Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

You can find a long list of free cell phone offers on the web
by doing some online research. A few of minutes of research can
help you save time and money. These free cell phone offers are a
great way to: 1.Get more phone on a budget. 2.Upgrade your phone
and get a better brand 3.Add more features and capabilities
4.Put the extra money saved towards your monthly plan. 5.Keep
the extra cash and don’t spend it at all 6.Get a flip phone with
better voice quality

Best of all, these free offers are a win-win for you and the
cell phone companies. You get an awesome phone, and they’ll get
a customer for another year or two. So, with all the offers on
the web, one has to wonder:

Are they really free? Yes, but, only if you sign up for a new
plan when you purchase your phone.

Here’s our quick guide to getting the best free cell phone deals
online.

Select your features Write down a list of the top 5 features
that you need in a cell phone. If you plan to use it as your
primary phone increase your list to 10 features that you need.
Include everything from background color, text messaging
capabilities, phone size, brand, internet ready and other
features.

Size matters Any cell phone carrier out there can impress you
with a phone the size of your credit card. However, when it
comes to dialing, you cannot adjust the size of your hand and
your fingers. The perfect phone for your pocket or purse might
not be the perfect phone when you try to use it.

Surf the web for options A quick search on any major search
engine will reveal a list of retailers eager to offer free cell
phones with a service plan. Surf around, look at the options,
and offers, and select a free cell phone that meets all of your
needs.

Offer must be in your area Make sure your online retailer offers
the option to search by zip code. Cell phone offers vary
according to your geographic region. You don’t want to find out
after you fill out all your information that an offer is not
available in your area. This type of basic search feature is a
must for any online retailer who wants to offer great cell
phones to their customers.

Pick a Plan Some sites offer a comparison chart where you can
match up free cell phones with different service plans from all
the major retailers. This is a great way to make sure your phone
will work with your plan. And, again, you can save time and money

Rebate Offers Does your phone include a rebate option? Here’s
how to take advantage of the rebate without getting ripped off.
1.Read all the information online (and in your emails) 2.Keep
track of rebate numbers, urls and paperwork. 3.Remember, a
rebate only works when you turn in your paperwork. You must send
in your rebate info, exactly as described by retailer to benefit
from the offer. 4.If an offer looks too go to be true, or
involves too much work, move on to another one. However, don’t
overlook a great money saving option because it requires a few
minutes to fill out a form. The savings on a high end phone can
easily be half the cost of an annual contract.

You have many choices when it comes to free cell phone offers on
the web. Make a list of your needs and do some research. This is
the fastest way to save time and money. Once you have your
phone, you can select a plan and you’re mobile!

When you start on your journey into buying a cell phone there are just a few questions that you must ask yourself before you buy a phone.

Most people think that they need the latest and greatest cell phone thats hip. That couldnt be further from the truth. Actually it is not the phone that matters at all. Its the calling plan that is the important thing to think about when selecting a cell phone.

Getting regional or nationwide calling plan is one of the most important things. There is no reason to get nationwide service if you are only going to use the phone in your home calling area. This can save you quite a few bucks over the long haul.

Do you really need a camera on your phone? You can save money buy getting a plain jane phone as I call them. Actually most on the service plans online nowadaycome with either a free cell phone. Sometimes you even get cash back on the cell phone purchase. Thats right cash back!

Having your service plan company turn off the ability to receive and send text messages can also save you money. You can see more tips like this on Cell Phone Buyers Guide a free site for cell phone information.

We hope that these tips will save you money when you are looking to save money on a cell phone.

About the Author

Vince Ohare has written for many publications and is currently designing a new technolgy weblog

For the great mobile business people out there, the handiness to hook up to the net and use your gadgets back at work can be a major help. Now available in a large proportion of Nokia phones for sale today are Business Phones. These intelligent pieces of technology empower you to get your data through internet browsers & e mail any of your customers and team mates. In fact, your hand set acts in a similar way to a laptop might, except it is smaller than half of the volume.

Nokia, as they say, makes its business connecting people. They also know that mobility makes companies healthier. Mobility gives people the facility to co-operate and do business outside the traditional work places and times. Nokia supply a wide number of business handsets. All of these is for various sorts of users.

Drawing on their business range Nokia offer four contrasting makes of business hand set. These are communicators, smart phones, messaging sets and mobile telephones. Nokia business hand sets support solutions like Nokia Intellisync Wireless Email. Nokia carried out some research & was evident that employees exploiting wireless accomplished an average of an extra 55 mins. of work a day. This is predicted to stretch to about eighty mins extra productivity per day Christmas 07. Another perk to using a Nokia Business handsets is that they can save you cash for the business or even for you individually as you’ll not require 2 distinct hand sets - folk can have all they need confined in 1 set.

Nokia’s handsets are outstanding for businesses & for professionals. All handsets have stylish designs, are all extremely compatible and also very easy to use, once you’re accustomed to them. The email capabilities are great with support from Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Microsoft Office 97, 2000, 2003 and XP and don’t forget it works with the zip manager & Adobe Reader. Users can send & receive emails throughout chatting on the sets but also they are able to get the current calendar and the contacts data. The email function will work in offline mode which means one can read & write emails when the internet is unreachable.

Even though the business phones from Nokia are not all exceptionally petite, what needs to be remembered is that they are great dimensions considering what they’re capable of. Most of the hand sets come with a full featured keyboard with back-light, a good sized landscape display unit and don’t forget a simple one touch feature to access your e mail .

A business phone might not suite everybody but for the improvements it provides to folk who’ll make use of all the facilities, its surely going to make their life a lot easier. Get great business phones from Nokia.

TiVo, the poster child of technological advancement for companies like Direct TV, is really nothing more than a middle-aged woman in a designer dress - with plastic surgery. The technology behind TiVo is really just a tweaked DVR, or digital video recorder. Other companies have it; but no other company has built as successful marketing package around their product as has Direct TV with TiVo.

What is TiVo, um, I mean a Digital Video Recorder?

Digital Video Recorders capture video in a way similar to old video recorders, but they do it digitally. Watchers can “pause and rewind live TV” because the speed and response time of DVRs, like TiVo, provide for a virtually seamless transition from live TV to recorded material. Based on user settings, up to 80 hours of television can be recorded. This can include your favorite show each week, or you can record everything you watch to make sure you don’t miss anything. Remember, every DVR can do this, not just TiVo.

The difference is the way Direct TV has partnered with TiVo and positioned it for success in the highly competitive market of satellite television and accessories. The true success of TiVo’s marketing strategy lies in the fact that many people believe it is a unique product.

With product lines in competitive markets, positioning and packaging is king. Direct TV touts TiVo in nearly every major marketing campaign they put together. They offer discount TiVo technologies to new customers who are willing to commit to a one-year contract. My guess is that if you have ever heard of Direct TV and seen any advertisement they have produced, you have been exposed to the TiVo name and features.

Have You Ever Heard of Tevas?

The three strap sandals that have come in and out of fashion over the last few decades are now known almost universally as “Tevas.” Chalk up a point for the company Teva that created and marketed their sandals extremely successfully. When was the last time you had jello (actually a name brand of gelatin desert), or used a Kleenex (trademarked name for a tissue)? Do you ask for a “Coke” no matter what flavor of soda it is? The list goes on and on, including the most recent tendency to refer to all DVR technology as “TiVo.”

What are you going to do about it?

If you own a small business or operate one out of your home, you might not be running your own unique product line. But if you do, what are you doing to package it and position it for success? Consider doing the following:

• Name your product or service. It may sound silly, like naming your car “Betsy” or “Lechuga,” but a name is an essential part of successful repackaging. This is what TiVo did when they renamed their DVR technology. Rather than call it a car wash, try something like “Dirty Mike’s 15-Point SuperClean.” Maybe five years from now people will say they need a “superclean” instead of saying they need a “carwash.” Keep reading below for legal considerations.
• Before you start using a new slogan or title, double check to make sure another company does not already own the trademark or copyright. The last thing you want to do (or pay for) when you own a small business is a lengthy legal process over something you could have avoided had you done the research.
• Get legal protection for your products, names, and slogans. At the same time you are doing your research, register your trademarks, copyrights, and where appropriate your patents. Registering your intellectual property with the government will go a long way when it comes time to stop others from infringing on your company name or intellectual rights.

Nick Smith is an internet marketer specializing in online advertising. For more information about TiVo and DVRs, visit I-Satellite.

Due to the news that it now takes around for 20 minutes for a newly installed Windows XP PC to become infected after being exposed to the internet, it’s time to get that computer of yours updated. It’s too much of a risk not keeping your computer updated. Unfortunately for you dialup users out there, the Windows Security Update CD is no longer available from Microsoft. I know. I can hear you now. It’ll take forever to download all of that. That’s a real bummer. I ordered that CD earlier last year and despite it’s age, it still comes in handy for computers that I work on that have never been updated. When I find the time, I’ll give you the option of purchasing a similar CD for anyone out there who doesn’t have a broadband connection.

First, let’s make sure that Automatic Updates are set to download all the high priority updates.

• Right click on “My Computer”.
• Select “Properties” from the menu that appears.
• Select the “Automatic Updates” tab.

Make sure that “Automatic (recommended)” is selected and choose a schedule that is convenient for you (most likely when your sure that you’ll be online). Now, with that out of the way, let’s start downloading the latest updates from Microsoft. It’s imperative to get this done as soon as possible.

• Open the “Start Menu” and select the “Windows Update” icon.
• Select either “Express” or “Custom” tabs when the webpage finishes loading. (Windows Update may ask to install an ActiveX executable. Be sure to install it.)

It make take a few minutes for Windows Update to discover the necessary updates to get your computer up to speed. For those of you out there that already know how to use Windows Update, I’ve discovered a real gem. Do you see it in the lower right corner of your browser? There’s a new version of Windows Update available called “Microsoft Update” that not only keeps your computer patched, but you applications, like Office, as well.

• Go ahead and click on “Upgrade to Microsoft Update“.
• When done, click on the “Start Now” button.

Microsoft Update will go through it’s phase of checking your computer to see if anything is necessary to get itself running.

• Review the license agreement from Microsoft.
• When you have finished reading, click the “Continue” button.

Notice the small rectanglar popup? You have to install the “ActiveX Control” to get Microsoft Update running.

• Click “Install ActiveX Control…”.

A small popup (Internet Explorer - Security Warning) will appear asking for permission to install the ActiveX Control.

• Click on “Install”.

For the power users out there, this may look familiar. There’s a difference though. Remember when I said that you could not only keep the core of Windows XP updated, you know can keep your core Windows applications updated as well. You can now select “Microsoft Update” instead of “Windows Update” to keep everything secure and running.

Update: Microsoft has finally released a new security and critical updates cd. It can be downloaded here.

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Jarrett Graham is the owner and operator of both Computer Corner Plus, LLC and http://www.computercornerplus.com. He has been servicing, installing and repairing
networks, computers and peripheral devices for over 10 years.

TV technology is moving incredibly fast and the pace is hottest
with LCD and Plasma TVs. Last year’s models will be outperformed
by the new season’s products for sure.

Even better LCD and Plasma TVs are getting slimmer, more elegant
and ‘room friendly’ all the time. The beauty of flat panel TVs
is that they take relatively little space, look great and make
for a great home theater system.

Until recently, a Plasma was the only sensible large, flat panel
TV choice, but LCD TVs are now available all the way up to 50
inch sizes. At that size they are more expensive than an
equivalent size Plasma TVs, but the gap is closing fast. For
smaller sizes up to 32 inches, an LCD TV is the most common flat
screen TV choice.

Buyers Tip No 1. Make sure you know the size you want and that
it fits in your room. Measure up the space where your LCD and
Plasma TVs will go - on top of a cabinet or hanging on a wall.
The reason for this step? When you get to the mall and see the
largest screen you’re going to go “Wow I want that!”

Buyers Tip No 2. Know your budget and stick to it. No doubt
about it, LCD and Plasma TVs are sexy, especially when you see
one showing one of your favorite movies. This means it’s very
easy to get carried away, spend too much and end up regretting
your purchase as you pay it off, when you should be enjoying
your new Plasma or LCD TV.

Buyers Tip No 3. Be patient and shop around - time is on your
side. Because the technology is evolving so quickly, prices drop
noticeably every month and the products are getting better. Wait
a little longer and the price for the Plasma or LCD TV you want
will drop into your budget range.

Buyers Tip No 4. Write down the features you want in a
checklist. For example High Definition TV (HDTV) is now common,
so you’ll probably want that. Many Plasmas and almost all LCD
TVs are now High Definition ready. List your key features in a
table format and use it to compare and check off the features of
each model on your shopping list.

Buyers Tip No 5. At the end of the day, just trust your own eyes
(and ears). After you’ve set your budget, worked out what size
and features you want and compared the TVs in your price range,
how do you make your choice? The answer is simple - buy the LCD
or Plasma TV that you like the best. The best picture (and best
sound) at the end of the day is the one you like best.

Good shopping.

What are Single Board Computers

When most people think of computers, the image of a PC or laptop comes to mind. Some may even recall the football field size computers of the 1960’s and 70’s before the emergence of the PC. Very few people would picture single board computers , even if there was one sitting right in front of them! A single board computer is the terminology used for a printed circuit board that contains a processor, memory, I/O (input/output) and a clock. Single board computers (aka SBC’s) resemble the motherboard contained in a typical PC, but include all the elements of a basic computer within it’s small design. Since the early 1980’s, the technology behind this type of computers has been used in industrial manufacturing and computerized product design to apply basic processing functions for high-tech product features.

Usage of Single Board Computers

Also commonly referred to as embedded computers, single board computers are used in products from airplanes and rocket ships, to toys and high performance athletic shoes. Almost everyone uses single board computers without being aware of their existence. Most products that utilize computer technology (such as fax machines, cameras, cell phones, etc) contain embedded single board computers. While these tiny computers can host a full size operating system such as Windows XP, most SBC’s have internal operating systems that take up much less space. Simpler operating systems equal a lower cost per computer. Software for single board computers is generally contained on a flash memory system or ROM chip. Quality indictors for single board systems include processor performance, I/O compatibility, SSD storage and wireless capabilities.

Pros and Cons of Single Board Computers

There are both advantages and disadvantages to using SBC’s for industrial and product enhancement. Deciding whether or not to implement single board computer technology is largely a matter of application necessity and cost. Some of the deciding factors on using them include:

+ Pro : Current technologies have increased the capability of the single board computer, while reducing its size and cost.

+ Pro : Wireless technology has made it possible for easy internet access via SBC.

+ Pro : The competitive market has greatly expanding the options and functionalities available for SBC’s.

+ Pro : Advanced computer technology offers reliability for industrial manufacturers and quality products for vendors using SBC’s.

- Con : Incorporation can be costly for high volume products and applications.

- Con : Some applications require customized sizes or I/O functions that are not compatible with standard SBC’s.

Single Board Computer Technologies

While all SBC’s are built using similar standards, different technologies can be included with individual SBC’s. Video capability, Ethernet access functionality and digital computer technologies are just some of the features that can be incorporated into a single board computer. In general, SBC’s can be as simple or as complex as an application demands. Additionally, supplemental hardware such as backplanes and mezzanine structures can significantly increase the functionality of a single board computer.

P. Basauri is an expert author who writes for Single Board Computers

Shelly’s been divorced for several years and finally in the mood to start dating again. Like most women, she took a long time for her broken heart to heal. She waited until her every thought wasn’t about her lost love. She lived with the pain, knowing that she wasn’t ready for a new relationship because she wasn’t emotionally available and had nothing to give. The few dates she had were disasters – everything reminded her of her ex or made her anxious – so she took a time out.

She got busy doing other things. She made a life with her children, poured herself into her job and volunteer work.

One day she realized there was something missing in her life, and that dating sounded good. She was ready for a new relationship. She had ignored herself and her needs for long enough, and was hungry for the love and attention of a man. She had a lot to give.

So what does she find when she steps out into the dating world in earnest?

She finds Anthony. Anthony’s separated and has filed for divorce. He’s sure he’s going to go through with the divorce, is excruciatingly lonely, and in extreme pain, so, like most men, he’s going to make the pain go away as fast as he can, by finding the love of another woman.

It doesn’t matter a whole lot to Bill who the woman is, just as long as it’s now. While not exactly mindful about it, a nurturing, motherly type would be nice, someone who’ll take care of him and not cause him a lot of “trouble.”

So we have a woman who’s waited too long, and has a lot to give, and a man who hasn’t waited long enough, who wants to be given a lot.

Pain and suffering. They’re a part of life we don’t like to think about, don’t like to see others have, and don’t like to have ourselves. Breaking up with someone we love is so hard on us, it’s almost incomprehensible that in the US the first-marriage divorce rate is 50%; the second-marriage divorce rate, 60%; and the third-marriage divorce rate, 70%.

Somebody isn’t learning something!

Men react to emotional pain the way they do to most emotions — as a call to action. If a man loses the love of a woman, he will go out and find the love of another woman. He is not always discriminating about this, nor does he take his time. These transitional relationships usually end abruptly when he does begin to heal, and feels good about himself again.

Women react to emotional pain the way they do to most emotions — feeling them, dealing with them, turning to work and service to others and being reluctant to get involved again.

Women feel the feelings. Men solve the problem.

Imagine the futility and pain when the woman who has waited too long hooks up with the man freshly divorced and moving too fast too soon. She is looking for the new true-love of her life. He is looking for a temporary solution to his problem.

This is a common scenario, and not a good one. The love affair can be a heated one, but one destined to abort, abruptly. Either the man begins to regain his equilibrium and self-esteem, and leaves for what to him are greener pastures, or the woman gets tired of giving and not getting, sees through the smoke screen finally, and reluctantly takes her heart elsewhere. Pain, disillusion, guilt, and anger are the results. And lost time.

The solution? Awareness. Communication. Some EQ (emotional intelligence). The man in this scenario is going to be coming forward with both barrels loaded, and that’s one sign to look for. Protestations of love, promises of babies, and trips to the Caribbean – too much too soon, too good to be true. Women who’ve dated men in this shape via the Internet tell me they’ve been proposed to by the 3rd email. It’s heady stuff, and if you’ve been waiting a long time, hard to resist.

Is this real love? you wonder. Does he mean what he says? How do you judge something like this? Know the scenario, first of all. Then, keep your head about you.

Postponing sex is one good way to keep your head about you. A man who is really interested in a woman for who she is, is more than willing to wait. A man who needs a woman right now, any woman, is not. If that’s all he wants and you deny, better to find out sooner than later.

Those wonderful chemicals released in physical intimacy cloud everything and escalate emotions for women. If you’re just after a nice affair, then go in with your eyes wide open and hang on to your heart. Those wonderful chemicals are the best antidote in the world for depression, so he’s looking.

BTW, according to a recent survey, only 2% of women think sex on the first date is appropriate, and only 20% of men, so if it’s suggested, wonder why.

It’s highly unlikely someone who has just met you sees the real you and loves you “as you’ve always wanted to be loved” in the space of a few days. It happens, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Protect yourself, and take your time. Good things don’t need to be rushed; they tolerate a wait quite well. Listen to what he says in the between-times, and what he does. Obsessing about his ex, being overly demanding, being unable to tolerate arguments, over-reacting to your requests, calling them “demands” and “pressure,” and showing ambivalence are all signs that you’re going to be the “transitional affair”> If you get emotionally involved, you’re going to have your heart served to you on a platter.

This has to be something you do on your own, incidentally. (Coaching is good for objective feedback.) Asking directly won’t produce an honest answer, because likely he’s driven, in denial, and not able to be honest with himself.

Should you date a man newly-divorced (or separated), I mean for more than idle entertainment? Since so many men rush into the next affair, even the next marriage, it’s hard to catch one who’s truly ready and emotionally available for a relationship, but it may be worth your time to let some of the adorable newly-divorced (or separated) ones go elsewhere to cut their teeth considering that the second-marriage divorce rate is even higher than the first. If he rushes on to another broken-heart, it doesn’t mean you need to!

Keep your smarts about you, and good luck!

About the Author

©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering coaching, Internet courses, and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your personal and professional success. Relationship coaching, career, transitions, other. I train and certify EQ coaches. Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for info on this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program training coaches worldwide. Email for fr** EQ ezine.

So, you know about iPods and the various ways that you can enjoy them – including as you drive. Yet there’s a very big subject that we want to cover, because this is the biggest reason that people buy this neat little device: iTunes.

It’s not difficult to understand what iTunes is, and why people are somewhat addicted to it (in the good way, of course!). Look at it this way: the iPod is the hardware, and iTunes is the software. Or if you’d prefer a different analogy – one that isn’t so technical – imagine that the iPod is the radio itself, and iTunes are the music stations.

iTunes is the name of an online music store that sells countless numbers of audio tracks that include music, but also include books and other material, too.

While there are a number of websites that legally sell music, iTunes is unarguably the most popular and the most well-known; and that trend doesn’t appear to be stopped whatsoever!

As of the end of the second quarter of 2004, iTunes had sold 70 million songs in its first year and offered 700,000 tracks. Both of these numbers have grown substantially since then, and analysts are busy tallying up the numbers for the rest of 2004, and now into 2005.

So…just how far reaching is iTunes popularity? Well, in England, it seems to be the favorite destination – in fact the # 1 destination of people who are looking to purchase digital music. iTunes’ market share in the UK is 54% while Napster has only 10%.

Mia LaCron is the founder of IpodFunctions.com -
http://www.ipodfunctions.com/ - devoted to helping individuals get the most
out of their Ipod.

Compact Flash card backup: the benefits

Backing up one’s Compact Flash card has a number of benefits: storage, convenience and reliability.

Backup for storage

First of all, backing up one’s Compact Flash card to a laptop is great for storing all kinds of data, stored on a card, like images, audio files and what not. Since Compact Flash card size is limited (to 4Gb for now), backing up one’s card can be a convenient way of using a single card perpetually.

Backup for convenience

Secondly, backing up one’s Compact Flash card can be a convenient way of copying data between laptops. Using such a small medium, which can fit in one’s hand, to copy data between computers seems to be rather comfortable, as one does not have to connect the computers, or use another medium as an intermediate.

Backup for security

Thirdly, backing up one’s Compact Flash card to a laptop can be a way to secure the data, stored on the card, in case a file gets deleted, damaged, or the card itself gets damaged or list. When coping data from a Compact Flash card to a laptop, the files will also be stored on a laptop and will be ready to replace the damaged or lost files.

As seem from above, Compact Flash card backup has a number of benefits. To reap the benefits, one can download Handy Backup here www.handybackup.net/download.shtml and use it to backup one’s Compact Flash card to a Windows laptop or any PC with the right adapter.

Visit our site www.handybackup.net