Which Wireless Plan And Phone Should I Buy
"Which cell phone should I buy" is a question a lot of people ask, but it is one that doesn't have an easy or simple answer. That's because there are so many cell phone choices and plans available today, and different people have different needs and different reasons for wanting to get a cell phone.
If someone is looking for a cell phone to carry just for emergencies or if their vehicle breaks down, a basic phone with a low cost plan is all that is needed. A prepaid phone with minutes that do not expire quickly is another good choice. On the other hand, if someone wants to have a phone to use as their primary mode of communication and also wants to be able to store information in it, a combination cell phone and PDA might be the best choice. A calling plan that includes a significant number of calling minutes that can be used any time would probably also be a good choice for that person.
The first step in buying a wireless phone and calling plan is to get out a piece of paper and a pen. Write down the reasons why you are going to purchase a cell phone along with what you are going to use it for. Think about how many minutes a month you will probably be using the phone. If you plan on using the phone often you will want a plan that has a lot of "anytime" minutes, not just minutes that can be used at night and on weekends.
Where is the phone going to be used? Will you be using it primarily in the area you live and work or do you travel frequently? If you travel frequently and plan to take your phone with you, a plan that gives you nationwide coverage is a good choice. If you travel out of the country frequently, look for a phone that can be used internationally. If you plan to use the phone extensively in your home area, look for a local or regional plan that offers a lot of minutes during the times you plan on using the phone.
If you want to be connected with your spouse and children, a family plan is a good choice. Look for a family plan that lets family members talk to each other as much as they want without using any of their plan minutes. Look for specials on phones. Wireless companies often offer specials deals when purchasing a family plan (and other plans as well). It is sometimes possible to get phones for the entire family for very little money or even free with a contract commitment to keep the service for a certain period of time, usually two years if you want to get the best deal.
Some people want to be able to have short and quick conversations. For those people a push-to-talk phone may be a great idea because it allows quick conversations that do not count against a person's plan minutes. One caveat; the other person or people you want to have a conversation with also have to have a phone with push-to-talk capability in order for a push-to-talk conversation to be held.
If the ability to text message is important check to see how much text messaging is going to add to the cost of your plan each month. Text messaging is most popular with teens. Many adults however would rather call someone than try to type a text message into a cell phone that has tiny keys, and most cell phones do. If you do a lot of text messaging, a stylus (the type used with PDA's) can make typing messages much easier.
One of the most important considerations is your budget. How much can you afford to spend each month? Even low cost plans can start to get costly if a lot of additional features are added to the basic plan such as text messaging, picture messaging, Internet access, and any of the myriad of downloads that are available from ring tones to games to the latest news and sports scores.
Optional insurance on a phone also adds to monthly costs. Depending on the wireless company you use, the monthly phone insurance cost is approximately four to six dollars. Insurance may be a good idea if the phone isn't always going to be handled with care or if it is a picture phone, because one hard fall on concrete can ruin the picture-taking capabilities of a picture phone.
Take time to consider how many minutes you will realistically use. Although the charges for going over plan minutes can be costly (usually at least 40 cents a minute with the exception of some plans that allow for overages and charge a reasonable fee), most people don't ever get even close to using all their minutes each month. If you are not sure how many minutes you will use, choose a mid-range plan and closely track your minute usage for three months. Then adjust your plan accordingly.
If you are not a person that wants to commit to a one or two year contract, a pay as you go plan is probably the best option. There is no long term commitment and most of the major wireless carriers now offer a pay as you go package.
Another big consideration is coverage. Some of the major carriers do not have good coverage in some areas so also check with the local and regional companies in your area to see what their coverage areas are. Probably the best way to find out how good the coverage is in your area is to talk to family and friends who already have cell phones. Ask them what their reception is like and if there are any areas where it is so poor that conversations are nearly impossible. Also ask how often they have dropped calls. Those pieces of information will give you a good idea of how good the coverage really is in your area.
Once you decide on a company, a plan, a phone, and your contract is signed; use the fifteen or thirty day return period that many companies now offer to use your new phone in all the areas you will most often use your phone. If the phone does not work well in those areas, do not be afraid to return the phone and try a different carrier. Be aware that even though coverage areas are quickly getting more expansive, there are still areas that do not have very good coverage no matter which carrier is chosen.
There are lots of phone choices available. Many plans offer decent quality phones for a nominal cost or for free with the contract commitment. Phones can be free or cost several hundred dollars. Shop around. Try out phones. Get a phone that you like and can easily use. Many people overbuy on their phone. They want all the latest features and gadgets but hardly ever use them. For instance, picture phones are very popular right now but most people who have a picture phone hardly every use it. Do not let an overzealous salesperson talk you into the latest and greatest phone unless that is what you want.
In the end, the choices are yours to make. By doing some planning, research, and by shopping around before buying, you will be able to make an informed decision based on your needs, wants, and budget; and will have a plan and phone you are comfortable with.
Can Cell Phones Harm Your Health?
It seems like everywhere a person goes there is at least one person in view with a cell phone to their ear whether it is on the road, in a store, in a parking lot, walking down the street, etc. Even in places where cell phone usage is banned such as concert halls or movie theaters there is the occasional offender, or more likely, at least a few people using the text messaging feature on their phone.
Cell phone usage has exploded over the past decade and continues to rise. Nearly two hundred million people in the United States have cell phones and there are well over one billion users worldwide. That means there are a lot of phones sending their frequencies over the airwaves at any given time.
Concern has arisen over whether or not cell phone usage can harm a person's health. Brain cancer rates in the United States have risen since cell phones were introduced, leading some people to wonder if cell phone usage is the reason for the increase.
There have been reports of people developing brain tumors in the exact same spot where they held their cell phone. Some studies have expressed concern over long-term cell phone use, believing it can lead to a person to develop cancer. That is not to say a person who uses a cell phone is going to get cancer, but some studies suggest long-term use increases a person's risk.
Things may not be all gloom and doom however. A large study done in Denmark with almost a half million cell phone users showed no increase in cancer for cell phone users.
Yet, other studies have concluded there is a greater risk of cancer but only with analog phone users. Some other studies conclude that any type of cell phone usage can raise a person's risk for developing cancer. There are a lot of varying opinions on the subject. According to the FDA, available data does not show there are definitely health problems associated with using wireless phones, but the information goes on to say that there is also no proof that wireless phones are completely safe either.
What about cell phone usage is causing the concerns and the numerous studies to be done? Cell phones emit radiation when they are used. The levels are low and are the same type of radiation as a microwave oven emits but in much smaller amounts.
It has been suggested that using hands free sets can alleviate the problem of the head being exposed to the radiation. Again opinions vary. Some studies say it does not decrease the amount of radiation exposure at all. Other studies say it significantly decreases the amount of radiation exposure.
Some people say the biggest danger with cell phones isn't from the either real or perceived potential to develop cancer, but from inattentiveness while using the cell phone. How many of us have seen vehicles driving somewhat erratically down the road and then see when we get near the vehicle that the driver is talking on a cell phone. It is a proven fact that a driver on a cell phone is less attentive and more likely to get in an accident. And, hands free sets aren't the answer that some people may believe. Yes, they free up both hands for driving and prevent a person from getting a sore arm, but the driver's mind is still occupied with the conversation and therefore less attentive to what is going on around him or her on the road.
Even people who are walking and talking on a cell phone at the same time can put themselves in more danger because they are not as aware of what is going on around them.
All the conflicting reports make a person wonder what they should do. The good news is that more comprehensive studies are being done to see if cell phone usage does or does not cause cancer. At the same time, manufacturers are working on new processes that will decrease or even possibly eliminate a person's radiation exposure. Until more definitive answers are given, a person may want to avoid talking on a cell phone for several hours every single day, but a person probably does not need to feel like they should have to give their cell phone up. It is still a great tool.
The advice about driving and talking on a cell phone is the same as it has been though. A person should pull over in a safe area out of traffic before engaging in a cell phone conversation.
Home Computer Security
This is a paper about securing your home computers and networks.
The goal of computer security is to keep unauthorized users from using your resources. This can be anything from your computer to your printer or even your web camera. Detection is another important aspect that should be monitored as well.
I often get asked "Why should I worry?"
Maybe you shouldn't. If you are concerned about any of your files or the possibility of losing them you should care. There is also online banking that many people use to watch their accounts. Malicious users can also use your computer to launch attacks against other networks, or put files on your computer as a means of storage. Even if you have the computer just to send email to Grandma don't think that you are not at risk. Attackers like to hide there tracks by jumping thru multiple locations such as your computer. Malicious users can take over your webcam and watch and even listen to you!
Attackers like to use multiple systems to launch denial of service attacks-sending tons of packets to bring a network to its knees.
Identity theft is huge right now. Your credit report should be reviewed frequently. Identity thieves can gain allot of information from your home computers. FTC said there are approximately over 10 million victims a year. If your ID is stolen or think it is visit www.consumer.gov/idetheft. Never send out your personal information in email it is not secured.
The risk is getting greater daily as more people connect to the Internet. Script Kiddies download tools that make breaking into computers as easy as pressing a button. Security patches are offered thru vendors but most people do not bother to patch there systems or have the time.
Do people in your household use file sharing programs? I cannot believe the amount of Spy ware and viruses that are hidden in some of those files. I removed over 600 different Malwares from a home computer who thought they were just downloading music. The system was always freezing and changing homepages in Internet Explorer. Not to mention these file sharing programs can be sharing your financial data, medical records, secret recipes or your last tax return.
Key loggers can be on your system recording every keystroke and emailing it to an attacker, enemy or even your spouse. This includes IM's, Emails, and passwords anything.
There are Anti-Virus software that will detect most of these programs.Anti-Spyware can also detect allot of MalWare or malicious code.
Use strong passwords that are alphanumeric or use a password strength tool. I would not use anything in a dictionary American or Foreign as those can be cracked easily thru Brute Force.
Don't use the same password for every account. Change your passwords regularly, and don't write them down.
I recommend making regular backups of at a minimum your critical system files. Back up to a CDR to ensure that your data cannot be overwritten.
Please monitor your children's surfing habits and teach them about the dangers of the Internet. I recommend installing filtering software to keep their curious minds out of the wrong sites.
Staying abreast of Anti-Virus updates.
Don't upon email attachments that can contain viruses or other malware.
Don't run programs if you don't know where they came from than can have Trojan horses. Trojan Horse is a program that appears to be a regular program such as Solitaire buts its actually sending your bank account information to an email address. Attackers can also take over your computer have .mp3 file ran at 3AM in the morning to scare you, even open and close your CD-DRIVE door.
Disable JAVA, JavaScript and Active X
Keep up to date on patching your operating systems and applications. In Windows you can set up automatic updates. You can also visit the Windows Update site.
Microsoft releases patches even second Tuesday of the month this is known in IT as black Tuesday, there is always allot of patches. Upgrade to Service Pack 2.
Internet Explorer always has security issues. There are Open Source browsers like Firefox http://www.firefox.org which is a great browser and has more security feautures. Firefox has allot of great add ons as well that can make researching more effective amongst other utilities
Disable scripting in email
Enable NAT Network Address Translation on your router. This will hide your private IP address from the Internet. While still allowing computers to access the Internet. Most network firewalls have IP NAT masquerading where multiple device on the Internet appear as one IP address.
Make sure you are not enabling shares on your computer for any of your drives. This will look like a hand holding a drive in Microsoft Windows.
Be aware of Phishing these are Internet Con-Artist looking to catch a some fish. Emails are sent that look like Bank Emails, Amazon and PayPal, it amazes me how many people I work with think its the real thing.
If your considered about security consider encryption. For Home users look into PGP or Pretty Good Privacy to secure your email, you can even encrypt your hard drive.
When you think you have deleted your files they are still retrievable consider a file wiping utility.
Use a Surge Protector.
No firewall can stop all attacks.
Benjamin Hargis CEO
Phuture Networks
http://www.phuturenetworks.com
Blog:
http://phuturegenius.blogspot.com
Choosing A Digital Camera Printer
There are so many types of digital camera printer on offer that finding the right one for your personal and business needs can be a very daunting task. However, there are a few main points to consider when choosing a digital camera printer that will help make the process a little easier.
It isn't necessary to have a high-resolution digital camera printer to make great pictures. The higher the printer resolution you use, the more pixels you'll need in your original image file to produce a decent size print with your digital camera printer. The actual file size (in pixels) of the image from your camera, divided by the printer resolution (in dots per inch), determines the final print size. So, if the image file size is 1,478 x 1,280 pixels, and you print the file at 163 dpi with your digital camera printer, the final print size will be 9 x 7.8 inches.
If your digital camera printer resolution is 300 dpi, then you will have a higher resolution with more dots per inch laid down on the paper but a smaller print size. It is therefore important to ensure that you have the image file size to support the resolution of your digital camera printer.
The price of a digital camera printer is lowering whilst the quality is increasing. If you choose the right digital camera printer you can have your own photo lab, greeting card designing and sign making department with just your digital camera, some software and a printer.
The aim of having a digital camera printer is to produce photographic prints that look as close to real photographic prints as possible. This type of digital camera printer was once very expensive to buy and run, but technological advancements and competitive pricing have made them much more accessible to the average buyer. Ink-jet printers are now available that can produce excellent prints and a near photo-quality printer is much easier to find for people with a small budget. You will probably want to have a digital camera printer with a scanning feature built-in. If you want to produce same-size scans of photos you don't need scan resolutions higher than 300 samples per inch for the scanner.
Your digital camera printer should also have the same interface that you already have on your computer. So if you have USB, then get a digital camera printer with USB, a Firewire printer if you have Firewire or a SCSI printer if you have SCSI. There should be no need to buy a digital camera printer that requires a different interface to the one you already have on your computer or it will cost you more to upgrade if necessary.
