Archive for Living With Telecommunication
June 1, 2010 at 6:51 am · Filed under Living With Telecommunication
GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life.
1. Know where your children are using services from companies like uLocate Communications.
2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone.
3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer “Are we there yets?”- and of course get the most out of that expensive gas.
4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it.
5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories).
6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running around in your pajamas hollering like a maniac.
7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call. Please double check your carrier service to see that it has GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible.
8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions.
9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly.
10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling.
11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any social gathering.
12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device- even in an unfamiliar place.
Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo which should be completed in the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it will only get better.
In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great educational and fun gift for your loved one’s and friends as well. Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS:
1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell phone game based on GPS technology.
2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt.
With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone’s preferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, without paralyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.
Visit GPSZoom.com for a dizzying array of ways in which GPS can improve your lifestyle including with GPS tracking services for people and vehicles, and for those adventurers at heart- technology to help you conquer the outdoors, one trail at a time.
July 10, 2009 at 11:49 am · Filed under Consumer Planet, Living With Telecommunication, Technology Center
The 800MHz broadcast spectrum range is being sold off by the government in an effort that will bring the UK at par with other European countries in terms of spectrum allocation for mobile broadband. This will be done by clearing up the airwaves by switching over to digital TV.
This had been in the making for quite some time now, but Ofcom officially announced just recently that it had decided to clear up the spectrum for mobile broadband.
In 2003, when the government was looking to clear up some space in the spectrum, it had only considered smaller sections, but this move by Ofcom to generously clear out 800MHz will come as great news for the country’s mobile broadband industry. Although many countries are yet to do the same, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, France, Spain and Denmark have already decided to free the entire 800 MHz band.
Lower equipment rates, better services for mobile broadband users and more opportunities for competition (click for best mobile broadband deals) and originality to thrive are some of the positives of this move. The monetary benefits of all this are estimated to be around £2.5 to £3 billion.
Although a date has not been set yet, once the spectrum is cleared, it will be sold off to the highest bidders amongst mobile broadband providers.
June 8, 2009 at 4:45 am · Filed under Living With Telecommunication
These security concerns are being addressed by service providers and equipment manufacturers to make VoIP calls secure and to give buyers peace of mind. Furthermore, as the broader issue of security on and over the Internet is being addressed by the industry, global standards bodies and governments, so we can expect positive impact in the issue of secure VoIP.
Meanwhile, and even after these security enhancements become commonplace, businesses must take steps to secure their VoIP network, as they should secure any point of access to the business, its intellectual property and its data……
Simple Steps For Network Security
VoIP networks are vulnerable to exactly the same security risks as traditional IP data networks and VoIP security needs to be at the same level. This is a relatively straightforward exercise for businesses that already operate secure IP networks.
Protecting VoIP Systems
Organizations should adopt a multi layer comprehensive security strategy. The network can be segmented into secure zones protected by a firewall, intrusion prevention should be added, as well as other layers of security. Although there is no such thing as totally secure IP network, a company can secure the voice network by putting in place layers of security to protect telephones, conversations, computers, and servers. A competent IT department, together with support from the VoIP service provider or solution reseller should be able to implement Authentication, control access (passwords and firewalls), encryption, an audit trail of calls and, where necessary, recording those calls.
Don’t forget internal Security
Protection should of course also be put in place for internal traffic flowing over a VoIP system. An increasing number of workers use VoIP to communicate with company staff from wireless phones or soft phones. It is a sensible precaution to encrypt VoIP traffic moving internally over a corporate network to prevent attacks from insiders. The use of desktop-based soft phones to make and receive VoIP-based telephone calls can create a hole in firewall security. The best way to address this problem is to restrict access to the network. In addition, all inbound VoIP traffic that flows through a firewall should be routed through a proxy server, thus eliminating a direct connection to the Internet. Again, these are relatively simple and low cost steps to secure the network.
Peace of Mind With VoIP System
Many corporate users are discouraged from using VoIP systems as they feel they are not secure however, this is like saying it is not safe to use a computer on the internet. Securing VoIP systems is like securing any IP network. Just as you would look to set up protection on your PC including virus software, firewalls etc, so to do you need to protect a VoIP system in a similar fashion. VoIP can and is secure, providing certain security steps are taken. Security is not a server issue, it is a network issue.
Further information on the latest VoIP products news and for specific questions on securing a VoIP network contact us at http://www.vegastream.com.
Formed in 1998, VegaStream is one of the most experienced players in the industrial VoIP market. The company supplies gateway CPE to both traditional telecommunications carriers and the new generation of Internet telephony service providers. VegaStream also serves the enterprise market through a global network of distributors and resellers supported by regional offices in the UK, USA and Australia. VegaStream is a non-listed UK company. Investors include the management team, Pace Micro Technology PLC and MTI Partners.
http://www.vegastream.com
June 5, 2009 at 5:35 am · Filed under Consumer Planet, Living With Telecommunication, Technology Center
The internet is becoming a high priority requirement for business travellers worldwide. This was revealed in a poll conducted recently by American Airlines and HP where most of the respondents reported that the internet was their biggest need while travelling.
The results of the survey show that while 90% of the respondents admitted to having a notebook and phone always at hand during travel, 85% of them did not rest even at airport terminals. Moreover, 53% of the travellers did not mind working on their laptops in air. This showed that the few hours of flight are no longer considered a time for relaxation or catching up on some sleep.
Staying in touch with their customers’ demands, many airlines have now introduced in-flight internet facility, which is fast becoming an important point of differentiation between competing airlines. Market research company In-Stat predicts that more than 800 planes will have broadband service on board by the end of the year. This will be quite reassuring for 70% of the respondents, who said that an internet service in air is a must. For information on free laptops with broadband, take a look at a dedicated mobile broadband website.
The most shocking revelation of the survey was that the internet hungry travellers consider it to be even more important than essential items like food. Carol Hess-Nickels, who is the director of marketing for HP Notebook, commented on the survey, saying that internet connectivity was no longer a luxury, but a basic need of business travellers
It is clear that our dependence on the internet is increasing day by day, and not many groups of people have defied this trend, whether it is business travellers, students, or even housewives.
May 26, 2009 at 4:02 pm · Filed under Living With Telecommunication
Long distance phone calls will never be the same again thanks to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The basic premise for this technology is to convert analog audio signals into digital data for transmission over the Internet, a technique which allows you to make your phone calls over the internet.
The way VoIP works is pretty straight forward. Whereas the traditional circuit switched technology reserves a dedicated path from a caller to the receiver for the entire duration of the conversation, VoIP converts the voices into data for transmission over data networks. At the receiving end, the data is once again converted back into audio.
The implication of this process is that a regular Internet connection is all one needs to make absolutely free phone calls. In using free VoIP software for Internet phone calls, the role of the telephone company and consequently its charges are completely eliminated.
This path breaking VoIP technology is poised to redefine the very method the world’s phone systems use. Major players in the VoIP world, like Vonage, are already making their presence felt having been on a steady growth for some time. Leading traditional carriers like AT&T are already in the process of incorporating this revolutionary new technology in markets across the US. Simultaneously, regulatory agencies including the FCC are taking a long hard look at VoIP to harness the technology into a more secure format.
Among the multiple advantages attributed to VoIP technology, include the use of the same lines for both data and voice transmissions. With one network, both installation and maintenance expenses are minimized. Compression technology makes it possible for multiple calls, as many as eight, on the same lines as opposed to the circuit-switch systems. Neither is there any compromise on sound clarity.
With VoIP it is also possible for various devices to be inter-linked, thereby enabling added incentives like PC-Telephony. Integrating the phone system to a customer database provides ideal support for customer relationship management or CRM.
Phone calls using VoIP are not subject to toll charges. When both sides have high-speed Internet access and VoIP phones, distance charges don’t apply no matter how long the call duration or distance may be. The possibilities in terms of businesses and consumers to save on costs are therefore staggering. What’s more VoIP can also be utilized in setting up an independent private interoffice networks for main to satellite office communications.
May 26, 2009 at 9:33 am · Filed under Living With Telecommunication
Black glasses with masking tape holding them together and a pocket protector are no longer a required part of the uniform for GPS owners. GPS has gone mainstream. But if you’re still not up to date on what it is and how it works, and if you’d like some advice on what to buy, this article will bring you up to speed.
A GPS device is like a map on steroids. First of all, it always gives you that little “You Are Here” dot - you no longer need to figure that out for yourself. And all you need to do is tell it where you want to go and it will plot the course for you. It doesn’t end there, however. New GPS units will provide you with voice guided directions for the entire trip, tell you where the nearest gas station is, and will even put you back on course if you take a wrong turn.
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, a system of 28 satellites orbiting earth. It was originally developed for military use, but its uses have spread far beyond just military applications. Your GPS unit can receive signals from these satellites, and by using these signals, calculates your position (within 3-10 meters), direction, altitude, and velocity. Once your GPS unit knows where you are, it can help you get to where you’re going as long as it has mapping software installed. All but the most basic GPS devices currently have mapping software.
Now that you know a little bit about what a GPS device is and how it works, it’s time to educate yourself on the features available and decide which unit will best suit your needs. There is certainly no shortage of GPS devices available, so doing a little research can save you a lot of time and hassle.
Step 1 - Which type of GPS do you need?
There are four main types of GPS units; the car navigation system, the portable outdoors unit, the marine system, and the PDA/GPS hybrid.
If you’re mainly planning on using your GPS to get you from point A to B in your car and don’t think you’d use it for much else, your best bet is the in-car navigation system. These systems can be built in to your car or you can purchase a device that mounts onto your dashboard. Desirable features for the in-car systems are: voice guided directions; detailed built in maps; touch screens; rerouting in case you get off course; and a database with points of interest to help you find the nearest gas station, restaurant, and many more places along your route.
If you’re going to want a GPS device that isn’t limited to the car, then you may want to consider a handheld GPS (http://www.gpsmaestro.com/handheld). These devices are ideal for anyone who loves to hike or bike. Features to look for in a handheld unit are: lightweight, rugged, waterproofing, long battery life, color screens, and mapping features. The handheld GPS units are geared towards people who spend a significant amount of time outside. For example, if you’re out hiking you can easily track where you’ve been; mark your own points of interest; and even find out how far you’ve gone and at what speed. Many new handheld devices offer some navigation features while driving. You can even purchase handheld units that offer built in radios that will not only allow you to communicate with other members of your party, but will also display everyone’s location on your screen.
If being on the water and fishing is your thing then you should probably consider a marine GPS. These units are specifically designed to be on and around water. All of these units will feature waterproofing and should have screens that are easy to read even in bright sunlight. Some other good features to look for are: color chart plotters, onshore and offshore maps, fish hotspots, and sonar capability. You may also want to consider a unit that will function as your car navigator, eliminating the need for two devices.
The final category of GPS device is the PDA/GPS hybrid. This device offers a good combination of the car navigation systems and handheld devices. You’ll get the large screen that you’d find in the car system and the portability of a handheld unit. Also, you get a PDA to help you keep organized. One drawback is the limited selection of these units. Only a few companies have attempted to make an integrated unit, and all have some serious limitations.
If you are considering a PDA/GPS hybrid, I’d recommend you purchase the PDA separately from the GPS. Find a PDA that offers all the features you want in your PDA, then look for a GPS receiver that will attach to your PDA via Bluetooth. The features to watch for are the same as listed for the in car systems. All of the current PDA/GPS devices are better suited towards driving than hiking, although they do offer the portability for outdoor activities if needed. This category probably offers the most potential of the four, but it is also the newest, so watch for significant improvements in this category in the future.
Step 2 - Budget Considerations
If you’re on a budget, then it’s important to decide which features are most important to you. If you want a full featured car navigation system, it can easily run over $1000 (and over $2000 if you want one that’s built in). If, however, it would be more of a toy to play with, then a handheld device could be a better choice as they can be as low as $100 and are rarely more than $500. Marine GPS devices vary widely in prices, but a very good device can usually be purchased for no more than $1000. If the PDA/GPS devices interest you, they typically range from $400-$900.
Step 3 - Where to Buy
Finding the right store to purchase your GPS device can be difficult. Most stores only carry one or two kinds of GPS. For example, if you go to a sporting goods store you’re likely to find the handheld GPS units and marine GPS units but not the car navigation or the PDA/GPS hybrids. I actually prefer shopping online for GPS units as the prices will likely be lower, and you’ll be able to read user reviews of the items before you buy. Just make sure that if you have a problem with your GPS you are able to return it.
Owning a GPS can be extremely helpful, especially if you tend to get lost a lot or if your glove compartment is overflowing with outdated maps. They can also make planning a long trip to an unfamiliar area a breeze. Deciding which GPS to purchase can be difficult, but as long as you make a list of the features you absolutely must have then all you have to do is find the units that match your budget. Read reviews from other owners and you should have no trouble at all. Once you purchase your own GPS unit, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.
About The Author
Gary Ruplinger is the webmaster and writer for GPS Maestro, site offering tips, tools, and reviews for GPS Devices. To learn more, please visit http://www.gpsmaestro.com.
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April 27, 2009 at 4:49 am · Filed under Consumer Planet, Living With Telecommunication, Technology Center
BT has just announced the launch of a new high value business broadband bundle offering customers the chance to call UK landlines, international destinations and mobile numbers for £30 a month.
Business customers will be given the opportunity to build their own package with a choice of different call, broadband and mobile options - a far more cost effectively option than signing up to the service separately.
The introduction of this £30 per month business broadband bundle offer follows the release of a range of new BT One Plan call packages. These feature inclusive calling minutes to UK landlines, fixed calls to UK mobiles and overseas calls for a fixed monthly cost starting from £5.
In terms of billing, all services and enquiries will be dealt through one number and one bill will cover all services for customers through BT Business One Plan.
Keen to promote the appeal of the broadband service included in this offer, BT has released some service and support stats. Currently, it is claimed BT Business Broadband offers a 99.99 per cent reliable broadband service. When a fault does occur, BT claims nine out of ten faults are resolved in under four hours. 95 per cent of calls to its 24/7 UK help desk are said to be answered within 30 seconds.
Speaking on the launch of the new value Business Broadband package, Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business commented: “In uncertain times, cash flow is king…. With the introduction of these changes, BT is helping businesses manage their communications spend with one low fixed cost package that they have the power to define themselves based on what they need.”
January 24, 2009 at 12:50 pm · Filed under Living With Telecommunication
A huge and always growing mobile telephone market following the rule of introducing the newest new phone has now made it remarkably complicated for cell phone customers to compare mobile phone deals. Most of the time, there are many aspects that folk may need to look into when making mobile comparisons that some of the most prominent ones get forgotten about. Search thousands of Samsung.
As a result, one consistently end up using a cell phone which is either too pricey or a phone which is not entirely suitable for your cell phone usage profile. Hence we explain here about the two most primary things that folk should regularly notice when making phone comparisons. This might often help you land a cell phone that at the very least meets the basic criteria mobile customers are looking for.
The total cell phone market is booming on the basis of unbelievable features like camcorders that keep getting added every week. Nonetheless, an incredibly large majority of people get cell phones based on their appearance, brand and good hype only to regret at a later stage when folk find that their eye-opening handset lacks a deeply basic feature like sending emails or picture messages. Legions of good dear phones sell on the basis of marketing, brand and aesthetics at costs that are unjustified if you look at the lack of high end features. For e.g. the most recent apple Iphone 3G does not let cell phone customers forward messages to all. Unfortunately, Apple Iphones target audience, the youth, gets to regret the removal of this feature only after spending weeks worth of wages on it. So make sure that your unbelievable new mobile phone has all the features like interactive maps you require before paying up. Since cell phone corporations will never tell customers about the stunning features like camcorders that their phones lack, researching online mobile phone reviews is the leading way to do it.
January 22, 2009 at 1:42 pm · Filed under Branding, Commercial Markets, Living With Telecommunication
Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon, is clearly an aggressive businessman. When speculations arose that Verizon will be sold piecemeal, Seidenberg quickly dismissed the idea of a Verizon buyout. The CEO has been quoted as saying vehemently to a reporter “We’re not for sale. And in case you didn’t get that the first time, we’re not for sale. OK?”
There is also clearly no love between Apple chief Steve Jobs and Verizon’s head Ivan Seidenberg; Verizon’s CEO openly vented his disdain for Apple’s expansion into the mobile Internet market. Though Seidenberg did not deny that Apple was the pivotal element for turning mobile Internet into a bankable industry with its iPhone, he did belittle Apple’s capability of garnering a huge cult following for their flagship iPhone, even at a 199-dollar price rate.
Seidenberg further commented that Steve Jobs does not have a total monopoly on innovation and that Jobs will eventually get old.
But what Seidenberg did not see or refuses to see is that the iPhone is indeed generating a mass following on a global scale. Steve Jobs have been busy bustling around the globe, particularly in China and Canada, where he plans to launch the newest model of the Apple iPhone. With the world’s largest mobile market up on their toes waiting for the latest iPhone release, it is safe to say Seidenberg is clearly wrong.
Official biography of Steve Jobs.
Other technology leaders such as Richard Li are profiled on Leaders in Technology.
In this inteview of Richard Li, Mr. Li shares his vision for Pacific Century Cyberworks.
October 15, 2008 at 5:18 pm · Filed under Living With Telecommunication, Technology Center
Having used VoIP problem free for for ages I was confused as to why out of nowhere I had been having lots of issues. Sound quality has gone right down and latency issues have become markedly noticeable. Users on VoIP online forums in the US and other countries, including Germany and Mexico, have been noting similar problems since last year. For a while Voice over IP might seem like a good deal for the average person, entrenched interests in the telecoms industry view it differently - and are taking action against it.
Consultation
Mindful of what has happened in other countries the United Kingdom telecoms regulator Ofcom took the decisive step in February of announcing that it will look at the increasing VoIP industry and report next month on whether new laws are needed to shield it. The consultation document says: “VoIP service providers have expressed concern that their ability to provide a reliable service may be impacted by internet access providers (ISPs) selectively degrading or blocking their VoIP traffic.”
Ofcom says it has no proof this is occurring in the UK; only about half a million customers use VoIP. But the prediction is for that to go up by 2.5m in the next six months.
And VoIP blocking occurs in other countries, often those where there is still only a single telecoms company. In Saudi Arabia, for example national carrier Saudi Telecom is using software from US supplier Narus to bar all VoIP phone calls.
Telecommunication companies in the US and other countries are hesitant to have their bandwidth encroached on by traffic from which they earn no revenue and have been challenged over similar alleged incidents of VoIP blocking. Hindering internet telephony traffic is not easy but not illegal and barring precise kinds of internet traffic is on the increase.
Luxembourg-based VoIP provider Skype now owned by the pre-eminent auction site eBay has been particularly controversial. Skype is used by 75m people. But increasingly a lot of people do not want Skype on their network.
Skype is considered by a lot of people to pose a potential security threat as it creates an encrypted channel out of the network and forms supernodes that sit on a network and connect internet telephony calls. There is big debate about how much bandwidth such supernodes consume. There have been claims that in supernode mode, Skype could possibly saturate a 100 Mbps line.
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