We all know how much computers have been used to boost productivity and save time. The Internet has done a great deal to save time in many areas of our lives, such as online shopping and banking. However, a time saving device that is based on a much older technology has proven to be one of the best. The hands free telephone is a gadget that can save you time and greatly simplify your life.

When you consider the number of times in a day that the average person must stop what theyre doing to answer the phone, you see how the minutes can add up. Even todays cordless phones leave you with one hand tied, so to speak. For years, secretaries, office workers and operators have used corded hands free phones, which are excellent when working at a desk. but when you need more freedom to move around, nothing beats a cordless hands free telephone.

There are many good hands free phones to choose from. The one that I prefer is the Plantronics CT 12 cordless headset telephone. The CT 12 consists of a headset connected to a tiny handset which maintains a wireless connection to the phone base. The base plugs into a standard land line. This setup allows you to make and receive calls hands free while working or moving around. The CT12 has a range of 100 feet.

The CT12s handset is the heart of the system. This little gem is about the size of a folding cell phone, but has the functionality of much larger models. Its small dimensions (3 x 2 x 1) allows it to be carried easily in your pocket. The features include speed dialing, call waiting, caller ID, a phone book that can hold 100 numbers and chain dialing. Chain dialing allows you to store numbers that are used after your call connects, such as account numbers. The display is a three line, backlit LCD. The CT12s keypad is well marked and easy to use. There is an optional belt clip which can be used but I dont recommend it. It allows the handset to fall. Its safer to carry it in a pocket. The battery provides 5 to 6 hours of talk time.

The lightweight headset can be worn over your ear or head. Either position is comfortable but over your head feels more secure. It has a feature called Firefly. This is a blinking red light at the end of the microphone that lets others know when youre on the phone. The sound quality is every bit as good as you would expect from the folk at Plantronics. They have been in the business of making headsets for quite a few years, now. Neil Armstrong was using one when he walked on the Moon. Those famous words, One small step for Man came to us through a Plantronics headset.

The only drawback to using the Plantronics CT12 is the possible interference with wireless computer networks. This may require you to change channels by pressing the channel selector button on the handset. You could also switch channels on your wireless router.

The overall quality of this phone is good. So whether youre an astronaut or an office worker, a phone such as this one can be a worthwhile investment in productivity. I wouldnt try moon walking without one.

Robert Lee Howard is a web developer and online marketer. For more information visit: http://www.plantronicsct12.com

¶ 8:38 PM 0 comments

Albufeira in Portugal's Algarve is a popular vacation destination. You can get a taste of the best of Portuguese golf on offer at Salgados, where you get to pit your skills against a good number of water hazards, as well as a recurrent on-shore breeze. At Balaia you have a 9 hole course that tests your short game and direction skills. Another golf course worth visiting is pine Cliffs, or Devils Parlour, as you may join the locals in calling it depending on your experiences there.

Attraction of Albufeira The Albufeira Church of Sao Sebastiao on Praca Miguel Bombarda with its tall bell tower is a landmark not to be missed. The art work of local artist Samora Barros takes pride of place over the altar. The Albufeira Castle is another attraction reminiscent of the towns Moorish connections. For a day of family fun it would have to be the Zoo Marine, where besides the wildlife on show, you have a fairground, restaurants and plenty of space for a good old picnic.

Beautiful Beaches Other than the golf courses, you would probably want to spend a considerable amount of time at the beach. Fishermans beach is rather crowded, but you may just find some space away from the volleyball court that seems to attract all the attention. You may opt for West beach which is a little less crowded. The marina beach is another option with a whole lot of different possibilities, such as snorkelling and swimming among the various coves and rock formations. If youd prefer to be far from the madding crowd, head straight for Carvoeiro beach with its silent stretches and sentinel-like cliffs making sure you are not disturbed.

Dining in Albufeira If you are a sea-food aficionado, you have come to the right place. The freshest of catches, cooked to perfection in divine permutations and combinations, is served with a friendly and cheerful demeanour. The baffling variety may prove confusing, but you cant go wrong with the Cataplana or the Shellfish rice. It is not as if meat dishes are not available. You have items like the Piri Piri Chicken which is rather popular, but the seafood menu is simply overwhelming. You can of course, work it all off on the golf course the next day.

Getting Around in Albufeira Since theres so much to see and do, it would be a good idea to have your own vehicle. You can easily hire a car of your choice, online at Your-Carhire.com - specialists in Portugal car rental services and ensure a happy vacation for you and your family.

Article written by Seb Jay for http://www.your-carhire.com

¶ 7:34 PM 0 comments

Do you know what VOIP is? Unless you have been living in a cave for the past few years, you have undoubtedly seen VOIP advertised at electronics stores, on TV, inside your cable bill, and from some of your friends. In a nutshell, VOIP allows you to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. Thats right, you do not need to hassle with SBC or BellSouth or Verizon anymore if you dont want to. The person you are calling does not need to have a VOIP phone, you can call them or they can call you anyway.

The one thing that IS required for any VOIP servce, regardless of the provider you get it from, is a decent and reliable high-speed Internet connection. The vast majority of the time when customers complain about the quality of a VOIP phone conversation, the bottom line result is that the fault is rarely with the VOIP service, but it is the fault of the high-speed Internet connection. The VOIP provider has no control over the quality (or lack thereof) of your high-speed Internet connection, so if your connection is not reliable or is "spotty", you need to either get a different Internet provider, or perhaps VOIP is not for you at this time.

The latter situation would be bad news if you look at the economics of it. From your local phone company, you are probably paying $25 to $30 per month just for dial tone, and then you have long distance charges on top of that. For less money, you can also get dial tone, plus voice mail, plus caller ID, plus a host of other features (depending on the carrier), plus unlimited long distance calling in the continental US (or beyond with some providers). It really is a no brainer.

Let's look at a couple of neat things that VOIP allows you do to, things that you cannot do with your traditional phone. Let's say you live in Chicago, and you travel on business or pleasure to Atlanta and you bring your VOIP phone with you. When you get to Atlanta, you plug your VOIP phone into the high-speed Internet connection at your hotel. You can STILL make calls as if you were still in Chicago, and when somebody calls your Chicago phone number, it will ring on your VOIP phone in your Atlanta hotel room! It's like nothing has changed and you are still at home in Chicago!

I have a friend who does this all the time, and he travels worldwide. When he arrives at his hotel in Los angeles or even london or Hong Kong, he plugs his VOIP phone into the high-speed Internet connection at his hotel, and he is making and receiving calls just as if he were at home in Denver!

now let's say that you have friends or family in Europe that you like to talk to, but you dont talk to them very often because international calls are so expensive. The solution is for you to get a VOIP phone and get a VOIP phone for them and send it to them. (Assuming of course they have a high-speed Internet connection at their home, as do you). now, even though they are located in Paris or Munich, their VOIP phone has a Houston (or whatever) phone number, and you can call them or they can call you and you can talk for as long as you want to at no additional charge!

VOIP technology brings a whole new era to the world of communications, and if you are not part of the VOIP revolution yet, you certainly should be, because it is not going away anytime soon!

Jon is a computer engineer who maintain a variety of web sites based on his knowledge and experience. For more information about VOIP, VOIP providers and home VOIP services, please visit his web site at Home VOIP Inside Information.

¶ 3:46 AM 0 comments

over the last decade a new breed of club has evolved that cannot be described by the traditional club numbering system. They have been born out of the need of players to max out the choice of clubs as they seek their lower scores.

In fact it seems like a relatively sensible idea - a club, or clubs, that have a number of features allowing them to perform several functions, rather than the standard single function that most traditional clubs offer. Using hybrid golf clubs has become the new solution to these issues and more and more pros and amateurs alike have one or more in their bag right now.

The Age Of The Hybrid golf club Is Now!

Irrespective of capability, hybrid golf clubs well suited to the golfer who wants to improve his or her score - perhaps even above expectations, without having to put so many hours practice in. They are a type of club that elevates even a new starter in the game to a higher level, because of the flexibility and forgiveness that they offer.

look, the thing is that hybrid golf clubs have helped many thousands of ordinary golfers exceed even their wildest dreams, improving the game of the man in the street (or perhaps it should be the man on the golf course!).

Worried that these clubs might be technically inferior? Don't be. The thing is that whatever club a maker produces, it has to be to the same exacting standards, whether it is a run of the mill 3-iron or a hybrid. They just can't afford to come up short with any of their clubs!

Hybrid golf Clubs And The Manufacturers

golf club manufacturers have joined in too and not there is a wide range of hybrid golf clubs out there available to all levels to make a difference to their play - and at a wide range of prices too.

Actually, if you think about it, a hybrid golf club designer has new and interesting challenges way beyond the demands of the standard clubs. Not that the technology for them is stagnant - but the new challenges of hybrid golf clubs have stretched designers in compelling ways, making them even more creative and innovative.

And the outcome is always focused on creating a club that will sell well and through that build a reputation of a 'must have' that will bring more customers to the brand.

Time to check out on what you need to mend your game then? Listen, there's no better time to check out hybrid golf clubs to help you fix the more challenging aspects of your game. Whatever it takes to make your game more fun and more compelling.

Now if you can get a great score as well, overcoming your weak spots, then that's a result, don't you think?

(c) 2007 Choosing Great Golf Clubs. All you need to know to make the right decisions before you buy your next set of golf clubs. There's all the information you could ask for, at Martin Haworth's website, http://www.ChoosingGreatGolfClubs.com

¶ 3:42 AM 0 comments

One type of technology that definitely brings people a lot of entertainment, enjoyment, and even social bonding is video gaming platforms. Ever since Atari and other primitive video game platforms first came out about thirty years ago, the video gaming industry has tried to make better and better devices to keep people interested in all the have to offer.

There have been a number of breakthroughs in video gaming technology over the years, and as a result we now have video game platforms that have built in hard drives, optical disc drives, enormous amounts of RAM, and even multiple computer processors working in parallel. In the past, the major competitors in the video gaming industry have been Atari and Intellivision, and later nintendo and Sega, but now it's pretty much come down to Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's play station 3. Both of these two products have a lot in common, including the fact that they both have multiple processors, built in hard drives, optical disc drive, the ability to connect to the internet, and stunning graphics that can reach HDTV resolutions.

One of the features that they both have in common is the ability to play high definition DVD's onto HDTV sets, making them high definition DVD players (as well as normal DVD plays and CD players). Even these High Definition dvd formats are in competition because the play station 3 plays Sony's Blu-ray high def dvd format and the Xbox 360 plays Toshiba's HD-dvd format. The way in which these two devices accomplishes this are a little bit different though. That's because the Xbox 360's ability to play high def DVD's comes from an optional HD-DVD drive that can be attached to the unit via cable, and the play station 3 comes with a Blu-ray drive installed.

The fact that these two devices play different High Def DVD's has brought them right into the middle of a format war between Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Both formats essentially accomplish the same thing (although there are technical reasons why Blu-ray may be superior), but can't be played on each other's players and disc drives. For that reason, it's generally agreed that only one of the formats can survive the format war.

Both Sony and Toshiba (with Microsoft's help) have been trying to gain an edge in the market for their respective formats, and both of these video game systems have become pawns in the format war. It was hoped that the play station 3 would promote the benefits of the Blu-ray format to people who would buy a play station anyway and then watch Blu-ray discs on it as an afterthought. The problem with this strategy has been that the extra cost of including a Blu-ray drive is reflected in the play station 3's price and many gamers don't want to pay the extra money. The Xbox 360, on the other hand, has avoided that pitfall by making its HD-dvd drive an optional separate purchase.

All format wars aside though, these to gaming platforms are very impressive pieces of technology.

¶ 1:46 AM 0 comments