Clangy

If you make international business trips and carry a laptop computer than PC-to-Phone service is a great way to stay connected while on the road. As long as you have an INTERNET connection, you can make cheap international calls from any location to other computers or to any phone in the world. Calls to other computers using the same PC-to-Phone software are often Free while there is a charge for placing calls to phones (landlines or cell phones). The rates vary depending on the country and the type of phone called but rates are much lower than those charged by international hotels or long distance carriers. PC-to-Phone service is also popular with students, expats and people who operate small businesses with an international focus.

PC-to-Phone service providers continue to add new features that make their product more flexible and convenient to use. For example, Skype, one of the most popular PC-to-Phone service providers, offers free calls to other Skype users and the following added features.

• Low rates on calls to landlines and cell phones.
• An online phone number so people can reach you on Skype from any phone.
• The ability to send text messages from Skype.
• A built in Voice Mail feature so calls are never missed.
• Call forwarding that forwards incoming calls to a regular phone when the user is off-line.
• Mobile applications so Skype can be used from Mobile Phones.

Skype has continued to innovate and add features in order to broaden the appeal of their service.

We think Skype is a great option for people who want to make free calls to other Skype users. However, Skype’s international rates on calls to landlines and cell phones are not as low as other cheap international calling options. In addition to a per-minute charge for each call, Skype also charges a connection fee for each call made to a land-line or cell phone. In order to evaluate the relative cost of making international calls to landlines or cell phones with Skype, we compared the international rates charged by Skype to those charged by Tel3Advantage for the same call from the USA. Tel3Advantage was selected for this comparison since it is a high quality prepaid calling plan that can be used to make low cost domestic or international long distance calls from any phone without changing companies and it is very popular with those who make frequent international calls from the USA or Canada.

We compared Skype published rates (excluding their connection fee) to those charged by Tel3Advantage to the following popular destinations.

rdgraham535 :: Jan.30.2010 :: Computers, Internet, Travel :: No Comments »

With the Holiday Season fast approaching, a perfect gift for a friend or loved one who is far away may be the gift of a phone card. A phone card gift card can be delivered to any location in the world instantly via e-mail and there is no tax, duty or delivery fee. A phone card gift card is very easy to purchase and is a useful gift, even for the person who has everything.

A gift card can be purchased in any amount (from $5 to $100) and the recipient can trade it in for any phone card they want. So they can choose the best phone card for their needs from a vast range of phone cards including those with a global reach and a full range of special features.

Purchasing a gift card is easy. Once you complete a gift card purchase you will receive an email containing a PIN number and a link – all that is needed for a phone card to be selected and activated. Just send this information to your friend or loved one and they can choose the phone card they want. It is that easy.

Visit Phone Cards International to review a full range of international phone cards and choose the gift card option if you would like to send a special gift to a friend or loved one this holiday season.

rdgraham535 :: Dec.13.2009 :: General, Internet, Shopping, Travel :: No Comments »

Those who want to cash in on the INTERNET business boom should consider an online Affiliate Program. Affiliate opportunities are an attractive option since they are often offered by established businesses with proven products and marketing strategies and affiliates can get started with little or no capital. Many companies offer affiliates free websites and promotional materials along with tips and information on how to get started and how to promote products online. Affiliate programs are typically free to join but, like everything else, it takes hard work and a long term prospective to make money online. Those who make the commitment can make a significant income.

The first thing a prospective affiliate needs is a good, proven program with a quality product that sells at a fair or reasonable price. A key to success is to find a quality product that people purchase over and over again. Items like vitamins and supplements, tea, beauty products and phone cards are all good candidates. It is also nice to find a product and program that pays affiliates for re-occurring sales. It is best to stay away from affiliate programs that only pay for the first sale or only pays on sales through affiliate links. These programs make money and build the customer base for the company but do little for the affiliate. A successful affiliate program is one where the affiliate and the company are true partners. Where affiliates can build a customer base for both themselves and the company and both can prosper. We have been affiliates with several companies in the prepaid calling (Telecom) business for the last 5 years and have found the following companies to be the best. They are the best because they treat affiliates as true partners and offer high quality products that are fairly priced so customers tend to use them over-and-over again.

The first is the Tel3Advantage prepaid long distance affiliate (agent) program. Tel3 has been in the prepaid calling business for over 15 years and has one of the best agent programs in the business. Affiliates earn an upfront bonus for each new customer (ranging from $5 to $25) and from 10 - 16% on reoccurring sales. They also offer bonuses and special promotions for agents so affiliates have the opportunity to earn significantly more money. We have been involved with several Telecom affiliate programs and this has been the best one for us.

The second one is the phone card partner program. This program offers affiliates the opportunity to build there own, free, customizable website that is filled with a variety of phone cards that can be purchased from over 100 countries. This is a true global business opportunity where it is common to get a significant number of repeat customers. This has been a good business for us because the phone cards are high quality and they are fairly priced so people use them over and over again. Comfi also helps the affiliates with promotion because they consider then to be true partners. This is a very import factor for success.

These are both good programs for people who are serious about making money online.

rdgraham535 :: Dec.04.2009 :: Business, Internet :: No Comments »

The most promising way of deciding which home based business opportunity to follow is to find someone who has been successful and copy their success. This approach has been developed by a few successful internet marketers like Jay Kubassek. What Jay Kubassek has developed is a system where an aspiring web entrepreneur can copy the techniques used by other successful marketers. When you join his program you immediately get answers to all your “how-do-I-get-this-business-started” questions.

This includes questions about the technical side of things such as “Do I need a website and how do I create one?”. It also includes answers to questions like “What products should I sell?”, “Will I have to do any person-to-person selling?”, “How hard will I have to work?”, “How much money can I make with this opportunity?” These are all practical questions that anyone starting a new business will want to have answered.

These questions and many more are answered in Jay Kubassek’s program called Carbon Copy Pro.

rickh :: Sep.14.2009 :: Business, Internet :: No Comments »

An important fact about Carbon Copy Pro is that only fairly serious marketers willing to invest a bit of time and money in their membership are allowed to join the program. It is not a program for tire kickers. The initial application to become an associate currently costs $49, and each applicant is manually screened with some very basic questions to determine whether that person is likely to become an effective member of the team.

These things make it clear from the very beginning of your involvement with Carbon Copy Pro that they only want people seriously interested in achieving financial success and who are prepared to do what is necessary to achieve that goal.

CarbonCopyPro is a online marketing system that gives new or experienced marketers a complete turnkey approach to making money online. It teaches new online marketers the basics as well as providing techniques and methods developed by a large team of successful online marketers. CarbonCopyPro was created by Jay Kubassek.

A.Brule :: Sep.14.2009 :: Business, Internet :: No Comments »

No I don’t mean the color green, I mean having your dog live an eco-friendly life that also gives him the best quality of life.

Keeping his insides green

Everything starts with a high quality dog food. When you feed an organic dog food you can rest assured your dog is eating a nutritionally balanced food that does not include poisons or chemicals.

You know the saying: The healthier the food the healthier the dog. And speaking of health, make sure your vet is eco-friendly. Find out their opinions on vaccinations. There is no dispute vaccinations are needed but as your dog ages their built up immunities may make certain vaccinations unneeded.

Also make sure your vet is keeping up to date on new information. In the case of my cat, Slakk, my first vet had no clue about Feline Diabetes and told me to put him to sleep. My new vet (and still my vet) is not only up to date, she is open to many of the ideas I have brought to her.

Keeping her outsides green

Fleas and ticks are horrible and so are many of the poisons that most people use to kill them. Did you know there are some great organic products out there to help your pets rid these awful pets? Why not try one and see how great it is then tell your friends.

The same goes for pet shampoos and grooming tools – organic pet shampoos and accessories are available. A shiny, healthy coat can be accomplished without additives, chemicals and pesticides.

Making green even greener

Simply taking your dog for a walk is an eco-friendly must do. First, exercise is a key ingredient into a healthy dog and secondly it is good for the pet owner. Life can get so stressful and a nice walk with your best can keep you both in tip top shape.

sstrait :: Jul.18.2009 :: Business, General, Internet :: No Comments »

With Twitter Tools blog posts can be tweeted automatically. Also you can create a tweet from the blog sidebar, without logging in to anything. The blog sidebar will show a list of tweets, and the tweet will be turned into a blog post.

A Nutt :: Jul.18.2009 :: Computers, Internet :: No Comments »

Web Call is a superb product for making cheap international calls using any phone in the world that can receive a call. Due to the name, many people confuse Web Call with PC-to-Phone, VoIP or other INTERNET based calling services but it is much different. The main difference is that calls are not placed over the INTERNET with Web Call, they are made using any kind of phone including cell phones, home phones, business phones or any other phone that can receive a call. In this case, the term Web Call refers to the way the calls are placed. With Web Call there is no need to dial an access number or enter an account number or PIN code when making a call. All a caller needs to do is sign-in to their on-line account and enter the country and phone number they want to call from and the country and phone number they wish to call. After they enter the information they push the call button and the computer connects the two phones…..it is that simple.

Some countries charge a high surcharge on out-bound international calls. International callers in these countries can save a lot of money with Web Call since they they will be paying for an in-bound international call from a low cost, third country not an out-bound call from the country where they are located. The following table shows some examples of the potential savings over typical phone card rates for calls to the USA from some high cost countries. Rates are in USA cents per minute.

A comparison of phone card rates versus Web Call rates on international calls to the USA from some selected countries.

Bahrain: Phone Card Rate 21 cents/min, Web Call Rate 9.7 cents/min
China: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 2 cents/min
India: Phone Card Rate 11 cents/min, Web Call Rate 5.9 cents/min
Jamaica: Phone Card Rate 17.5 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.5 cents/min
Jordan: Phone Card Rate 28 cents/min, Web Call Rate 8.6 cents/min
Kazakhstan: Phone Card Rate 55 cents/min, Web Call Rate 7.3 cents/min
Nepal: Phone Card Rate 105 cents/min, Web Call Rate 15.1 cents/min
Nigeria: Phone Card Rate 50 cents/min, Web Call Rate 10.5 cents/min
Syria: Phone Card Rate 112 cents/min, Web Call Rate 13.7 cents/min
UAE: Phone Card Rate 95 cents/min, Web Call Rate 14.7 cents/min

As the information above shows, the savings can be significant. The rates shown are for calls to the USA but Web Call can be used to call any country from any other country. It is a high quality product that can also be used as a phone card to make calls from over 60 countries. However, Web Call has better rates than a phone card and is more convenient to use as long as the caller has access to the INTERNET. Visit Web Call for rates to all countries and information on opening an account. Happy calling.

rdgraham535 :: Jul.18.2009 :: Internet, Travel :: No Comments »

Most pet owners will agree that the organic dog food is the best food choice for their dog but many are unable to justify the higher cost. A can or bag of premium organic dog food can cost substancially more than it’s regularcan or bag counterpart. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when making your decision.

You get what you pay for. A premium organic brand of dog food will include human grade meat. This means your pet is getting the best meat, the regular brand will include chicken beaks, intestines liver and whatever is scraped up at the bottom of the a slaughter house and ground up and labeled by-product.

Ease of worry. It seems that every day another major pet food company is recalling their food as the wrong additive or too much additive is found in their food and pets are sick. Many times it is too late to save your pet when they are exposed.

Pets feel better, look healthier. Ask anyone who puts their animal on an organic diet and they will tell you their skin looks better, their coat shinier and have increased energy.   Many pet owners will tell you that their pet is healthier. Better health means less trips to the vet which save money in the long run

Any or all of these reasons should give a pet owner plenty of reasons to switch to organic. If another is needed, one just has to think of the ecological benefits. Organic foods have a smaller carbon footprint, they do not harm the planet.

So no matter what reason, superior ingredients, elimination of poisonous chemicals, better health or simply to be more green, pet owners should look closely into organic dog food for their dog.

sstrait :: Jul.01.2009 :: Business, Internet, Shopping :: No Comments »

Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), is a genetic disease that effects the entire equine industry, dating as far back as the American Quarter Horse stallion, Impressive.

For those who don’t know, Impressive was a very famous halter-horse, that performed in numerous competitions and received numerous awards and prizes, including the title of world champion aged stallion. Despite being such a high quality and high performing quarter horse, the descendants of Impressive have been afflicted with this disease.

HYPP induces the system with an overly large amount of potassium, often resulting in mild or noticeable muscle twitching, crawling skin, usually in the back flank, paralysis of the hind quarters, yawning in excess and in some cases heart attacks and other fatal conditions. Needless to say a quarter horse with this disease is quite disadvantaged compared to one without.

The issue is compounded further by the fact that HYPP is a genetic and dominant disease. If at least one of the parents of the quarter horse has the disease, even if it displays none of the symptoms, there is a possibility that it will pass the gene on to it’s foal. The odds of this depends on the parents genes: a parent with two HYPP genes (H/H) will always have a foal that has at least one HYPP gene, while a parent with one HYPP gene (H/N) will pass the gene onto to 50% of foals it has with an uninfected horse (N/N), whilst passing one gene on to 50% of the foals of another parent with one HYPP gene, and two genes on to 25%. Though there has been research on methods allowing a HYPP positive quarter horse to breed without passing on the gene, so far there has been little success. In general, it is far safer to test horses and ensure that HYPP positive ones do not breed.

HYPP is a real problem that can seriously debilitate an otherwise excellent quarter horse. Due to inattentive breeding it has become far more common, and it must be emphathized that the best solution is to simply not breed HYPP positive quarter horses.

For more information, visit the most trusted online magazine dedicated to the quarter horse - The Quarter Horse Quarterly

sstrait :: May.10.2009 :: Business, Internet :: No Comments »