Are you tired of long distance phone bills? Is your cell bill just short of the national debt? New to VolIP and wanting to learn as you go. Then check out Skype (http://www.skype.com).
Skype, what is it.
Skype is a small free social networking program, for Windows, MacOS, Linux, and mobile, that allows its users to chat, send sms, send files, webcam, and most important voice call other Skype users. Skype doesn't stop with PC to PC calls you can get a Skype In number so landline and cell users can call you directly on Skype, For a small fee you can Skype Out and call landlines and cell users. Can this save you money and time?
The Benefits of Skype doesn't stop there. Like a lot of social networking programs Skype has attracted 3rd party developers who write plugins allowing you to addon features for PBX, voicemail, call recording, call transfer, call forwarding and much more.
Skype is very careful to tell you use these at your own risk. A ranking system tells you how many people have downloaded the plugin and also it to be ranked from 1 to 5.
I have a client company that uses Skype as in and out of office PBX. More on that in the next review.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sceptre's 42 Inch HD LCD
Seems like every day a new television technology is coming out, well maybe only every week. Are you over whelmed? Do you understand what the difference between Plasm and LCD is. Or what about that new thing from Sony?
I can't answer all those questions. We have, however reviewed the Sceptre's 42 inch HD LCD for over 9 months, more then 2500 hours, in over-air-broadcast, satellite HD, and Digital Video computer monitor and found it to be exceptional.
As a web developer, internet marketer and photographer, I spend a lot of time in front of monitors and televisions. The Sceptre 42 inch HD LCD 1) presents my work in the high quality it is, 2) is easy on the eyes, and 3) displays color and detail amazingly.
I've also been impressed with the consistent color tone. High quality photographs require a strong detail in color, so I regularly check color calibration and I have never had to readjust the Sceptre 42 inch HD LCD. My much more expensive montiors have to be adjusted weekly.
Thanks Sceptre for such a great affordable monitor.
I can't answer all those questions. We have, however reviewed the Sceptre's 42 inch HD LCD for over 9 months, more then 2500 hours, in over-air-broadcast, satellite HD, and Digital Video computer monitor and found it to be exceptional.
As a web developer, internet marketer and photographer, I spend a lot of time in front of monitors and televisions. The Sceptre 42 inch HD LCD 1) presents my work in the high quality it is, 2) is easy on the eyes, and 3) displays color and detail amazingly.
I've also been impressed with the consistent color tone. High quality photographs require a strong detail in color, so I regularly check color calibration and I have never had to readjust the Sceptre 42 inch HD LCD. My much more expensive montiors have to be adjusted weekly.
Thanks Sceptre for such a great affordable monitor.
Education, Why should I care?
Where are we going with our education system? Is the students in the United States keeping up with the rest of the world? What is out sourcing of jobs doing to our education system? Why should you care?
For over almost 30 years now our education system has been slipping. The reasons are many, but it needs to stop. Everyone in the United States need to take a few minutes and thing about what's going on.
Have you been to the Doctor lately? Have you talked to tech support?
If you don't think that out sourcing job is hurting our education system think about this. For every $1 of payroll in a community it turns over 7 times. Thats not only means more jobs but all those jobs pay taxes that build new schools, pay teachers and support staff, and buy books and other supplies. Where is that tax money coming from if the jobs aren't there, if the payroll is going to India, or China.
Please feel free to post comments.
For over almost 30 years now our education system has been slipping. The reasons are many, but it needs to stop. Everyone in the United States need to take a few minutes and thing about what's going on.
Have you been to the Doctor lately? Have you talked to tech support?
If you don't think that out sourcing job is hurting our education system think about this. For every $1 of payroll in a community it turns over 7 times. Thats not only means more jobs but all those jobs pay taxes that build new schools, pay teachers and support staff, and buy books and other supplies. Where is that tax money coming from if the jobs aren't there, if the payroll is going to India, or China.
Please feel free to post comments.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Indigo 2 - Fun, Safety, and Security - Automation at its best
Happy New Year! Did you start the New Year off by kicking the chair as you came stumbling in sometime after midnight? OR, maybe you went the the bathroom at 2am and got the shock of your as the bright light hit you in the face? Then you need to look into home automation, AND if you are using a Macintosh 10.x I have just the software for you.
No long is home automation just a spaced out dream, or something for the geeks in Silicon Valley. Home automation is here, easy to setup, and can really change the way you live. For a time now we have been using a software call Indigo 2 by Perceptive Automation (http://www.perceptiveautomation.com.
We've tested Indigo 2 with Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5 and it works great. With 10.5 you must install the Indigo 2 10.4 install then the 10.5 upgrade.
Now Indigo 2 doesn't work alone you need interfaces, device controllers from x10 or Insteon, and RF receivers.
I recommend to Insteon PowerLinc 2414U from SmartHome (http://www.smarthome.com) because it is Insteon and backwards compatible with x10. This allows you to use both x10 and Insteon modules without having to buy separate computer interfaces.
Now you ask why would want to automate your house, and for that matter what could you do with it?
Have you ever came home late at night getting the sleeping kids out of the car without waking them only to have them screaming as the bright lights inside the house burn into their eyes. With Indigo 2 and the right modules you can drive in hitting a motion detector and Indigo knows the time set processes in motion so lights are on all the way to the kids rooms at 30% of normal brightness - ENOUGH LIGHT FOR MOM AND DAD TO SEE BUT NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO WAKE THE KIDS. Now that's progress.
Planning is the first step. Indigo 2 is very powerful and provides lots of options, however planning saves you time in Indigo 2 and money on modules, plus you get the results you are looking for faster. Over the next several months I'll be writing and doing videos of different project using Indigo 2.
No long is home automation just a spaced out dream, or something for the geeks in Silicon Valley. Home automation is here, easy to setup, and can really change the way you live. For a time now we have been using a software call Indigo 2 by Perceptive Automation (http://www.perceptiveautomation.com.
We've tested Indigo 2 with Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5 and it works great. With 10.5 you must install the Indigo 2 10.4 install then the 10.5 upgrade.
Now Indigo 2 doesn't work alone you need interfaces, device controllers from x10 or Insteon, and RF receivers.
I recommend to Insteon PowerLinc 2414U from SmartHome (http://www.smarthome.com) because it is Insteon and backwards compatible with x10. This allows you to use both x10 and Insteon modules without having to buy separate computer interfaces.
Now you ask why would want to automate your house, and for that matter what could you do with it?
Have you ever came home late at night getting the sleeping kids out of the car without waking them only to have them screaming as the bright lights inside the house burn into their eyes. With Indigo 2 and the right modules you can drive in hitting a motion detector and Indigo knows the time set processes in motion so lights are on all the way to the kids rooms at 30% of normal brightness - ENOUGH LIGHT FOR MOM AND DAD TO SEE BUT NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH TO WAKE THE KIDS. Now that's progress.
Planning is the first step. Indigo 2 is very powerful and provides lots of options, however planning saves you time in Indigo 2 and money on modules, plus you get the results you are looking for faster. Over the next several months I'll be writing and doing videos of different project using Indigo 2.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Aperture by Apple
Tired of searching aimlessly through thousands of digital images just to find the picture you took yesterday? What about retyping meta data for every photography to every website you post on. Well if you are looking to make your digital library more usable and your are using a Macintosh running OS X then you are in luck.
Apple's Aperture programs is developed by photographers for photographers.
The first thing you do in Aperture is build a method of cataloging your images. As you import from media, hard drive, memory card, or directly from the camera Aperture names, meta tags, and moves your images as you instruct.
Once everything is in the system you can view, and select the best images using stacks. Full screen mode is perfect for editing color and correcting those little dust spots.
When you are ready to export Aperture has your back there exporting to any size or format you want, even including your watermark.
OH AND LETS NOT FORGET TO MENTION THAT APERTURE WORKS WITH RAW IMAGES.
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