The TecBlast Blog

One of the most important developments in the VoIP industry in recent times has been the growth of mobile VoIP technology. Although still relatively early days for the mobile Voice over IP companies such as Truphone, it certainly seems they have the capacity to mix things up in the telecoms industry. Some of the recent incumbent mobile operators’ actions seem evidence of this with T-Mobile recently being forced to allow the use of Truphone over its network, having previously not allowed calls to Truphone allocated numbers.

Whilst some people argue that as VoIP prices fall towards zero, this is making it a very difficult industry to make any substantial profit in; the increasing prevalence of cut cost high speed broadband and has resulted in a huge surge in the availability of free Wi-Fi. Consequently this is making mobile VoIP operators an increasingly attractive offer for consumers. The trend in the availability of new ’smart phones’ with the ability to run mobile VoIP client software, at ever reducing prices is also, it could be argued, creating a situation where mobile VoIP could really take off.

We have recently seen T-Mobile introduce their Voice over IP service called @home giving customers the option of paying a single low monthly flat rate. However whilst the industry is finding people not entirely willing to give up their fixed phone line all together, mobile VoIP operators have no such issue to contend with. The seamless integration of mobile VoIP clients into the functionality of mobile phones, as well as the reduced cost of data-inclusive phone packages has resulted in a predictably fast growth in the mobile VoIP sector.

At present it has been reported that there are 4 million VoIP customers in the United Kingdom, and its likely this figure will go up. How established mobile phone operators will harness this remains to be seen but the decision to force T Mobile to allow calls to Truphone subscribers surely transmits a clear signal that rather than try and resist the mobile VoIP operators, the incumbent industry monoliths must find a way of working with them.

One issue which may have an influence on the amount of subscribers of mobile Voice over IP is security, with many highly publicized stories highlighting the vulnerabilities in making calls using VoIP. Another issue to contend with is ‘VoIP phishing’ where people are convinced to part with their personal data voluntarily after falling for a thief’s lure. This is also symptomatic of other VoIP security problems where unscrupulous would be thieves can tamper with the caller ID making it appear as though they are calling from reputable financial institutions. Once such problems have been dealt with and fears allayed it is likely that mobile VoIP will become will become much more integral to peoples lives as people take the opportunity to turn their mobiles into VoIP phones.

Not so long a go it seemed like laptops for gaming were exclusively attainable from particular retailers and they were normally built to order. The shipments were in no terms very amazing but they did make great profit on each laptop than others. They were the type of notebook computer everyone craved but the one they just couldn’t purchase. They the the latest technology and simply the best laptop computers. They typically created tons of excitement however I don’t think many buyers would go out and buy laptop computers at high prices. The primary companies have recently begun taking advantage of enormous opportunities in gaming laptops, so that is all shifting.

If mass produced, brands can generate massive markups on gaming portables. As the markup on mid range laptops have gotten so small, producing specialized gaming notebook computers is one strategy to render a larger gross profit. Why would anybody buy laptop computers like this? I think big companies have the marketing spend to answer that. Do the little companies realistically have a chance with this form of threat? The high end technology will rapidly make its path into the view of the mass consumers. Local manufacturers can’t possibly use a brand name like the bigger competitors could.

The excitement being generated concerning the new branded gaming notebook computers is making potential prospects perceive them as being the best laptop computers ever. This is a prime opportunity the littler competition must use to their advantage. This is a huge selling feature that has to be mentioned. I think the consumers that buy gaming laptops typically know what they’re searching for. For these sort of purchasers, the power of a laptop typically mean more than the physical beauty of it. This would be looked at as a positive change for the gamer. A method that the local retailers may employ is to trim markup in to shift greater numbers of units. Don’t take my word for it however as anything could happen in the notebook computer market. Whether technology prices will decline on the whole is an additional topic however the best laptop computers are normally over priced. Although I still believe effects will be good because of the saturated market, we’ll have to watch.

I think this place (http://www.rizeon.com) are quite good value for the notebooks they are offering.

Step aside Desktop PC, it’s the era of the laptop computer, or at least that what the colossal demand alludes to. Those searching for the latest intel centrino 2 offerings could be kept waiting as manufacturers have already mentioned potential delivery shortages. It doesn’t look like anything will hold back the growth of laptops at the moment. The histerical thing is that even when you get the latest thing out it’ll soon be out of date.

I’ve seen a lot of gaming laptops being released recently. I feel gaming laptops have never been cheaper. You can grab some really good deals out there that will get you gaming. For those who require mobility, the speed laptops provide in terms of gaming shouldn’t be frowned upon much longer as speed is improved. I also feel that a few gaming laptops look really funky, with some slick, aggressive features. Gaming speed between notebooks and desktop computers should always be in favour of desktops though, simply because desktops are always going to be bigger and more powerful. The evolution of gaming laptops suggest that they will become sleeker and weightless in the near future.

I feel we are seeing more start up business exclusively retailing custom built laptops. With custom built laptops you commonly get to discover what brand of parts is going into the laptop. In my opinion being able to specify the cpu, memory and hard disk is best catered for the more hardcore people out there. If you will be doing more specialist work on your laptop then those premade systems will most likely not give all the flexibililty and power you need. This is the reason custom laptops are about. I like that idea that there are numerous of small sized companies offering good service for custom laptops. This could be a huge enticer to a few specialist groups.

The forthcoming laptop computer technology will be exciting. Notebooks simply for browsing the internet etc are being released in the market wave after wave. Its funny how a brilliant product has created a new market. I want to see a bigger edition of these low cost ultra mobiles. I feel it could be a big success. If you use slightly less lower power parts then I reckon this is really doable even today. Market trends signal that gaming laptops will get increasingly lighter in the next few years. I really can’t guess what to await aside from those ideas spoken of. Someone is designing something to be diverse in a saturated market.

The Gaming Laptops at Rizeon are considered to be very cool.

Do you ever feel a bit overwhelmed with all of the technology stuff that is out there
to help you grow your real estate business?

Websites, GPS, PDAs, laptops, desktops, bluetooth, automated 800 numbers,
contact management software… The list is endless.

Ever feel like technology actually keeps you from getting things done?

In my travels helping real estate professionals use technology to make more money,
I have found that there are basically two types of people: those who rule technology
and those who are ruled by technology.

The difference doesn’t have so much to do with what a person knows about
gadgets, gizmos, websites and the like. That is a difference of knowledge, and
knowledge is something everyone has access to. The important distinction here is
intention - the deliberate decision that you must make about how technology fits
into your business.

Just like a business has no value without a customer, technology is worthless until it
is used for a specific purpose - to reach some goal.

Using technology for a specific, well thought out purpose will help get you to your
goal more quickly and with less effort.

Now I know (as I am sure you do) real estate pros who have built multimillion dollar
businesses without even turning on a computer, but I am not writing for them.

Using technology to boost your real estate business is smart business. So here are
some guidelines to help you make sure that YOU are the one that is stays in control.

====================

#1 Set your goals FIRST. Then use the tools you need to reach those goals and
forget the rest. Who cares what everyone else is doing?

====================

Take for example the cell phone. Everyone needs one right? No. Do you want to be
accessible to your clients at a moment’s notice?

Maybe, maybe not. There are plenty of successful real estate professionals on both
sides of that argument.

Set your business goals FIRST, before you let your mind go onto finding the tools
(technology) you will need to reach those goals.

====================

#2 Don’t jump in the deep end

====================

If you’ve never turned on a computer or have little interest in them for your
business, then don’t run out and buy the latest one with every bell and whistle
under the sun.

The goal isn’t to be tech savvy. The goal is to be productive and make more money
in less time.

Start slow and take small steps. And make sure that your productivity is increasing
with each technology “step” you take.

====================

#3 Learn… and keep learning

====================

Do you read books about real estate? About business? About marketing? Throw
one in every now and then about technology. Or better yet, dedicate some time
each month to get on the internet and read some articles that will teach you how to
use technology in your business.

Never stop learning. Learning is one of your greatest strategic assets.

====================

#4 Get a schedule and stick to it

====================

Do you check your email or voicemail 20 times a day? 10 times a day? Do you need
to? Does it make you more productive or just busier?

Make a schedule for how you relate to technology. For example, you could return
voice messages before lunch and check your email 2 times a day.

The details of the schedule don’t matter. Make it however you want. The important
thing is that you have a schedule and stick to it. Your schedule will keep technology
from spilling over into the time you want to be productive.

====================

#5 Understand that most technology is far less than perfect

====================

I really mean this. The next time your computer freezes or your email goes haywire,
don’t blame yourself. There is a 95% chance it wasn’t anything you did.

For the most part, technology is mediocre. It has bugs, quirks and other problems
that appear at the worst times.

Just accept the good along with the bad and learn as you go.

Stop blaming yourself. You’re a whole lot more intelligent than the pile of wire and
plastic that is your computer.

Jason Leister, the Real Estate Technology Guru ™ is owner of Computer Super
Guy, LLC, a Chicago-based technology firm that helps real estate professionals
profit with technology.

Sign-Up for the free real estate technology newsletter ProfIT by clicking on the link
below:

http://www.computersuperguy.com/subscribe

Each issue is filled with a mixture of business, marketing and technology ideas you
can put to immediate use to make money. And it will be written in plain English
from start to finish.

MSN messenger is a pretty cool invention. I mean I’m not really into serious discussions on the email, answers to questions can often take a few days to arrive because people are so busy these days. I’ve just been ‘hooked up’ into Messenger and it’s really a different kind of communication, quick, simplistic and even humorous with the capability to express your feelings with ‘emotion’ cartoons.

With Messenger you can communicate with a group of close friends or business partners instantly whenever they are at their computer. When a message is received you are informed instantly on your desktop, you don’t have to be at an email site. A little box appears flashing the name of the sender, you read the message and send a reply when you’ve got a second free.

There’s a contact list and when you go on-line, it automatically tells you who of your connections are on and off-line at that moment. If someone goes on-line after you’ve already been at your computer, a small box appears on your screen to tell you who are now also instantly message able. It’s like the spontaneity of a telephone call but you don’t even have to dial any numbers! Just log in your password and you’re connected.

The huge array of smiley faces and other ‘emotional’ icons add another dimension to the conversations. Some of the smiley faces actually move (sticking their tongues out etc.) and there are many other symbols to express the moment. E.g.: Show a little sun when it’s sunny in your neighborhood, flash a wilted rose when your love life isn’t going to well, put up a black sheep when you’re feeling disconnected from society. How about expressing your dream of a holiday by flashing up the tropical island icon when you’re stuck in dreary office working hard on a cloudy day. They say a picture speaks a thousand words…

Well I certainly don’t work for Microsoft but I guess Bill Gates and his buddies have made a few bucks because they’ve had a couple of good ideas. They’re helping the world with their knowledge, and I reckon their MSN Messenger is another step forward in bringing the Earth together into one world. Besides the normal email format you can also have web cam and audio conversations, as well as sending files and photos instantly. It’s as sweet as that first time you kissed your honey bunny, well maybe not that sweet.

About the author:

Jesse S. Somer
M6.Net
http://www.m6.net
Jesse S. Somer is a strange, ignorant, flawed creature hoping to show others like him that technology is going to help humans become more human.

Information technology is rapidly evolving as more and more
companies use computers to store important data. Although
computers are usually quite reliable, one can’t be too careful
about stuff that matters. One simple human error can cause the
loss of all the important information. Theft or simple loss of
equipment can cause a great deal of damage to a firm. To prevent
this from happening, companies often use tape back-up to be sure
that in case of an emergency they will have a reliable backup
from which to recover the data.

But is tape back-up indeed good enough for protecting your
valuable data? Sure, it’s a time tested method. Nowadays,
however, specialists recommend more modern offsite backup
services.

What are offsite backup services and how do they work? It’s very
simple: you just need an Internet connection - the greater the
bandwidth the more data you can store - and your offsite backup
service will encrypt your data and transmit it to a safe offline
location to be stored. It will take some time at first because
you’ll have to backup all your info, but the next time a change
is made in one of the files, the offsite backup service will
only encrypt and send the part that has been changed and not the
whole file. And that’s a great advantage because it will require
far less time and bandwidth. Also, all the backups are made at
night, when computers are not used so this will not interfere in
any way with your work. You won’t even know it’s there.

What’s the difference between tape back-up and an offsite
back-up service and why do specialists recommend the latter?

* First, tape back-up costs more and needs a person dedicated to
it. But what happens when that person fails in his job or makes
a mistake? Human error may occur any moment, and several
companies are known to have had serious problems because of
failures happening when they didn’t have access to their
information. An offsite backup will never require this because
it is done automatically.

* Secondly, tape backups are stored in the same building or
buildings as the computers. The offsite backup services store
the data on several servers far from the place the firm is
situated. In fact, that is why they are called ‘offsite’ in the
first place! In case of a fire, storm, or any other natural
disaster or human error, this becomes very important.

* Thirdly, offsite backup services provide more protection than
any other backup method, using encryption, security keys,
passwords and secure-sockets every time the data is transmitted.
Often, all this is done at the military grade security level of
128-bit encryption keys.

Dial-up connections can be suitable for small firms or those
that need no more than about 500 MB of data backed up. The
greater the bandwidth, the larger the amount of data the offsite
backup service can protect for you.

The fees for offsite backup are normally per month per computer,
but often companies can get better deals on discounts, fixed
fees, or customized plans from many offsite backup services.