up with many more solid reasons to put a gaming laptop on your Christmas list. Your beloved off-spring pestering you for 30 days straight for one, doesn't really count but it probably does. Just remember the 5 reasons above and you will feel much more comfortable playing Santa this year by giving a gaming laptop.
...
For a handy online Laptop Guide featuring the latest top
gaming notebooks, click here: gaming laptops
For the latest corporate gift ideas and a handy Amazon
gift-organizer try here: Corporate Business Gifts
Copyright © 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Corporate Business Gifts - Will E-Readers Be The Top Tech Gifts This Christmas? |
[Oct. 26th, 2009|02:25 pm] |
E-Readers which are also called digital or electronic readers, lets users wirelessly download books and read them on hand-held devices resembling a glorified etch-a-sketch. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but these handy little digital readers have become extremely popular; according to a recent Time article, Amazon has already sold 1.7 million of the Kindle E-Reader since it was introduced in 2007.
And according to the same article, the Association of American Publishers states total revenue from digital-book downloads has risen 149% this year, while they estimate e-book readers sales to top 3 million by Dec. 31. Plus, according to Forrester Research around 1 million of these gadgets could be sold this holiday season, and sales in 2010 are projected to double, to 6 million.
"The year 2009 is a breakout year for e-readers," says Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research. "But we're still in the early stages."
Those make for very impressive numbers and it could point to E-Readers as "the" hot Christmas gift this Holiday Season; at least where tech gadgets are concerned. Given its well received features and programs, an E-Reader could make for an excellent corporate business gift, especially if you could brand them with your company logos and stream them with your company's newsletters and RSS feeds.
Then we also have the recent launch of the NOOK from Barnes & Noble which will give the Amazon Kindle some competition. The Nook has a 6-inch paper-like display which uses a 16-level grayscale that can support up to five fonts. You can use it to read PDFs, in addition to over 1 million books, newspapers and magazines available in Barnes & Noble's eBook store. The Nook is currently priced at around $260.
How is it different from the Kindle: besides the flashy color icons, designer cases and color customizable back panel; the Nook does have some nice features such as a virtual bookmark called Reading Now that lets you pick up where you left off reading on the Nook, and it has Wi-Fi radio which customers can use at 700 Barnes & Noble's locations and at 600 college stores in 50 states. There's enough memory for holding 1,500 books (2 GB) and there's a microSD slot which could give you another 16 GB more.
But this holiday season, gift buyers (corporate or otherwise) will have many more E-Readers to choose from other than the Kindle and the Nook. Where there's a profit to be made, other companies will follow. Just like when Asustek invented the category of Netbook with its ASUS Eee-PC in 2007, other laptop makers and sellers quickly jumped on the bandwagon and the marketplace was flooded with netbooks or mini-laptops.
This recent trend towards E-Readers will prove no different; take for example Sony, who introduced the first electronic reader way back in 2004, will be introducing three new devices according to the Time's article. The Sony Reader will have a Pocket Edition ($199), sporting a 5-inch-diagonal screen, Touch Edition ($299) which will be touchscreen-equipped and the Daily Edition ($399), which will feature wireless capability.
Asus is also entering the E-Reader market with a product called the Eee-reader which should be on the market for Christmas. Then there is the Fujitsu FLEPia which is the only commercially available E-Reader which has a color display. It's only available in Japan and costs around $1,100. Ouch!
For the more modest consumer, the Irex Digital Reader will be hitting U.S. stores this month, October 2009. The DR800 will have an 8.1-in. touchscreen with wireless connectivity and will sell for $90 less than the similarly sized Kindle DX, which will set you back around $489. This is the price at the time of writing, expect those prices to drop as competition heats up.
On the horizon, there are many different versions of the e-reader that will hit the market. There is even a fold up model which will open like a book and another one called the Polymer Vision Readius which is also a phone but it has a flexible screen that folds up around the phone to make it extra portable.
Then we have the looming debut of Apple's fabled iTablet which could be a game changer in the whole E-Reader arena. It could also be a Kindle or Nook Killer given Apple's enormous popularity with tech savvy consumers who only want the latest gadget on the market.
One really has to question why all this popularity for the E-Reader, especially since we already have the small portable netbook on the market, which can be easily used for reading books. More specifically, we already have Tablet PCs which could easily fulfill this reading function. Granted they may be slightly larger, but they also offer all the features of a laptop, so why not just convert/use this device as an E-Reader?
Regardless, the E-Reader seems to be gearing up to be a top tech gift this holiday season. The perfect gift for family members, friends and employees alike... especially for the book-reading fanatics in your family or company. E-Readers are also the ideal gifts for those who simply must have the latest and newest tech gadget on the market.
...
For the latest corporate gift ideas and a handy Amazon
gift-organizer try here: Corporate Business Gifts
To check out the Amazon Kindle click here:
Amazon Kindle
Copyright 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Does Google PageRank Count Anymore? |
[Oct. 23rd, 2009|11:10 am] |
Being a full-time SEM (Search Engine Marketer) I have been
conditioned like Pavlov's dog (not a pretty picture) to jump
every time Google twitches. Lately Google has been doing a
lot of twitching.
Specifically, the rather startling news from Google Webmaster
Trends Analyst Susan Moskwa that Google has ditched PageRank
from Webmaster Tools.
"We've been telling people for a long time that they shouldn't
focus on PageRank so much; many site owners seem to think it's
the most important metric for them to track, which is simply
not true," states Moskwa. "We removed it because we felt it was
silly to tell people not to think about it, but then to show
them the data, implying that they should look at it."
Find more here on WebProNews:
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/10/15/google-ditches-pagerank-in-webmaster-tools
Now, for SEO reasons or for ranking in Google's index, PageRank
has long been eunuchified by Google. However, even missing
a few dangling bits, history has shown us eunuchs still wheel
tremendous power. PageRank is no different.
Regardless of what Google wants to happen, PageRank is still
extremely important to anyone marketing on the web, especially
if you're selling SEO services or operating a web business. Try
selling SEO services when that little green bar on your site
is pointing to PR0 or worst yet, pointing to a solid gray bar.
Obtaining a high PR7 or PR8 simply means more business and revenues...
regardless of how Google is or is not using PageRank. People know how
to count and they learned long ago, a ten is a lot more than
a big fat zero.
Placed against a PR1 site, a PR8 will win more respect in the eyes
of potential clients and can produce enormous profits for the site
owner and we won't even mention the still widely practiced
habit of selling links, which Google is desperately trying to stop.
Total and full elimination of PageRank would be an honest start
but it will still be an uphill, if not an unwinnable battle, for
Google to fully eliminate link selling.
Even with my modest sites, I have turned down a small fortune
by not selling text links on any of my sites. When I had a PR6
site instead of a PR4 - those link requests were nearly doubled.
So one can easily understand Google's position and the need to
downplay PageRank, if they want to put a small dent in all
this link selling and buying, which is still running rampant
on today's web.
PageRank is Google's creation, and unless they remove it fully
from their system and the Google toolbar, then PageRank still Counts.
Actually, in the whole scheme of marketing your website on the
net, PageRank counts big time. And in more ways than one.
There are several reasons why you shouldn't count PageRank out.
For years Google has been downplaying the important of
PageRank and states it's only one of about 200 ranking factors
which determines how Google ranks its index for keywords.
Obtaining top organic rankings for popular lucrative keywords
in Google simply means money in the bank. Actually, even a movement
of only one or two places on those first page SERPs (Search Engine
Results Pages) can make a major difference to any online marketer's
bottom line.
Now while you can have a lower PR number and still rank above
other higher PR pages for your chosen keywords, I have even had
many times when my PR drops but my actual SERPs rankings in Google
goes up, mainly due to building related relevant backlinks. So
PageRank counts little towards your keyword rankings but it can't
be totally dismissed.
Mainly because, even if PR is just one ranking factor, in close competitive
keyword battles (I am presently fighting tooth and nail for some
very choice keywords) just one ranking factor such as high PR can make
the difference of whether or not you get to the top spot. Big dogs
are still jumping and for those of us who know how to count, getting
a number one spot in Google makes all the difference in the world.
Not only because Google controls roughly 80% of all search engine
traffic, but more importantly Google has established unmatched
credibility and brand recognition in the eyes of potential customers
visiting your site. Web users trust Google. Web users look to Google
for guidance and direction. Web users believe what Google is telling them.
In the online world, rightly or wrongly, perception is everything.
As an online marketer, I am completely amazed each day at the
marketing power Google now commands with web surfers and with the
general population. Google is king of online search and no other
search engine even comes close to Google.
PageRank is Google's ranking system, and in the eyes of those who
notice these things, it still wheels tremendous influence and power.
By default, PageRank is Google's opinion of your site, and web
users can count (at least to 10) and if Google believes people
are still not counting when it comes to PageRank, then they are fully
mistaken.
...
The author is a full-time professional online marketer who has numerous
niche websites. For the latest web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools
or here: Free Marketing Tools
Copyright © 2009 Titus Hoskins. This article may be
freely distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Bluray DVD Players: Can Blu-ray Ever Achieve Success In The Marketplace? |
[Oct. 20th, 2009|01:04 pm] |
Having won the war over HD-DVD, it would seem Blu-ray would have clear sailing into a very successful and bright future. While success has not been as sudden as most would have liked, there are signs that Blu-ray is gaining ground. Blu-ray discs and Blu-ray DVD Players have seen steadily increasing sales over the past two years, giving hope that the format has finally gotten a foot-hold into the public's awareness. Both, however, still come up short when compared to DVD sales. Many people see this as a prediction of Blu-ray's fate: no matter what type of success it will have, it will not be long term or long lasting. However, there are many marketing indicators that seem to dispute this prediction.
Here are some reasons why Blu-ray may have a bright future:
Sony
Sony has invested a lot into the Blu-ray format. It pushed aside HD-DVD (Toshiba) and it is now ready to reap the benefits and there is no debate that Sony has tremendous marketing ability. It seems highly likely Sony will find a way to make Blu-ray work and this does seem to be the case. Sony recently announced in September, 2009 its new Slim PlayStation 3 console sold more than one million units in its first three weeks. Reducing the price to $299, certainly helped the sales.
Price
Besides Sony, almost every major electronic company have begone to support Blu-ray. Therefore, these companies have a greater interest in pushing the format towards success. More and more Blu-ray DVD Players and recording hardware are being launched. There are even rumors that Apple will produce a new Mac computer with a Blu-ray DVD Player. This will bring about strong competition in the market place. Strong competition is always good for the consumer, meaning prices will go down. And of course every major studio now supports Blu-ray, providing more content on Blu-ray disc. Eventually, Blu-ray Discs will be on par with that of the DVD discs. In some incidents this is already the case.
Continuously reducing prices of HDTVs, Blu-ray DVD Players and Blu-ray Discs will go a long way in helping Blu-ray win the marketplace battle. Even in a time of recession, HDTV are still being sold. There is no getting away from the fact that embedded into the public's psyche is the need to have a bigger, better TV viewing system. It is a necessity of life! Nothing good about Food and Shelter if you don't have a great Television to go along with it? And it just makes common sense people will want to get the best quality picture possible out of their HDTVs through using Blu-ray.
One Standard HD Format
Blu-ray is the only High Definition format you can use to get the best quality pictures. The quality of the picture and audio is what makes Blu-ray far superior to that of the standard DVD. You may get some critics that will argue Blu-ray is better, but only slightly. You can get DVD upconverting that will produce almost the same picture quality. This is UNTRUE. If anyone saw the picture of a DVD or upconverting DVD side by side with a Blu-ray Picture, there would be a remarkable difference in quality and sound. Blu-ray picture is noticeably better than anything else, even most HDTV broadcasts.
But good intentions and a strong backing don't always result in a positive outcome. Blu-ray does have its competitors in the Home Entertainment market
and the most substantial one being - digital downloads.
Digital Downloads
Many see this as the future, and will be the main cause of Blu-ray's defeat, if it is ever defeated. Streaming video platforms services such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV and Vudu may very well in the future give Blu-ray serious competition. But right now they all have some major crippling factors; just like the Blu-ray format they have issues with pricing and content availability. But one of its biggest obstacles is Bandwidth, or the lack of bandwidth,
since this effects the quality of the video and audio of the downloads.
Not including the fact that many places do not even have broadband connections, most that do, their bandwidth is not sufficient. Most cable internet connections are fine for streaming video on your 19 inch computer monitor; but when streaming on your 42 inch HDTV the picture more often than not will be unclear or the colors dull. You would need to get high end bandwidth services, usually designated towards businesses not the average consumer, to get good quality pictures. Some experts have indicated we are at least a decade away from getting the bandwidth needed to reap the full benefits of online full definition streaming videos. Are people going to sit around and wait for their Broadband to increase, when there is a perfectly good option all readily available? Not likely.
And people still like to use discs for movies and storage. They are familiar with a 12cm disc and know how to use them. Besides people have learned to trust and rely on these discs. Bringing us to another major drawback of digital downloading. Downloading 100 GBs worth of movies is fine, but what happens if your hard drive crashes, you will have to re-download all your movies. Most people still like having their movies in a physical form on discs for convenient storage.
The simple fact is, while digital downloads and Blu-ray will compete for the same market, one does not have to exist without the other. Both can offer you an alternative to each other. However, Blu-ray is the option available right now and it is not going to be replaced with another format in the foreseeable future. So given all these factors, I believe the time is right for Blu-ray to succeed and keep succeeding in the future as the High Definition viewing system of choice.
...
For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players
try this handy comparison guide:
bluray dvd players
Or try downloading our handy Blu-ray Buyer's Guide here:
blu-ray buyer's guide
Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this
resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Online Fax Service - Starting Up A Home Business Or Office |
[Oct. 19th, 2009|02:43 pm] |
It is almost inconceivable that anyone could start up a home office or
a home business without having a fax service or fax number. It is one
of those necessities of doing business, no matter where your business
is located. In other words, having a fax service and number is essential
to the running of your company or business.
With the recent downturn in the economy, more and more people are switching
their attentions to working at home in order to bring in extra income.
Many of those same people are setting up home offices because it is much
cheaper than setting up an office outside of the home. Besides, working
from the comfort of your own home is very appealing to most people.
As mentioned above, one of the first things any prospective home business
will need is a fax number. This is where an online fax service enters the
picture. More and more individuals are turning to Internet faxing to solve
or meet all their faxing requirements or needs.
First, you probably already know online fax is simply using your current
email system and your Internet connection to handle all your faxing needs.
Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF format,
although there are many more formats you can use to send your faxes.
In order to use web faxing, you have to sign-up to an online fax service
provider where you are given a local or Toll-Free fax number. You also
get an online fax account (interface) where you logon to send and/or
receive your faxes. Your faxes can also be stored in your online fax
account.
There are several important reasons why many new home business start-ups
are using Internet fax instead of the traditional office fax machine.
Here are Seven major reasons:
1. There is no need for an extra fax phone line since everything can be
done online and with your computer. This will save you money on your home
business start-up costs.
2. There is no need for a fax machine, which will also save you money,
since all your faxing can be done through the Internet and your email system.
3. You don't have to purchase papers, inks, and toners in order to send
and receive your faxes. Over the long haul, this can mean significant
savings for you, not to mention, your savings on the maintenance costs
of running your fax machine.
4. Online faxing is often cheaper than regular faxing. Monthly charges run
on average around $10, but there are cheaper options, especially if you have
minimum faxing needs. So it pays to shop around before you sign-up to any
one service.
5. An online fax service is web based which means you can do your faxing
anywhere you have the Internet and these days that's just about everywhere.
You can use cell phones, laptops, Blackberries, PDAs... to do your faxing
from anywhere you're located.
6. Internet fax is extremely easy to use. Actually, it is as easy as
sending an email and we all know how to do that. Besides there are no more
paper jams, messy inks and toners to deal with in the running of your office.
You can also send and receive faxes simultaneously.
7. It can make your home business more competitive since having your
faxes available 24/7, 365 days of the year will give your business
an advantage especially if you rely upon faxing for bringing in sales,
clients or you rely upon it heavily for communicating with your customers.
Also remember, online fax is completely scalable to meet your growing
business needs. For example, if you should need extra fax numbers you
can get them without putting in the extra hardware and phone lines.
Lastly, since online faxing is mainly done through computers and the
Internet, it is often thought of as the modern way to run your business.
So why not start your home office or business off on the right foot by
using this modern way of faxing? The rewards and benefits are well worth it.
...
For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: free fax trial.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. |
|
|
| 7 Proven Internet Marketing Strategies To Increase Your Sales |
[Oct. 12th, 2009|11:35 am] |
I am constantly amazed by the number of people I meet on
the web who have absolutely no marketing strategy whatsoever
behind their site or online marketing.
I am even more amazed by the number of people who believe
all they have to do is buy a domain, slap a few HTML pages
together and place them on a web host somewhere. Then they
expect everything else to just happen because their site or
business is on the web!
It very rarely happens that way.
Creating an online business takes some planning and strategy
if you want your site or business to succeed. You must have
a plan of action, but most of all, you must have some fundamental
marketing strategies behind your online site.
Now, I am speaking from experience here, because I also stumbled
around on the web for 2 or 3 years like the people I described above.
I foolishly thought just because I had a web site, I could do
business on the web.
Well, not very much happened. I received very little traffic
and very few sales. My site was going nowhere fast.
Fortunately, the theme I chose for my first site was Internet
Marketing! I spent those first years studying all the online
marketing material and information I could get my hands on.
I gradually learned what to do and what not to do when it
came to marketing online.
Mostly, I stumbled across some great Internet marketers like
Marlon Sanders, Neil Shearing, Ken Evoy... true pioneers of
online marketing. By studying those first class marketers and
their marketing techniques I learned how it was all done.
Over time, I learned how to become very analytical with my
sites and marketing. I started to create marketing strategies
and put them into practice with my sites. This was all new to
me because I have a background in education rather than marketing.
Now, I would like to share with you some of these marketing
strategies and practices - just things I do and things I put
into place which enable me to receive a modest but very
comfortable online income.
So here are some things you can try:
1. Know Your Market Or Audience
First and foremost, you must know your market. Know who
you will be targeting with your marketing? Know who will be
buying your products or the affiliate products that you're
promoting on the web?
I keep my eyes open for hot trends or products which everyone
is buying. You can use programs like Google Trends to see which
products are becoming hot. For example, in electronics, which
products are on everyone's wish list? Is it laptops, PCs or netbooks?
Are people buying smart phones, PDAs, Blu-ray Players or E-readers?
Just find out what products are hot? Find what products are being
searched for in the search engines... do a check to see how many
searches are made each month for your chosen product? Use WordTracker,
or a free online site such as Seobook.com to see what products
people are searching for on the web.
If there is a large demand/audience/market for your product or
subject area, then you have a better chance of succeeding online.
It is a simple marketing strategy that many first time marketers
ignore - please don't. So choose your products to match the
demand that is out there for them.
2. Buying Mindset
One of the key elements to selling stuff online is finding people
at the exact moment they are ready to buy. What some marketers
refer to as a "Buying Mindset". You find people who have their
minds set on buying something when they reach your site.
This is much easier than you think!
A simple way I found to do this is to create sites which target
keywords related to buying... such as gifts, coupons, bargains,
deals and so on. For example, a site on wedding gifts will obviously
attract customers who are interested in buying wedding gifts.
To give you a concrete example from my own site, I have a
section on "Corporate Business Gifts" which offers special
deals/coupons on corporate business gifts... someone searching
for that phrase is more likely to purchase a gift. Just simple
reasoning, but it works wonders for selling stuff online.
In the Info-Product market, many Gurus create a "Buying Mindset"
by offering special bonuses and discounts if someone buys from
their links. Another simple way to boost your sales.
3. Target Special Holidays
Along the same lines, I like targeting times when people feel
obligated to buy. Using special holidays like Christmas,
Mother's Day, Valentine's Day... in your marketing can be very
effective.
There are occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, weddings,
graduations... when people feel they must buy something for
a loved one or special friend. Targeting those occasions with
your marketing can be extremely effective... people are looking
for a birthday gift, a graduation gift or a wedding gift - you
simply help them find what they're looking for.
On one of my sites, I target the "Back To School" market which
has proven very lucrative since I market high-ticket affiliate
items such as laptops, PCs and netbooks.
4. Place All Your Emphasis On Supplying Information
The majority of people searching on the web are looking for
information - first and foremost - even those who are ready to
buy. They want information on the subject or product they're
searching for on the web. It should be your marketing strategy
to give them this information.
All of my sites are based on supplying information to my visitors.
If you give solid information they will be pleased and take note
of your site and a few will buy the products you recommend, but
the information must come first.
Even popular selling sites like Amazon give loads of consumer
information and feedback while selling their products on the
web. Consumers want information on the products they're buying.
Supply this information and you will sell more products.
5. Target Long Tail Keyword Phrases In Your SEO
If you're selling stuff on the web, it is extremely important
that you have a SEO marketing strategy. You must use the search
engines to bring in those quality visitors and potential customers
to your site. You must rank high in the search engines for your
chosen keywords.
I have found SEO is not easy but it is also not that hard to do.
In order to rank high you must be persistent, have a six month
or yearly plan... work at it over time, even years to build up
your rankings. Most webmasters won't have the patience or resources
to stick to a long-term strategy for months, even years before
they start ranking for popular, well-searched for keywords.
However, there's another quicker and faster way to get quality
traffic from the search engines. Instead of targeting highly
competitive popular keywords, you target longer keyword phrases
that have little competition. For example, someone searching
for a particular brand and model is more likely to buy then someone
searching for a general topic. Someone searching for "cars"
compared to someone searching for "2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT"
- the last phrase will have very few searches but it can
produce more targeted buyers.
6. Build Lists of Interested Buyers
One of my most effective marketing strategies is building
simple lists of people who want to receive further information
on the subject or product they're considering buying.
The web is a very temporary process since most people spend less
than a few seconds on most sites. So it is important that
you try and get them to opt-in to your mailing list, join
your Twitter account or FaceBook group... and so on.
You must build lists of people who are interested in finding
out more about your subject or product. This way you will
have repeat visitors to your site and you will get the opportunity
to sell to them again and again. If you build a trusting
relationship with these contacts, they will respect your
opinions and suggestions.
List building can have a very positive effect on your
sales numbers so it is one marketing strategy you should
definitely try if you're not already using lists.
7. Sell Things You Can ONLY Buy Online
This marketing strategy is so simple - it's almost laughable.
But I quickly found selling stuff that can only be bought
online do much better than selling stuff that can be bought
at your local Walmart. If buyers can only find it online,
then you will have a much better chance of selling it to them.
Therefore, marketing unique products or specialty items,
which are only available online can prove very lucrative.
This is a very simple marketing strategy but also a very
effective one. Just try it.
There are no doubt, countless other marketing strategies
you can use. But using some or all of the ones listed above
will help increase your online sales. Again, just try them
and see for yourself.
The author is a full-time online marketer who has numerous websites.
If you want to find out more marketing strategies and selling on the
web in general, just download these marketing manuals:
Free Marketing Courses
For the latest web marketing tools try: Internet Marketing Tools
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached. |
|
|
| Online Fax - An Essential Service For Your Home Business |
[Oct. 7th, 2009|10:24 am] |
More and more individuals are turning to home business start-ups and self-employment as a means of weathering these tough economic times. Countless small businesses are springing up as many highly qualified workers and professionals are laid off from the traditional work-force and are switching to new ways of earning a part-time or full-time income from the comfort of their homes.
Online fax has become one of the fastest growing aspects of these recent economic changes. As more and more of these new business owners turn to the Internet and computers to make their businesses viable, getting an online fax service has become crucial to their success, especially if those businesses depend upon faxing to bring in sales, keep in contact with clients or play a vital part in advertising.
First, you must understand online fax is simply using... Read the article here: online fax article |
|
|
| navigation |
| [ |
viewing |
| |
most recent entries |
] |
| [ |
go |
| |
earlier |
] |
| |
|
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
bizwaremagic's journal