Apr 3

Senior Tips for Public Speaking

When It’s Your Turn to Speak UpSenior citizens have lots of wonderful ideas. After all, they have a lifetime of experience and the time to ponder over the meaning of just about everything. Unfortunately, too many senior citizens keep their good ideas to themselves. To stand before a group of other seniors and share their thoughts may seem torturous to some and just too much effort for others. Believe it or not there are plenty of seniors who really would like to hear your thoughts, opinions, experience and suggestions. If you have some good ideas and a format to present them, then all you may need is a few senior tips for public speaking to help you along. 1, Be prepared. In any speaking engagement, by or for people of any age, the key element is always solid preparation. This includes a thorough exploration of your subject, the organization of your material into sequential chunks of information and the physical preparation of an outline to guide you along. As a senior citizen making a presentation you will want to prepare in just that way. Only you will also want to prepare your own small collection of personal aids like a bottle of water for that tickle that you know you will get after 10 minutes or a few tissues for that inopportunely running nose of yours. You’ll stand up more confidently as a senior citizen in front of any group if you know you have come equipped to stand and deliver. That’s why good senior tips for public speaking always begins with being prepared. 2 Know your group. As your rise to speak you will feel much more relaxed if you have already made a quick study of the group you face. If you are speaking to a group of seniors then you need to assume that some will have hearing issues, some will be visually impaired , there may be some who will need to sit towards the back so they can sneak out to the lavatory.

Apr 2

Take Your Work Anywhere with Wireless Broadband

Wireless Broadband Speeds Are Up to Par with Standard At-home DSL SpeedsAfter a long debate, I eventually decided that I wanted to try out Verizon’s wireless broadband for myself. I had heard reports of great speeds and reports of slow speeds, but never personally heard from someone who used the service. I also knew that Sprint and Cingular offered similar
 services, but I found it impossible to get any sort of information about their coverage areas. Once I heard about Verizon’s 15 day money back guarantee, I knew I had to find out for myself what the service would be worth.At home I utilize a Qwest DSL connection, wirelessly, quoted as 7.0Mbps, much faster, and cheaper, than any cable service offered in my area. I expected Verizon’s wireless service to get maybe a fraction the typical speeds I receive on my DSL connection, but I was still pleasantly surprised. On average, when downloading updates to my Linux computer I average speeds of 120-200Kbps, not bad for service I could use nearly anywhere. It was probable that I could have even faster signal if I lived in a town of more than 22,000 people; my signal probably came from a cell phone tower nearly 10 miles away.In order to get a better idea of the service quality, I had traveled from point to point in town with my laptop patiently downloading several update files in the passenger seat, to get an estimated range of where I could find the best signal. Surprisingly, the service stayed constantly connected, and I received a pretty consistent connection speed. To further test my luck, I decided I would go out of town, at least a little ways, to see exactly how much signal speed I would get. I went about two miles out of town, about as far as I would ever go, and found the speeds were still excellent. Overall, the signal quality varied as any cell phone would, but I never completely lost signal, and speeds hardly dipped below 50Kbps.

Apr 1

Google Offers Free Wireless Broadband Service

Google announced on Sunday, April 1, 2007, that it will soon begin the new BETA of its Toilet Internet Service Provider (or TiSP for short), which the Mountain View, California company describes as “a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users’
Google Offers Free Wireless Broadband Service plumbing systems.”According to Google’s press release (available here), the program is available to anyone with a WiFi capable computer and a toilet that is connected to a municipal sewage system. “We’ve got that whole organizing-the-world’s-information thing more or less under control,” said Google Co-founder and President Larry Page. “What’s interesting, though, is how many different modalities there are for actually getting that information to you – not to mention from you.”According to Google, TiSP will help solve what is referred to as the “last hundred yards” problem, which is what faces Internet providers trying to get the service from their hub to your home.After receiving your in-home installation kit, which Google swears is water-proof, it is “a simple matter of GFlushing™ the fiber-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router. Within sixty minutes, the Access Node’s crack team of Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers (PHDs) should have your internet connection up and running.”Melissa Mayer, the Vice President of Google’s Search Products and User Experience division, says she “couldn’t be more excited about, and am only slightly grossed out by, this remarkable new product. I firmly believe TiSP will be a breakthrough product, particularly for those users who, like Larry himself, do much of their best thinking in the bathroom.”According to Google, in their in-house testing (which they swear was quite sanitary!), the flow rate of the TiSP service was up to 10x the speed of standard DSL service.

Mar 31

Review: Samsung SyncMaster 204B 20.1 Inch LCD Monitor

After doing some research for an new monitor, there were two things I decided. One, I was going to go large, and two, I wanted an LCD screen. Once I decided that and did a little more research I decided to go for the Samsung 204B 20.1 inch LCD monitor. I was able to find one at right
 about $300, not bad. When opening the box, you will notice that the monitor and accessories come well packed and protected. It comes with the monitor, analog cable, DVI cable, power cord, installation CD, and of course the warranty information. The Samsung 204B has a very clean design, and being an LCD is of course, thin. It also appears to be of solid construction, which is great. Image QualityThe image quality of the Samsung 204B is very good. The sharpness and color reproduction are nice, although the display is not perfect. The screen illumination is a little uneven, but nothing to be expected from a LCD screen. One interesting aspect of the screen is that if there is nothing on the screen or you have a screensaver, the image is dark blue instead of black. ControlsThe Samsung 204B allows for a lot of adjustment and fine tuning of the display. Located on the bottom right you will find the Menu, MagicColor/Downward scroll, Brightness/Upward scroll, Source/Select, Auto, and Power buttons. All of these buttons and features allow for a large amount of fine tuning to adjust to anyone’s taste. The screen of the 204B can be rotated as well. You can rotate it clockwise to a vertical position, and images can be rotated 0, 90, 190, or 270 degrees to meet your needs. There are many ways that rotation can be helpful. The VerdictFor what you get with the Samsung 204B, it is certainly reasonably priced. It has a very large screen and the unit is very nice looking. The 204B produces sharp text, nice, accurate color, and clear images. It is also a good LCD for gaming if that is important to you. There are some negative aspects to the Samsung 204B, however. Samsung’s LCD needs work in some areas such as uniform screen illumination, color casting, and even some debris inside the screen.

Mar 23

Broadband Phone Service – Understanding the Basics

Most likely, you have seen the TV commercials from Vonage that show people doing the dumbest of things, but then go on to say your phone service should not be one of them. The ad tells you to get the latest in technology, broadband phone service. It seems that broadband phone service is
 all the rage now, but do you fully understand just what it is? Most people don’t, so let’s take a look at the basics that will give you a better understanding.Unlike traditional phones that utilize phone lines, broadband phones use the power of the Internet to provide phone service. Known as VOIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol, this newest technology converts and transmits the standard analog signal into a digital signal. At the other end, the digital signal is converted back over to an analog signal so the party you are calling is able to hear your voice. The setup for broadband phone service is quite simple. It really is not much different than the system you now have. You use all of your same telephones in your home and the same phone jacks as well. When you need to call someone you simply pick up the phone and dial the number. There is no special signal or codes to enter. The only requirement is that you have Internet service in your home.The optional services for broadband phones are just like the ones available for traditional phone service. These include:-Caller ID-Call Waiting-Call Forwarding-Voicemail-Call Return-And many others as wellOne of the main advantages of broadband phones is the cost savings. For a flat fee you can call anywhere in the U.S. for free. Many plans also include worldwide phone service. Finding a provider for broadband service is not difficult. Your local cable TV company probably offers the service already. This should be the first place to check out as you will most likely get a big discount for having your phone and cable service with one provider.

Mar 23

Public Speaking: A How-To Guide

You Can Become an Excellent Public Speaker!Public speaking is no walk in the park for most people. In fact, statistics show that people fear public speaking more than flying and even death! We’ve all felt sorry for the flustered, nervous, hand-wringing guy (or gal) who “um’s” and “uh’s” his way through a speech that he’s trying to read from a crumpled paper. It’s worse if there’s a microphone involved. Worse still if the unfortunate fellow doesn’t have the crumpled paper
 because the boss has put him on the spot to give a report. Yet we’ve also seen individuals who are able to captivate an audience with the driest of information, even on a moment’s notice. What is the difference?I have studied good speakers and have spoken in public on numerous occasions. I have found that good preparation, illustrations and visual aids, having people write things down, and simple relaxation techniques all help to make you a dynamic public speaker.When you know that you’re going to have to speak in public, start preparing immediately. Find out how long you will have to give your presentation, so you can plan accordingly. Gather any relevant materials into a folder. You want interesting, up-to-date facts that your listeners can put to immediate use. You also want illustrations – short stories and humorous anecdotes that make a point. Remember, you are not giving a report like you did in 8th grade! Stop and think of the speakers you’ve enjoyed over the years. Most of them weave the facts into a series of stories that are relevant to the topic. These illustrations do just that: they paint a picture in the mind of the listener about the topic. They also alleviate boredom (who wants to listen to a speaker recite a litany of dull facts?). They also help your audience remember what you said.

Mar 19

Debt Consolidation, a Help or a Hindrance?

Debt consolidation seems easy enough. You’ve got credit cards, department store credit, a car loan, maybe even a personal loan too. You are making many different payments, which are taking a big chunk of your income. On top of that, those balances seem to be going nowhere. So…Why not put all of your debts under one umbrella and make one (lower) payment? After you read this article if you think you can make it work and would like to investigate some ideas consider a high interest credit card debt consolidation. That lower payment will free up some money each
 month. Sounds great. What could be wrong with that? Well, nothing and a lot.It all depends how you lump those debts, the type of loan or program you use to consolidate debt, and what you do with those newly zero balanced credit cards and the extra money you have freed up. You can really work hard to eliminate your debt or you could end up in serious trouble. Let’s compare… Visit Trouble FirstYou want to recognize it so you can avoid it. If you choose the most common route you will secure your consolidation loan with your home, usually with a second mortgage. This makes sense, since you can usually get a lower rate on the loan and the interest may be deducted off your taxes (check with your tax advisor). But don’t forget about the fees for one of these debt consolidation loans, they can add up in a hurry. And do you really want to pay for your morning coffee for the next 5 to 10 years? Also, if you can’t pay do you want to lose your house? Here is something else to worry about. You have “fresh” credit cards with zero balances. If you are not very careful and do not have a plan in place, you could end up with twice the bills you had before you used debt consolidation… Most people are living beyond their paycheck. Most spend about 10% more than they make on a monthly basis. The only way this is possible is with credit cards. They are renting a lifestyle, not owning and paying for it. It takes only a few months of this type of behavior to max out their cards again. Then they have new balances to pay and their debt consolidation loan too. They have reached a dead end. Now..

Mar 12

The Best Celebrity Gossip Websites: Perez Hilton’s Blog and The Superficial

As I sit here and reflect on Anna Nicole’s death, I am faced with a very disturbing fact of life. We as humans LOVE gossip. We love to read about it, listen to it and do it ourselves. Especially when it is about celebrities. Ironically, a few days before Anna Nicole’s demise, I wrote an article about celebrity death and scandal and how much the general public feeds into and holds such a hungry interest in what the media has to say as far as rumors go. It’s very sand that such nasty gossip follows around
 people, even in death. Maybe especially in death. There are a number of popular celebrity gossip websites out on the web right now. All of them are entertaining to read, but you must really take them with a grain of salt. Especially when reading some of the vulgar and immature comments that readers leave on the sites. Here are two of the more popular ones that I have been to. Perez Hilton. Perez Hilton, real name Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., is a very popular celebrity gossip blogger. His blog, at one point nicknamed “Hollywood’s Most Hated Website” is known for showing unflattering pictures of celebrities, including little nasty captions he writes himself over the pictures. Often times an picture of a woman celebrity standing is shown with little dots drawn between the legs by Perez, which are supposed to be urine marks. The grammar and spelling on the site is not the best, and the site itself is very, very pink, but it’s gossip, so no one cares. The juicier the better.

Mar 2

Choosing BroadBand? Here Are Some Tips

These days we hear a lot about broadband Internet connection. In this article we will discuss the basics of broadband and tips to choose the right broad band plan for your home or office.What is Broadband?The definition of a broadband connection may differ between different countries. But generally you can say that any Internet connection with a minimum speed of 256Kbps and above can be considered as a broadband
 connectionIn a ‘Dialup’ connection, we dialup whenever we need to connect to the Internet and then close the connection when we have finished using the Internet. But you can connect your computer to Internet 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In other words it is ‘Always On’. Broadband connection is an always on connection. Your computer will be always connected to the Internet.While using a dialup connection the maximum speed of the connection is only 56Kbps. Moreover when you are connected to the Internet using your phone dialup line, you cannot make or receive phone calls. Broadband may be available in your area in any of these forms, Copper, Fiber Optics, cable, ADSL, IP VPN or Wireless.Here are some tips and what you need to ask before choosing your broadband provider.1. Which broadband technology the provider is using?2. What is the monthly subscription and what is the one time set up fee?3. What is the speed of the broadband? Most of them just tell you the download speed. Ask them about the upload speed also.4. What is the bandwidth allowed? That means how much data can be downloaded or uploaded. If there is a limit then what is the charges for additional data usage. Some broadband suppliers will put a “cap” on your broadband download usage. In other words, you will be given a monthly limit for the amount of web pages and other applications you use. This is fine if you’re not a high web user, but pretty useless if you use the Internet all day, every day for business and pleasure. You should certainly find out if your package offers “unlimited” downloads or not before signing up.

Mar 1

Vista Slowing Down Broadband Users Worldwide

Microsoft’s new Windows Vista operating system is slowing things down for many high-speed Internet users worldwide.Installation disks needed to configure user’s PCs often are incompatible with the new operating system, a fact many users don’t know when they upgrade their computers. Vista was released Jan. 30, and any computer bought after that point has Vista preinstalled, and millions of users chose
Vista Slowing Down Broadband Users Worldwide to upgrade.Many broadband companies are telling users it may be months before an upgraded disk will be available.Rob Evans of the United Kingdom was told by Virgin Media that his connection was not supported on his brand-new PC. When he called for support, he said he was told that nothing could be done.A spokesman for Virgin Media said Evans is now able to use his connection and the problem is limited to the disks alone, rather than the connection itself.The spokesman said part of the problem is that the company’s staff is not fully trained on Vista because the product is so big and it takes a while to test all the company’s services.A spokesman for a different broadband company said they also had issues with the operating system. He said many conflicts came because Vista was not fully compatible with Norton’s security suite of software, although he said he thinks these issues have been solved.Editor of Think Broadband Andrew Ferguson said the problems are to be expected. He said he thinks that since Vista changes the way many things are done in Vista, it will take a while for problems to be fixed and staffs to get up to speed.Problems with broadband connection are just one of a spectrum of problems that have affected users upgrading Vista’s early users. Symantec, a security software maker, published a series of reports Feb. 28 giving Vista’s security functions a mixed review.The report found Vista was still vulnerable to malware attacks that plagued Windows XP and said that the operating system cannot be considered a security solution by itself.However, the company did praise Microsoft for reducing the number of coding errors in the software, which create coding errors a hacker is capable of exploiting.

Feb 27

How to Prevent Public Speaking Anxiety Using the Power of Visualization

Anxious about an upcoming speech that you have to give? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Although more people fear giving a speech in front of others than death, it is possible to learn how to prevent public speaking anxiety. One powerful technique to use to prevent public speaking anxiety is to visualize. Everyone visualizes before they give a speech, but chances are you are doing it incorrectly. Take a moment and think about the day when you will be giving your speech. What thoughts pop into your head? Take
 a moment to think them over and write them down. Do any of your thoughts sound like this? “What if I make a mistake?” “What if I drop my notecards?” “What if no one laughs at my joke?” “What if people look bored?” “What if…?” “What if…” “What if…?” Every time you think of the future and you experience a “what if” moment, you are training your body to feel more nervous and your anxiety increases. You are conditioning yourself to do poorly. This ability has helped our ancestors in the past. Feelings of anxiety and the flee or fight preparation that our body utilizes are great when real danger is present. So be grateful that your body has the ability to warn you with anxiety, but know that it no longer serves its purpose. You need to let it go. You will need to train yourself to think in a different matter. It will take time, but do not give up. Every time you have a negative “what if” moment, say “stop it.” Interrupt the negative thought. Take control of it. Sing a song, do a silly dance, or talk to a friend. Recognize the thought for what it is and do not let it affect you. If you like, you can let the thought run on and assert your control by taking it to a ridiculous ending.

Feb 27

Sceptre X22wg Widescreen LCD Monitor Review

Is the Sceptre X22wg Worth the Price?The x22wg widescreen LCD monitor from Sceptre has a nice amount of features and at $179 it is sold at an affordable price. This widescreen LCD monitor is aimed at gamers and has three different models, the x22wg gamer, x22wg Agama and x22wp gamer.Right out of the box the Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor was very easy to setup. I simply needed to connect the stand to the monitor, plug in the power cord to the monitor and hook up the x22wg monitor to the
 computer.Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor ProsThe initial setup of the x22wg widescreen LCD monitor was simple and so was the process of getting it to work with my computer. The drivers went in without a probably and then the x22wg monitor was tested and I was asked to choose a display size. I decided to go with 1440 by 900 pixels and while everything was smaller than the 1024×768 that I was used to for the last few years, that size worked well for the Sceptre x22wg monitor.The size is so small and light (11-12 lbs) that it immediately adds a lot of room on your computer desk once you get rid of the old CRT monitor. Before getting the Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor I could barely fit my mouse and keyboard on the desk and now everything was more than comfortably spaced.The Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor has speakers included in the monitor and you have a choice of using them or sticking with separate computer speakers. I decided to try the internal x22wg monitor speakers and found them different but acceptable. If you are someone who likes a lot of base then you should probably stick with external speakers but if you just want sound for everyday use, then the Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor speakers should be just what you need.Sceptre x22wg widescreen LCD monitor Cons