megabits per second

one million hotspots in four years...

2006-02-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's looking more and more like wireless technologies will be the de-facto means of connecting to the internet in the future.

Multitask in Style With the New High Speed CU320

2006-01-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Today LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. (LG Mobile Phones) and Cingular Wireless introduced the new CU320, available later this month. The CU320 is a great leap forward in mobile phone technology featuring faster downloads, richer content, and enhanced wireless internet, all in one stylish and sophisticated handset. With Cingular's new 3G high-speed network, the CU320 can take your mobile experience places you never thought possible. The addition of Bluetooth, 1.3 Megapixel rotating camera, video/audio streaming capability and a TransFlash memory card port, makes the CU320 the phone a must-have for the next generation of mobile technology enthusiasts.

Lack of high-speed Internet access proves costly to Ohio farmers

2006-01-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio farmers are complaining that they lack one major tool to help them stay competitive — high-speed or reliable dial-up Internet access.

Poor connections are "a major challenge to people who want to live in rural areas and still have some capabilities," said state Sen. Joy Padgett, a Republican from Coshocton. "Technology is no longer an option. It's an absolute necessity."

VoIP Phones...A Little Background To Help Choose How You Use VoIP

2006-01-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

VoIP phones are the phones used with Voice over Internet Protocol technology. VoIP is the technology used to transmit audio as data or Packets over the Internet to either a computer user or to a landline telephone.

VoIP is increasing in popularity, as it is highly valued for its great quality, low cost, and incredible features. VoIP is gaining respect, as a viable solution for business needs as...

How a BlackBerry Works

2006-01-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Some people credit the BlackBerry with letting them get out of the office and spend time with friends and family, while others accuse them of allowing work to infiltrate every moment of free time. Learn about the 'push' technology at...

Work From Home

2006-01-07T20:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry, if you were looking for information on a Work At Home Scam, this isn't it. But, if you run into the problem I have had before, you can use GoToMyPC to securely access your work computer from home--or anywhere--just using a web browser.

PC Magazine calls GoToMyPC "revolutionary" and The New York Times calls it "ingenious."

GoToMyPC allows you to securely access and use your office computer from any Web browser anytime, anywhere. Free Trial: Click here.

* TELEWORKERS: Work on your office computer from home, easily and securely, with just an Internet connection.

* TRAVELERS: Access and use your computer and files from hotels, airports, Internet cafes - anywhere with Web access.

* AFTER-HOURS ACCESS: Access and use your office desktop, email and other corporate resources after hours from any location connected to the Internet.

Never be without a forgotten file again and see why GoToMyPC is changing the way people work remotely. Try it Free!

PC Users: Download the Free Trial Now by clicking here

Hahahaha

2005-12-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Just forwarded to me:

>> This is the funniest blone-joke ever.

'Fat Man Walking'--wired on Route 66

2005-12-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

Cell phone, laptop and iPod--when they work--help make Steve Vaught's cross-country trek to shed pounds easier to bear. Photos: En route for health

BlackBerry Top 50 Gadget of Past 50 Years

2005-12-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

PCWorld.com has ranked the Blackberry #14 of the top gadgets of the past 50 years. They say, Canadian firm Research in Motion didn’t invent e-mail, wireless data networks, the handheld, or the QWERTY keyboard. But with the little BlackBerry, along with server software that made e-mail appear on it without any effort from the recipient, RIM put it all together in a way that even nontechie executives could appreciate–and thereby opened the eyes of corporate America to the potential of wireless communications. So addictive that some call them CrackBerries, RIM’s ubiquitous e-mail communicators–especially their high-res displays and small yet serviceable thumb keyboards–have forever changed the design aesthetic for personal digital assistants, while their approach to e-mail has become the standard by which all connected handhelds are measured. The Sony Walkman ranked first if you were wondering, you can read the entire list here …

Nokia launches E60 VOIP (SIP) Handset

2005-12-26T10:24:00.002-07:00

SIP based VOIP, WiFi and Push technology. What more could you ask for in a mobile?

2006: The End of Traditional TV? - Broadcast dinosaurs still rule the earth

2005-12-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

Place shifting, DVRs, IPTV, on-line broadband video; Terry Heaton thinks that 2006 is the year traditional broadcast television meets its maker (via GigaOM). 'I believe history will look back at 2006 as the year of an unbundled awakening in the media world, ushering in an era of creativity the likes of which we've not witnessed in recent history, especially in the advertising community.' Well, a man can dream, anyway.

Broadband in '06 - Net Neutrality will top discussion list

2005-12-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Should hotels have the right to block VoIP services over their broadband networks? Should Airlines? Should telcos be allowed to charge for quicker access to websites? Those are a few of the questions USAToday skims over in a piece exploring the broadband industry over the next several years. Odd, the article tags VoIP guru Jeff Pulver as the 'mischievous' founder of Free-World Dial-up.

Netflix wins round in online DVD-rental fight

2005-12-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Despite Blockbuster's costly offensive, so far Netflix is winning with more than four times the subscribers of its rival.

Wifi at your Airport?

2005-12-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

Rex Hammock is accumulating a list of US airports with free wifi. We rarely hear about airports with no wifi, a vanishing breed. New Orleans is one of those...

NeXT Computer Dead-Enders Give Up

2005-12-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, NeXT computer was the toast of Silicon Valley. This year, the start-up founded by Steve Jobs as retribution for his early retirement at Apple, was finally abandoned by the faithful - the Bay Area NeXT Users Group. Jobs founded NeXT in 1985 with an out-of-pocket investment of $7M. In 1996, Apple bought NeXT for $400M and it became the bedrock of OSX.

Media Center: 'You're Hired'

2005-12-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Although most Media Center PCs pass their days at home in the living room or study, a few have begun taking office jobs.

The desktop and notebook PCs, which come with Microsoft Corp.'s Windows XP Media Center Edition's specialized user interface for handling multimedia and are operable via a remote control, were created with consumers in mind.

However, a small number of businesses have been purchasing the machines to handle multimedia in internal meetings or customer presentations, some PC makers say.

Corporations often spend extra to set up liven up front offices and meeting rooms, purchasing big-screen televisions, stylish computers and other technological accoutrements.

Thus, despite their consumer bent, companies using Media Center machines to help show videos or present other multimedia isn't much of a stretch, those companies said. [READ MORE...]

New Study Shows Rising Cell Phone Use While Driving

2005-12-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

More Americans than ever are using cell phones while driving according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Driver cell phone use increased in 2005, with 6 percent of drivers on handheld phones in 2005 nationwide compared to 5 percent in 2004. This result is from the National Occupant Protection Use Survey...

Google Offers Cell Phone Version of Gmail Email

2005-12-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today Google launched a portable version of its Gmail email service, providing users access to their Gmail accounts directly from their mobile devices. Through the free service, emails are automatically synchronized between cell phones and computer accounts, regardless where Gmail is accessed from. Providing optimal viewing window sizes by detectin…

First Look: Nokia 770 Internet Tablet

2005-12-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of meeting some of the folks at Nokia who are in charge of Nokia 770 Internet Tablet development this week …

Sprint, Nextel Partners Settle on Price

2005-12-23T06:49:00.002-07:00

Sprint Nextel today announced they will buy affiliate Nextel Partners for $9.2 billion in cash. Nextel Partners’ contract with Nextel allowed the affiliate to force a purchase by the …

Samsung VI-A820 (SPH-A820)

2005-12-23T06:49:00.001-07:00

Released for Sprint, the Samsung VI-A820 (SPH-A820) delivers information through the sense of touch. With Tactile Vibration from VibeTonz the VI-A820 lets users feel who is calling for a more sensory experience. Supporting Ready Link technology, consumers can enjoy the convenience of walkie-talkie-style communication at the touch of a button. Through capabilities like SMS Voice and text messaging, the VI-A820 gives users the options they need to stay in touch.

Motorola V557 Review

2005-12-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Released for Cingular, the Motorola V557 is the first handset to include Motorola’s SCREEN3 - an innovative technology that enables consumers to get news, sports, entertainment, and other premium content and services directly from their mobile device home screen (no buttons to push, no browsers to launch). In addition, the V557 features a VGA camera, video record and playback, and advanced messaging. EDGE technology and Cingular’s consumer data services, such as Picture Messaging and Cingular Sounds, enhance the multimedia offerings and enable subscribers to share images and download MP3 ringtones with unprecedented speed.

MTV Invests in Amp’d Mobile

2005-12-23T06:48:00.000-07:00

MTV Networks has agreed to become an investor in privately held Amp’d Mobile and will provide video clips and other content for a wireless service that Amp’d plans to kick off this week. The two companies will develop joint marketing and promotions across MTV Networks’ brands and screens. Additionally, MTV Networks will make an investment in Amp’d …

Blackberry Development Using NetBeans Mobility

2005-12-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

With the RIM Blackberry JDE 4.1, you can now build Java ME applications for Blackberry devices using the NetBeans Mobility Pack 5.0. In this article, NetBeans Evangelist Matt Volpi gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get ...

RIM BlackBerry 7100i

2005-12-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Released for Sprint Nextel, the RIM BlackBerry 7100i is a sleek wireless device that manages to incorporate a large vibrant screen with a QWERTY-based keyboard on the BlackBerry platform. Including push-to-talk capabilities, consumers can communicate off-network in walkie-talkie fashion. Additionally, full-GPS allows turn-by-turn instructions. With excellent sound quality, dedicated Send and End phone keys, a numerical phone keypad with large keys, and speakerphone and Bluetooth support, the 7100i is a powerful business device.

Blackberry PDA Phone

2005-12-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

"In pursuit for the latest and greatest on pda to cell phone cables? Well youve without doubt fallen on the right place because thats what were knowledgeable about. Of course, being a freshly built website we dont yet have a significant ..."

MusicStrands Does Music Search, Too.

2005-12-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

If Google Music Search isn’t for you, check out MusicStrands, a young company that relaunched its site yesterday. The company is based in Corvallis, OR (where is that?) and Barcelona, Spain.

MusicStrands had results for every band I threw at it. Lots of stats, and links to buy music from amazon and iTunes. And it has excellent web 2.0 features as well, including social networking, recommendations and user tagging of music. They also have nice support options for small and indie bands, allowing them to get their music into the mix. Basically, MusicStrands is an excellent resource for finding new music.

When 2.0: Video chats on calendaring and events

2005-12-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

"I blogged at When 2.0 on Chandler, calendaring interoperability and sharing and Google's calendar. Other coverage: Oren Sreebny has the play-by-play, also coverage from Rob Hof, Ramesh Jain,, Mike Langberg and Dave Needle.We have a few video clips from the event. Here's a clip from a panel with Esther Dyson discussing notions of time and calendaring with Open Source Application Foundation Chair Mitch Kapor; ..."

BellSouth Scales Back Next-Gen Goals - Unaggressive plan gets even less so

2005-12-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

"Already far less aggressive than SBC and Verizon, BellSouth's next-gen plans have been scaled down further, reports Telephony Online. 'Previously, BellSouth had planned to have fiber within 5000 feet of 75% of its customers at an average cost of $225 per home by 2007,' says the article. The company has re-adjusted that goal to 50% of its customers at an average cost of $150 per home. The article also says BellSouth is tinkering with, but not yet sold on, IPTV."

CBS Beams Programming to Verizon Phones

2005-12-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

"TV network CBS announces a new deal under which it will offer video clips from some of its best-known programs over Verizon's V Cast wireless video service."

Blackberry Development Using NetBeans Mobility

2005-12-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

"With the RIM Blackberry JDE 4.1, you can now build Java ME applications for Blackberry devices using the NetBeans Mobility Pack 5.0. In this article, NetBeans Evangelist Matt Volpi gives you step-by-step instructions on how to get ..."

Family Friendly Cable Tiers - Comcast, TWC will announce in weeks

2005-12-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

"Actually a move to avoid having to offer full a La Carte, both Comcast and Time Warner Cable are considering offering family tiers of programming, reports USAToday. Amidst complaints about price-increases, there's been a renewed interest in a la carte, led by the FCC's sudden 180 position swap on the subject. Expected to be announced in a few weeks, the tiers would require a digital box, helping the companies migrate customers."

Ajax Desktops Won’t Stop

2005-12-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

eskobo is the most recent entrant into the crazy-crowded Ajax desktop space. Eskobo has (now) standard drag and drop modules. Everything is customizable except the adertising, which can be moved, but not removed, from the page. [read more]

Wall Street Journal Discusses the Rise of Bloggers

2005-12-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

Lee Gomes wrote about Memeorandum, Blogniscient and TechCrunch in the Wall Street Journal today. It’s an interesting column discussing the rise of blogs as “journalists” and the usefullness of blog aggregators in filtering out the most important writing.

The reality is that while there are now as many tech blogs as stars in the sky, only a tiny fraction of them matter. And those that do aren’t part of some proletarian information revolution, but instead have become the tech world’s new elite. Reporters for the big mainstream newspapers and magazines, long accustomed to fawning treatment at corporate events, now show up and find that the best seats often go to the A-list bloggers. And living at the front of the velvet rope line means the big bloggers are frequently pitched and wooed. In fact, with the influence peddling universe in this state of flux, it’s not uncommon for mainstream reporters, including the occasional technology columnist, to lobby bloggers to include links to their print articles.

While I agree with the trend that Lee Gomes is highlighting, I also think there is something even bigger going on. I agree with Dave Winer when he says:

There’s more going on here than the reporters being replaced by bloggers. It’s disintermediation, the thing that the Internet does to every business, art and profession that aggregates and repackages. Carl Sagan said that human beings are the cosmos gaining consciousness and studying itself. The tech bloggers are the tech community, the programmers, lawyers, investors, business managers, users, taking responsibility for their own cosmos. The reporters were necessary when you needed a million dollars to start a news “paper,” then a billion dollars to start a media empire. Now you need a laptop computer and an account on Blogger or MSN Spaces.

Bloggers take friction out of the news reporting process. No editors are around to slow down the process. There are also no fact checkers, which can cause problems. However, the blogosphere tends to correct for this, and, as an ecosystem, I’d wager the blogosphere gets more things right than journalists.

Anyway, it is an interesting article. Lee Gomes is one of the guys who gets it, obviously. And I just bought every print copy of the ‘Journal at the local newsstand. :-)

[Original Article]

11 Techniques to Increase Page Views on Your Blog: Blog Tips at ProBlogger

2005-12-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

"Another great set of tips from Darren." via Steve Rubel

SEOmoz | Beginner's Guide to SEO

2005-12-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

"This guide provides a complete overview of many of the processes, techniques and strategies used by professional search engine optimization specialists"

Grouper hits the ground running

2005-12-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

"If you've got a video iPod--and if you do, you're the TV networks' new best friend--a start-up called Grouper would like to..."

Yahoo makes its telecom play

2005-12-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

"Yahoo to two new fee-based voice over IP services so customers can make PC-to-phone calls."

ICANN told to clamp down on dodgy domain names

2005-12-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

"Lawmaker says Net watchdog is failing to do its job after GAO finds 'intentionally false' details in millions of registrations."

Study: One in Four Users are Targets of E-mail Phishing Scams

2005-12-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

"Roughly one in four U.S. Internet users are targets of phishing attacksphony e-mails seeking personal financial dataaccording to a study conducted by Time Warner Inc.'s Internet unit AOL and the National Cyber Security Alliance."

Blackberry battles continue

2005-12-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

"The legal struggle over crucial technology for the popular Blackberry handheld devices continued this week. ... The injunction against Blackberry has stood for several years, while the Canadian firm has refused to settle."

Cable Rate Hike Season - Charter, Cox, Comcast, Time Warner Cable

2005-12-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

"As we've mentioned, cable rate-hikes this time of year are as inevitable as eggnog. A disgruntled site user laments the fact Charter in St. Louis is raising rates, blaming Katrina, oil prices, and programming costs. The Associated Press sums up the hikes, many of which we've already covered. 'Price adjustments reflect the increased value of the service,' claims a Comcast exec. Agree? "

Top three telecoms fined for market collusion

2005-12-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

"PARIS, Dec 1 (AFP) - French regulators fined the three French mobile telecom operators a total of EUR 534 million on Thursday for rigging the market.

The decision, three days after a similar announcement of fines against top hotels in Paris, also faces the telecom operators with a risk of heavy compensation to subscribers.

The Competition Council watchdog took the action against SFR, Bouygues Telecom and France Telecom subsidiary Orange for "particularly serious" collusion in sharing market information which had done "great damage to the economy"."

Cingular to Offer Enhanced Push-to-Talk Service

2005-12-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

"The service, which will compete against Sprint Nextel walkie-talkie, includes a 'convert to cellular' feature and allows group calls of up to 20 people."

Just when you thought you had enough...even MORE Blogging tips!

2005-12-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth shares some Blogging Tips: "Every time I come across something that I think would make a good blog post, I write the title or the facts in the eBlogger Dashboard section and save it as a draft. Eventually I come back to my topics and the facts that I have collected. They usually come from my reading or barn experience. Sometimes topics sit in my draft pile for days before I get to them. Sometimes life is busy here, and I don't get to polish my writing as much.

I spend a lot of time trying to think of catchy titles for my blog posts. I like catchy titles. It isn't easy thinking them up though!

I would like to learn more about html because I would like to jazz up my blog with photos, icons, and other cool things like that. A man I know from church has a very cool blog. He puts video and audio on his blog on a regular basis! I haven't had time to learn how to do that yet.

I experiment with "copied" html code. I find a site that generates the html code for me. (I find those sites on other blogs. Just click on whatever it is they have that you like.) I put the code into the template on my Dashboard. I preview the page, and see if it worked. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. If it works, I save the edits. If not, I delete them. My Mom told me that blogspot doesn't have as many "bells and whistles" as some other blogging sites. But blogspot is free, so that is why I am using it for now.

The best part about blogging by far is getting comments!! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to post a comment. Thank you! It is a lot more fun than writing compositions that only my Mom or brother would read!

OK. Now it is your turn to give me blogging tips. I want to know how you (Jess and Liza) get those neat little dotted lines on the side bar of your blog. I have tried to put more space between things in my sidebar, but haven't figured out how to do it yet. I am not good at figuring out how to reorganize my sidebar. Thank you for any tips!"

Vonage Vs. Skype - Motley Fool: latter will kill the former

2005-12-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

"The Motley Fool seems concerned that Skype could mean the death of Vonage. 'At this very moment, somebody's walking into a RadioShack store with five bucks to burn. Just $4.99 can buy you the Skype Trial Pack at 3,500 RadioShack locations.' Is anyone actually using a Skype client as their primary communications?"

Taipei building too much for earth to bear?

2005-12-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

"A geologist says Taipei has seen more earthquakes since a huge skyscraper was built in the Taiwanese capital city and suggests..."

AOL Releases Stand-Alone Security App

2005-12-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

America Online's new Safety and Security Center supplements Windows' firewall protection.

DSL - GigaLaw.com Daily News�

2005-12-02T03:08:00.000-07:00

"GigaLaw.com Daily News GigaLaw.com - Dec 01 4:32 AM Judge Invalidates Settlement in BlackBerry Patent Case The maker of the popular BlackBerry e-mail device is facing a critical decision: Pony up a lot of money to settle a long-term patent dispute or inform most of its 3.65 million U.S. subscribers that it may have to shut [...]"

Microsoft Wireless Network Adapter for Xbox 360

2005-12-02T02:59:00.000-07:00

The WiFi network adapter Microsoft produces for its Xbox 360 is stylish, but it isn't cheap. This is in part due its compact size and in part due to its dual-band 802.11a/b/g support. Microsoft's Xbox 360 adapter...

VoIP Gift Idea: "Whole House" phone system

2005-11-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

JCPenney.com is getting in on the VoIP-for-Christmas act with the Uniden whole-house wireless phone system, designed with Packet8 VoIP phone service in mind. The base station includes an IP-based set and support for up to 10 5.8 gHz wireless phone (no more ?honey, where?s the phone?? if you have ten of them!). The entry level system includes the base and a single wireless set. If you mail in the rebates they?re offering, you?ll score it for under a hundred bucks.

New Orleans to offer free Wi-Fi

2005-11-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

The Big Easy is building its own wireless Internet network--and it plans to offer free access to all citizens.

Firefox 1.5 released

2005-11-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

From Tom Keating:

Just received an email from the Mozilla Firefox PR folks to inform me that the final release of Mozilla Firefox 1.5 is now available for download from GetFirefox.com for most major operating systems or from the mirrors.Users of the release candidates should receive the update soon. I just hope they fixed the damn clipboard problem I've been having.

Firefox 1.5 introduces several new features, including an improved software update system, faster Back / Forward page navigation, a new options to clear private browsing data, drag-and-drop reordering of browser tabs, a redesigned Options/Preferences window and more robust popup blocking. Standards support is also improved, with support for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), JavaScript 1.6 and additional CSS properties. Accessibility is much improved (including new DHTML accessibility features), security has been enhanced and Mac OS X support has also been improved... [more]

DSL - Verizon testing 7mbps DSL

2005-11-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

Verizon testing 7mbps DSL TMCnet - Nov 24, 2005 how much it would cost. The 7.1mbps DSL service is currently offered to business customers, she added. The cost of the business Public comments sought by DSL Bend.com, OR - Nov 21, 2005 She may be reached at (503) 378-3805 ext. 239....

Reviewer posts two BlackBerry 8700c sound files

2005-11-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Not only does all-around BlackBerry expert Barjohn have the most thorough review of the BlackBerry 8700c that I have read to date - with the coolest pix- but he's included some sound files transacted over the device.

But first, the essentials. Barjohn writes that the BlackBerry 8700c is the best Smartphone I have tested. Consistent with that view, he assigns it a rating of 9.5 on a 10.0 scale.

"Why such a high rating when surely it must have some flaws?," he writes. "Because it is the integrated package, i.e. the complete experience that is so nearly perfect."

Oh yes, the sound files...
Barjohn has provided two sound files for us, both of the BlackBerry 8700c using hands free profiles for his BMW and his Lexus.

Here is the link to Barjohn's sound file of the BlackBerry 8700c using the BMW hands free.

Here is the link to Barjohn's sound file of the BlackBerry 8700c using the Lexus hands free.

Cheap Dialup Access

2005-11-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I needed to find an inexpensive dialup service for work. I didn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, just a connection. I finally ended up choosing SysMatrix, a provider based in Silsbee, Texas. Not only did it offer basic dialup for $6.95 a month, it got good reviews from a couple of places I checked. I like its style, too. For example, this disclaimer:

“This service offered as unlimited, as in, may use any time of the day or night. Unlimited does not mean that the customer has the right to stay connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That would be considered dedicated Internet access, rather than unlimited Internet access. We reserve the right to place on hold or cancel anyone who abuses our system by trying to remain online dedicated. We feel that by listing this information up front, we are being honest with our customers unlike other companies who hide this information until after you sign up.”

The foregoing notwithstanding, I have no problem remaining connected for 6-8 hours at a time while at work. It does occasionally drop me off after a half hour or so with no activity - a perfectly reasonable policy.

I'm pleased to say that I'm entirely satisfied with its service. I've had no drop-offs unrelated to inactivity, no problems connecting, and as far as I can tell, the service has been up 100%. In addition to a basic connection, the service comes with "$6.95 a month Promo (No Setup Fee) for as long as you stay with us. Unlimited e-mail addresses, 20 megs of Web space, Over 7600 access numbers, and 88,000 + Newsgroups newsfeed, with 50 days retention on binary groups."

Various expanded services are available at reasonable rates. The $6.95/mo. promotional offer is only available from this page.

Broadband Too Expensive in US?

2005-11-29T06:22:00.000-07:00

By S. Derek Turner
Oct. 18, 2005

Next time you sit down to pay your cable-modem or DSL bill, consider this: Most Japanese consumers can get an Internet connection that's 16 times faster than the typical American DSL line for a mere $22 per month.

Across the globe, it's the same story. In France, DSL service that is 10 times faster than the typical United States connection; 100 TV channels and unlimited telephone service cost only $38 per month. In South Korea, super-fast connections are common for less than $30 per month. Places as diverse as Finland, Canada and Hong Kong all have much faster Internet connections at a lower cost than what is available here. In fact, since 2001, the U.S. has slipped from fourth to 16th in the world in broadband use per capita. While other countries are taking advantage of the technological, business and education opportunities of the broadband era, America remains lost in transition.

How did this happen? Why has the U.S. fallen so far behind the rest of its economic peers? The answer is simple. These nations all have something the U.S. lacks: a national broadband policy, one that actively encourages competition among providers, leading to lower consumer prices and better service.

Instead, the U.S. has a handful of unelected and unaccountable corporate giants that control our vital telecommunications infrastructure. This has led not only to a digital divide between the U.S. and the rest of the advanced world but to one inside the U.S. itself. Currently, broadband services in America remain unavailable for many living in rural and poorer urban areas, and remain slow and expensive for those who do have access....

Comcast revs up my home cable connection

2005-11-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

"Comcast recently revved up download speeds on its basic home cable-modem connections to a whopping 6 megabits per second, ... I knew my speed increase had kicked in because I used several Web-based connection-speed testers. ..."

VoIP for the contact center

2005-11-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

VoIP makes the implementation of a single, integrated voice and data network a far cheaper proposition than implementing separate networks. This also reduces the complications that would otherwise arise if separate networks to be integrated.

A major advantage that VoIP offers is the integration of separate functions and the range of functionalities that it offers. IVR in a VoIP environment is less expensive to implement, voice to text translation, multimedia queuing and routing, and IM make VoIP an attractive enterprise application, particularly for contact centers.

The true scope of VoIP will be leveraged when it starts getting used as a platform for supporting a virtual contact center. This will enable the distribution of the contact handling to anywhere in the organization; thereby ensuring that the right person with the right skill set handles the calls. Experts feel that even though having a central point of contact has its advantages, a distributed point of contact could lead to efficient and effective call handling. It may however lead to increased training costs.

Even though VoIP has existed for around 10 years, it has managed to make an impact on the contact center industry fairly recently. Adoption of VoIP has resulted due to the drop in systems prices, sophisticated voice recording and analytics enable contact centers to learn from each call, these features are further boosted by a reporting function. ....

VoIP Gift Idea: Skype Firebox Phone Handset

2005-11-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

"Straight from Firebox, our good buddies in the UK, comes the USB-based Firebox VoIP Cyberphone. You use it to simulate traditional phone calling on Skype. This little number has a dial-pad, a headset input connector in case you’d prefer to use something other than the handset provided, as well as a volume control and one thing that I wish was on every corded phone: the number pad is on the BASE, not the HANDSET, making it easier to use for IVR interaction.

This works on Windows, Mac, or Linux, though the non-Windows support lacks keypad dialing. A nice Christmas or Hanukkah gift for the Skype addict on your gift list. (About $40 USD)

A Guide To Cheap Online Phone Calls

2005-11-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

November 24, 2005

By Cliff Joseph

PC users have long been able to make free calls through instant messaging services such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, but many were dissuaded by the idea of having to buy and wear a headset and the inconvenience of having to make sure that friends and family were online when they fancied a natter.

Well, things have changed since we last wrote about making telephone calls using a broadband connection. A number of services now enable you to use a proper telephone handset to make cheap or free calls by placing an adapter between the broadband modem or router and a standard telephone.

Meet the Mockers: the anti-VoIP machine fires up

2005-11-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

Meet the Mockers: the anti-VoIP machine fires up: "As a journalist for longer than I can remember, I know this about my fraternity. Whether it is music, art, movies, books or technology, we love to point to trends that few know about. Then, when what we have hyped becomes a phenomenon, some of us seek attention by adopting a contrarian attitude.Hasn't happened with 'Lost,' or the iPod, but ..."

For those in the middle of nowhere: satellite bandwidth

2005-11-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

For those in the middle of nowhere: satellite bandwidth: "I was surfing through the Vonage forums and came across a company called dataBahn. They operate a satellite that provides low-latency Internet connectivity for fixed-location clients who don’t have local infrastructure to get them online (such as construction sites and third-world locales). Coincidentally, their 256 kbps service costs $256 per month. Notably, they specifically support VoIP functionality and don’t have a metered charge. This could be highly useful in environments where remote site setup and teardown happens faster than the phone company can provision a DSL line (like construction and demolition sites) or in areas where cell coverage is insufficiant to support VoIP apps (which is almost everywhere still)."

Skype to Make U.S. Retail Debut

2005-11-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Skype to Make U.S. Retail Debut
RadioShack and Skype, the Global Internet Communications Company, today announced an agreement to distribute Skype-certified hardware and software in approximately 3,500 RadioShack stores. This makes RadioShack the first U.S. retailer to offer this new Internet phone service. According to Skype officials, Skype has successfully brought free Interne…

Chip Makers Eye Move to Multicore

2005-11-28T21:08:00.002-07:00

Chip Makers Eye Move to Multicore: "The manufacturers are aggressively moving forward with plans to add more cores to their processors as a way of improving performance without having to bump up the frequency."

Symantec Shelves Sygate Personal Firewall

2005-11-28T21:08:00.001-07:00

Symantec Shelves Sygate Personal Firewall: "Sygate Personal Firewall products will be a casualty of the company's merger with Symantec, leaving customers without support, but the enterprise product line remains viable."

RIM, Verizon Team on Blackberry

2005-11-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

RIM, Verizon Team on Blackberry: "The companies last week introduced the BlackBerry 7130e, which is the first BlackBerry handset to run on Verizon's high-speed Evolution Data Optimized network."

Spyware everywhere

2005-11-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Spyware everywhere: "Here's a place I would have never thought about finding spyware. A 700-square-mile area in rural Central Oregon is equipped with wireless technology that allows residents, business, government, farmers and whoever happens to grab the signal to connect to the Internet. Cool! Except this sentence got my attention. '[...] a network of wireless cameras is in place for surveillance that ..."

eBay Exec to Head Skype in N. America

2005-11-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

eBay Exec to Head Skype in N. America: "Skype, the popular international Web-based calling service that eBay recently acquired, names eBay executive Henry Gomez to run its newly formed North American business."

Export OPML from Bloglines -- Screencast

2005-11-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

Scripting News: "Raymond Kristiansen has a screencast that shows Scoble how to open his Bloglines subscription list in the OPML Editor. There's another way (sorry I didn't remember this at first). It pays to review the docs every once in a while. ';->'"

Comcast to raise broadband speed

2005-11-28T03:38:00.000-07:00

With Baby Bell local phone providers making inroads with cheaper but slower DSL service, Comcast and other cable companies hope to fight on speed rather than price. Comcast's faster service, added at no extra cost to customers, will begin rolling out this quarter, the company announced on Sunday.

As previously reported, the nation's largest cable and broadband provider's current download speed of up to 3mbps (megabits per second) will jump to 4mbps. Upload rates of 256kbps (kilobits per second) will reach 384kbps, the company said. Customers of Comcast's more expensive 4mbps service will see a 50 percent increase to 6mbps downstream and 768kbps upstream.

Speed has been of the essence to the nation's major cable providers. Time Warner Cable said in December that it would raise its basic download speed to 5mbps from 3mbps. Months earlier, Cox Communications said it would raise its speed limit from 3mbps to 4mbps. Faster speeds may help justify cable subscriptions that average $45 a month when the Bells sell DSL--which typically clocks in at 1.5mbps--for as low as $26.95 a month.

Read more online at news.com

Central Desktop - Profile

2005-11-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Central Desktop - Profile: "Central Desktop = Salesforce + Wikis + Crowded Market

HQ: Pasadena, CA

Founded: 2004

Management: Isaac Garcia is Co-founder and CEO. He was a founder and VP of Sales & Marketing at Upgradebase. His co-founder and CTO, Arnulf Hsu, worked with him at Upgradebase, which they founded in 1997. That company was a data provider to the computer and consumer electronics industries. In 1999, they also founded Vendorbase, a B2B Marketplace for computer resellers. Both companies were sold to CNET in 2002

Investors: Bootstrapped but actively raising funds.

Business Model: Central Desktop sells a hosted collaboration package that takes advantage of RSS and Wikis. It offers the type of file sharing service that has been popular with consultants and other project-based businesses. The company licenses the software from $25 to $250 per month. For that you get: sales tracking, product development management, installations tracking, knowledgebases, department Intranets, calendaring, file sharing, and more. Central Desktop had its first release in September 2005, and the UI is certainly clean.

Competitors: Jotspot, Intranets.com, SocialText, Zimbra, .

Dirt: We've done project-based work before and can see the value of Central Desktop. We also know that it's one thing to make a valuable product and another to become the Salesforce.com of your sector. Central Desktop needs to figure out how to hype the hell out of their product to get a leg-up over the hoards of other collaboration companies that have been charging of late. "

Vonage outsourced tech support is NOT based in India

2005-11-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

The first time I called Vonage tech support, I wondered if I was talking to someone in India...

Vonage outsourced tech support is NOT based in India: "Whether it is in newspaper articles, online forums, blog feedback or just conversation, there seems to be this widespread belief that Vonage outsources the brunt of its Tier 1 (initial call) customer support to India.

The assumption is usually made in a critical tone of voice, usually in frustration that the support agent was not able to quickly resolve the problem, or seemed ..."

VDSL rolling out high speed broadband

2005-11-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 3 hours ago network infrastructure using VDSL-FSO (very high bit rate the rates would be based on speed, which can the service for VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), as ...

Mass-mailer worm lurks in Skype signup email invite

2005-11-27T23:01:00.001-07:00

Mass-mailer worm lurks in Skype signup email invite: "I just got the idea of searching for IP telephony-related virus definitions on some anti-virus company websites.On McAfee, I found a listing for something called W32/Mytob.gr@MM.While this isn't a Skype virus, it is a mass-mailer worm that uses such subject lines as:Skype for Windows 1.4 - Have you got the new Skype?; What is Skype?, andShare Skype. Then, if they ..."

Nokia and T-Mobile Successfully Test HSDPA

2005-11-27T23:01:00.000-07:00

Nokia and T-Mobile Successfully Test HSDPA "Nokia and T-Mobile have completed High Speed Downlink Data Packet Access (HSDPA) calls using Nokia’s 3G network technology. The calls were made in T-Mobile’s live network in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany, and are the result of the strong collaboration between the two companies to deliver HSDPA to the commercial networks. The solutions will no… "

BellSouth Introduces Faster High-Speed Internet Service

2005-11-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

BellSouth Introduces Faster High-Speed Internet Service
HispanicBusiness.com, CA - Nov 16, 2005 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — BellSouth announced today a new high-speed Internet service that offers twice the download speed of its current fastest service.

SmallCap Sentinel: Retailers Reach Rural America via High Speed
PrimeZone (press release), CA - Nov 18, 2005 "Internet users who had previously been disenfranchised from high speed Internet access are embracing wireless broadband as a viable and rapid Internet vehicle

It's not just about TV anymore
Austin American-Statesman (subscription), TX - 9 hours ago Mandel Fernandes spent 45 minutes installing cable television and high-speed Internet service in Amanda Mendonza's Boston apartment, running wires and

High speed internet issue taken to Court
Radio New Zealand, New Zealand - Nov 13, 2005 Telecom has gone to court to question a Commerce Commission plan to raise the speed of high-speed Internet to its rivals. The phone

String Up Your Xbox 360 - Overheating power supply freezing up game play

2005-11-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

String Up Your Xbox 360 - Overheating power supply freezing up game play: "The Inquirer points out that a gamer fed up with his new Xbox 360 crashing every 20 minutes has fixed the problem by raising the power supply off the ground with some string. Goldeneyemaster over at the GameSpot forums indicates that the main reason for his Xbox 360 freezing up is the power supply overheating. The solution is to lift the power supply off the floor and allow the air to circulate better around it. "

Why Is VoIP Good For Small Business?

2005-11-26T14:32:00.000-07:00

Why Is VoIP Good For Small Business?: "The most immediate benefit of VoIP for most businesses is savings on long distance charges. Companies equipped for VoIP can place long-distance calls over the Internet rather than the PSTN and avoid paying long distance charges. Since most companies already pay for broadband Internet connections, the only additional requirement is the equipment that connects telephones to the IP network.In addition to the cost savings, bringing voice and data together on one network opens the door to new services. Advanced conferencing, unified e-mail and voicemail messaging and dialing calls by selecting from a computer contact list are just a few of the new service possibilities.The benefits of VoIP can go beyond free long distance calling and new services. Because VoIP integrates voice calling with the IP network, small businesses of the future will only need one network to operate, rather than separate telephone and computer networks. A single integrated network is cheaper to install and maintain, and there would only be one network service bill to pay. We recommend Packet8 service for small businesses of today.....and tomorrow. But fully converged networks are a long way off for most small companies. Today, traditional PSTN telephony is still crucial for the vast majority of small businesses. Since most of the telephone calls for the majority of small bu"

Some things change over the years, and some are exactly the same

2005-11-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

Some things change over the years, and some are exactly the same: "November 19, 2005By Charles MathewsonThe biggest sources of complaints for Americans are the government, the cable company and the phone company. Their bigness makes it nearly impossible to satisfy customers. Without their bigness, they have no business.Ma Bell, Baby Bell, Nynex, Verizon. The name changes. It's still the Phone Company. Generations of corporate conditioning have made us all humbled by the telecommunication giant.For those of you too young to know, or too old to remember, The Bell System had a vise grip on its customers. The Phone Company (the name popularized in the great anti-hero flick 'The President's Analyst') owned the lines, the switchboards and the telephones it installed in homes. "

Apple's iPod Nano a holiday hit

2005-11-26T14:26:00.000-07:00

Apple's iPod Nano a holiday hit: "Best Buy's Web site was sold out Friday of both the white and black versions of the 4 GB Nano, priced at $249.99."

Citrix's application firewall plan

2005-11-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

Citrix's application firewall plan [via]

Network World, 11/21/05

Study: Search Now Second Among Web Tasks

2005-11-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

By The Associated Press -- 9:21 AM EST Mon. Nov. 21, 2005 [via]

The number of people who use Internet search engines to find information has jumped over the last year, claiming a solid No. 2 spot behind e-mail among online tasks, a new study finds.

Of the 94 million American adults who went online on a given autumn day this year, 63 percent used a search engine, compared with 56 percent in June 2004, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said Sunday.

Until recently, search and news have been running neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot among Internet tasks, said Lee Rainie, the project's director. But search had a dramatic jump over the past year to widen the gap over news, used by 46 percent of the Internet's daily population.

Use of search engines was higher among users who are richer and better educated, as well as those with high-speed broadband connections that are continuously on.

"If you're cooking dinner and wondering what ingredients to put in your meal, if you had a dial-up connection you would probably go to your cookbook," Rainie said. "If ... you have a broadband connection, you'd likely go to your bookmarks" for your favorite search engine.

E-mail remains the most popular application, used by 77 percent of the daily sampled population.

Separate tracking by comScore Media Metrix finds that users averaged 24 minutes a day on e-mail, compared with less than 4 minutes for search. Pew researchers note that the gap signals that e-mail remains a powerful application.

Nonetheless, although the number of daily e-mail users has grown because of increases in the overall online population, the percentage of the daily population accessing e-mail has dropped. It was 85 percent in the 2004 survey.

Rainie suggests users might have grown fearful of viruses and other threats spread via e-mail, or they might have turned to instant messaging instead. He also speculates that they might simply suffer from information overload and conscientiously limit their e-mail use.

The random telephone-based survey of 1,577 Internet users was conducted Sept. 13 to Oct. 14. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

CNN: Home of future happening now

2005-11-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

By Julie Clothier for CNN

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Simon Darby has the kind of house that makes the fathers of his kids' classmates green with envy.

As Microsoft's Windows client marketing manger, the self-confessed "technology geek" has all sorts of gadgets installed that make it seem like something out of a futuristic movie.

In fact, all of the devices in Darby's home -- from the biometric mouse that has his computer reading fingerprints instead of asking for passwords to the media center in his lounge -- are available for ordinary consumers to buy in shops.

Having impressed guests to his Oxford home, Darby decided to let his clients see the technology in action by recreating his front room in London.

The result is [... read more]

Opinion: So Why Do We Need Skype, Anyway?

2005-11-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

There has been quite a debate going on as to whether Skype is safe for corporate use. The more important question: Do we need Skype or just want it? And is just wanting it worth the risk--even a small one? [more...]

Can You Hear Me? Vendors Beef Up Voice Over Wi-Fi Quality

2005-11-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

While there has been much industry hype about phones that can roam among wireless LANs and cellular networks, veterans in the space are working to boost the quality of plain old voice over Wi-Fi. [More...]

Skype: Enterprise Not Job Number One

2005-11-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

As IT managers begin to block the VOIP tool because of security and control issues, Skype admits the technology is not designed to be an enterprise-grade tool and has no problems with enterprises banning its use [more...]

VONAGE FEATURED FEATURE: SimulRing(SM)

2005-10-06T11:38:00.000-06:00

Never Miss A Call, Even When You’re On The Move
You'll never have to miss a call again with Vonage's SimulRing^SM feature. An extension of Call Forwarding, SimulRing^SM allows your incoming calls to ring your Vonage number plus up to 5 other numbers in the US, Canada, or Puerto Rico at the same time! For example, when someone calls you, you can have your Vonage phone, your cell phone and your work phone all ring at the same time. Whichever phone you pick up first will keep the call.

You can activate this free feature at anytime by logging into your web account, clicking on Features, then select SimulRing^SM from the Call Forwarding section.

2005-06-11T22:40:00.000-06:00

I've been told that my internet speed has been upgraded again. Let's see...

First, I am a little worried that my speed has dropped significantly to just over 1 megabit. Hmm...

But, after I recycled my modem, I did get a boost to 2.5 megabits. Well, better than nothing.

Q: What is the fastest speed that DSL connections are capable of?

2005-04-09T15:38:00.000-06:00

A: There are a lot of variables to consider with answering this question.

Typical residential offerings usually have a maximum of 1.5Mbps (1.5 megabits per second), but special connections for home and office can be obtained to go well above that. Keep in mind that you will not normally see 1.5 megabits in a speed test ... due to overhead the more commonly seen speed with this type of connection is in the neighborhood of 1200-1250.

There are two limiting factors that are in place for most connections: the modem and the wiring used to transfer the signal from the modem to the computer. Most home use DSL modems are limited to 10Mbps on the user (LAN) side. The wiring from the modem to the computers is normally Category 5 wiring, or thin ethernet, and that is limited to 100Mbps speed.

Many DSL users are now connected at speeds equal or less than 3000/768, whether they are on ADSL or SDSL.

From DSL Reports

Filed Under: broadband speed FAQ highspeed DSL cable internet fast public

Broadband Optimizer: Increase your Mac OS X Connection Speed

2005-04-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

From Enigmarelle:

Like most operating systems, Mac OS X doesn't come out of the box to take full advantage of a high-speed, broadband internet connection. Luckily, because of its Unix base, there's an easy fix for that. By making certain tweaks to your network settings, you may be able to almost double your download speeds.

Broadband Optimizer works by increasing the memory buffers used for TCP transfers, so that data comes in bigger chunks at at time - Man-sized broadband chunks, not modem-sized kiddie chunks.

Enjoy your newfound speed :) You may want to further tweak your settings for your particular connection by opening the file named BroadbandOptimizer inside the folder you just installed in any text editor (BBEdit, vi, or our own TideText work well. If you use TextEdit make sure you're saving the file in plain text mode, not RTF. If you're using another text editor, make sure you're saving with UNIX line endings.) Change the numbers above to a slightly lower amount (they're already set as high as is likely to make any improvement.) The OSX default is 32768, so that's the lower limit that makes any sense. Try 49152 to start with.

See more information, including FREE download & installation instructions, click here.

Filed Under: broadband speed increase optimize mac OSx TCP/IP bits megabits public

Sign up for Comcast, Get $50.00 Cash

2005-04-09T15:04:00.000-06:00

Extra! Extra! I just got a tip that Comcast is giving $50.00 cash back for all new customers in April. The promotion code is encryped into this link. More details forthcoming!

Filed Under: coupon cashback money comcast online highspeed hi-speed high speed internet cable DSL broadband

The Cable Modem HOW TO Guide

2005-04-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

If you are a Linux user trying to configure your Cable Internet Modem and you would like some help getting it figured out, you should visit the Cable Modem HOW TO Guide, writted by Howard Shane.

The guide answers such questions/issues as:

I get kicked offline about once every 4 days, for no apparent reason.
I get the following messages on boot-up; are they errors?
Networking and Ethernet Support for Cable Modems
USB Interface Support
The Modem Device
The DHCP Client

And talks about Cable Modems such as:

Ambit modems
Broadcom Cable Modems
Ericson PipeRider Modems
Motorola SurfBoard Modems
RCA (Tompson) Modems
Terayon Modems
Toshiba PCX-XXXX Cable Modems
Webstar Modems

Can you force your IP Address to change?

2005-04-06T10:58:00.000-06:00

The question comes up sometimes, "Can I force my IP address to change"? This often happens when your IP address has become "tagged" by hacked computers that browse the web looking for open ports to hack.

This is especially important if you're running a server or services on your home network. Even if you're just running a mail server or you have a simple web server running, over time, you, your network, and especially your modem and router will notice a dramatic spike in traffic. Your connection will slow down, and you may even have to reboot or recycle your modem every few hours or every day because your connection just "goes bad".

Of course, you should have at least a router or some kind of firewall (software ones will do, but they can be hacked. A hardware firewall is best. A basic one is built into most Cable/DSL Home Networking Equipment).

But, even with a firewall, your connection can get hammered and you just want to change IP addresses to further mask yourself. Changing your IP address when you're being DDOSed is like getting lost in a crowd of people if someone is following you.

The forums at Broadband Reports has a thread on this topic, with a good explaination of where your IP address comes from:

[Your ISP] assigns an IP address based on the MAC address of the device directly connected to the cable modem. If you change the MAC address of the device connected to the cable modem, that device will get a new IP address.
...
Some NICs let you specify their address [MAC] overriding the NIC's default. With others you'll need a third party utility like SMAC.

You must be careful to select a MAC address that will not conflict with another user on the network. I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

The modem "learns" the MAC address of the device it's connected to, and must be powered down for about 30 seconds for it to be able to learn the new MAC.

Good luck!

Filed Under: IP IPaddress force address change cable broadband DSL Internet MAC

DDOS: Distributed Denial of Service Attack

2005-04-06T10:39:00.000-06:00

Wikipedia defines the DoS as:

A denial-of-service attack (also, DoS attack) is an attack on a computer system or network that causes a loss of service to users, typically the loss of network connectivity and services by consuming the bandwidth of the victim network or overloading the computational resources of the victim system.

The 'pedia also gives details on how these attacks are perpetrated, why, and how you can survive them. The most common that we see are distributed, or "DDoS" attacks, usually against big websites, corporate networks, or other targets. For example: The White House, Microsoft, E*Trade & ZDNet and many more.

Curious about how a DDoS attack works? Try reading GRC's documentary of their DDoS Survival.

Filed Under: ddos dos denial-of-service attack hack crack web broadband public

What is My IP Address?

2005-04-06T08:14:00.000-06:00

To get your home network going, or to play games over the Internet, you may need to find out what your public IP Address is. This is the unique location of you (or your firewall router) on the Internet. No two machines can have the same IP Address.

See your public IP address in the small window, below:

Thanks to dyndns.org for the link.

If you are running a server on your network, or you want a domain name (some are free) to point to your computer or network so you can remember a name instead of a confusing IP address, then go see the FAQ and tools at DNS Made Easy.

On the homepage, click to Resources/Help, then to Instructions, FAQ, or DDNS (Dynamic DNS) Clients. I have been running Dynamic DNS for 5 years now. For the last 2, I have been using DNS Made Easy. Their service is excellent!

Filed Under: IP IPaddress address info tools bookmark web public

Broadband Cable Modem Internet Basics

2005-04-06T08:04:00.000-06:00

If you're thinking about ramping up to high speed Internet, a great article on the subject was found at the cable modem information network:

So, you're thinking about switching from your painfully slow dial-up Internet service to a speedy cable modem broadband internet connection? We'll help get you started with a quick overview of cable Internet services.

The Broadband Cable Modem Speed Situation

To get going, it's important to address the issue of cable modem access speeds, which is probably why you're interested in broadband service in the first place.

Many cable companies and Internet service providers argue that cable modems are as much as 100 times faster than a dial-up Internet connection, running at an ultra fast speed of 5 million bits per second (mbps). In theory, it's possible. But a more realistic speed is 1 mbps, or about 20 times faster than a typical 56,000-bits-per-second (kbps)dial-up connection.

Still, that's quite a leap in performance, an upgrade well worth the investment. Web pages that can take minutes to paint with a dial-up connection will pop up instantly with a cable modem. If you frequently download large files, such as video and audio clips or software, a cable modem will make life much easier. Because cable modems are always on -- that is, constantly connected to the Internet -- there's no need to dial in to an Internet service provider (ISP). Simply click on your browser and you're on the Internet. No more waiting, no more busy signals.

Broadband Cable Modem Internet Access

Broadband Cable modem internet subscribers are typically charged for service on their cable bill, rather than paying the ISP directly. The service is usually marketed under names like Road Runner, but the cable company and ISP have distinct responsibilities.

Your local cable company is responsible for installing the cable modem and managing the quality of your service over the local cable network. At the cable company's main network office -- commonly called the "headend" -- you're connected to the cable ISP's national backbone. It, in turn, is plugged into the Internet. The ISP actually provides the Internet connectivity, while your cable company will provide basic technical support. Who do you talk to when there's a problem? Chances are that your cable company will direct you to your ISP.

Cable modem internet service is typically priced from $30 to $50 a month, which covers the cable modem rental fee; unlimited Internet access; and Internet application software, such as a Web browser and e-mail applications. Cable modem service installation fees, which usually run from $50 to $150, cover cable wiring, an Ethernet card for your computer, and software configuration.

Broadband Cable Internet Service Availability

Cable modem service availability is still relatively limited. That's because cable companies must first upgrade their networks by installing fiber-optic lines and two way data-transmission capabilities -- a time-consuming, expensive undertaking. Today, about 44 million homes in the U.S. and Canada -- 40% of those nations' households -- are equipped for service. Thousands of homes are being upgraded every day, but it will take some time before the U.S. and Canada are completely wired for broadband access. To find out if you are, visit our Service Availability page.

Article submitted by email from rajj

Verizon Speeds Up

2005-04-06T07:47:00.000-06:00

It appears that Verizon Communications is notching up their broadband offerings as well:

On Monday, [Verizon] announced it would be doubling the speed of its $30-a-month service. It also said it will add 11 new communities in Massachusetts to its list of fiber-to-the-home deployments. (via cnet)

The new speeds will reach about 3 mbps (megabits per second) for downloading files, sound, images, and web browsing. This doubles their current download rates, and the company hopes this move will bring Verizon closer to matching their cable internet competitors like Comcast who recently upgraded all their users to 4 mbps (megabits per second)

Their fiber-to-the-home installations will enable speeds of 30mbps (wow), and they plan to serve video over the network as well.

Filed Under: verizon broadband cable internet modem DSL ADSL SDSL high speed hispeed fiber public

MTV Releases Broadband Video Service Beta

2005-04-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

"MTV has launched a beta broadband video service called MTV Overdrive. The service "brings you the latest news, music, live performances, short form shows and music videos directly to your PC." (via paidcontent.org and boingboing)

Sounds a lot like Comcast's famous "the fan" video service, which is flash based, and comes free if you're a customer... without the ads that it appears MTV is serving up.

Broadband Has Changed How We Communicate

2005-04-06T07:32:00.000-06:00

BusinessWeek Online reports that Broadband high speed Internet has changed the way people communicate.

And because these fast, always-on connections allow people to check e-mail and surf the Web around-the-clock without hogging phone lines, Americans with broadband access tend to spend 50% more time online than their dial-up counterparts.

Especially among a new market demographic with a suprizing name:

Some pundits call the under-25 crowd the super-communicators. They love instant messaging (IM) and spend more money on their cell phones than on cigarettes, candy, or music. They like to be in touch with their friends while at school, the mall, or home. Thanks to high-speed connections, they can do just that... "This is a wide-scale shift."