I love spoken-word audio. I’ve been listening to seminars, lectures, and books on tape for years.

I love downloadable audio. Missed that teleseminar you signed up for? Just download the MP3 (or Real Media, or Windows Media, or QuickTime) file and it’s almost as good as being there–maybe better.

But I really dislike streaming audio of the kind you can’t download, and I find the new trend to use Macromedia Flash to provide audio clips online particularly irritating.

Why? Because I don’t want to have to sit in front of my computer screen to listen to something. The only time I might want to do that would be if I were taking notes, or if the recording were a set of instructions on how to do something with a computer program. When I’m at my computer, I’m usually busy doing something that requires concentration (like writing).

I want to do my listening when I’m away from my computer and doing something that occupies my hands but not my full attention. In my case, that’s primarily when I’m driving and when I’m cooking. And while I could theoretically prop my laptop on the passenger seat while I drive, I can’t (yet, anyway) get a connection to the Internet while going 65 miles an hour. Besides, the car stereo has much better speakers than the laptop does.

The whole point of podcasting, after all, is to allow people to download and listen at their leisure, the same way RSS news aggregators let you collect blog headlines and other news at your own convenience. These streaming-only audio clips (.ram as well as Flash) don’t give you that option. And that snarks me off.

And yes, I do realize that people want to protect their intellectual property and that’s one reason they use non-downloadable streaming audio. I respect that. But I don’t want to sell or otherwise redistribute their material. I just want to listen to it on my time. To users of streaming audio I pose the question: would you rather I just didn’t listen? Would you really prefer that I just miss your marketing message altogether?

Because that’s what was happening before I thought of a way around the Flash barrier.

In May I made one of my best investments of 2005 and bought a $10 mini-stereo audio cable. I plug one end into the laptop’s headphone socket and one end into the cassette recorder’s microphone port. Or I plug the other end of the cable into the microphone port on the laptop and record it onto my computer to play on my new MP3 player. (My current preferred recording software is the freeware program Audacity, available at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ in versions for Windows, Mac, and Linux.)

It works like a charm. I now have access to all kinds of things I never would have listened to before, all thanks to a simple cable.

Now all I need is one of those car stereos with an MP3 player built in.

(c) 2005 Sallie Goetsch

“Author-izer” Sallie Goetsch started helping other people with their writing at the age of nine. Before going into business for herself, she translated, directed, produced, and was sometimes forced to act in Greek and Roman plays, as well as founding an electronic journal. Her FileSlinger(TM) Backup Blog (http://www.fileslinger.com/blog) was recently featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. Visit http://authorizer.fileslinger.com to learn how to become an author whether or not you can write.

Having two operating systems is not as difficult as many of us consider. It just requires little hard work and some good equipment. By equipments I mean good hard disk space and good RAM sometimes, depending upon which operating systems you are going to install.

So your first step is to choose which operating systems you are going to install on your computer. I would recommend you to choose them wisely because it could have some negative effects on the performance of your systems. If you have good processor, Pentium 4, and good RAM, at least 256MB, then you do not need to worry about the selection process. There are still millions of people who are using P II and P III processors. When I had Pentium III, I was used to choose windows XP with Windows ME and that was very nice pair of operating systems.

Now let’s turn to their installation procedure. This step is considered as a very critical step. Many people, with less knowledge, corrupt their data or operating system file by using wrong method to install both operating systems.

Let me make clear now that I will not be telling in this article about how to install windows 98 and Me together. You will learn only how to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 with Windows 98 or Windows Me. I hope you got it.

Your First step is to install first Windows 98 or Windows Me on your blank hard disk. If you have already installed windows 98 or Me then you do not need to consider this step. But still if you want the fresh copies of both operating systems then you may consider formatting your PC and then installing Windows 98 or Me first. To get help on formatting your PC or installing windows from DOS mode you may consider http://winguide.info .

After you have installed your first operating system, I mean windows 98 or Me, you have partially completed your objective. Now you can install your device drivers, programs or anything on your Windows 98 or Me, even you can install them later. Now you are ready to use your first operating system.

Your next turn is to get Windows XP CD or Windows 2000 Setup Disk. Insert them in your computer and as setup starts, just in the beginning you have to choose the option describing Install New Copy. I mean you should not select UPGRADE option. Just that’s it! You have to tell setup on which drive or folder you want to copy your windows files. It is best to use different partition other than where your Windows 98 or Me is installed. If you install both windows in same partition then you may corrupt your both copy of windows. For example, if you have installed windows 98 on partition C:/ then you should install Windows XP or 2000 on partition D:/ or E:/ whatever other partitions you have. If you have only one partition then you may consider repartitioning your hard disk to get more than one partition. I hope you would get most help from Windows Setup Guide which will teach you about how to partition your hard disk with pictures.

Then let your Windows setup proceed and let it to be finished. Remember, if your windows XP or Windows 2000 CD is bootable then please do not boot from CD Rom when computer restarts during Windows 2000 or Windows XP setup. Otherwise you may go on risk of installing multiple corrupted copies of windows.

I hope you may install two windows easily. Still if you are scared then May God helps you. Ok, my last advice, try to move your important data to different PC or any storage device before proceeding, because if you fail, it would not hurt you.

Alan Malik, being well experienced in computer maintenance, describes most of his skills on installing windows in his website Windows Installation Tutorial

So you need to check your IP address, for whatever reason. Maybe you’re playing an online game with a friend, or you need to access your PC remotely. Whatever the reason, there are a number of different ways you can check your IP address.

One of the easiest ways is to run an “ipconfig” command in dos prompt. You can access a DOS prompt from windows by hitting start, then run, and typing cmd in the run box. A MS-DOS dialog box will appear. Try typing “ipconfig” in this window.

This will come back with the IP of your computer. However, if you are running a home network or an office network, this will only give you your local IP. This is the IP that has been assigned to you by your router or hub. If you want to check your external IP (which is the one used to connect to your computer or local network) then you need to access your router settings, usually accessed by typing 192.168.1.1 into your browser (or whatever local IP your router has been assigned. Usually, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.0 will be your default gateway IP. “Default gateway IP” meaning your router, as your router is used as your gateway for accessing the Internet).

After you’ve brought up your router information page (and logged in, which is sometimes required), look for a status page, and your “WAN IP.” This IP is the IP assigned to your router as your external IP for your incoming traffic.

Now, should you need to check your external IP and you can’t access your router, you could use an IP checker on the Internet. A simple Google or Yahoo search for “IP checker” will give you a list of sites that use an easy script to tell you your IP. There is also certain programs in Windows that will give you this result. Try looking around.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even for companies with a low number phones. Before investing in any type of phone system or voice mail system, you need to estimate how much your company is likely to expand over the next few years and if possible how many phones you may require. Failure to do this could cost you or your company a lot of money in upgrade and restructuring costs further down the road. It is better and cheaper to plan and allow for expansion at an early stage, than wait until it is too late.

If you plan to remain under ten phones then I would recommend you invest in a KSU-less phone system. Basically these look like normal phones that carry all the technology and software needed to run a small phone system of up to four lines and eight to twelve extensions. These systems incorporate many of the features that full PBX phone systems offer (though not voice mail). So be sure to check with your supplier what features are available on these types of phone systems. These systems are relatively cheap compared to other types of phone systems. They are also easy to install, so can be quickly re-located to another office or building. This type of phone systems usually arrive as a boxed product that is installed by you, and carries a manufacturer’s warranty. You will have to make enquiries with your vendor as to the level of after sales support that is available. You may find it is much less than if you had purchased a larger more expensive phone and voice mail system. One major disadvantage of KSU-less phone systems, is that they cannot integrate separate voice mail systems. If you do choose to purchase one of these KSU-less phone systems, then you will have to use a voice mail service that is offered by your telephone company.

If you decide that you must have a fully featured voice mail system, and can confidently predict your company will expand beyond ten phones within next few short years, then you will be better off investing in one of the fully featured KSU phone systems on the market. These phone systems are typical in companies with around ten to forty users. Some suppliers may recommend installing something called a Hybrid phone system. These systems are ideal for small to mid sized companies of about fifty to a hundred employees, and offer many of the features much larger PBX phone systems offer.

Below is a check list for when you are selecting a new phone and voice mail system and supplier:

1. Try to estimate how much your company will grow in the next three to five years. Look at how many lines and extensions you have at the moment and decide how many your company may require in the future.

2. Contact potential phone systems suppliers, and arrange an appointment with them for a full demonstration. A number of these can be sourced off the internet or through your local business pages. This will also give them a good opportunity to have a look at you and evaluate your potential requirements. Remember to ask them about their experience and if necessary ask for referrals. You could even ask to see a phone and voice mail system they have recently installed.

3. Make sure you decide on a rough budget for your proposed new telephone and voice mail system. Ask around other businesses of similar size, what amount they have invested in their phone systems.

4. When potential suppliers provide you with a quote for your new phone and voice mail system, go through them carefully, ensuring they include all of the requirements your business will need. These may include extras like; Full voice mail capability, additional handsets, call handling software, automated attendants, service level agreements (SLA’s) and any other additional features.

5. Once you have decided on one or two suppliers, it is time to get them back round. Remember, they want your business. Bearing in mind the budget you decided earlier, make your decision based upon not only price, but which supplier you think can provide your company with the best service before, during and after the installation of your new phone and voice mail system. Any good potential supplier will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the phone system they intend to supply and install for you.

Thanks for reading

Jason Morris is co-author, search engine optimization and marketing consultant of Business Phone Systems Direct. Specialists in the supply and installation of quality business phone systems and accessories from leading manufacturers. For a free quotation on one of our range of Panasonic phone systems and for free technical advice click Panasonic Phone Systems

Your Bible At Your Fingertips

It is fairly easy to find a pda Bible free download online. Your pocket pc can become your own private spriritual asset for daily scripture readings and further Bible study. A variety of Bible software free downloads are available on a variety of sites, for free and as shareware, which costs a nominal amount.

Many people feel that their life is not complete without a copy of the Bible at their fingertips, and a pda makes it a reality. A free download of Bible software to your palm pilot is easy, and the bible software downloads are simple to operate and very user-friendly.

There are many versions of free Bible downloads, so that you can have the version that you like best or that best suits your needs. While the standard edition is the easiest to find for free online, other version can be located. For instance, you can get a free download of Bible software in any of these versions, Modern King James version, Old English King James version, revised version, BBE or Bible in Basic English version, and the NIV version, which is tailored to both lay and ordained ministers.

Many free download sites offer companion Bible software, too. You can download Bible games that test your knowledge and other types of Bible software to help you interpret the Bible and understand how it applies to your daily life. It only makes sense in today’s high-tech world to use your pocket pc to improve your life in any way you choose.

Dan Ayala is webmaster and publisher of PDA-Review-Online.com, offering reviews on PDAs, Palm Pilots, Pocket PC’s, software and accessories. PDA Review Online provides free information and recommendations for your online resources that you can download anytime or anywhere.

CD ROMS - If you’re adding or removing an internal cd-rom, dvd-rom, or just about any internal ROM that has an opening CD door, read on. Almost all IDE devices such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc. including burners and dvd burners are all installed or removed in the same fashion. If you’re removing your rom, first remove the scrues from both sides of the rom. Make sure both sides are removed or you won’t be able to get the device out. Once the scrues are off, unplug the drive; both the IDE ribbon cable that goes to your mainboard and your power cable. You may also have another wire running from your cd-rom to your sound card. This wire enables sound to play from your rom drive to your sound card, so when you play a cd on your drive you can hear it. Yank all cables running to the drive, then remove it. Simple.

To add a drive, first you must mount the drive in the correct position and remove the IDE bracket on the front of the case. An IDE bracket is just a simple piece of plastic on the front of your case. When removed, your drive can then be accesible from your case’s front. Remove one such plastic bracket by simply pulling at it and it will come loose, then mount your drive inside the case with the door facing frontwards. Now, your drive will not stay in that position unless you mount it with some scrues, so do so to both sides of the drive. Then, connect an IDE ribbon cable to one side of the ROM. The other side of the cable should run to the secondary IDE slot on your motherboard. If you’re not sure which is which, the primary is the one that runs to your master (primary) hard drive, and the secondary runs to your rom drives. You can connect up to two rom drives on one cable, as it will have one end that connects to your board, one end that connects to a drive, and a middle connector for another drive. Run a power cable to the drive as well. As for connecting a sound cable - it can be done, but it really is not required. Should you need to listen to music from your cd player, you’re better off just copying the music to your hard drive, then listening to it. This will cut down on your used system resources, and for slower PCs skipping will be eliminated.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

VoIP allows users to make phone calls using their high-speed Internet connection. This translates into free, or very low cost long-distance calling. Because VoIP uses the power of the Internet, traditional phone companies are left completely out of the loop. Of course, now that the idea of VoIP is catching on more and more, traditional phone companies are developing and offering their own VoIP options so as not to be left out. From the consumer’s point of view, this competition is keeping options open and pricing low. For businesses, this is particularly good news, since many VoIP providers will want the business of business–this is a huge market, which providers are aware, of, so the savvy businessperson will take advantage of this, conduct thorough research, and seek out the best possible option to meet the company’s needs.

What are the Pros to Using VoIP?

Cost is a number one factor. If your business does a high volume of long distance calling, this can be an extremely affordable way to go. Another positive is that the future of long distance calling is VoIP. As time passes, more and more options will be available and the market will become even more competitive. It is also easy to use, although a business set-up will be more complicated than a home set-up.

What are the Cons?

One disadvantage that many users report is that there tends to be an “echo” when using VoIP. How much of a disadvantage this is may depend on the user. There can also be a slight lag at the beginning of the conversation.

Another potential disadvantage is that the technology is fairly new. As VoIP becomes standard, improvements will take place. In the meantime, it is up to each business to determine if this is a way to go.

Also, because VoIP operates through your Internet connection, should you lose Internet service for whatever reason or power, you will not have phone access until the service or power is restored.

Is VoIP Right for my Business?

As with any business decision, you should examine your needs and available services before making a purchasing decision. VoIP may produce substantial savings, but it could also produce substantial headaches. Whether or not your company can navigate potential glitches with minimal interruption is something you need to determine. Many traditional service providers offer competitive pricing, and the security of the existing structure may not be worth the potential problems with VoIP. It is also necessary to price and compare the technical requirements; will your existing structure support VoIP, or will the investment in technology offset the potential savings?

VoIP Business Options

On the bright side, because VoIP is a growing service, many companies provide business solutions and the offers and pricing are competitive. One thing to consider as you compare options is contract terms. Because the technology is expanding, it is wise to avoid any long- term contract, as a better option may come along in the meantime. A variety of companies offer business solutions. The following list is just a few:

? Sprint:
http://www.sprint.com/business/products/categories/voip.jsp

? Lingo:
http://www.lingo.com/voip/business/unlimited_internet_phone_ service.jsp

? Quest:
http://www.qwest.com/largebusiness/products/voip/

? Pipex: http://www.pipex.net/products/voip/

How to Get Set Up for VoIP The technology required will depend on the service you choose. There are three types of VoIP methods.

? ATA stands for analog telephone adaptor. It connects to your computer or Internet connection and uses regular phone.

? IP phones are special phones that look like traditional phones, but they connect with an Ethernet connector.

? Computer-to-computer is an easy way to use VoIP and long distance calls are free; you only pay for the software. While this method can work in a business setting, it may not be the best solution, even though it is very cost effective.

VoIP requires a high-speed Internet connection, and for business purposes, your set-up needs to be able to handle the additional use that VoIP incurs. Essentially, there is no “one size fits all” set-up guide for business VoIP options. The service you choose and your company’s individual requirements will determine what you will need.

Andrew Kelly is a Technology Consultant who helps keep businesses at the leading edge of technology.

For more great tips and resources on everything VoIP visit: VoIP Solutions For Your Business

Backup on business computers is typically not the user’s concern unless it’s a small business. A business should have a policy in place for managing backups especially due to Sarbanes - Oxyley.

Four options for backing up:

• External hard drive
• CD-RW (CD rewriteable) drive
• Tape
• Network server

Two options for what to back up:

• Everything
• Data files (.doc, .xls, .db, .ppt, .txt, etc.)

Personally, I use an external hard drive (this is a 120 gig hard drive, they also have 20 gig, 40 gig, 60 gig, and 80 gig available. I suggest getting one that is 20 gigs bigger than your hard drive.). It saved me when my computer had to be reformatted a few months ago. Typically, the hard drive is supposed to be rebootable and load everything back exactly as it was before the crash.

Obviously, that didn’t happen. It worked out for the best because some of my system files were bad. The hard drive still had my data files and programs. First, I referred to my latest copy from Belarc Advisor. This is a free program that lists all the applications on your computer. Since I don’t have a CD of every program I use, this was handy.

Using this list, I reloaded all applications first starting with the most important working down to the least important. It takes time to load everything, so you won’t want to reload everything in one sitting.

As soon as an application was reloaded, I copied all of its data files from the external hard drive back on the computer. I try to keep all of my data files in as minimal folders as possible. That is where My Documents, My Music, and My Photos comes in handy, but I hate those names. For the most part, I have /docs, /media (with subfolders for music and photos), /sites (for Web-related docs).

Keeping data files in as few folders as possible makes it easier to keep them organized and to find them when you need to restore data.

Programs like Norton’s Ghost, AlohaBob, and NTI Backup Now are useful for creating and managing back ups.

Using a RW-CD and tape back up are also viable solutions. I prefer the external hard drive since I don’t have to use an external media like a tape or CD. No sitting around and waiting for the CD or tape to fill up and inserting the next one.

Thumb drives (portable hard drives) are helpful, but typically can’t hold enough if you have as much data as I do. It’s great for critical data and data that you need at all times.

When buying a USB drive, make sure you have USB 2.0 not 1.1 as most the drives require 2.0.

At a minimium, back up your data files - the products of your work. Have a copy of these file somewhere other than your hard drive. Ideally, I’d like to back up my data on a network server because:

• if my house were on fire (ptpthpthpth), the files are safe on a server located somewhere else.
• if the computer goes crazy and ruins everything in its path including the back up hardware, the files are safe on a server.

However, storage is not cheap enough for personal use just yet. I am sure it’s one of the future options we can expect to become a regular part of safe computing.

Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl’s notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn’t wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.

Once considered a teenage fad, text messaging popularity in the United States is rising dramatically. According to The Wall Street Journal, 4.7 billion text messages were sent in the USA in December, 2004 compared to 2.1 billion in December, 2003.

In fact, text messaging is entering all aspects of our society, even relationships. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that nine percent of singles have even admitted to breaking up with their significant others via text message. Thirty percent of text users said that they’ve continued an argument by text message; probably part of the same group that ultimately contributed to the break ups.

The applications for text messaging promotions are also increasing just as quickly. Major League Baseball offers a text message service that enables its fans to catch up on the latest news and results of their favorite team. There are also custom cell phone wallpapers of team logos and unique actual game recorded play-by-play ringtones in the professional baseball offering. Live 8, which sponsored the single biggest text messaging promotion in history, garnered 26 million texts last month supporting increased government aid to poor African countries. The opportunities for promoters appear to only be limited by one’s imagination.

One of the more interesting applications that we’ve seen is one being sold to radio stations by Chicago-based Spark Network Services. Spark, which got its start by offering 900-number based radio voice personal datelines, is now selling a suite of text messaging products called PromoTXTRadio. The text messaging products allow radio stations to offer votelines, sweepstakes, song dedications, station play lists, traffic reports, and breaking news via text message. It even allows radio stations to offer their station jingles to be played as cell phone ringtones.

Still, Americans have a long way to go to catch their Asian brethren when it comes to the growing phenomenon of text messaging. CTIA-The Wireless Association, estimates that the average Chinese cell phone user sent 651 text messages last year compared to just 203 for US wireless users.

C U L8r.

Bob Bentz is the editor of the Cool Ringtones Blog-a blog that reports on cell phone ringtones, text messaging, and the mobile data content industry. He is also an avid text messaging user and claims to easily be outdistancing the average Chinese user.

In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier (especially if you have kids). A portable DVD player is the ideal solution for those long plane rides or endless drives in a car to keep everyone entertained, especially when you have new hit DVD to play.

So what are some of things to keep in mind when selecting a Portable DVD Player?

(Here are some items to consider in no particular order.)

Screen Size:

Depending on where and when you plan on using your DVD player the most, size may really be a big factor in your decision. If you have a family that’s going to be watching movies in the minivan, you can bet you want to find a portable DVD unit with a larger screen so everyone gets a chance to view the movie. On the other hand, if you travel mostly by yourself or with a significant other, smaller may be the perfect thing for you, easy to haul and manage anywhere.

Disc Formats Supported by the Portable DVD Player:

If you’re into creating your own home movies or music cd’s you need to look into whether or not the machine you want to buy can support other file types (CD-R, CD-RW, or DVD-R). Make sure your machine is capable of also playing just a standard music CD.

Size of the DVD Player:

While most machines look like weight should never be a factor, there can be significant differences in weight from one type of portable player to another….as much as a couple of pounds. Read carefully so you know just how much each unit weighs. If you’re hiking across the country, weight can make a big difference.

Outputs that the Portable DVD Player comes with:

You may not think that this matters, but eventually you’ll wish you thought of this sooner rather than after you’ve purchased a unit. You’ll want a unit that comes with an S-Video outlet for video, as well as Optical Out for audio. These features will come in real handy when you get to your relatives that don’t have a DVD player, and gives you the option of watching a movie on their TV, by hooking into their TV and possibly their stereo…instant theatre for everyone.

How much do Portable DVD Players cost?

The price of a portable dvd player can vary quite a bit. Some of the dvd players with less features or quality will start at approximately $150.00 for a new portable player. On the high end of the price scale, you may be looking at paying as much as $600.00 for some of the better quality machines. Like anything, you usually get what you pay for.

Like all electronics, the price of portable dvd players has started to come down, as compared to a couple of years ago.

Another option is to look at is buying a used portable player, not highly recommended by me. Just my opinion with electronics, but you have no idea how electronics have been treated. The outside may look great, but who cares if all the important parts aren’t working properly. It’s not like buying a used baseball bat, you know what your getting by looking at it. If you can’t test out a used portable dvd player, I’d recommend you stay away from this option.

Quick Summary

From what I’ve seen on the market and looked at, I don’t think think that you’ll find any terrible portable dvd players. Like anything though, usually if you pay more you get a better quality product (dvd player in this case), better picture and features. All I know for sure is, when the kids start getting wired when we’re travelling, it sure is nice to put on a dvd movie and keep them entertained.

Allen Reed is the owner of http://www.portable-dvd-players-guide.com which gives guidance and information to people searching for portable dvd players.