Streamyx

By now everyone has seen those silly commercials on TV for Vonage phone service and their 'unlimited' long-distance calling feature. They display the proverbial shiny red bicycle that us kids just want to buy instantly. But what is behind this immaculate exterior? When something looks to good to be true, is it? To answer these questions and make an intelligent decision we must look into the advantages, disadvantages, and the dirty little details surrounding voip.

Voip is short for voice over internet protocol. In plain English this means making a phone call through the internet using a phone adapter or voip telephone. This datacom meets telecom technology began coalescing in 1996 and has grown into the voip service industry headed up by such giants as Vonage and Verizon. With the emergence of a whole new genre of communication, there are many advantages. The number one selling point is the cost advantage. It is cheap in comparison to telephone utilities' hefty costs for long-distance calls. The business model is based on the fact that voip is inexpensive. With voip you can get rid of your landline, thus eliminating the cost of having a traditional phoneline in your home or business. With certain software you can also talk to many people at once and swap documents and video back and forth. The web cam capability is also a plus, uniting people and business from any location globally. If you need another impetus to buy in then you can follow along in Ford's footsteps because they have just converted to voip service for its cost effectiveness.

So you save a bunch of cash. In some ways you pay for what you get. So what does your discount deprive you of? There are a plethora of disadvantages of voip. First, to use your new 'phone' the computer and software must be on. Forget the olden days of just picking up the phone, now you have to boot up. That spells trouble if you have a serious emergency.The service provider (ie. Vonage) provides you with the actual phone service, leaving you with the task of providing the broadband internet access. After that you get to install the telephone adapter which is often problematic. If you opt out of doing this you can buy an expensive voip phone. Once you get your voip going you are confronted with a whole new set of problems. The sound quality is what most people complain about off-hand. There are 3 elements to this; the clarity (fidelity), delay (overlapping of voices), and echo (the Grand Canyon effect). Perhaps the most disturbing disadvantage id the IP address problem. Calling from a computer you can not trace the exact roots of a call, except maybe to a neighborhood. Ip addresses are not as specific as old-fashioned telephone calls. What does this mean besides less accountability? This means you are out of luck if you call 911. They will not be able to locate where you are calling from. When you call people, their caller ID will not know what to say either. For instance, when someone calls from a Vonage phone the ID on the other end says 'Vonage'.

The latest gripe is about privacy. Voip is still highly unregulated by the government.. There are not many industry standards put into place yet. CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcements Act) and the 1964 Wiretap Laws keep the government in control of all communications period. So any new kind of communication would be under government scrutiny by default. Because of the IP address issue the FBI would have a hard time tracing calls. They have a general umbrella solution for this. Instead of monitoring one phone line for a police investigation, they can and will, monitor thousands of calls. If they are monitoring thousands of calls they cannot trace, it is almost random selection and could be you! As far as privacy goes, there have been other recent activities by service providers which has also been questionable. Pudding Media's voip service is free. It is paid for by the advertisers. These advertisers work much like google's gmail ads, finding keywords in the content to match the ads to. So if you are talking about visiting Fiji, travel options to Fiji would pop up as you talk.

You knew that there would be a catch to that pretty shiny exterior. Still though, a savings is a savings. So what is the smart alternative to voip? You could get a free software program like Skype, which allows you to call people that have it for free. Other than that option you will have to pick the lesser of two evils, problematic service versus expensive long-distance calling.

Adrienne Markovic | Marketing
Appeal Media Interactive Studios, LLC.
http://www.appealmedia.com
In the Heart of the Gaslamp!
311 4th Av. Suite 310
San Diego, CA 92101
(619)615.0707

The UK market for broadband is highly competitive with countless providers and an equal number of products making it very difficult to choose a broadband provider. What adds to confusion is the presence of localized service providers also vying for the broadband market pie alongside nationwide operators.

On an average, the top broadband providers package their services targeting specific needs of individual customers such as low downtimes, fast and reliable service etc. But there are critical issues you need to evaluate when switching providers, regardless of reasons.

The first thing you are going to mind is the downtime providers require to transfer and setup the service, which is important if your profession needs call for quicker switchover. When you are migrating from cable broadband to ADSL service, wherein things like new modem, micro filter, Ethernet connection take over a couple of days to install. Remember, very few providers make provisions to use your cable broadband parallel to ADSL without having to loose your work time while they set it up.

Mind you, all this will be possible only if you have a basic landline phone connection or a BT phone. Plan this ahead of switching your broadband provider if you're concerned about delays. Getting a BT basic phone and ADSL broadband connections will take around 10 days if you apply simultaneously. On the other hand, switching back to cable broadband provider takes around a week's time and you must have your license/connection canceled from your ADSL broadband provider. The only matter you need to check is that your computer matches required specifications.

How to Judge Broadband Providers: The thumb rule to judge broadband providers ahead of switching services is to compare their products, reliability and commitment to customer service. It may appear simple than meets the eye but judging reliability and customer care requires quite an amount of research whereas comparing different products is easier.

How to Compare Broadband Products: Here again, the thumb rule is to go by cost comparison which includes setup fees, usage charges, rentals, if any, downloading speeds (ranges from 1-8 mbps) and whether there is free night usages. Some providers package their products thrown in with 1-2 months free rentals and freebies like free emails, antivirus and anti spam etc, just to make them more attractive. The package namely BroadCall from the Utility Warehouse Discount Club is one to consider due to the pricing, package on offer and consistent glowing third party customer reviews.

Don't forget to check with neighbors when switching your broadband providers especially when you are in a new city.

The author of this article, specialises at working from home, by showing others how to achieve financial freedom. A short video presentation of a UK home based business opportunity for UK residents can be viewed at http://www.chooseyourfuture.co.uk - this opportunity is not to be missed.

New York City in New York is the largest city in the United States. As of 2004, its population was estimated as 8,104,079, with a total of 18,709,802 living in the New York metropolitan area.

New York, nicknamed the "Big Apple" and the "City That Never Sleeps" is a reknown center of business and finance, entertainment, media and culture, home to many famous buildings, as well as containing the headquarters of the United Nations.

Attractions in New York City include

- American Folk Art Museum

- American Museum of Natural History

- Astroland in Coney Island

- Broadway Theatre

- Bronx Zoo

- Central Park in New York City

- Central Park Zoo in Central Park

- Chinatown

- Chrysler Building

- Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Coney Island

- Ellis Island

- Empire State Building

- Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy area,

- Flatiron Building

- Grand Central Station

- General Grant National Memorial

- Hayden Planetarium

- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

- Little Italy

- Madame Tussauds

- The Metropolitan Museum of Art

- The Museum of Modern Art

- New York Aquarium in Coney Island

- New York Botanical Garden

- New York Skyride in the Empire State Building

- New York Transit Museum

- Prospect Park Zoo

- Queens Museum of Art

- Queens Zoo

- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

- Staten Island Zoo

- Statue of Liberty

- United Nations Headquarters

- Whitney Museum of American Art

Here is some more information about the area:

- New York City is one of the nation's leading centers of business and commerce, but, as already mentioned, is especially strong in the financial and media industries. Some of the major companies with their headquarters in New York City include Accenture, Alcoa, Altria Group, American Express, American International Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CBS, Cendant, Citigroup, Fox Entertainment Group, Goldman Sachs, Hess, JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers, Loews, Merill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, New York Life Insurance, Pfizer, Schlumberger, TIAA-CREF, Time Warner, Verizon Communications, Viacom and Wells Fargo.

- Major airports for New York City include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (which is actually in Newark, New Jersey).

- Leading education institutions in New York City include City University of New York, Columbia University and New York University.

- Professional sports franchises in New York City include the baseball team, the New York Mets, the Major League Baseball team, the New York Yankees, the NBA basketball team, the New York Knicks, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Staten Island Yankees, and the NHL ice hockey team, the New York Rangers.

New York City in New York is the largest city in the United States. As of 2004, its population was estimated as 8,104,079, with a total of 18,709,802 living in the New York metropolitan area.

New York, nicknamed the "Big Apple" and the "City That Never Sleeps" is a reknown center of business and finance, entertainment, media and culture, home to many famous buildings, as well as containing the headquarters of the United Nations.

Attractions in New York City include

- American Folk Art Museum

- American Museum of Natural History

- Astroland in Coney Island

- Broadway Theatre

- Bronx Zoo

- Central Park in New York City

- Central Park Zoo in Central Park

- Chinatown

- Chrysler Building

- Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Coney Island

- Ellis Island

- Empire State Building

- Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy area,

- Flatiron Building

- Grand Central Station

- General Grant National Memorial

- Hayden Planetarium

- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

- Little Italy

- Madame Tussauds

- The Metropolitan Museum of Art

- The Museum of Modern Art

- New York Aquarium in Coney Island

- New York Botanical Garden

- New York Skyride in the Empire State Building

- New York Transit Museum

- Prospect Park Zoo

- Queens Museum of Art

- Queens Zoo

- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

- Staten Island Zoo

- Statue of Liberty

- United Nations Headquarters

- Whitney Museum of American Art

Here is some more information about the area:

- New York City is one of the nation's leading centers of business and commerce, but, as already mentioned, is especially strong in the financial and media industries. Some of the major companies with their headquarters in New York City include Accenture, Alcoa, Altria Group, American Express, American International Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CBS, Cendant, Citigroup, Fox Entertainment Group, Goldman Sachs, Hess, JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers, Loews, Merill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, New York Life Insurance, Pfizer, Schlumberger, TIAA-CREF, Time Warner, Verizon Communications, Viacom and Wells Fargo.

- Major airports for New York City include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (which is actually in Newark, New Jersey).

- Leading education institutions in New York City include City University of New York, Columbia University and New York University.

- Professional sports franchises in New York City include the baseball team, the New York Mets, the Major League Baseball team, the New York Yankees, the NBA basketball team, the New York Knicks, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Staten Island Yankees, and the NHL ice hockey team, the New York Rangers.

This article was originally published at http://www.vacation2usa.com/p1_state_new_york_cities_new_york_city.php - Visit this link for more information about the city, pictures, weather, posters, guide books and more.

New York City in New York is the largest city in the United States. As of 2004, its population was estimated as 8,104,079, with a total of 18,709,802 living in the New York metropolitan area.

New York, nicknamed the "Big Apple" and the "City That Never Sleeps" is a reknown center of business and finance, entertainment, media and culture, home to many famous buildings, as well as containing the headquarters of the United Nations.

Attractions in New York City include

- American Folk Art Museum

- American Museum of Natural History

- Astroland in Coney Island

- Broadway Theatre

- Bronx Zoo

- Central Park in New York City

- Central Park Zoo in Central Park

- Chinatown

- Chrysler Building

- Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park in Coney Island

- Ellis Island

- Empire State Building

- Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy area,

- Flatiron Building

- Grand Central Station

- General Grant National Memorial

- Hayden Planetarium

- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

- Little Italy

- Madame Tussauds

- The Metropolitan Museum of Art

- The Museum of Modern Art

- New York Aquarium in Coney Island

- New York Botanical Garden

- New York Skyride in the Empire State Building

- New York Transit Museum

- Prospect Park Zoo

- Queens Museum of Art

- Queens Zoo

- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

- Staten Island Zoo

- Statue of Liberty

- United Nations Headquarters

- Whitney Museum of American Art

Here is some more information about the area:

- New York City is one of the nation's leading centers of business and commerce, but, as already mentioned, is especially strong in the financial and media industries. Some of the major companies with their headquarters in New York City include Accenture, Alcoa, Altria Group, American Express, American International Group, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CBS, Cendant, Citigroup, Fox Entertainment Group, Goldman Sachs, Hess, JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers, Loews, Merill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, New York Life Insurance, Pfizer, Schlumberger, TIAA-CREF, Time Warner, Verizon Communications, Viacom and Wells Fargo.

- Major airports for New York City include John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport (which is actually in Newark, New Jersey).

- Leading education institutions in New York City include City University of New York, Columbia University and New York University.

- Professional sports franchises in New York City include the baseball team, the New York Mets, the Major League Baseball team, the New York Yankees, the NBA basketball team, the New York Knicks, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Brooklyn Cyclones, the New York-Penn League baseball team, the Staten Island Yankees, and the NHL ice hockey team, the New York Rangers.

This article was originally published at http://www.vacation2usa.com/p1_state_new_york_cities_new_york_city.php - Visit this link for detailed information on the individual attractions, more information about the city, pictures, weather, posters, guide books and more.

Discover all 50 states, 800 towns and cities and over 1,000 attractions at http://www.vacation2usa.com