At&T Wireless - What Have They To Offer

In the confusing world of cell phone carriers, finding the right carrier and the right plan to fill your needs can be a daunting task. One carrier that stands out, and has nationwide name recognition is AT&T Wireless. A major problem for cell phone users is poor coverage outside of major urban areas like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans or Washington D.C. However AT&T uses a new Technology Time Division Access (TDMA is also used by Cingular). Analog roaming services are available almost everywhere in the U.S. Calling plans with AT&T start as low as $39.95 s month. This plan allows 450 daytime minutes and unlimited night and weekend minutes. What AT&T customers really seem to enjoy are such features as the AT&T Connect or Teleconcierge. Operators quickly find numbers for anyplace, anywhere in the U.S., make reservations for you, get local movie times, and call back to confirm your dinner reservations. Other unique services include stock quotes, event listings, weather reports, and daily horoscopes. One increasingly popular type of cell phone plan is pre-paid calling plans. AT&T offers the Go Phone with pre-paid plans, free unlimited night and weekend minutes, no contracts to sign, no credit check or activation fee, or deposit. They also offer Free 2 Go Wireless Solutions, also pre-paid with no contracts or credit checks. However the Go Phone plan gives you the unlimited free off prime minutes, lower per minute prices, wider choice of AT&T cell phones, and more choices of AT&T ring tones, and choices in payment options. For instance you can even set up a plan to have your credit or debit card to automatically add to your account when the minutes get low. The AT&T Go Phone plan also offers lower international dialing rates to its Go Phone customers. Recently AT&T began to offer a new type of digital phone service known as GSM/GPRS, which provides a true 56 kilobyte per second internet connection speed for lap top computers hooked up to the GSM phone line or that use a GSM plug in cord. Remember though that the rates for this service is high with 400 voice minutes and one megabyte of data transmission can add $50.00 to your regular monthly bill. AT&T's numerous plans, versatile payment options and TDMA and GSM technology have helped placed AT&T near the top of successful cellular phone carriers.

A Spy Camera on Your Body

Are you afraid that you might miss something important? With a spy camera carefully concealed on your body, you can enter a room and observe with your eyes, and then look over everything else later, with the benefit of slow motion added in. A spy camera of this sort can come in very handy, and it is easy to use and virtually undetectable. A spy camera that is placed on your body for surveillance purposes makes use of a transmitter that sends the images it captures back to a recorder of some sort. This can be a VCR or DVD, but increasingly sophisticated technology allows it to be sent to computers. This means that you can set your computer to record the images from your camera, and then you can look over them later, focusing on different parts of the images, and seeing things that maybe you failed to see the first time with the naked eye. There are different ways that a spy camera can be hidden on your body. Usually they look like regular objects. For instance, a camera can be hidden in a button, baseball cap, or a pair of sunglasses. They can even be in common objects that someone might carry, such as a pen, pager, cigarette pack, lighter, or book bag. Some of them are in the form of bore scopes that also serve the same purpose. In any case, the point of a spy camera is to be able to take images without others knowing what you are doing. In addition to a spy camera hidden on your body, you might find it useful to wear a small listening device. This will only serve to augment the visuals you capture, and can even help you add context to what you are seeing. Additionally, it gives you the ability to listen again for things that you might have missed during your initial surveillance. When you perform surveillance, it is important to make sure that all your bases are covered. This means that you should have a backup to your own eyes and ears. This is possible with a small listening device and a body worn spy camera.

Are You Communicating Without Polycom?

Are all of your business associates, partners and clients always in the same room at the same time? Probably not. For this reason, it is not unheard of to use telephone meetings as a way of communicating. Ordinary handset speakerphones used to be the best way to do this, until now. Enter Polycom. Polycom, a world's leader in providing communication solutions, has introduced some of the best technology in audio video conferencing. As most speakerphones allow you to speak to others in different locations, Polycom offers a way to communicate verbally and visually. While other products on the market seem to be able to deliver a similar convenience, Polycom offers a variety of telecommunications products to allow for "real" interaction. The Polycom SoundStation VTX 1000 is the first wideband conference phone with breakthrough technology. Polycom's patented Acoustic Clarity Technology makes the VTX 1000 the first conference phone that adapts to each meeting environment. All participants can feel free to speak from any area in the conference room and they can be heard as clear as when speaking right into the microphone. When coupled with the Polycom VSX 7400, participants can actually see each other as they communicate verbally. Since the VSX 7400 is a visual component, all parties must have this capability to be able to interact visually. Most businesses rely on meetings and conferences for day to day activity. With Polycom, you can be in many places at once without ever leaving your office. Although convenience makes the day easier, quality makes it worth while.

A New Digital Camera Is 'Braun'

The Braun D410 Digital Camera Pros A camera compact in shape and function – size of a packet of 20 cigarettes. Designed for simplicity in use and the ladies handbag with a neat case included 4MByte sensor – very respectable: and a three times optical zoom – a good lens. Simple to use and gives excellent results – prints of up to 10 x 8 inches are feasible on best settings Cons Only space for two AA batteries – but the case is small! – take some spares. Lacks an optical viewfinder, LCD display difficult to see on a sunny day. Flash is good up to 10 feet max – but then that is true of most on camera flashes The Braun D410 is a compact camera that comes compete with batteries and camera case – rare nowadays – and a set of leads for connection to your PC or to your TV. While this is a still picture and a movie camera, this review is more concerned about the still picture capability of the Braun D410. I was able to operate the camera from the box – but then I am a photographer. Reading the first few pages of the manual will get you going – and that will probably be all you require. As with all things electronic, there are many functions included, most of which you will never use. Indeed the camera manual – printed in 7 languages – is considerably larger and heavier than the camera – so leave it at home! Same applies to the CD Rom containing software for your PC. Inserting a 256Mbyte SD Memory card allows the camera to store in excess of 100 images at its highest resolution – 4Mega Pixels. This card can be used to transfer images to your PC or can be taken to a photo lab to get the images printed. The camera will take either Secure Digital or Multimedia memory cards – they are physically identical. The only difference is that the SD card has a small switch in its side to lock the contents of its memory. Take care when inserting batteries or cards. This is a small and delicate piece of equipment! The cards can be inserted the wrong way around – but the battery cover will not fit back into place! Switch on the Braun D410 camera by pressing the small button at the centre of the command dial at the top of the camera. The dial sets the mode of the camera – fully automatic or a range of options including landscapes, portraits, sport subjects (rapidly moving) and night photography. The controls are intuitive to operate starting with the upper toggle switch on the rear of the camera switching between wide angle and telephoto. The image you are focussing on is displayed on a small screen on the rear of the camera – there is no eye piece as such. Slight pressure on the picture taking button causes the camera to focus and calculate exposure – a full press causes the camera to take a picture – there is a small delay between pressing the button and taking the shot – so keep the camera still! Most users will use the fully automatic mode which involves no thinking or playing. The built in flash gun switches itself on as and when needed for individual groups or small portraits. Do not expect it to fill a hall though – this is a compact camera! The screen on the back of the camera is able to review images taken and stored in memory. Press the playback arrow button to go into review mode – press it again to go back to photograph mode. Use the lower toggle switch to step through the shots you have taken. Individual images can be deleted – and taken again – if required. I found the screen difficult to use on a very bright sunny day. A drawback of any small camera is that there is little room for the batteries. The Braun D410 accepts 2 AA size batteries. So take some spares with you as they soon run down should you be making use of the camera over a period. The motors for the telephoto lens, flash and other circuits drain the cells. I am not going to go through all of the options and control functions of the camera. The manual does that very well. So I would suggest that should you buy this camera you spend half an hour reading the manual and then put it to one side and take some photographs! The advantage of digital is that you are not exposing film – and you can delete the images you do not want to keep. The camera can take short bursts of video as well, but I am not going to describe that! In summary the Braun D410 is a very competent consumer camera which will delight the user in its simplicity and quality. Ideal for the ladies and their handbag.

Alltel Wireless Cell Phones - At The Cutting Edge

Unlike many other cell phone companies that have several calling plans, Alltel Wireless offers only three plans. The Total Freedom Plan is ideal for those who travel extensively on business and need to keep in touch with clients and the home office, as well as family. It provides coast to coast coverage within the United States with no long distance or roaming charges. You can get between 200 and 3000 anytime minutes, 1000 night and weekend minutes and 1000 mobile to mobile home minutes. The cost for this Alltel plan ranges between $39.99 and $299.99 a month depending on the amount of anytime minutes you choose. The cost per minute for calls over your plan minutes is between $.40 and $.20, again depending on the level of anytime minutes chosen. Alltel relies on its National Freedom Plan to provide subscribers in most medium to large cities with coverage. However subscribers in smaller cities and rural areas or making calls to these places may incur unexpected charges. The benefit, however, is more anytime minutes in the same price range as in the Total Freedom Plan. For instance the National Freedom Plan gives 450 minutes for $39.95, while “Total Freedom” gives only 200 for the same amount. The “Greater Freedom” plan is Alltel's offering to the casual user who doesn't do a lot of traveling or who is considering replacing their standard home phone with an Alltel cell phone. For under $30.00 a month you can get 300 anytime minutes. At $39.99 a month you get 700 anytime minutes, 1000 night and weekend minutes and 1000 mobile to mobile home minutes. Alltel's mobile to mobile home minutes refers to calls placed from one Alltel cell phone to another Alltel user. Alltel cell phone plans all offer the same basic features such as voice mail, caller ID, 3-way calling, call waiting, call forwarding and 411 information. Be cautious about these features, some of them are not covered by all levels of the plans and these charges can add up quickly. Recent research by Consumer Reports show that these seemingly minor add ons can add significant charges to your monthly bill. You need to make sure you know what your coverage area is, what is considered roaming and what the charges for these services are. If you go prepared, know what type of service you need, make sure you understand all of the features you want and the associated charges, you will be sure to get an Alltel plan that is right for you. Alltel's corporate philosophy is that simplicity or ease of understanding, means sales. This has allowed them to become and remain a viable contender in the confusing world of cell phone carriers. With approximately 12 million customers and an estimated 8 billion dollars in annual revenues, Alltel has fine tuned their calling plans to insure that they are easy to understand. This simplicity has been a strong catalyst for the sales and longevity of this company. Phones offered by Alltel are among the best on the market. Alltel cell phones are made by Nokia, Kyocera, and Audiovox. They have one of the largest selections of cell phones available today. You can get all the new “bells and whistles.” Do you want web access while on the road? Alltel can provide you with a phone that has that capability. Interested in voice dialing? They can give you that. You can also get speaker phones, color displays, stock reports, picture phones, cell phones that can be used as walkie talkies, advanced graphics and a collection of Alltel ring tones including hip hop, country, classical, movie theme songs, and fight songs. Before signing any cell phone contract you should investigate the available plans thoroughly to make sure that the Alltel cell phone plan you choose will suit your needs.

A Hidden Camera to Protect Your Home

A hidden camera can be the best protection you have for your home. These cameras are not just used by the unscrupulous in places like bedrooms and bathrooms; ordinary people who want to make sure their homes truly are sanctuaries use hidden cameras every day. It is not the outside of a home that a hidden camera is meant to protect (although that can be very beneficial), but it is rather what is inside the home that is most important. The inside is where your children live and where your valuables reside. The hidden camera in the home looks like regular household objects: clocks, radios, speakers, kitchen appliances, lamps, even stuffed animals. Most of these objects even perform regular functions, so they are useful aside from allowing you to know exactly what is going on inside your home. Because the camera is hidden in what appears to be ordinary objects, the nanny, babysitter, or housekeeper does not even know that she or he is being watched. Although you can let such people know that you do have a hidden camera or two about so that they are on their best behaviors when in your home (just do not say where the camera is). Abuse of children by nannies and babysitters is on the rise, and you can press charges with the evidence you collect from a hidden camera. It allows you to catch abusive behavior and ensure that your children remain in a safe environment, even when you are from home (no parties for older children when you are away, either!). On top of that, while there are many housekeepers that are impeccable in their honesty, there are a few that do not scruple to take a little extra while on the job. A hidden camera will help you detect theft and protect your valuables. The proper placement of a hidden camera can save you anguish and indecision. This can help you recover damages, press charges, and ensure that offenders receive the justice they have coming to them. After all, with the proof right before your eyes, you can act immediately and with certainty.

50 Inch Daewoo Plasma HDTV Reviewed

The Daewoo plasma hdtv is definitely a fantasy for alot of people, especially the Daewoo model DP-50SM because it is equipped with an advanced huge 50 inch screen. This Daewoo plasma hdtv provides numerous benefits to the observer, clarity and sharpness are two of many. To begin with, this Daewoo HDTV provides a 160 degree angle. Now if your watching from a distant side angle away from the Daewoo plasma you can still view the screen. For a clear picture this Daewoo plasma hdtv DP-50SM has 720 pixels, along with a 16:9 big screen picture, that simply makes it 50 inches wide. There are many advantages to choosing the DP-50SM 50 inch Daewoo plasma tv such as a HiFi stereo sound audio system, five band equalizer control, digital 3D comb filter, plus 11 different languages to choose from for the OSM screen. The Daewoo model is protected from allowing images to become burned into the plasma, because of its built-in plasma screen protection. An alarm is offered if you like your Daewoo to awaken you each day. You can easily buy this Daewoo plasma hdtv and experience all the benefits of this model today and enjoy them for yourself.

12 Practical Uses of GPS for Everyday People

GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life. 1. Know where your children are using services from companies like uLocate Communications. 2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don’t wander off alone. 3. Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer "Are we there yets?"- and of course get the most out of that expensive gas. 4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it. 5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories). 6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running around in your pajamas hollering like a maniac. 7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call. Please double check your carrier service to see that it has GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible. 8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions. 9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly. 10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while traveling. 11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any social gathering. 12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device- even in an unfamiliar place. Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo which should be completed in the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it will only get better. In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great educational and fun gift for your loved one’s and friends as well. Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS: 1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell phone game based on GPS technology. 2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt. With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone’s preferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, without paralyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.

10 Questions About Cellular Phones Answered

1. What's the difference between analog and digital phones? Analog phones operate on an older and less effective technology. This technology doesn't scale well and is more costly. Analog service is not compatible with numerous new features. Digital phones are lighter and more compact and have a longer battery life. When you are inside of a calling area the quality is better than analog. Digital phones support new features like caller ID, text messaging or wireless internet services. 2. What is a Dual Band Phone? A Dual band phone is a phone that can operate on an analog and digital service. 3. What type of battery has the longest life? Lithium-Ion or Li-Ion batteries have the longest life. They also happen to be the lightest in weight. The two pluses means there is minus attached, which is price. A li-ion battery will always be the most expensive type of battery available. 4. What's the difference between the Stand-by time and Talk time? Your phone is in standby mode when your phone is on but you aren't talking. The power consumption is minimal and the phone can stay in this mode for a longer period of time. When you are using the phone you are using talk time. This consumes battery power at a much quicker rate. Your battery life will be somewhere between talk time and standby time 5. What is a roaming charge? A roaming charge is when you make a call from outside of your calling area. Your calling area is defined by plan local, regional or national. 6. What are peak and off peak hours? Peak hours are during the day when the cellular networks are very busy. These minutes are at premium and your plan will typically include the smallest amount of these. If you use more than your allotted peak minutes they will be billed at a much higher rate than off peak minutes. Off peak is the exact opposite of peak time. Each cellular provider has their own definition of off peak. 7. What are anytime minutes? Anytime minutes are simply put minutes you can use anytime, peak or off peak. On most plans you will use anytime minutes first. 8. Do I pay for the call when someone calls me? Usually yes. You are billed for the airtime when you receive a call. However some service providers are offering unlimited in network calls. 9. Should I buy a cell phone or look for a free cellular phone? Free phones generally speaking don't have the latest features, they are anywhere from 6 to 12 months behind. Also, free cell phones generally come with longer contracts. But, it is still possible to get a great deal on a free cell phone. 10. What to do if you want to upgrade/downgrade or cancel your service plan? You can usually upgrade to higher plan without any cost. Some may force you to extend your contract for 1 to 2 years from that point. Downgrading your plan is often times not an option and when it is there is usually a penalty or fine.