Prophetic Nerds

Writen by Jesse Somer

I am an Internet creative writer and journalist and yet knowledge of the technical side of computers still eludes me. As I work with tech-heads I’ve always had a feeling that they were a different breed of people, with their strange language of numbers and abbreviated terminology. I’ve also had the egotistical belief that because they are always sitting at their computers, that somehow they were missing out on life, as opposed to people like me who try to spend as much time in fresh air as possible. Well, I had a wake up call today when I asked a few of my colleagues about the changing world of communication, television, film, and advertising that has begun to evolve at an alarming rate since the advent of the Internet.

First of all, after a short discussion I realized these people are just like me, they do all the things I do in their spare time. Secondly, I came to understand that a lot of these so-called ‘nerds’ are actually at the forefront of this revolution of technology and ideas that are changing our world for the better. Their well-kept secret is this: As they are the people designing these technologies that harness the power of the human imagination, they are actually prophets who can see into the future. I’m not saying that they are gurus who have mastered all aspects of life, on the contrary, I still believe that most of contemporary society still needs to focus much more time and attention on internal growth and understanding of our emotions and thought processes. However, as the tech-head jobs are usually based around ideas about how to make the world function better, they are miles ahead when it comes to knowing about which systems are going to implemented in the future.

Take communication for example. When the telephone was first invented by Alexander Graham Bell a lot of people questioned the worth of being able to speak to someone that they couldn’t see face-to-face. Of course after the benefits were discovered, the whole paradigm of communication drastically changed. Everyone now felt that it was ‘necessary’ to have a telephone. Many, many years later came satellites and with them the ability to talk to people on the other side of the world. Recently we’ve had huge cables constructed of optical fiber laid along the ocean floor, and with them came light-speed telephone and Internet connections. Well, the future of communication is now on the verge of a new revolution in paradigm as voice-over-Internet communication comes into existence and evolves.

A good example of this technology in its early stages can be found at http://www.skype.com/. Skype is a company whose service of computer-to-computer and even computer-to-phone communication has already had around 115 million downloads off the Internet. The reason that it is so popular now is that compared to a normal landline phone call, it is super cheap! A few of my friends and colleagues use it regularly so I’ll tell you how it works.

In the case of computer-to-computer voice communication, each person needs either a headset with built-in microphone and headphones, or a combination of microphone and computer speakers/headphones. At this stage you both also need a Broadband Internet connection, but let me tell you, until the big telephone and Internet corporations put a block on the current system (some US companies already have), you can now talk to people on the other side of the world for relatively free! The only cost seen is where the amount of time you speak is subtracted from your allowable download limit. Talking to someone for an hour on the other side of the globe hardly takes any download usage and as the Internet is the medium, the ‘phone call’ is actually better quality than a landline but with equal speed so there’s no time delay of speaker to listener like in the days of satellites.

The computer-to-phone service does have a fee but it still costs less than the rates on a normal telephone, although my friend says that the quality isn’t as good as the other Skype method yet. What does this mean for future communication in our world? It means eventually telephone companies will probably have to become Internet communication providers, and by that stage they will probably raise prices, as they will be losing so much of the revenue that they make now from overcharging on telephone services. It’s kind of like the situation we have with fossil fuels versus environmentally friendly energy production. Even though the technology exists, the oil companies aren’t going to bring it out until they’ve made every cent they can from the old technology.

However, as the Internet is a new medium where the general public has much more power and freedom from corporation and government constraints, this new technology has a much better chance of being implemented into our society straight away. 115 million downloads of Skype alone means that if the phone companies try and block this sort of communication completely, people probably won’t stand for it. This is also an important fact as it means that Internet nerds have a much better chance of bringing their ideas to reality, compared with nerds in other areas of human progress that are controlled more by big money-makers. As for now, if I were you I’d get onto Skype or another Internet voice communication provider and save your hard earned cash for as long as you can.

Don’t Let Headphone and Charge Cords Control Your Life

Writen by P. Holstein

What do you do with your iPod’s earbuds when you’re not using them? Wind them around something in hopes that they won’t get tangled?

What do you do with your cell phone’s sync cord? Stuff it into a carry-on pocket, hoping it won’t get knotted around your hairbrush?

And what do you do with your laptop’s plug? Stick it into your laptop case, knowing it will ultimately get caught on every other gizmo in there?

Of course, tangled, knotted and caught up in everything else is exactly how they end up, and you have to waste many minutes trying to de-tangle everythingif you even can. If this sounds familiar, we have found a few solutions (available at Cableorganizer.com), to help you make sense of your favorite toys’ add-ons.

The folks who created the earPod (left) say that it was created by iPod users for iPod users. Well, I’m here to tell you that anyone who uses earbud-style headphones for any portable player will love the earPod. Closed, the earPod looks like a white plastic spool; however, one side of the spool rotates open to expose a compartment big enough to hold your earbuds.

You simply wrap your earbud cable around the earPod, snake the bodies of the earbuds into the center compartment, and then close the case. Your earbuds are neatly stored for travel. (Full disclosure: an earPod currently resides in my gym bag, taking care of my prized Etymotic 6i Isolator headphones, which have been tangle-free since purchasing the earPod.)

Another stylish answer, the Cableyoyo,(right) is also a must-have for any gadgets and gizmos junkie. Recently dubbed “the paperclip of the new millennium,” Cableyoyo offers true functional practicality as well as a minimal yet aesthetically balanced form, showing promise as the next hot desk accessory mainstay for the 21st century.

Cableyoyo efficiently stores up to 6 feet of cord on a single, flat plane, keeping wires manageable and out of the way. It is intended for stationary as well as mobile use as it can be mounted to any fixed location and is extremely light and compact for travel. Cableyoyo can easily hide behind desks, monitors, or file cabinets, but the sleek, streamlined design calls for placement in plain sight.

Charge cords, however, aren’t so dainty that they would necessarily fit neatly into the earPod or Cableyoyo. For this, there’s the effective and colorful Cable Turtle (left and below right). Available in nine colors for the fashion conscious crowd, and two sizes3

Computer Consulting: The Initial Consultation

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

You have to think of the sales process as more of like a pre-sales consultation and with an emphasis on consultation. You really want to convey your professionalism and stand out from the other computer consulting “professionals” out there who want to act like used car salespeople.

In this article, you’ll learn that this can be done by taking a sincere interest in your prospect’s business, taking a sincere interest in their problems, and getting a grasp on those problems so you can figure out if you have a solution for them within your computer consulting business.

Have You Dug Up Any Dirt?

There may be cases where you find some dirt on them that makes you not want to do business with them. The computer consulting sales call is really a two-way interview process. If you see some weird, bizarre stuff going on or there’s some weird, bizarre stuff in background and in the news about this prospect, you may not want their business. As strange as it sounds, you may want to turn down their business, but again, this is the importance of doing your homework ahead of time and being prepared for your initial consultation.

Realize Time is Money

You’ll probably need to take a half hour to an hour to put together a little introductory packet of things to give them. You’re going to spend a half hour to an hour driving over there. Your consultation will very rarely start on time or finish on time. So by the time you get done, even if you’re super-efficient, usually two or three hours has been spent.

If you take your hourly billing rate that you’re billing out for computer consulting service calls, let’s say you’re billing at $75 an hour for computer consulting, that means you invested $225 in time before gas and mileage and parking and tolls. Before you do that, make sure your computer consulting prospect is a good fit. One of the best ways you can do that is by qualifying them a little better. Doing your homework goes a long way towards this end.

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Discount Large Format Scanners

Writen by Damian Sofsian

Large format scanners are used in a lot of places today. Many of them have become as common as the small format scanner as their use and applicability continues to increase by the day. Besides, there are many companies now that make large format scanners. This means that the cost of large format scanners has come down considerably. Interestingly, the features and the applications of the scanners have increased as costs have gone down.

It would not be wrong to say that it has become considerably easier to find huge discounts on large format scanners. However, with so many places to choose from?ranging from a local store, to wholesalers, to even the Internet?it may not be easy for someone to find the cheapest possible option. Keeping a few things in mind will certainly make the task much simpler.

One can surely find a cheap large format scanner directly from the manufacturer. However, the problem is that most of them do not encourage single purchases. So, if you are looking for just one scanner, a manufacturer may not be able to help you. However, it must be noted that a lot of manufacturers do encourage sales of their scanners online which means that if you visit their website, you are bound to find that they are selling single pieces as well. Most of these websites have addresses of wholesalers and distributors who do not hesitate to offer good discounts on large format scanners because of the cut throat competition across the nation.

The second place where one can find a significant discount on large format scanners is the wholesaler. These wholesalers operate in mainly two modes. One is that they do not have a brick and mortar store meaning that they sell their scanners only online and will be able to give more discounts than anyone. The second type is the local wholesaler who has a store but sells the scanners at a discount.

One can also find large format scanners on shopping sites like E-bay. One can easily manage to find a good discount on large format scanners here as well. However, must always remember that more important than the cost is the usability feature. One should first consider his or her needs and only then go in for a large format scanner.