Retail and Restaurant Point of Sale Systems Bandwidth

Retail and restaurant point of sales systems capabilities have grown exponentially since the days of mechanical cash registers and cash boxes. Even the electronic cash register has often been a self-contained system until recently. Now systems are integrated to support inventory control and accounting. They are also networked, both within the organization and to the home office, credit card companies, suppliers and partners. Communications is critical and low cost bandwidth is the key to electronic communications.

The simplest application of an electronic data exchange is a credit card transaction using a terminal that creates a dial-up data connection over a phone line. Phone lines can also be used to download daily sales results to the home office. On the small scale level, a dedicated or shared voice line is about as cheap as you can get.

But what if you have a lot of data to transfer, many simultaneous credit card transactions, or want to stay constantly in touch with multiple sites. For that you need dedicated bandwidth. In other words, a reliable always-on digital connection. This can be a private point to point line, a secure Frame Relay connection or a VPN or Virtual Private Network running on the Internet.

The low end of dedicated lines is the business DSL line. This is a broadband Internet connection that uses a regular copper phone line. By definition, the Internet is a shared resource. To protect your data, you'll need to be running encryption software which creates a virtual private network. In other words, your data is secure even though the network is shared. The big advantage of using the Internet instead of other solutions is that you have access to a worldwide network that can connect just about anybody to anybody else. It's already in place and the cost is amortized over millions of users, so your access cost is pretty low. Sometimes under $100 a month.

The weaknesses of DSL have always been availability at particular locations and reliability of service. DSL is a technology that uses telephone circuits that were never designed for high speed digital use. Consequently, it is a short range service. You may find that the store across the street can get DSL but your location can't. The other issue is that DSL, even business grade DSL, doesn't generally come with a service guarantee. The carriers make their best effort to keep it operational, but outages can and do occur.

If it is absolutely vital that your broadband connection be available all the time and get top priority if there ever is an outage, then what you want is T1 line service. T1 was originally designed by the telephone industry for its own use. T1 connections can be installed most anywhere you can run phone lines and come with a service level agreement. A T1 line is highly reliable and can be configured as a private point to point line or a dedicated Internet connection. Multiple T1 lines can be bonded together to give you 2 to 6 times the capacity as your business grows.

Another option is Frame Relay. Frame Relay is a private network that connects locations to each other with a guaranteed bandwidth. Unlike the Internet, a Frame Relay network is managed to limit the number of customers to no more than the service can support. Since it is a shared network, you may wish to run your own VPN software to encrypt your data for the highest level of security.

If you have retail or restaurant point of sale systems, or other inventory control systems that need high speed digital bandwidth, let us help you find the most cost effective solution that meets your requirements. We have expert consultants available 24/7 who are happy to discuss DSL, T1 and Frame Relay options for your business. Go ahead and put in a quote request at T1 Rex anytime and a consultant will call you back at your convenience.

LG VX8100 Audio Video Cell Phone

The LG VX8100 entertainment phone is one of the new wave of cell phones that are also mobile entertainment centers. Thanks to the Verizon Wireless VCAST system, you can download full motion video clips up to 5 minutes in length, including music videos and concert performances. VCAST is the first widely available multimedia content service for cell phones and includes newscasts, sports reports, weather updates and entertainment programs. It's enough to make you forget you also have a cell phone.

The LG VX8100 looks like an ordinary clamshell style cellular phone. It also works like a cell phone with up to 180 minutes of talk time and up to 216 hours of standby time. It has a speakerphone. It also has Bluetooth communications so you can use a wireless headset. There are two color displays. The main display is 176 x 220 pixels with over 262,000 colors. The external display is 128 x 128 pixels with 65,000 colors.

Even the built-in digital camera is higher resolution than you might expect in a cell phone. This one has 1.3 megapixel resolution for print quality photos. The camera doubles as a camcorder with 15 seconds of record time. It has 2x digital zoom, an LED flash and a self-timer so you can include yourself in those group shots.

What really makes this a 3G phone is the EV-DO broadband capability. EV-DO or EVolution Data Only is a high speed digital data service that shares cellular bandwidth. It is sometimes referred to as 1xEVDO. Bandwidth is up to 2.4 Mbps download speed using a separate 1.25 MHz radio channel. In practice, you'll probably see more typical speeds of 300 to 500 Kbps. That's fast enough to download audio and video content without excruciating delays. EV-DO is also being heavily promoted by Verizon as a alternative to the Wi-Fi hotspot.

To complete its repertoire of multimedia capabilities, the LG VX8100 includes a MP3 player with stereo output. In one package, you have a cell phone, digital camera / camcorder and a video on demand player.

Wish you could get a great deal on a Blackberry, Pocket PC phone or other cell phone models? Compare cell phone plans and get both the phone and service provider you want plus a great deal at Cell Phone Plans Finder.

International Callback With a VoIP Flair

A clever approach to lowering the cost of international phone calls is the "call back" service. Like the name implies, you call this service, let it ring once and hang up. The callback service will then dial your number within half a minute or so. When you answer, you'll get a dial tone and can then place the call to the party you wish to speak with.

Why such a complicated arrangement instead of just calling directly? It's to make calls cheaper. What makes callback services viable is the disparity in rates between calls made from the United States and calls made to the U.S. or other countries from locations outside of the United States. It's just cheaper when your call originates in the U.S.

Callback is something like the old trick students use to call home but avoid the outrageous long distance rates charged by the school. You dial your folks number and let it ring once or twice. They know it's you and call you back at their long distance rates. Since the original call wasn't answered, the student doesn't get charged. The parents pay for the call they make.

Now there's a new wrinkle on international callback phone service using computers and VoIP. A company called 2speak has figured out how to let people use VoIP to make cheap phone calls without any special software, no phone adaptor and not even broadband.

Here's how it works. You create an account on the 2speak website. You can then log-in and create a phone book with the numbers you want to call and the numbers of the phones you'll be using. When you want to place a call, you just select which number you are at and which number you want to call. You can use any computer with Internet access, even dial-up, or your wireless PDA. Within seconds, both phones will ring and you'll be able to talk to your party. As another wrinkle, you can opt to send them a voice mail instead. They'll get an email with a link they can click to hear your message on their computer.

The system is based on VoIP transmission, but the calls terminate to landlines or cell phones at both ends. The VoIP technology is hidden in the network. Its purpose is to transmit voice over IP instead of the public switched telephone network. That makes for cheap calling rates. For instance, make a call from the U.S. to China and you'll pay 10 cents a minute at today's rates. A call from China to the USA is also 10 cents a minute. A call to or from India to the U.S. is 32 cents a minute. Or you can call the United Kingdom from India for 32 cents a minute. Call the U.S. from your business trip in France and you'll pay 8 cents a minute with 2speak. The rate is also 8 cents a minute from the United Kingdom.

You should try this yourself. The 2speak website has an international rate calculator that lets you see what it costs per minute to call between any two countries. The prices are not much more than you'd expect using VoIP, except that nobody needs broadband access or special phone adaptors. You can even use this service to call mobile to mobile between countries. The only catch is that you do need Internet access to trigger the call.

By the way, there is no signup fee or regular monthly fee for this service. You pay for the calls you make plus a 95 cent billing fee in months that you use the service. There is no charge to receive calls and no charges for calls that aren't completed.

2speak has definitely come up with a creative blend of technologies to optimize the cost of phone calls while limiting the interface to equipment that users already have. Learn more and sign up for service at 2speak now.

Hurricane Katrina, The American Tsunami

The television images from helicopter flyovers show a brutally crushed and ground-up landscape. We've seen these shots before. The surf splashes on a sandy shoreline strewn with toppled trees, boats piled on top of each other, and splinters of wood forming a carpet of debris, interspersed by square patches that mark property boundaries. What's missing is structures. This is a flat landscape, or at least as flat as it can be with all the ruined buildings, vehicles and vegetation littering the ground. It's what's left of Southeast Asia following last December's killer Tsunami. Or is it?

The images are as recent as this week. The third-world landscape is the gulf coast of Louisiana and Mississippi. Take an aerial view of the Asian Tsunami and set it next to an aerial view of Gulfport, Mississippi. Which is which? You can't tell.

The reason is that we're looking at essentially the same process. One was caused by an earthquake. The other was caused by a hurricane. In both cases, a wall of water 20 or more feet high came off the ocean and crashed into the shoreline over a wide swath. That solid wall of water crushes everything standing, utterly and completely. When refugees from these stricken areas say they have nothing left, it is because there really is nothing but splinters remaining when the wall of water dissipates.

That's what we in America are coming to grips with right now. The total devastation that crushed the shorelines on the other side of the Earth have crushed our shores less than a year later. We have the devastation, the deaths, and tens to hundreds of thousands of refugees headed to homeland refugee camps for the next 3 months to 3 years. Years? Yes, it may well be that long for many. Unlike the Tsunamis that crush the landscape and then dissipate almost immediately, this hurricane breached the levees protecting the city of New Orleans. The city is not only damaged, but under water for the indefinite future.

Make no mistake about it, the disaster in the gulf area is beyond anything we've known or prepared for. Government aid will be critically necessary, but it is just one piece in putting the puzzle back together. Just as in the Asian Tsunami, disaster relief and humanitarian aid organizations will step in to feed, clothe, shelter and provide medical attention to the multitude of victims. The best of these are already trained and experienced in this type of situation. They've been involved is similar disasters around the world. The American Red Cross comes first to mind whenever people are struck down anytime, anywhere. The Salvation Army has been ministering the needs of the disadvantaged in nearly every city for as long as anyone can remember. Both organizations are worthy of our support and are planned to take lead roles in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

We also like some of the smaller, lesser publicized organizations that are moving in to lend their special expertise. Mercy Corps has international experience, most recently in the Indian Ocean Tsunami, at helping communities to rebuild following disasters. Their approach is to engage the local population in reclaiming their lives and the infrastructure they need to again become self-sufficient. This gives people jobs with a sense of purpose as well as the food, water and clothing they need to get them through the tough times. An impressive 92% of your donation to Mercy Corps goes directly to programs that help people.

There are many more excellent charitable organizations worthy of your support in this crisis and beyond. You'll find them reviewed and rated at Charity Navigator, which provides information on over 4,000 charities. Whether you support one or many charities, be sure that your contribution goes to do the most good in these tough times. It's vitally needed.

BlackBerry 7100g PDA Phones on Sale

RIM BlackBerry wireless devices are PDA personal digital assistant style cellular phones with an emphasis on messaging capability. The RIM BlackBerry 7100g features updated styling and advanced technology that makes the BlackBerry even more productive than ever before. Best of all, you can get the 7100g at a special low price with new wireless service. I'll tell you how in a second.

This BlackBerry device is a beauty. It has a large color main display which is backlit for easier viewing. The size is 240 x 260 pixels. It displays 65,000 colors. That big display comes in handy for full HTML Web browsing on the Internet and viewing email attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint plus WordPerfect and Adobe PDF formats. You'll be sending messages using the almost effortless SureType QWERTY keyboard. Messaging capabilities include SMS, multimedia messaging, AOL Instant Messenger, and POP or IMAP email access.

The BlackBerry 7100g communicates on the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) high speed data network on the Cingular GSM cellular network. This 3G broadband network downloads at up to 170 Kbps, or more typically 75 to 135 Kbps.

Don't forget that this BlackBerry is also a cellular phone with quad band GSM. It is capable of operating on cellular networks in over 100 countries. Its slim 4.7 x 2.3 x 0.8 inch package is easy to use for making and receiving calls. Bluetooth communications is also built-in so you can use a wireless headset if you wish. Or use the speakerphone for hands-free or group discussions. Talk time is up to 240 minutes or 4 hours. Standby time is up to 192 hours or 8 days.

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

Verizon Wireless VCAST is Video For Cell Phones

How would you like to be able to get video weather reports, sports reports, news clips and music videos delivered right to your cell phone whenever you want? That's the idea behind VCAST, the consumer 3G multimedia service from Verizon Wireless.

VCAST is the leading edge in a move toward video and well as audio capabilities on cellular phones. After all, those big TFT color screens are just begging for full motion video. They even look like small flat screen TVs. Why not give them TV content?

What makes VCAST work where other attempts to send video to cell phones have fallen short is the broadband link called EV-DO or EVolution - Data Only. That cryptic description translates to mobile broadband using the CDMA cellular phone network. While CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) is a digital transmission system, it is limited to the narrow bandwidths needed for voice transmission. What Verizon has done is piggyback a high speed data only network on it's CDMA network. Speed peaks at 2.4 Mbps but is more typically 200 to 400 Kbps. That' s fast enough to provide broadband Internet service for laptop computers using an EV-DO adaptor card and Verizon Wireless EV-DO service.

With broadband speeds now available in 60 metropolitan areas, EV-DO makes third generation or 3G cellular applications like video on demand possible. Current content includes news, weather, sports and music videos. All are delivered in the form of downloadable video clips up to 5 minutes in length.

Much of the content is produced by big name media companies. Just browsing what is available today, I see programs by Comedy Central, Sesame Street, E!, VH1, and Nickelodeon. There is breaking weather news from AccuWeather.com. News updates are provided by CNN, NBC News, and MarketWatch. You'll get sports reports from FOX Sports, ESPN, and NASCAR.COM TO GO, among others.

VCAST also offers 3D downloadable games. You may recognize such titles as "Need for Speed Underground 2," "Independence Day," "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," or EA Sports Madden '06 3D." Each game has certain phones that it works on.

So What do you need to enjoy VCAST yourself? First, you need a 3G video phone. Verizon Wireless is recommending several models that are available at a discount with your Verizon Wireless service at our online cellular store. The best bargain is the Motorola E815 Video Phone which is currently free after rebate. The e815 is also a 1.3 Mega Pixel camera phone with flash with 4x digital zoom. It has Bluetooth communications built-in to support a wireless headset.

Order your Motorola E815 Video Phone with a Verizon Wireless service plan, such as America's Choice 450. This plan gives you 450 anytime minutes per month plus free nationwide digital roaming and unlimited IN calling for $39.99 a month. VCAST service is an option for $15 a month and right now your first month is free.

Other VCAST recommended cell phones include the Audiovox CDM8940 for $50 after rebate and the LG VX8100 for $100 after rebate. To get these special offers, you'll need to order from our online cellular store. You'll also want to include the VCAST option for an additional $15 a month.

If you would like a different model of cell phone, we have many great offers currently available at Cell Phone Plans Finder. Note that other video phones may or may not have VCAST as an available option with Verizon Wireless service.

WiMAX Tomorrow, EV-DO Today

WiMAX is being eagerly awaited as the universal wireless broadband solution that will free us from the tyranny of WiFi hotspots and their miniscule coverage area.

Indeed, the WiMAX 802.16 Metropolitan Area Network promises to provide broadband connection speeds similar to DSL, Cable Internet and T1 dedicated lines, but without the lines. The up to 70 Mbps shared bandwidth means that dozens or even hundreds of users will be able to roam up to 31 miles from the WiMAX base station and still get a signal. WiFi can provide similar or faster Internet access to a handful of users sitting in a coffee shop or at home. But venture a few hundred feet away and bye, bye WiFi.

The WiMAX equipment testing and pilot programs under way whet the appetite for the day when you'll be able to pop a WiMAX access card into your notebook computer and log-in anywhere in town. You'll be able to get your email at a park bench or parked car. Get schedule updates or download product data right before you walk into that big sales presentation. You'll be able to enter orders in real time right from the client's desk, without the awkward situation of having to request access to their network. It's a great dream and it's coming... next year, or perhaps the next.

Did you know that roaming wireless Internet access can be yours now? I'm talking about DSL or Cable Modem level service or even what you might expect from your shared corporate T1 Internet service. Better yet, you are not limited to one base station in one city. You'll have broadband access in many major cities and reduced rate access almost everywhere else. No, it's not WiMAX. It's EV-DO.

EV-DO is short for EVolution Data Only. What is that? It's a broadband data standard for CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) cellular networks, most notably Verizon Wireless. EV-DO uses a 1.25 MHz cellular radio channel to provide download speeds up to 2.4 Mbps, or more typically 400 to 700 Kbps. EV-DO service is available in 47 high population areas at present. If you venture outside of the EV-DO coverage area, the system switches to NationalAccess Service using the 1xRTT standard. That gives you 60 to 80 Kbps with bursts up to 144 Kbps on downloads. You have the access you need to conduct business without the wires and without the wait for WiMAX.

To gain access to the EV-DO network, you'll need an EV-DO adaptor card like the Audiovox PC5740 PC card. You plug this into an open Type II card slot on your notebook computer, just like plugging in a WiFi adaptor card. You'll also need a Verizon Wireless BroadbandAccess (EV-DO) Unlimited-2YR plan. This gives you unlimited use of the EV-DO and 1XRTT data service for $79.99 a month. Right now you can get the Audiovox PC5740 card free when you order it with Verizon Wireless Broadband Access.

You may also be interested in the Samsung i730 Pocket PC, cell phone combined with a PDA that operates on the Verizon EV-DO cellular data network. Read my review of the Samsung i730 here.

Cut Your Telecommunication Expenses With a Free Telecom Consultant

Do your eyes bug out when you see the monthly telecommunication bills for your company? You've called the phone company and they've shrugged their shoulders and told you that you're already getting their best rates on the T1 and DS3 high speed data lines that feed your PBX system and IP routers. Well, I guess that's that, right? Wrong!

If you lease digital circuits for telephone, Internet access or point to point data transfer, you need to look into the huge array of competitive service providers who have been getting into this business ever since the FCC broke up the Bell Telephone System. As a business owner or manager, your only contact with alternative carriers might have been if a representative happened to stop by on a sales call. It may or may not have even been the right time to talk about alternative services. Even if your profession is information technology, you hardly have time to search for telecommunication companies, invite them in one at a time, and then try to negotiate the best deals among them.

Now there's an alternative to doing the legwork yourself. You can let a telecommunications broker come up with the best options from among their suite of telecom carriers. So what is a telecommunications broker? That's a company that contracts with several to several dozen telecom carriers to sell carrier services on an independent basis. Instead of you finding and calling a bunch of telephone companies, T1 service providers or fiber optic carriers, the broker works directly with them on your behalf.

Here's an example. Say you have a dozen phone lines running to your company PBX system and also need broadband Internet service for all your desktop PCs and your email server. You call the broker and talk to a telecom consultant about what you need and what you are paying now. Alternatively, you can put in a quote request online and have the telecom consultant call you at some convenient time. In this case, the consultant will probably search the broker's database to find carriers that offer Integrated T1 line service in your area. Integrated T1 combines voice and data on a single digital line and can be a real money saver if you don't need huge amounts of bandwidth. Once the consultant completes the search and maybe talks to a few carriers about their product offerings, you'll get one or more competitive quotes for new service. If you like what you see, the consultant will help you with the paperwork and make sure everything goes smoothly.

Well, that sure sounds easier than trying to do it all yourself, but what does all this consulting work cost? It doesn't cost you anything. The consultant and broker are paid a commission by the competing carriers in lieu of having to hire more sales staff themselves. That commission isn't added to the price of the line. It's a marketing expense paid by the carriers.

When should you use a telecom consultant? Anytime you can get them to discuss your services and check for lower prices for the same quality of service. That's pretty much anytime you want if you are talking about services such as T1 voice, T1 data line, T1 PRI lines for PBX telephone, Dedicated T1 Internet, Integrated T1, DS3 and T3 lines, optical carrier services such as OC3, OC12, OC48 or frame relay, Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet and so on. If you pay for any of these services, you know the bills run into the hundreds, thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars a month. Why NOT let a free telecom consultant try to save you money?

We work with an excellent broker and stable of telecommunications consultants at Shop For T1. I'd suggest you enter a quote request using our simple online form at T1 Rex. For many T1 and DS3 services, you'll get an instant quotation from the system database to give you an idea of what is available for your location.

Faster Cellular Broadband Service Coming

Verizon Wireless and Lucent Technologies Complete Industry's First CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A Calls and Plan Technology Trial.

Mobile wireless broadband technology is a technology poised for enormous growth. Today we think of broadband as DSL and Cable modem service for residential users and T1 dedicated lines for business users. If we use wireless Internet services, they are either point to point WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) services with roof mounted building antennas, or notebook computer access at WiFi hotspots or wireless routers.

That may be a very temporary situation. There is crying need for continuously roaming broadband services for laptop computers, pocket PCs, PDAs and advanced cell phones. One reason is the business need for technical, executive and sales people to stay in touch with company headquarters at all times. But that capability is here today. EV-DO (Evolution Data Only) cellular broadband and its fallback lower speed service 1XRTT will give you mobile access in the tens and hundreds of kilobits per second. Verizon Wireless is the leader in this technology. Read more in "WiMAX Tomorrow, EV-DO Today".

In the next year or two, you'll be able to routinely access the Internet at T1 line speeds (1.5 Mbps upload and download) or better. WiMAX technology is being tested to create metropolitan area "hotspots." But cellular technology isn't sitting still. Lucent Technologies and Verizon Wireless are testing the new EV-DO Rev A technology which boosts EV-DO data speeds to 3.1 Mbps in the forward link (download) and 1.8 Mbps in the reverse link (upload). Data latency is also improved with this technology.

The real excitement behind WiMAX and now EV-DO Rev A is not the increased Web browser speeds or faster email transfer. The applications waiting in the wings for higher speed carriers are VoIP telephone, video telephony including video conferencing, streaming audio, multimedia experiences and perhaps live television via cell phone.

Mobile wireless devices are quickly getting the capability for streaming multimedia, MP3 music, high resolution color video display and Bluetooth communications headsets. What's missing is a multi-megabit per second data link that won't break when you leave the coffee shop or corporate access point. The ideal will be always-on broadband that stays connected transparently as you walk from place to place, drive in your car, commute on high speed rail and perhaps even fly overseas. The tests in progress on higher speed wireless access are leading us toward that scenario in a matter of a few years.

If you are interested in wireless access via today's available EV-DO and 1xRTT broadband technologies, consider getting the Audiovox PC5740 card with Verizon Wireless Broadband Access from our online wireless store. We also offer a wide variety of cellular plans and wireless devices at Cell Phone Plans Finder.

HP iPAQ HX2415 Pocket PC

Hewlett Packard's iPAQ HX2415 Pocket PC is a venerable PDA style pocket computer with both WiFi and Bluetooth communications built-in. This ability to communicate without an umbilical to a desktop PC makes this wireless device far more than an office peripheral. It's now an easily transportable web-enabled computer.

The inclusion of Bluetooth short range communications allows this IPAQ to connect peer to peer with other wireless devices to create a personal area network within a room or in close quarters outdoors. You'll be able to wirelessly print documents, e-mail, brochures and pictures to a Bluetooth enabled printer. You can also exchange data via infrared beam with other Serial-IR enabled devices.

For connection to the Internet, you'll use the built-in 802.11b WiFi transceiver. This gives you high speed access to browse the Web and to send and receive email. Within the corporate walls, you can connect to your company's closest wireless access point.

The iPAQ HX2415 runs on a 520 MHz Intel processor running Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition software for Pocket PCs. This is your office and personal productivity software designed specifically for mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants. You get Pocket Word for word processing and Pocket Excel for number crunching and financial data. Pocket Outlook has tasks, calendar, contacts and an inbox. Pocket Internet Explorer, also known as PIE, lets you browse the web and switch from portrait to landscape mode as you desire.

Concerned about what might happen if you accidentally leave your HX2415 on a conference table or lose it in the back of a cab? After all, you can be carrying enough proprietary information for a competitor to cause serious problems. Or worse, if we're talking about your personal information. This Pocket PC is protected with HP ProtectTools in collaboration with CREDANT Technologies. You can use a PIN or password to control access. You'll also be able to impose industry standard encryption to protect your stored data.

The HP iPAQ HX2415 includes a 3.5" transreflective TFT display with portrait and landscape modes, an LED backlight and a power saver mode. The screen is protected with a plastic flip cover to avoid scratches. You can access up to 70 MB of user available memory. Expansion includes both an integrated SD memory slot and a CF memory slot. There is also an integrated microphone, speaker and a stereo headphone jack.

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

Last Call for Packet8 VoIP Discount

Time is running out to get free activation for Packet8 VoIP services. Packet8, a leading provider of residential and business VoIP services, has been running a "hot summer" special offer of free activation on its Broadband Phone service, Virtual Office business service, and Uniden Whole House VoIP phone system. That's a $29.95 value for Broadband Phone and Uniden Whole House VoIP and a $39 value for Virtual Office. But, you must take advantage of this offer before midnight PDT on September 30, or you'll miss out.

Packet8's residential Broadband Phone service is just $19.95 a month for unlimited U.S. and Canada calls for residents of the United States. If you live outside of the U.S., you can get up to 1,000 minutes of calling to U.S. and Canadian phone number for $19.95 a month. Special packages are also available if you make calls to international phone numbers.

The Uniden Whole House VoIP telephone is a new telephone that has a built-in router specially designed to improve the quality of VoIP phone calls. For $159, you get a base station phone plus a wireless extension. You can have up to 10 cordless handsets on this system, avoiding the need to run wires between rooms. Unlimited calling is just $19.95 a month

Note that you have unlimited worldwide calling to other Packet8 subscribers included with your service. That's one big advantage of VoIP telephone services that use the Internet to transport phone calls.

The Business VoIP service plan offers 2,000 calling minutes to anyone in the 50 US states and Canada, and unlimited minutes to Packet8 subscribers world wide for just $34.95 a month.

If your business has 3 or more telephone extensions, consider Packet8 Virtual Office service. It's a hosted PBX service that gives you the ability to easily call other extensions, or forward, conference and transfer calls. You buy a special business phone and broadband adaptor for $99 and then pay $39.95 a month per extension for phone service. This includes unlimited U.S. local and long distance calling, plus unlimited calls to any of your extensions located anywhere in the world. Voice mail is included. Before you go out and buy an expensive PBX system and any telephone system, take a close look at Packet8 Virtual Office. You're likely to find it considerably less expensive when you run the capital and operating expense numbers.

An option for Virtual Office is the Switchboard Service Software. It turns a PC into a switchboard console to work with your Packet8 Virtual Office service. Order now and you also get your first month and activation free on Switchboard orders, for a limited time only. That's an additional $29.90 value.

Take advantage of the special free activation offer on the Packet8 service of your choice before the end of September. Learn more and order your Packet8 VoIP Phones and Services now.

Samsung i730 Pocket PC and PDA Phone

The integration of cell phone, personal computer and PDA is now taking place in the Samsung i730. It's a multipurpose wireless device that includes broadband Internet, WiFi and Bluetooth communication protocols all built-in. But browsing the Web and sending messages is just the start. It's also set up to let you listen to music on its MP3 player or even watch streaming TV and video clips when that content service becomes available.

How do they fit all of this into a phone that you can comfortably hold in the palm of your hand? It starts with the packaging. Rather than have the keyboard as part of the front panel like a Blackberry device or PalmOne Treo, the Samsung i730 is a slider design. The QWERTY keyboard tucks behind the screen and navigation buttons. That also serves to protect it when not in use.

The TFT touch screen is 240 x 320 pixels and supports over 65,000 colors. This is where you access your PDA functions based on the Microsoft Pocket Windows operating system. You get Pocket Outlook that syncs with your PC, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. That's pretty much an office in your hand. You have POP3, IMAP, SMTP and Blackberry Email support as wells as MMS and SMS text messaging. Pocket Internet Explorer is used for Web Browsing.

One important reason that this phone is so versatile is the multiple communication protocols built-in. In addition to CDMA 850 and 1900 MHz cellular, the i730 has high speed data from the same cellular network. It is the broadband speed EV-DO (EVolution Data Only) system available in many major markets. If you move out of range of the EV-DO transmissions, the service switches from EV-DO's 700 Kbps down to the almost universally available 1xRTT system capable of 70 Kbps. That's still about double what you get from dial-up.

Still feel the need for more speed? Hang around a Wi-Fi hotspot, even if it's just at home or work. The Samsung i730 has 802.11b WiFi built-in, which is rare for even a technically advanced cell phone. On top of that, you have Bluetooth communications available so you can use a wireless Bluetooth headset instead of holding the i730 like a cell phone.

A future use for the fairly large main color display is watching streaming video content. The Samsung i730 has the capability of downloading video clips, although as of now it has not been enabled by Verizon wireless to access VCAST that runs on the EV-DO cellular data network. Verizon's VCAST gives you news and sports broadcast downloads and even concerts. Learn more about VCAST and cell phone models that support VCAST downloads in "Verizon Wireless VCAST is Video For Cell Phones."

Battery power for the i730 is provided by a LiION battery giving up to 132 minutes of talk time and 324 hours of standby time. There is also a special Sprite Battery Backup that saves your data if you run out of the main battery power. You might actually need that backup if you lose track of time while you are working in that WiFi hotspot.

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

T1 Telephone Service

You may have heard that T1 lines offer a cost advantage over regular telephone lines for businesses with multiple phone lines. But did you know that there are several flavors of T1 line service? Here's how they work and how to pick the right one for your application.

T1 digital line service was originally developed as a trunking system to transfer groups of telephone calls between phone company offices. It was designed from the ground up to be a direct replacement for multiple phone lines to a business location. A standard T1 voice line carries 24 telephone calls and replaces 24 separate pairs of telephone line between your location and the closest telephone office.

So how do you squeeze 24 phone calls onto two pair of copper wires used for T1 service? You need a device called a CSU/DSU or Channel Service Unit / Data Service Unit to convert the phone calls to and from the digital format and to pack and unpack them on the digital trunk. In most cases, the CSU/DSU will be part of a T1 interface card that plugs into your PBX telephone system. You can also get stand alone CSU/DSU equipment that will make a T1 line look like 24 individual phone lines to your analog phone system.

You don't need to use all 24 phone lines if you don't need them. You just need enough to make a T1 telephone line more cost effective than a bunch of individual analog telephone lines. That break even point can be as low as 10 or 12 phone lines.

T1 PRI or Primary Rate Interface is a variation on T1 telephone service that replaces up to 23 phone line. What happened to the 24th line? That capacity is used to provide Caller ID or ANI (Automatic Number Identification) information. This is an especially valuable feature for Call Centers.

Integrated T1 service combines both telephone calls and Internet service on the same T1 line. Where available, Integrated T1 lines can replace both analog phone lines plus a DSL or Cable Internet connection. Since most businesses have some type of Internet access these days, Integrated T1 can be even more cost effective than regular T1 phone service.

A new and completely different way to use T1 lines for telephone service is by using them as data lines for VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol telephone. This is also known as broadband phone. For this technology, you have an IP PBX or special IP Telephones that take care of digitizing the telephone calls. VoIP transmits phone calls over the Internet or a private company network, and is a way to bypass some long distance toll charges.

What type of T1 telephone service is right for you depends on how many phone lines you need and what equipment you already have or plan to install. Our Shop For T1 technical experts will be happy to discuss your needs, give you competitive prices, and make recommendations. There is no cost or obligation for this service. Simply enter a request online at T1 Rex.

Net10 Prepaid Cell Phones Are Hot

You know how it is. You could really use a cell phone, but wince at the thought of signing on the dotted line for a two year commitment. That's especially true if you are only going to be in an area or even the country for a short time. Or, maybe you just can't pass the rigorous credit check the major cellular providers need to give you a contract. That's OK. There's a really good alternative right now and it's called Net10.

Net10 is arguably the best deal going in prepaid cell phones. With Net10, you pay as you go at 10 cents per minute. There's no contract, no commitment and no credit check involved. You just buy a special cell phone that works on the Net10 wireless network and then buy your minutes as you need them. When you don't want the service anymore, just stop using it. When the term of your minutes expires, your account will go inactive and your phone number will be reassigned. What you won't get is a bill for not living up to the terms of your contract. That's because there is no contract.

So how about this 10 cent a minute rate? Is that for real? Yes it is. You pay $30 for 300 minutes which are good for 30 days. That's 10 cents per minute and those minutes are good for local, long distance or roaming. So what happens at the end of 30 days? Well if you want to keep using the service with the same phone number, you'll need to buy more minutes before the time expires. You can buy another 30 minute "time card" before the first one expires and the minutes you haven't used yet will rollover. You can also buy larger card with longer time periods. $60 gets you 600 minutes good for 60 days. You can get 1,800 minutes for $180 and they're good for 180 days. Or buy the 3,000 minutes card for $300 and get up to 365 days of service.

If you use your phone regularly, you won't have to try to remember when your minutes expire. The special phone will display your balance and let you know when you need to add more minutes. You'll be able to do that quickly and easily on the Web or by phone call. You'll also find minutes cards at major retailers, such as Wal-Mart.

Ten cents a minute is what is making Net10 the hot new service in the prepaid cell phones business. Hey, you may have a hard time beating that rate on your landline when you divide the monthly cost by the number of minutes you actually use. It's certainly competitive with other cellular phone plans and better than many. Plus you have control of your costs, no ongoing commitment, and you can keep your unused minutes as long as you keep your service active.

If you order now, you can get great deals on popular cell phone models ready to go for Net10 service. Better hurry to make sure you get in on these deals. NET10...Pay As You Go Made Simple.

Plantronics CS50 Wireless Telephone Headset Trial

Tired of being tethered to your office phone by a standard handset and coiled cord or even a wired headset? Try a wireless telephone headset.

The Plantronics CS50 wireless convertible headset lets you roam up to 300 feet from your phone. Unlike some radio based technologies, this headset features a 64 bit digitally encrypted signal so that your private conversations remain private. You'll have 8 hours of talk time for a full day's work. The headset is charging anytime it is in its cradle and only needs an hour and a half to recharge to 80% capacity. Distracting background sounds are reduced by the noise canceling microphone that gives you a mute button for additional privacy or when you just need to clear your throat.

The Plantronics CS50 is called a convertible headset because it can be converted to any of 3 wearing styles. The standard setup is for over the ear wearing. For maximum long wearing comfort, it can be converted with a head band for over the head wear. An optional behind the neck kit is also available if you prefer that style.

You may be wondering how you'll answer your ringing phone when you are wearing your wireless headset but away from your desk. That's the job of the optional HL10 Handset Lifter. This robotic device automatically lifts your desk set receiver off-hook and returns it to the cradle when your call is finished. It enables remote or one touch call answering and ending with your Plantronics cordless CS50, CS10 and CA10 headset systems. The HL10 is compatible with most standard desktop telephones and contains a ring detector to make it compatible with older phones.

High Speed Internet via Satellite

DSL and Cable Internet service gives you broadband Internet access when you are near a telephone company office or within the reach of Cable TV lines. T1 dedicated Internet access is also reasonably priced in major metropolitan areas and near telco offices. But what do you do when you are located out in the boonies, in a small town or agricultural area? Does this mean you are stuck with poky dial-up Internet service or $1,000+ monthly lease fees for dedicated lines? No, not anymore.

The broadband solution for sparsely populated locations is satellite Internet. It's almost universally available in the 48 US states. As long as you have a clear view of the geosynchronous satellite belt in the southern sky and electrical power, you can likely get high speed Internet via satellite.

DIRECWAY offers two-way satellite broadband in 4 packages. There's a plan for the home user, and 3 separate business plans for the independent professional, the small office and the general business location.

All of these plans are based on the DW6000 satellite modem and two-way dish antenna. The satellite modem is conceptually similar to a DSL or cable modem, except that the broadband line to the modem connects to a satellite transmitter and receiver on your roof. The connection to your computer or network is via Ethernet. There is no software to install. The modem is compatible with PCs, Macs and virtually any device using the TCP/IP protocols. Since this is two-way radio transmission between your dish and the orbiting satellite, there is no phone line needed.

So how much speed can you get? The home satellite Internet service has a rated download speed of up to 500 Kbps and an upload speed of up to 50 Kbps. That's in line with what you'd get in actual use from DSL or cable Internet service. You also get 5 email accounts with 10 MB of storage per account. While the home service is intended for typically one user, you can connect it to your Wi-Fi router and put the whole family online. However, multiple simultaneous users will slow performance. You should also know that there is a download threshold of 169 MB.

What's a download threshold? It's something you don't really see with other forms of broadband. You satellite modem is always-on, but bandwidth through the bird is somewhat limited. So, this isn't really the type of service you want for constantly downloading music or software. When you hit the threshold, a "fair use" policy takes effect and throttles back your download speed so you don't hog the full capacity of the satellite transponder. Satellite Internet is more appropriate for email and general Web browsing.

The Professional plan is designed for up to 2 concurrent users. It offers the same upload and download speeds but increases the download threshold to 350 MB and gives you a routable static IP address.

The Small Office plan is recommended for up to 3 concurrent users and doubles the download speed up to 1 Mbps. The upload speed also doubles to up to 100 Kbps. The download threshold is increased to 500 MB.

The Business internet plans is recommended for small to medium business applications at commercial locations with up to 5 concurrent users. You get 1 Mbps download and 100 Kbps upload maximum bandwidth and a download threshold of 800 MB. With this plan you also get 10 email accounts with 10 MB of storage each.

How much does all this cost? Plans (as of this writing) start at $59.99 a month for residential service plus an upfront cost of $499.97 (after rebate) for the equipment, up to $129.99 a month with an upfront cost of $899.98 (after rebate) for the high-end Business Internet package. The other packages have pricing in-between the home and business plans. This puts satellite Internet clearly in competition with dedicated digital lines, and business grade DSL and Cable Internet service, assuming you can get either of these.

CallWave's Interesting Telecom Accessories

CallWave is an innovative company that has come up with some useful and interesting software based accessories for your telephone and Internet service.

First is the CallWave Internet Answering Machine. You probably have at least one tape or electronic phone answering machine for your home office or small business. I have three at last count, although only one is on duty as a call screener. It works great, but is of no value when the line is in use. During those times, callers will get a busy signal. Back when I was using dial-up Internet service for hours on end, I only had to hope that no important calls would come through.

CallWave has solved this dilemma for dial-up users with their software known as an Internet answering machine. The machine itself is a little window on your PC that displays Caller ID information and lets you hear messages that callers are leaving. All the while, you are still tying up your phone line surfing the Web or reading email. How can this be? CallWave intercepts your calls and lets you know someone is calling. That's something like voicemail. With this software, however, you will get an alert on your computer screen and you can hear messages through your computer speakers as they are being recorded. You then have the option to click a button and take the call on your landline phone, or transfer the incoming call to your cell phone. Or just let them record a message and call back later. You can get this service for $3.95 a month with a 30 day free trial. Try the CallWave Internet Answering Machine risk-free for 30 days.

Another CallWave service is designed to let you screen calls on your cell phone and even transfer them to your landline. To make this work, CallWave provides you with a new local phone number that rings on your cell phone. When someone calls your cell phone, answering it lets you listen to the caller as they leave you a message, but they won't hear you. If you want to pick up the call, you just push 1 and you can talk to them. Otherwise CallWave voice mail will take the message.

Another feature lets you leave your cell phone off and be alerted to incoming cell phone calls on your PC, similar to the Internet Answering Machine. You can elect to click a button and take the call on your home or office landline. By the way, your regular cell phone number works the same as always. It's only the new CallWave number that gives you the enhanced features. This service costs $3.95 a month with a 30 day free trial. Screen and transfer your cell phone calls with CallWave. Try it risk-free for 30 days.

CallWave also has a service designed just for business lines. You get a new business number from CallWave and you can decide what phone you want it to ring to. That can be your office or home phone or even your cell phone. You can change where the number ring to anytime you like. You'll also get alerts on your PC if you download the companion software. That lets you screen calls while you are online, similar to the Internet Answering Machine.

Another feature of the business service is a personal FAX number. When someone sends a fax to your CallWave fax number, the fax is received at CallWave and sent to you as an email attachment. You no longer need a fax machine to receive faxes. Cost? These business telecom services are $7.95 a month after the 30 day free trial. Try CallWave's business line service with Fax to Email on a risk-free 30 day trial.

Globat Web Hosting 75% Off Summer Specials

If you are in the business of making money from Internet sales or using the Internet to help you make money with a conventional bricks and mortar business, web hosting is a critical part of your success. Sure, you can set up your own server and do your own hosting. But with the web hosting market as competitive as it is, you'll probably find it cheaper, easier and more reliable to buy this service.

Here's a perfect example. Globat, a well known web hosting company with over 50,000 customers worldwide, is running a summer special that gives you 75% off for the first year if you pay annually. That puts their most affordable plan, the Gigabyte Package, at $1.99 per month. Yeah, under two dollars a month. For that you get 5 GB of web space, an amazing 75 GB of monthly transfer bandwidth, 5,000 POP3 email accounts, shared SSL for ecommerce, website templates and promotion tools. If you've been shopping for web hosting lately, you know that's a LOT for the money. Even at the regular price of $7.95 per month, it's a great deal. But at $1.99 a month, it's a steal.

Globat also offers two other web hosting packages designed for ecommerce applications. The Commerce Starter is corporation-level e-commerce hosting for a single site. It offers 7.5 GB of Web space, 100 GB of transfer/bandwidth per month, 7,500 POP3 e-mail accounts, development and marketing tools, and shopping cart software that supports credit card and PayPal payments. The Commerce Starter has a special price of $3.74 per month for the first year if purchased annually. Normally, it's $14.95 a month.

The largest ecommerce hosting package from Globat is the Commerce Pro, a larger version of the Commerce Starter. You get 10 GB of Web space, 150 GB of transfer/bandwidth per month, 10,000 POP3 e-mail accounts, a larger shopping cart system, and the ability to host 4 domain names for up to 4 different sites on the same account. This advanced web hosting solution is specially priced right now at $6.24 a month for the first year if purchased on an annual basis.

Globat hosting plans offer many other features, such as 24/7 phone support, online chat support, a ticketed e-mail support system and extensive software and technology compatibility. You'll need to read through the details of each hosting package to get the full extent of it.

So, if $1.99 per month for a year sounds like the right price to host your web site, you best hurry over to the Globat Summer Special 75% off Web Hosting Offer right now and place your order. You can only get the Gigabyte, Commerce Starter or Commerce Pro hosting packages at these outrageously low introductory prices for a very limited time. If you have any hesitation whatsoever, you should know that Globat offers a 30 day money back guarantee to ensure your complete satisfaction. Now, does hosting your own sites really make more sense than a great hosting deal?

OPEX Communications Advantages for Business

OPEX Communications, Inc. is a competitive long distance, VoIP and cellular carrier with a commitment to OPerational EXcellence. Hence, the name OPEX. Located in Elk Grove Village, a suburb of Chicago, OPEX was established in 1998 and harnessed the leverage of the Internet to reduce costs from the get-go.

OPEX's flagship product is competitive 1+ long distance service. Business users pay just 2.95 cents per minute anytime for interstate calls in major service areas of the lower 48 states. Businesses located in smaller towns and rural areas with independent phone companies may pay slightly higher rates. There is no monthly fee on your account, although there is a low usage fee of $2 if your bill is under $20 for a given month.

International calling rates are low for a 1+ phone service. You'll pay 6 cents a minute to call the UK or France, 5.5 cents per minute to call Spain, 8 cents per minute for calls to Germany, just 7 cents per minute to call Japan, and 8.9 cents per minute to call China.

The billing increment is a generous 6 seconds with a minimum call length of 18 seconds. Why is this important? Like most of us, I'll bet you play a lot of phone tag. If a significant number of your calls are answered by voice mail messages, you want to minimize the cost per call. Many long distance carriers bill in full minute increments with a 60 second minimum charge. You may spend only 20 or 30 seconds leaving a message, but pay for a full minute. With OPEX, your minimum charge is only 18 seconds, or 30 seconds for international calls.

The 6 second increments also add up when you make lots and lots of calls during the month. Whether you make a dozen or a hundred phone calls every day, you'll save on every call with smaller billing increments.

The FCC has mandated certain charges for all business phone lines. The USF or Universal Service Fund is 8.7% and the PICC (Primary Interexchange Carrier Charge) fee is $3.25 per line after the first line. If you have only one business line, there is no PICC fee.

How about toll free numbers? Toll free numbers are an excellent business tool to encourage customers to call for information or to place orders. Now you can publish a toll free number without worrying that high toll-free calling rates will result in a big monthly expense. OPEX offers inbound toll-free service at the same per minute rate as your outgoing long distance calls. That's as low as 2.95 cents per minute. There is a $2 per month additional charge for your first inbound toll free line and 53 cents for each additional inbound toll free line. With rates that low, you can publish different toll free numbers on different advertising campaigns so that you know which ads are bringing in the business.

Take your OPEX long distance service with you when you travel by ordering an OPEX calling card to complement your landline service. The card is 99 cents to set up and you'll pay just 14.9 cents per minute. There is no connection charge, but there is a government mandated 35 cent charge when you make calls from a pay phone.

Unlike some newer carriers who are leveraging the power of the Internet for ordering and customer service, OPEX gives you the option of getting a paper bill or an online e-bill at no charge. You can have both for an additional $1.99 a month. You also have the option to pay by mailing a check every month or with auto-pay which debits a checking account or charges a major credit card.

Here's an additional incentive to switch your long distance service to OPEX. Right now you can get 100 free state to state minutes which will be credited to your six month's bill. Learn more and sign up for OPEX long distance phone service here. You'll also have the opportunity to order by phone if you wish.

Two newer services from OPEX are a VoIP service called OPEX Internet Voice which is appropriate for small office and home office users, and a low cost cell phone service called OPEX Wireless, which offers cellular plans without long term contracts from $9.99 per month.

Kall8's Auto Attendant is a Virtual PBX or Switchboard

One of the ways that big companies sound big is through their sophisticated telephone systems. They've paid megabucks for such automation as PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems, switchboards and Auto Attendants or IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems.

What would you say if I told you that you can have these same phone system features and more without any of the capital expense or staffing? You can with the Kall8 Auto Attendant. It's a perfect solution for businesses that have a few, a few dozen or even a few hundred employees.

Kall8 is the company that made inbound toll free numbers practical for smaller companies and even independent professionals. You can get your own toll free number for as little as $2 to order, $2 a month, plus 6.9 cents per minute to or from anywhere in the continental United States.

If you are an independent professional or family business, a Kall8 toll free number with its built-in voice mail and inbound fax might be all you need to project an appropriate business image to your customers. But if your company is big enough to have people in different functions or departments, you need a system that's more sophisticated. Years ago, you would hire a phone receptionist and have him or her announce callers over public address system or intercom: "Call for Tom on line 1. Tom, line 1."

Nowadays, the receptionist is generally a computerized automatic attendant with recorded announcements. You probably recognize how this works from your own experiences of calling companies to place orders or get customer service. You call a toll free number and a pleasant voice greets you and then offers a menu of options. "To place an order, press 1. To reach technical support, press 2. For billing issues, press 3. For all other needs, press 0 and an operator will be with you shortly."

With the Kall8 Automated Attendant, you can set up a "calling tree" like this. Each step is called a menu. For instance, if the caller presses 3, the system might say "To pay your bill, press 1. To correct a billing error, press 2." The call can be directed to additional menus or to specific people or departments depending on which phone button is pressed. I say departments, because all 5 or 10 of your technical support people can be placed in a "hunt group." The system will hunt for the next non-busy technician and ring their phone directly. If nobody is available, the call will be sent to voicemail. Each extension can also have it's own voicemail.

Now here's something you might not expect. The Kall8 Auto Attendant can be programmed to ring phones that are not co-located. Your technical support group might have one technician in Dallas, another in Seattle, two in Miami, and another in Chicago. They can all be in a single hunt group and give the impression that they're sitting side by side at corporate headquarters. If your company is a virtual company with your colleagues scattered throughout the country, this system can let you offer one or more toll free numbers to your clients. The Auto Attendant will then provide your callers with access to anyone in your company, regardless of where they are physically located.

There is no equipment to buy, since Kall8 hosts the Automated Attendant on its servers along with other toll free number features. You will need to order at least one Kall8 number, such as the toll free inbound number I mentioned earlier. You can then order the Automated Attendant for a setup fee of $50 and a monthly fee of $25. Kall8's customer service department will help you get the IVR portion of the Auto attendant set up to your satisfaction.

GoToMyPC Internet Remote Access

Have you ever been frustrated that you were in one place and everything you needed was on your computer somewhere else? The solution is something called remote access. Remote access gives you control of your home or office computer from another computer hundreds or thousands of miles away. At its best, you'll feel like you're connected by a long, long wire from a keyboard and monitor to your main computer.

There are various implementations of remote access including KVM or keyboard, video and mouse over IP. These easiest to implement, though, is a program called Go To My PC. Like the name says, you use the Internet to go to your far away PC. Sounds like a simple enough concept, but how does it work?

GoToMyPC, a product of Citrix Systems, Inc., is more of a Web-based service than a software solution. You download a 1.4 MB "installer" on your host computer. The host is the computer that you are going to be accessing from afar. You'll need to leave it powered and connected to an always-on Internet connection, such as your company's LAN or a DSL or cable modem broadband ISP. As long as the machine can talk to the Internet, you can gain access from a Java-enabled Web browser on just about any other computer.

The way you connect to your computer is not obvious. You might think it is a simple peer to peer connection over the Internet. Not so. Instead, you log into a GoToMyPC server. Your host computer is always pinging the GoToMyPC server to see if you want service. When you want to connect, your interface is through Go To My PC which does the conversions necessary to transmit keyboard commands and screen updates.

Why such a complex transaction? It's complicated technically to make it simple and easy for you. For instance, because your host computer effectively initiates all communications sessions with its pinging, you can work through corporate firewalls without any fancy configurations. Also, because you are communicating through a proxy, GoToMyPC, you can log in using just about any computer that you can connect to the Internet. That includes most flavors of Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Unix or Solaris. Even a Pocket PC will work. There is no software to preinstall on your remote client computer. That means you can even gain access to your host computer at Internet cafes, libraries and Kiosks.

Now don't get nervous about the security concerns of using the Internet and public computers to access your corporate computer. Your connection is encrypted using 128 bit AES encryption. You log-in with your email address and password. Plus you need the access code for your host computer. You also have the option to use one-time passwords for additional security. With all the security encryption, you are actually creating a special purpose VPN or virtual private network. At the host end, you can configure your desktop computer to lock the keyboard and blank the screen to prevent snoops from hanging around your machine in hopes of seeing something interesting.

What can you do with GoToMyPC? You can easily transfer files between computers and print documents to any printer, even if you don't have the right application loaded on your client computer. You can cut, copy and paste text between computers. You also have the option of inviting a guest to join you to temporarily view or share access to your host PC. That can be useful for collaboration, working on projects with clients, or getting technical support for computer problems.

You can actually gain remote access to your computer using a dial-up connection, although you really want a broadband connection to get the experience of transparency in your connection.

If this sounds like something that would be helpful in your business, you can get a free trial of GoToMyPC here. If you like it, there's a monthly or annual fee that includes all software upgrades and technical support. The basic service is for one host PC, but you can upgrade to enterprise level services to support additional machines.

PalmOne Treo 650 Half-Price

When it comes to smart phones, the PalmOne Treo 650 is one of the brightest in its class. It looks and works like a PDA. It functions as a cell phone. It takes pictures and operates as a camcorder. It plays MP3s like music player. It handles email and web browsing like a small computer. Now you can get yours for half the going price. I'll show you how in a second. First, let's take a closer look at the Treo 650.

The PalmOne Treo 650 is an upgrade to the venerable Treo 600. New features include the addition of BlueTooth technology for wireless connections to peripherals such as headsets, sharper display, built-in MP3 player, ability to view, edit and create Microsoft Word and Excel documents and view PowerPoint attachments from your email. Both the camera and keyboard have been improved.

The Treo 650 comes in two models that are identical except for the cellular network standard that they support. One is for GSM/GPRS networks such as Cingular Wireless. The other is for CDMA networks such as Sprint PCS.

The display is a color TFT touch-screen with 320 x 320 resolution and 16 bit color. Tap it with the stylus like you would a PDA to access your phone, camera, calendar, contacts, memos, task list, messaging, email, Web browser, and RealPlayer music player. Note that the music player requires an additional SD memory card, but I'll tell you how to get that included free.

The Blazer Web Browser is worthy of special mention. Unlike many cell phone web browsing applications, this is a real honest to goodness Web browser that can handle HTML, JavaScript, frames, cookies and various graphics formats. You can use it to view most Web-based content including Web-based email. The pages look like they would on a standard desktop browser. You can download and save files and images. It also handles secure Web transactions using 128-bit SSL encryption.

The keyboard is a standard QWERTY keyboard with a backlight. Use it to compose SMS text messages or email. The Email client supports the standard POP and IMAP protocols plus some others. You can use Exchange Server ActiveSync to synchronize with your corporate email or use Windows Sync to synchronize with your PC.

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

PC Cellular Air Cards Now Free

Where do you go when you want wireless broadband Internet access and you're nowhere near a WiFi hotspot? Why, to your cellular service provider, of course. Cell phones are ubiquitous for mobile voice service. Almost as ubiquitous, but not as well known, are cellular data services.

Verizon Wireless Internet access for cell phones and computers as an additional or alternative service. Yes, you can sign up for cellular based Internet service to give your notebook computer email and web access without buying the traditional cell phone service. Even better, the adaptor card you need is now free after rebate when you sign up for new service through our cellular store.

Verizon Wireless offers their EV-DO broadband service with unlimited data usage. This service offers higher bandwidths in the major cities where EV-DO is deployed. Maximum download speed is rated at 2.4 Mbps, with typical speeds of 400 to 800 Kbps and bursts up to 2.0 Mbps. Elsewhere, the service falls back to the more readily available 1XRTT NationalAccess rated at 144 Kbps with typical download speeds of 70 to 80 Kbps.

If you need readily available mobile wireless Internet access to support your business needs, such as a mobile sales force, this is the option you need to cut the dial-up phone, DSL and Cable Internet cords. Check the coverage maps for this service to be sure there is coverage in the areas where you spend most of your time.

You can also view all of the cellular phone and cellular data offers we have available by vising Cell Phone Plans Finder and browsing through the services and available phones. Please note that these offers are subject to change at any time. If you want one of these special offers, order now.

Free RAZR V3 and BlueTooth Headset Through July 4

Were sorry, but our free Bluetooth headset has already expired. What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

Here's an Independence Day special that's more exciting than a rocket's red glare. Right now, for a very limited time, you can get the coveted Motorola RAZR V3 cell phone with a bonus BlueTooth headset with new Cingular Wireless service. The RAZR V3 camera phone valued at $399.99 is free after rebates. The $79.99 value headset is a free bonus. With a shared minutes plan, you can even get TWO RAZR V3 cell phones and TWO BlueTooth headsets free.

The solid anodized aluminum shell RAZR V3 is just half an inch thick. It has quad-band GSM for use in 100 countries, Bluetooth, MPEG4 video, 4x optical zoom digital camera, speakerphone and a 2.2 inch color display inside. You can read more about this exciting phone at the Talk on Talk article, "Did Someone Say Free Motorola Razr V3?"

BlackBerry 7290 Wireless Handheld Free

Put a cell phone, PDA personal digital assistant, two-way messaging pager, and notebook computer in a blender and what do you get? Chopped electronics. Now let a company called RIM, for Research in Motion, combine these same functions through the magic of engineering and what do you get? It's a clever communicator and business organizer called the BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry is a highly desirable wireless handheld that appeals to business people and SMS messaging aficionados alike. But at prices of $300 to $600 you might just decide to keep your separate laptop computer, PDA and cell phone till prices decline. They just have. What would you say if I told you that you can get a BlackBerry 7290 wireless handheld free after rebate? That's right. You can get a BlackBerry PDA phone with a list price of over $400 free when you order a Cingular wireless phone plan and data package. You'll need both. The Blackberry functions both in the telephone and computer realms.

I'll tell you how to take advantage of this limited time offer in a minute, but let's take a look at what this BlackBerry device is capable of.

First of all, the BlackBerry 7290 is a cellular phone. It uses a regular cellular phone voice plan, such as the Cingular Nation 450 w/ Rollover - 2YR. The earpiece and microphone are integrated into the front of the unit. You can also add on a Bluetooth hands-free headset. It looks like a PDA, but it works as a cell phone. The 7290 is quad-band cellular network ready. It works on GSM/GPRS networks on 850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz. Those are the major worldwide GSM cellular bands.

With BlackBerry you can do two types of messaging using the PC-style 33 key QWERTY keyboard. There is SMS or simple text messaging that is popular on cell phones and honest to goodness email that lets you send, receive, forward and reply to regular email messages. BlackBerry uses a push technology that constantly monitors your email and lets you know when new messages arrive. It's similar to an always on broadband connection except that it's wireless and always with you. BlackBerry includes a filtering engine in its software to help you avoid the pain of spam.

The bright backlit 240 x 160 pixel color display supports over 65,000 colors. You navigate with a built-in trackwheel, graphics and menu interface plus the ESC key. The screen is essential to the wireless Internet browser and connected organizer functions. It also lets you view attachments to your email.

The organizer offers the typical PDA functions of calendar, address book, task list, memo pad and calculator. You can synchronize it with your desktop computer to avoid having to enter data twice. For corporate use, BlackBerry offers the BlackBerry Enterprise Server that connects company employees with the corporate infrastructure. Password protection and a keyboard lock offer handheld security.

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Dial-up Internet Service via WiFi

Dial-up Internet service at 56K and WiFi wireless access at 11 Mbps may seem like two things that don't really go together. But actually it's the perfect marriage of technology for business travelers and home office users.

Here's what I mean. Even though broadband has expanded to include many businesses and hotels, millions of people still use dial-up ISPs. Why? Mostly because broadband is far from ubiquitous. DSL and Cable Internet services are limited to areas where the population density justifies the cost of the wiring. Even in mid-sized cities, there are subdivisions that haven't been wired for cable and are just a little too far from the phone company office to get DSL. Wireless ISPs or WISPs tend also to have very limited line of site service areas. That leaves two-way satellite Internet service and T1 dedicated Internet access, both of which are pricey for the individual user or smaller business.

So what's wrong with dial-up? For a lot of people, nothing at all. If you primarily use your computer for email and general web site browsing, a dial-up Internet connection may run as fast as you really need. What you may be missing is the ability to share your Internet connection with other users in your home or office, or go out on the deck and read your email without having to trail a long phone wire snaking through the house. That's where broadband users with wireless routers have it made. Ah, but now you can have the same convenience. Somebody's invented a wireless router with a built-in modem to access and share dial-up Internet services from most ISPs.

The WiFlyer is a little grey box that you can hold in your hand or easily slip into a laptop case for travel. It's about the size of a DSL or cable modem. Inside is a wireless 802.11b access point, an Internet router and a V.92/V90 dial-up modem. You simply plug your phone line into the telephone port and connect the power adaptor. You configure the WiFlyer using your web browser, so it will work with Windows, Macintosh or Linux operating systems. Up to 5 computers can share the same Internet service.

The WiFlyer also has a broadband Internet port so that it will work as a wireless router for broadband services also. If you later upgrade to DSL or cable Internet, you simply tell the WiFlyer to switch over to the broadband connection and use that. If your broadband goes down, switch back to your dial-up service. That way you'll always be able to connect.

This is also a great little device for taking your computer on business trips and vacation. Regardless of where you are staying, you'll have the convenience of wireless access to the hotel broadband or your dial-up ISP through a phone port. The small size of the base station and its power plug make it convenient to carry along.

The WiFlyer has security provisions to keep hackers, poachers and general snoops out of your connection. The system has hardware based 40/64 and 128 bit WEP encryption along with MAC address authentication. This is similar to what you'll find in most current wireless routers.

Note: If you have your heart set on DSL or Cable Internet broadband service, check residential broadband availability here.

Motorola T-900 Text Messaging

Cross a beeper with a notebook computer and what do you get? It's the two-way messaging pager. You can hold it in your hand or clip it to your belt. It sends and receives email and instant messages, and gives you weather reports, sports scores and stock quotes. Not within receiving range? Your messages are stored for up to 72 hours.

The Motorola T-900 flips open to reveal a backlit 4 line LCD text display. The other half features a lighted QWERTY keyboard and navigation buttons. The memory stores up to 70,000 characters and a 250 entry address book. With it's single AA battery, it weighs in at just over 4 oz.

This device goes far beyond your uncle-the-doctor's pocket pager. You can use it as a regular pager, but the real power comes in being able to send and receive text messages just about anywhere you happen to be. It's wireless mobile email. You can forward incoming email messages from your company's Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes email to your T-900 while you are out of the office. You'll get an audible or vibrating alert when a message comes in. Reply to email messages or forward them just like you do at your computer keyboard. You can even store your read messages in your personal folder.

With confirmed two-way messaging, you can be sure you won't miss your messages even if you happen to be sitting on a mountain, in an airplane or between coverage areas. When you get within range of a base station, up to 72 hours later, the system will see that you are available and deliver your messages.

Want to send messages? Enter your text on the keyboard and even include a signature with your emails. The address book stores up to 9 fields of information for up to 250 of your best friends, colleagues, bosses, etc. Messages have time and date stamping. Emails can be sent to any Internet email address. Get two of these T-900 devices on the same messaging service and you can also chat or send instant messages back and forth.

The Motorola T-900 Personal Interactive Communicator supports the standard (FLEXible wide area synchronous protocol) signaling standard commonly used for numeric and text paging. It transmits in the UHF frequency range of 896 to 902 MHz and receives in the range of 929 to 942 MHz, using frequency modulation. Transmit power is 0.15 watts for short bursts of 16 to 160 msec. Since transmissions are brief and receiver power demands are minimal, battery life can be as long as a month. You also have the option to turn the device completely off to save battery power.

If you are interested in learning more about the history and technology of pagers, read "How Pagers Got Their Beep."

What are the hottest cell phone deals available right now, including free cell phones? Use the Cell Phone Plan Finder to check out the top phones and associated wireless service plans.

Build a Business Web Site in 5 Minutes Flat

You know that websites are essential advertising tools, even for local businesses that don't plan to do any Internet transactions. Web sites are the new Yellow Pages. They're also the new resumes, the new advertising brochures and the new small businesses. Even if you are able to mooch space on free web pages, classified ads, job boards, auction sites, blogs and automatically generated affiliate program sites, at some point you are going to feel the need for your own business website with design and content that you control.

Now the ugly part. Creating your website. The traditional approach is to buy some expensive web design software, get an art program, scrounge graphics from the web or buy a clip art collection, and try to roll your own. Until you get some experience under your belt, the results will probably look like a middle-school science fair project. Then, to add insult to injury, you need to find an affordable web hosting service and figure out how to upload and maintain your masterpiece.

Or, you can do as many frustrated web site owners have done and outsource the whole project. $10,000 later you have a more professional looking web presence and hefty recurring expenses to keep the beast alive. All in the name of being competitive in a more and more Internet based economy. Aren't there ANY better options?

Well, there are now. What would you say if I told you that you could build a more professional looking website in 5 minutes flat than you'll likely do after a month's fiddling with design programs. It might look just as good as you'll get from a professional design house, but without the upfront expense and for under $20 a month complete. Interested?

What I'm talking about is a web based application and hosting service called WebMax Studio. Philosophically, it's a little like a blog in that all the tools you need are online. You don't have to buy any design software, FTP tools or graphics. They're built into the system. What you get are a set of 1,100 professionally designed templates that you use to build your website. They're already designed, so all you do is fill in the blanks to customize a template for your particular needs. It's fill-in-the-blanks and no more difficult that filling in online forms.

How about graphical content? You can upload your own pictures, or you choose from 1,800 stock photos to dress up your site. Page templates are available to build article pages, links, photo albums, feedback forms, contact information, guest book, message board, autoresponder, newsletter mailing list system, FAQ page, calendar, coupons, hours of operation, testimonials, press releases, and shopping cart. That's right. The shopping cart is included. You'll pay a fortune to add this service to web pages you design with software packages.

Your web site comes with 5 email addresses and a domain name based on the WebMax Studio site. You can also order your own custom domain for a small additional fee. Oh, did I mention the free 10 day trial? You don't need to risk a thing to see if this is the right approach for your business. Go ahead, try the service and see what a great looking site you can build in a matter of minutes. If you like it, you've got your web design and hosting service for just $18.95 a month. Plus YOU control the content. You can make additions and updates anytime you want from the convenience of any Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh computer with Internet access.

Pay As You Go Internet Access

Broadband or dedicated Internet access is almost universal for business locations, even small companies and home-based operations. But what if your broadband isn't available? It might go down for hours, or even a few days in the case of residential DSL and Cable services. Or you might be traveling on business or vacation where you have phone service but no WiFi hotspots. What do you do when the broadband umbilical is temporarily unavailable?

One answer is to maintain a separate dial-up Internet service account for just such situations. At today's rates you can get basic dial-up Internet service as low as $7.95 a month for 56K Internet access from thousands of local access numbers.

Another approach is the prepaid Internet, also known as pay as you go Internet service. Assuming that you normally use a broadband Internet connection through a shared T1 line, cable or DSL modem, or wireless access point, you probably won't be a heavy user of a dial-up account. Instead of paying a monthly fee for a service that you only occasionally use, why not get a prepaid account good for a year?

Tollfree ISP offers just such an account with many rate plans good for individuals, small companies and major corporations. The least expensive plan is called "Express Plus." You pay $9.99 for dial-up access at about a penny a minute or 59 cents an hour. That rate is good for dial up from local access numbers in the USA and Canada. You can also make calls from 150 other countries, although the per minute rate is higher. There are 24,000 worldwide access numbers with 17,000 of them in the U.S. You also have the option of calling a toll free number if you are somewhere in the boonies without a local access number, but again at higher per minute rates.

Note that the Tollfree ISP Express Plus plan is $9.99. Your minutes expire one year from the date you order them. When you add minutes to your account, the clock is reset for another year and your unused minutes rollover. So, for under $1 a month you have backup Internet access minutes for emergencies and travel.

There are larger plans for heavier individual users and corporate use. The largest, the "Diamond" business plan, accommodates 500 users and offers a 20% discount on rates. According to TollFree ISP, larger companies can reduce their dial-up access costs up to 90% over using traditional fixed rate monthly ISPs.

You'll need your own email account, either POP or web based. Most everyone has an email account now. Infrequent Internet users can get one of the free web-based email services that are readily available online. TollFree ISP providers dialer software that includes an automatically updating phone directory of their access numbers. You can also manually configure your computer's dialer to work with the service. Live customer technical support is toll free and available 24 x 7. Now that's something you don't get from many of the more expensive monthly Internet Service Providers.