In the dynamically changing world of technology, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is one of the latest and potentially greatest wonders ever created by the human mind. Watch a techie show, read a techie magazine or talk to any cyber dude and most will acknowledge that VoIP is one of the coolest advancements they've ever been blessed to experience.
On the other hand, for the vast majority who are not techie-nerds and who are looking for a non-techie to English translation of what VoIP has done to induce such high praises, then sit back, relax and read a bit more. In a nutshell, VoIP allows you to make phone calls over the internet, using your computer, to pretty much anywhere on the planet. The VoIP acronym is simply a fancy, smancy technical term for what could just as easily be called an Internet phone.
The miracle of VoIP can be explained in a simple process. The analog voice signals, which are the technical term for the exchange of hot air you have with friends and family while talking for hours on the phone... Sorry, I couldn't resist a bit of humor as I drifted back to days gone by and my youth. Ok, back to business.
VoIP converts the analog voice signals into digital data packets, which allows those packets of data to be transferred via cable lines (the internet) and then they are reconverted into analog voice signals at the other end so that once again, you can understand what is being said. Thanks to internet protocol, VoIP supports real time and two way transmission of conversations.
Sounds Good But How Do I Get Started With VoIP?
First, you have to know what type of internet service you have from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). The reason you need to know the type of service you have is because currently, VoIP works best with a cable or DSL internet connection because they are faster� as in they can download more bits of information (data packets) per second and this allows better sound quality on your internet calls.
Although VoIP services are available for other types of ISP connections like dial up, prepaid and satellite... the technology with VoIP has yet to progress to the point where you will consistently experience crystal clear sound over slower internet connections. However, if you currently live in an area that hasn't been wired for broadband, you shouldn't have to wait too long for the technology to progress to where you can enjoy a quality conversation over a slower internet type connection. However, for the time-being, quality is still a bit patchy without a high speed connection.
How Much is This Internet Telephony, VoIP Thingy Going to Cost Me?
Cost is one of best things about VoIP because VoIP services cost less than residential phone service and much, much less than most monthly cell phone plans. And if your DSL or broadband internet company just happens to be one of companies that currently offers VoIP services, then so much the better because that usually translates into even lower rates than if you used an independent or outside company for your VoIP phone service.
How Reliable Is VoIP?
Because transmission is being done over the Internet, the voice quality is largely dependent on your internet connection speed. And� at this moment in time, regardless of your ISP or connection speed the voice quality still hasn't reached that of normal land based or mobile phones. Plus, although rare, if your internet connection goes down you wouldn't be able to make or receive phone calls and VoIP is still more vulnerable to dropped calls due to a lack of signal strength.
Although VoIP still has a few drawbacks, once you try it you'll quickly realize that they aren't the type of problems that will stop you from wanting to use it� especially when you get your bill each month because with VoIP the savings can be dramatic if you spend a bunch of time on the phone.
How Secure Is VoIP?
Because transmission is in an environment where the dreaded "hacker" reigns supreme this concern is an obvious and legitimate one. Let's face it... although not perfectly secure it's no less secure than sending emails and billions and billions of those are sent each day. And frankly, if you're concerned about others listening in on your phone calls you should toss your cell phone because picking up those signals by the "unscrupulous" is much easier than sabotaging your VoIP phone calls.
If you are overly concerned with security due to the fact that VoIP is a relatively a new technology and that there still exists; although remote, a possibility that those cyber technicians will hijack your calls then you'll just have to wait until you feel these issues are solved before you give VoIP a test drive.
Can You Keep Your Number?
Yes and No! In most instances you will be able to keep your current phone number but just to be safe you should ask this question before signing up for VoIP service. And frankly, in some cases you may be required to change numbers. Oh well� nothings perfect.
This article may be reproduced only in its entirety.
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 28 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2551
eletronic document management
Electronic Document Management has been widely accepted as the practice of creating and storing documents. What lacks common acceptance is the need to retrieve, archive and sort documents as per requirements.
With real estate costs climbing feverishly, and businesses process becoming more and more complex and demanding, the need to implement an integrated electronic document management system is growing by the day. Realizing this opportunity, several global software vendors have come up with their document management products to facilitate this process and more and more organizations are implementing this system in today's world.
It is important to understand what exactly electronic document management refers to and why is it so important to organizations, small or big.
Electronic Document Management System refers to a system whereby documents are created, modified, stored, distributed, secured and retrieved with the help of software tools.
An organization must ponder several times and answer several questions before it goes about implementing a document management system. Some of the questions that must be asked can be:-
(1) Are your documents uniformly marked and stored for "finger-pointed" retrieval.
(2) Can you easily gather related documents that are physically distributed at different places.
(3) Can your personnel easily locate documents created or modified by others within the organization, regardless of the format and method of creation of the documents.
(4) How long does it take to locate the desired bunch of documents.
(5) Can you find a specific type of similar documents over a date range quickly and effectively.
(6) Can you track back the person responsible for handling any particular document.
Answering the above questions can easily help you take a decision. Also, to arrive at a conclusion, one must keep in mind the following characteristics of a suitable document management system.
(a) Should convert your office into a paper-less office by electronically keeping track of all documents.
(b) Should seamlessly integrate with your existing manual document management methods.
(c) Should help your business grow faster by ensuring fast and accurate availability of information.
(d) Should help you analyze the efficiency of co-workers by keeping track of documentation work allotted to them.
With real estate costs climbing feverishly, and businesses process becoming more and more complex and demanding, the need to implement an integrated electronic document management system is growing by the day. Realizing this opportunity, several global software vendors have come up with their document management products to facilitate this process and more and more organizations are implementing this system in today's world.
It is important to understand what exactly electronic document management refers to and why is it so important to organizations, small or big.
Electronic Document Management System refers to a system whereby documents are created, modified, stored, distributed, secured and retrieved with the help of software tools.
An organization must ponder several times and answer several questions before it goes about implementing a document management system. Some of the questions that must be asked can be:-
(1) Are your documents uniformly marked and stored for "finger-pointed" retrieval.
(2) Can you easily gather related documents that are physically distributed at different places.
(3) Can your personnel easily locate documents created or modified by others within the organization, regardless of the format and method of creation of the documents.
(4) How long does it take to locate the desired bunch of documents.
(5) Can you find a specific type of similar documents over a date range quickly and effectively.
(6) Can you track back the person responsible for handling any particular document.
Answering the above questions can easily help you take a decision. Also, to arrive at a conclusion, one must keep in mind the following characteristics of a suitable document management system.
(a) Should convert your office into a paper-less office by electronically keeping track of all documents.
(b) Should seamlessly integrate with your existing manual document management methods.
(c) Should help your business grow faster by ensuring fast and accurate availability of information.
(d) Should help you analyze the efficiency of co-workers by keeping track of documentation work allotted to them.
History of Internet Explorer: Second stage
Version 4, released in October 1997, was shipped with Windows 98 and was modified to integrate more closely with Microsoft Windows. It included an option to enable "Active Desktop" which displayed World Wide Web content on the desktop itself and was updated automatically as the content changed. The user could select other pages for use as Active Desktops as well. "Active Channel" technology was also introduced to automatically obtain information updates from websites. The technology was based on an XML standard known as Channel Definition Format (CDF), which predated the currently used web syndication formats like RSS. This version was designed to work on Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT, and could be downloaded from the Internet, free of charge. It supported Dynamic HTML (DHTML). Outlook Express 4.0 also came integrated into the browser and replaced the aging Microsoft Internet Mail & News product that was released with previous versions.
In September 1998, Microsoft released version 5 of Internet Explorer. Bi-directional text, ruby text and direct XML/XSL support were included in this release, along with enhanced support for CSS Level 1 and 2. The actual release of Internet Explorer 5 happened in three stages. Firstly, a Developer Preview was released in June 1998 (5.0B1), and then a Public Preview was released in November 1998 (5.0B2). Then in March 1999 the final release was released (5.0). In September it was released with Windows 98. Version 5.0 was the last one to be released for Windows 3.1x or Windows NT 3.x. Internet Explorer 5.5 was later released for Windows Me in July 2000, and included many bug fixes and security patches.
Version 6 was released with Windows XP in October 25, 2001. It mainly focused on privacy and security features, as they had become customer priorities. Microsoft implemented tools that support P3P, a technology under development by the W3C.
In September 1998, Microsoft released version 5 of Internet Explorer. Bi-directional text, ruby text and direct XML/XSL support were included in this release, along with enhanced support for CSS Level 1 and 2. The actual release of Internet Explorer 5 happened in three stages. Firstly, a Developer Preview was released in June 1998 (5.0B1), and then a Public Preview was released in November 1998 (5.0B2). Then in March 1999 the final release was released (5.0). In September it was released with Windows 98. Version 5.0 was the last one to be released for Windows 3.1x or Windows NT 3.x. Internet Explorer 5.5 was later released for Windows Me in July 2000, and included many bug fixes and security patches.
Version 6 was released with Windows XP in October 25, 2001. It mainly focused on privacy and security features, as they had become customer priorities. Microsoft implemented tools that support P3P, a technology under development by the W3C.
The revolution of audio books
Audio books have all the right terms to become a popular trend in the near future. Going a bit more far, there is even a reasonable chance that audio books will make the concept of books as we know it today disappear.
Let us explain in the following lines how we have come to this extreme conclusion:
1. Audio books are not new � I have listened to books on tapes in the end of the eights century of the previous century � 30 years ago. The technology has developed but the concept remained the same � Audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud.
All modern technologies have come to a maturity after existing for at least ten years in which their technology was improved. Take a look at digital cameras, LCD screens, Cellular phones etc. Now it is the turn of the audio books.
2. User Friendly � In the last year the use of MP3 players for listening to audio books have become very popular. MP3 players are easy to use and have ideal functions for audio books - You can continue listening to an audio book from the section you stopped. Mobile MP3 players which are used to listen to downloaded audio books are far smaller than CD players used to play audio books on cds and walkmans used to play books on tapes.
3. Variety of products � More and more publishers and book sellers understand the potential of audio books and publish new audio books each day. All the best sellers could be found in an audio book version. You should not have a problem to find the latest Harry Potter audio book or Stephen King audio book.
4. Maximizing time management and productivity � Time is money and in the modern world we live in every minute counts. Audio books help us maximize our dead time � Businessmen can listen to the latest business journals on their way to work, Children could listen to educative children audio books in the bus buck from school etc.
To sum up, audio books are here and they are not going any where. So, try them. You can even download free audio books and get a free MP3 player to play them.
911 Corp. has executed an independent research to find the best place to get audio books from. Find out the clear results and all about audio books only on the Audio books bible - free audio books and more.
Let us explain in the following lines how we have come to this extreme conclusion:
1. Audio books are not new � I have listened to books on tapes in the end of the eights century of the previous century � 30 years ago. The technology has developed but the concept remained the same � Audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud.
All modern technologies have come to a maturity after existing for at least ten years in which their technology was improved. Take a look at digital cameras, LCD screens, Cellular phones etc. Now it is the turn of the audio books.
2. User Friendly � In the last year the use of MP3 players for listening to audio books have become very popular. MP3 players are easy to use and have ideal functions for audio books - You can continue listening to an audio book from the section you stopped. Mobile MP3 players which are used to listen to downloaded audio books are far smaller than CD players used to play audio books on cds and walkmans used to play books on tapes.
3. Variety of products � More and more publishers and book sellers understand the potential of audio books and publish new audio books each day. All the best sellers could be found in an audio book version. You should not have a problem to find the latest Harry Potter audio book or Stephen King audio book.
4. Maximizing time management and productivity � Time is money and in the modern world we live in every minute counts. Audio books help us maximize our dead time � Businessmen can listen to the latest business journals on their way to work, Children could listen to educative children audio books in the bus buck from school etc.
To sum up, audio books are here and they are not going any where. So, try them. You can even download free audio books and get a free MP3 player to play them.
911 Corp. has executed an independent research to find the best place to get audio books from. Find out the clear results and all about audio books only on the Audio books bible - free audio books and more.
VoIP, an exciting new Technology
Its not often that a new Technology comes along that can change fundamentally the way we live our lives. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, is one such Technology. The Telephone has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives and is therefore one of the most important technology inventions of modern times. VoIP is changing the way we use the telephone making it more flexible and cheaper to use for both individuals and business users alike.
�����Instead of transmitting calls over a traditional phone network, VoIP uses the Internet or a data network such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The recent widespread availability of high speed internet access has made this a real alternative for home users. The cheapest way for individuals to use VoIP is from computer to computer. All that is needed is freely available software and you are ready to make calls to another user for only the cost of using the Internet. Call plans are available from VoIP providers that will allow you to call any phone anywhere in the world at a cost much lower than the normal standard phone charges. For this you will need a special VoIP Phone or an adapter to allow use of your standard phone. A real advantage of this is that you can plug your phone into the Internet anywhere in the world and it is the same as if you were at home.
�����For Business users there are big cost savings and advantages for Employees. For employees that are hot-desking or have to work out of different offices, they can make any phone their own by simply logging on to the system. This flexibility is also available away from the office as long as they can connect and log into the corporate network. The phone can now also become a computing device with a screen, connected to the company network it can be used for video conferencing or simply looking up the company phone list. This allows the phone to be used in a way that is impossible with the traditional system. Companies now only have to maintain one network for both data and telephony. However there can be a significant cost involved in setting up a company system but the return on investment can be short, usually less than a year.
For more information on VoIP go to www.world-of-voip.com
�����Instead of transmitting calls over a traditional phone network, VoIP uses the Internet or a data network such as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The recent widespread availability of high speed internet access has made this a real alternative for home users. The cheapest way for individuals to use VoIP is from computer to computer. All that is needed is freely available software and you are ready to make calls to another user for only the cost of using the Internet. Call plans are available from VoIP providers that will allow you to call any phone anywhere in the world at a cost much lower than the normal standard phone charges. For this you will need a special VoIP Phone or an adapter to allow use of your standard phone. A real advantage of this is that you can plug your phone into the Internet anywhere in the world and it is the same as if you were at home.
�����For Business users there are big cost savings and advantages for Employees. For employees that are hot-desking or have to work out of different offices, they can make any phone their own by simply logging on to the system. This flexibility is also available away from the office as long as they can connect and log into the corporate network. The phone can now also become a computing device with a screen, connected to the company network it can be used for video conferencing or simply looking up the company phone list. This allows the phone to be used in a way that is impossible with the traditional system. Companies now only have to maintain one network for both data and telephony. However there can be a significant cost involved in setting up a company system but the return on investment can be short, usually less than a year.
For more information on VoIP go to www.world-of-voip.com
Samsung E900: With versatile features
Designed for simplicity and convenience, the Samsung E900 mobile phone is sure to cater to your every day needs. The phone is powered by a 2 MegaPixel camera with flash and video recording and features a 2.0" 240x320 262K Color TFT display, comes with 80MB memory by default. The phone also supports MP3 / AAC / ACC+ / AAC+(e) / WM playback. The micro SD slot has been provided to expand the storage capacity.
The main features of Samsung E900 includes Stylish slider phone with multimedia features, Tri-band GSM/EDGE, QVGA 262k Color Display, 80MB Memory expandable through microSD, Music player, Bluetooth, USB, Video Recording, Messaging, etc. The touch-sensitive control pad and an intuitive dual interface automatically distinguishes music mode from talking mode.
Weighing 93 grams, the Samsung E900 is fully loaded with mind-boggling features. The phone has a broad memory o f 82 MB and integrates technologies like EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth, along with a battery life of up to 220 hrs on standby and 3hrs 30 min on talk time!
The refined and stylish design and the elegant look of Samsung E900 is very impressive. It features an innovative touch key for quick and easy control. The control pad impeccably compliments the Samsung E900's intuitive dual interface. You can share the captured images with your friends through MMS as well as with Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth allows the phone to communicate with other Bluetooth devices such as headsets, digital cameras and laptops without any wires and up to 10m away.
Have the freedom of downloading interactive, pulsating games and applications store them in the handset. Fitted with a 60-minute recording capacity, you can capture more of nature's brilliance or life's experiences.
The main features of Samsung E900 includes Stylish slider phone with multimedia features, Tri-band GSM/EDGE, QVGA 262k Color Display, 80MB Memory expandable through microSD, Music player, Bluetooth, USB, Video Recording, Messaging, etc. The touch-sensitive control pad and an intuitive dual interface automatically distinguishes music mode from talking mode.
Weighing 93 grams, the Samsung E900 is fully loaded with mind-boggling features. The phone has a broad memory o f 82 MB and integrates technologies like EDGE, GPRS, Bluetooth, along with a battery life of up to 220 hrs on standby and 3hrs 30 min on talk time!
The refined and stylish design and the elegant look of Samsung E900 is very impressive. It features an innovative touch key for quick and easy control. The control pad impeccably compliments the Samsung E900's intuitive dual interface. You can share the captured images with your friends through MMS as well as with Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth allows the phone to communicate with other Bluetooth devices such as headsets, digital cameras and laptops without any wires and up to 10m away.
Have the freedom of downloading interactive, pulsating games and applications store them in the handset. Fitted with a 60-minute recording capacity, you can capture more of nature's brilliance or life's experiences.
Camera Phone VS Digital Camera
Cell phones with cameras are everywhere nowadays. It really makes us thinking whether we now have a mobile phone with camera or a camera with telephone capability.
What's up with mobiles?
The Sharp 903 cell phone now comes with a 3.2MP camera, the Sony Ericsson W800i and the N90 from Nokia Nseries both pitch in with 2.0MP (N90 has also got a Carl Zeiss lens and the autofocus). These phones have good enough quality for everyday pictures. And given the pace of development it is likely that the standard will only raise. Who would have thought that we would be talking of the music capabilities of the iPod phone, or anticipating the launch of the N91 from the Nokia Nseries with a 4 GB hard disc?
Why camera cell phone?
There are digital cameras capable of 10MP or more resolution, but who really needs pictures with such resolution? 2MP is enough for day to day usage and general printing purpose, and it ensures that images are not too large to be transferred to other devices. The picture quality of N90 from Nokia Nseries can match that of some lower end digital cameras. Cell phones can have files transferred the same way as digital cameras (cable, memory card and Bluetooth). The inclusion of MMS function in camera phones means that the images can also be directly sent to other phones and emails, which is not achievable with digital cameras. The major advantage of the camera cell phone over the digital camera is its immediate availability, the ability to capture that fleeting image without having to unzip a camera bag and fumble with settings. So you will not miss that precious moment again.
Professionals are up for the challenge
Five of the world's leading photographers (Juergen Teller, Jiancheng Dong, Nick Waplington, Philip Lorca-DiCorcia and Raghu Rai) have taken up the challenge of camera cell phones. They have produced a stunning selection of professional images using the N90 from Nokia Nseries, see it yourself at www.seenew.com.
Are you up for the challenge?
If you think you're pretty good with a camera, take a look at the competition that can also be found on the site. Submit your shots taken with camera phone, and you could be assisting one of the photographers on a commercial photo shoot. Other prizes include the N90 from Nokia Nseries, two return tickets to be flown anywhere in the world and your winning images to be pre-loaded to future Nokia Nseries handsets.
Robert Thomson is a librarian interested in developments in phone technology and small device information retrieval. Born and brought up in South Oxfordshire. Worked in libraries in England, Scotland and the United States and is at present a freelancer researcher
What's up with mobiles?
The Sharp 903 cell phone now comes with a 3.2MP camera, the Sony Ericsson W800i and the N90 from Nokia Nseries both pitch in with 2.0MP (N90 has also got a Carl Zeiss lens and the autofocus). These phones have good enough quality for everyday pictures. And given the pace of development it is likely that the standard will only raise. Who would have thought that we would be talking of the music capabilities of the iPod phone, or anticipating the launch of the N91 from the Nokia Nseries with a 4 GB hard disc?
Why camera cell phone?
There are digital cameras capable of 10MP or more resolution, but who really needs pictures with such resolution? 2MP is enough for day to day usage and general printing purpose, and it ensures that images are not too large to be transferred to other devices. The picture quality of N90 from Nokia Nseries can match that of some lower end digital cameras. Cell phones can have files transferred the same way as digital cameras (cable, memory card and Bluetooth). The inclusion of MMS function in camera phones means that the images can also be directly sent to other phones and emails, which is not achievable with digital cameras. The major advantage of the camera cell phone over the digital camera is its immediate availability, the ability to capture that fleeting image without having to unzip a camera bag and fumble with settings. So you will not miss that precious moment again.
Professionals are up for the challenge
Five of the world's leading photographers (Juergen Teller, Jiancheng Dong, Nick Waplington, Philip Lorca-DiCorcia and Raghu Rai) have taken up the challenge of camera cell phones. They have produced a stunning selection of professional images using the N90 from Nokia Nseries, see it yourself at www.seenew.com.
Are you up for the challenge?
If you think you're pretty good with a camera, take a look at the competition that can also be found on the site. Submit your shots taken with camera phone, and you could be assisting one of the photographers on a commercial photo shoot. Other prizes include the N90 from Nokia Nseries, two return tickets to be flown anywhere in the world and your winning images to be pre-loaded to future Nokia Nseries handsets.
Robert Thomson is a librarian interested in developments in phone technology and small device information retrieval. Born and brought up in South Oxfordshire. Worked in libraries in England, Scotland and the United States and is at present a freelancer researcher
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