NutCracker-- Free Pocket PC Game

Download Here

This is a great free game for your Pocket PC (continued...)

Explore over 100 rooms in the embassy and other structures

Hundreds of high-quality rendered animation frames

Six athmospheric background music tracks by Fabio Barzagli

Tons of sound effects

Easy controls: Use either the stylus or the hardware buttons to control The Nutcracker

Rich plot that will keep you hooked to your PDA

Efficient compression and smart memory usage keep memory requirements low without sacrificing speed


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VoiceStick-- Portable USB VoIP Internet Phone

Here's something I just found that is a great example of an innovative product.

The "VoiceStick" is a USB VoIP phone that comes with a headset and allows you to use any Windows XP or 2000 computer and make inexepensive calls to anywhere in the world.

It's the perfect tool for people that may be away from their regular computer setup and all you need to do is plug it in, connect to the Internet, dial and speak.

Users are raving about it... (continued...)

Here's what one person had to say about it:

"Anyone who travels needs the convenience of this USB phone. I can't even begin to tell you how delighted I was. I was traveling in France, and I own my own business. I was on vacation and did not bring my PC, or cell phone. I got an email that there were some very unexpected problems with a very key deal I was working on. I had to call back to the States and have some long and involved conversations. Had I done this on the hotel phone, it would have cost my business literally thousands of dollars. But a friend had given me a Voicestick (that she basically got free on Amazon with a rebate) before I left. What a great little package!

I plugged the Voicestick into the back of the hotel's "business center" computer (just a laptop in the corner of the lobby - it was a small hotel). I was able to register on screen in minutes, and then plugged in the headset that came with the VoiceStick, and was able to talk for a literal fraction of what it would have cost me otherwise. And further, once I had registered the first time, I could use the Voicestick over and over, with no problem at all. This is a great deal -- you can throw it in your pocket, and in a flash have full connectivity thru VOIP -- something I'd never dealt with previously, and always assumed would be a hassle to set up and use.

A couple of things you should note on the Voicestick -- it does not work on Mac -- a friend ordered one after I raved about the product, and didn't realize it was Windows-only until he plugged it in. Not a big deal, because again, with the rebate, he got it free. Also, you do need to have a broadband connection. Most Internet cafes, etc. have these, so even if you're on the road in fairly remote places, you can usually just plug
the Voicestick and your headset in and turn the cafe phone into a VOIP phone.

I can't recommend this product highly enough. Great design, small, compact, and it offers unparalleled convenience."

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Cell-Phone Pioneer Skeptical About Google's San Francisco Wi-Fi Plans

Marty Cooper, who conceived of the cell phone more than 30 years ago, says that Google has grossly underestimated the number of access points needed to provide "blanket coverage" to the whole city.

Marty warned that the sector still has many disruptions in its wake and warned that participants need to separate the technology from the marketing hype during a session he chaired at the Broadband Worldwide forum here. (continued...)

Copper, who pretty much conceived the cellphone while working at Motorola in 1973 and is now chairman of smart antenna company ArrayComm, referred to two stories this week that characterize the ‘revolution’ that is driving the mobile sector.

He noted the ‘disruptive’ business models some new players are creating by referring to the announcement that Google would provide ‘blanket coverage’ of Wi-Fi across San Francisco, at apparently no cost to the city and no cost to the subscriber for basis Internet access. The payback would come through advertising, suggested the search engine provider.

“We need to be careful here to separate the business and technology issues. I don’t believe it is possible to ‘blanket’ a place like San Francisco with Wireless LAN, and certainly not with the 300 access points per square mile Google is suggesting. I calculate they will need more like 3000 AP’s per square mile.”

Google has suggested it can provide 95 percent coverage outdoors and 90 percent indoors with the 300 Wi-Fi Access points.

“They are clearly a great company, but I suggest they need a few lessons in wireless propagation,” said Copper.

He also noted Earthlink, one of North America’s fastest growing providers of Internet access, had just been awarded the contract to make Philadelphia the first big ‘wireless city’ in the U.S. by, again, providing almost total Wi-Fi coverage for its citizens.

However, he stressed that the overall trend is set — more players, which will create more pressure to develop more applications for different market segments – and all this accompanied by the need to still drive down network costs.

And the biggest challenge, he suggested, is the step change in the cost of wired and wireless communications “People are talking more on the phone, but the bill has remained the same for the last 20 years.”

During the same session covering ‘Visions of a Broadband Future’, Reza Ahy, chairman and CEO of wireless router provider Aperto Networks said the industry is set for its first major WiMAX interoperability ‘Plugfest’ in Beijing in November. This followsthe availability of more and more products certified for the fixed WiMAX standard at the WiMAX Forum/Cetecom interoperability labs in Majorca, Spain.

Source: InformationWeek

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First Citywide Broadband-Over-Powerline Site Inaugurated

The network, which debuted in Manassas, Va., covers a 10-square-mile area and is available at about $29 a month.

The nation's first citywide broadband-over-powerline (BPL) installation was formally inaugurated Wednesday in Manassas, Va., and the builders of the service presented it as a model for other municipalities.

“What we are announcing today in Manassas is something that could be rolling out in a year or two from now in literally scores of communities across the U.S.,” said Joseph Fergus, CEO of service provider Communications Technologies (COMTek). With some 700 early subscribers and another 500 waiting to subscribe, COMTek is targeting the 12,500 households in the city’s 37,000-person population for the service. (continued...)

The broadband service covers a 10-square-mile area and is available at about $29 a month. The company said it plans to eventually offer VoIP service.

At a “news event” Wednesday, city, state and national officials and politicians took part in the event. The American Public Power Association (APPA), which initially seeded the project with a grant, was also represented. The partnership also had help from the State of Virginia and the City of Manassas.

There were some hurdles along the way with existing broadband DSL and cable providers unhappy about the installation. In addition, local ham radio operators are complaining that the installation interferes with their activities.

Members of the Ole Virginia Hams (OVH) amateur radio club tested the service earlier in the week and claim the ham and BPL technologies continue to interfere with each other. “The system is highly unreliable,” said George Tarnovsky, a member of the OVH technical committee, in an interview. “They do nothing to filter out the interference.”

Tarnovsky said the radio group filed a complaint with the FCC several months ago and plans to file another complaint. BPL technology has been supported by the FCC in its search for additional broadband technologies. Former chairman Michael Powell visited the installation and praised the concept.

Tarnovsky said protesting radio hams were once threatened with police action, although nothing happened.

One OVH director, Donald W. Blasdell, said he demonstrated interference problems to employees involved with the installation earlier in the week. He said the installation also can interfere with some public safety bands. However, Blasdell said he believes the problem can be fixed and he added that some hams expect to meet with manufacturers of BPL gear to work try to fix the problem.

Other BPL rollouts have been thwarted by interference difficulties.

BPL technology has been put forth as an alternate to DSL and cable broadband and is viewed as a way of bringing the high-speed solution to rural areas that are too expensive to be reached by DSL or cable.

Alan Richardson, president and CEO of the APPA, noted that there are hundreds of municipalities like Manassas with municipality-owned electricity utilities that could be candidates for municipality-owned BPL. He said the proposition shouldn’t be viewed as “an either-or” situation in which subscribers would be offered “either” DSL-cable “or” a municipal service. He indicated different broadband solutions could compete with each other.

The APPA provided a grant to the city of Manassas to investigate BPL in 2001. The APPA has been interested in the technology also as a way to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the electric utilities.

COMTek said it is negotiating with nine other utilities and organizations to deliver similar services.

BPL could eventually compete with citywide Wi-Fi installations, which are beginning to be rolled out. The first Wi-Fi site in Rio Rancho, N. M., covers a 103-square-mile area.

Source: InformationWeek

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The Best Business Laptop

The little notebook computer or laptop is tailor made for business. It's the perfect communication tool. It's the perfect record keeping tool. It's the perfect presentation tool. And if that wasn't enough, all of the above is neatly packaged into a small portable machine that can be taken anywhere and everywhere.

For any size business, small to medium to jumbo, the notebook computer is fast becoming an essential tool for business.

Savvy business people know acquiring the right tools is an important factor in determining the success or profitability of any company. Therefore, along with the regular outfitting of your company or business - equal consideration should be given to choosing your notebook computers.

(continued...)

Business owners should be aware that notebook technology is changing at a blistering pace. Every two years or so, there is a whole new generation of notebooks and notebook technology to consider. Notebooks are getting smaller, faster, and better connected. They are also offering performance that is matching or almost matching their desktop rivals.

Major reasons why, for the first time in history, notebook computers are outselling their bigger cousins, desktop computers. Business buying, no doubt, plays a significant role in all those sales. Large corporate organizations are buying notebooks for their companies, sales people and employees. It makes for a more competitive company in a very competitive world.

But how do you pick a good business notebook computer? What's the criteria for judging a good machine? What's the right laptop or notebook for your company or sales staff?

Here are some important factors any business should consider when buying a notebook computer or laptop for their company. General factors that determine a good business notebook. Consider these...

Portability

Perhaps, the most significant factor and the main reason you're buying a notebook computer is portability. You can take it anywhere. You can take your records, reports, presentations or products where ever they need to be. For the business traveler or 'road warrior', the notebook computer is an essential tool for their business.

When buying their notebook of choice, these 'road warriors' look at the portability of their notebook. Size and weight are very important. They want something that's light and small, yet powerful enough to do the job. They will probably look in the Ultra-Portable and Thin and Light classes of notebooks to make their choice.

Notebooks in those categories are usually well under 5 pounds, around 10 by 14 inches in size and approximately an inch thick. Small enough to throw in a briefcase or tuck comfortably under your arm. They won't drain your energy even if you have to lug it around all day!

Battery Life

You also have to look for a notebook computer that will last long enough to get the job done. You want sufficient battery life for those long plane trips. Fortunately, battery life is increasing, you can now get up to 5 or more hours on high quality notebooks. Buy the highest numbered cell battery, and buy any optional built-in battery extras that will increase battery life.

Connectivity

You want something that's easy to connect to the Internet so connectivity is another important factor. Being in constant contact with all your employees can be a determining factor in your choice of notebooks. Communication is vital. Most high quality notebooks come with Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) connections, many have a tri-mode 802.11a/b/g wireless system.

Some newer models, like the Sony's New Ultra-Portable VAIO VGN-T350P, are raising the bar, it has the world's first 'Built-in Cellular Modem'. You can use your cell phone to connect to the Internet. This may be a great advantage since finding a 'Hot Spot' in some parts of the world can still be difficult.

Performance

You need to consider the performance level of your business computer. Can it handle all your company's demands, can it handle heavy graphics, charts, diagrams, spreadsheets, etc. Check out the RAM -- higher RAM will be better for graphics and video. It's generally agreed that you need at least 256MB for Windows XP and Mac OS X. You will only need 128MB for other operating systems in Windows or Mac.

Most notebooks come with plenty of storage space, 60-80 GIG hard drives are common. External drives are also available if you need extra space.

Other tasks may be important to your line of business. For example, if you need to take notes in the field, i.e. real estate agents, engineers, doctors or medical personel -- then a slate or a convertible tablet may be a better choice for your company.

Sturdiness

This is important if you want a notebook for a lot of road work or business traveling. Your notebook should be sturdy or ruggerized to be able to take a good pounding. Many notebooks have some novel sturdiness features such as IBM's Active Protection System which is designed to protect the hard drive from falls and spills for those accident prone notebook users in your company.

Security

Living in today's world we need safeguards and security measures in place to protect your company records and files. Not to mention, to guard against the theft of your notebook computer itself. Along those same lines your notebook computer should have advanced security features. Many notebooks such as the IBM/Sonoma ThinkPad series include an integrated fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication that uses an Embedded Security Subsystem and Password Manager.

Image/Style

At first glance this may seem like a superficial buying point, but not really. In today's business world, image or style does count and contribute to your button line. Sad but true! You want a notebook computer that matches the image of your company.

There is one to fit your needs, you have a whole range of styles of notebooks to choose from, whether it be conservative black or blazing race car red. Most businesses are ultra-conservative (nature of the beast) and should pick a notebook along those conservative lines, other businesses may want to promote a sharper or cooler image such as in fashion, creative arts, music industry...

Price

Economy or Deluxe. Similar to the style, another major buying factor is price. You can go from inexpensive notebooks to luxury models. It all depends on your company's resources and the image you want to project.

You can choose from the relatively inexpensive but very capable DELL notebooks...all the way up to notebook manufacturers like the UK based Rockdirect notebooks which offers upper end products that can be custom made to your specs. You can even choose your own color!

Like any company purchase, especially if you're buying in bulk, getting a good special volume price may play a role in your choice of notebook. Always check with these notebook companies for a group or company order -- you may be pleasantly surprised at the savings.

However, don't sacrifice performance for a special price, make sure the notebook computer you're buying has all the desired qualities: portability, performance, battery life, connectivity, security and style, -- all the features you want in your company's notebook computer. If you consider all these factors, your next business notebook computer purchase should just be a little bit easier.

There's no reason why you can't put this little modern workhorse to work for your business or company. Used properly, the business laptop can make for a well organized and cohesive work force that will pay big dividends down the road, delivering a great return on your initial investment.

For a list of the top rated Business Notebooks and Laptops Click Here: Best Business Notebooks & Laptops

Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins http://www.bizwaremagic.com

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