Posts Tagged ‘office’
Security Cameras For Your Peace of Mind
The reasons for installing cctv cameras are the same whether you own a home or business. Protecting your property, family and employees is probably at the top of your list of priorities. You’re not the only one that feels that way. Sales of home and business security systems have exploded in recent years. Even before 9/11, security system sales were on the rise. After the terrorist attacks, sales of home and business security cameras rose by as much as 20% over the course of three months.
The rise in sales of security cameras is justified by the results. Police in most major cities say that the chances of a break-in or robbery are nearly cut in half by the presence of an obvious security camera on the premises. Business owners report that theft by both customers and employees is nearly eliminated when they install the right security camera system. And we’ve certainly all seen the dramatic footage taken by home security video cameras that have led to the conviction of criminals who have abused children, burglarized homes or otherwise broken the law.
What can security cameras do for your peace of mind?
Secure Your Business with a Security Camera System
You’ve seen them ? the ubiquitous, all-seeing eyes of a video surveillance system in local stores. The most obvious commercial use for a security camera is to prevent loss of merchandise through shoplifting and theft. It’s far from the only way that security cameras are used in business, though.
Security cameras can log transactions at the cash register or ATM, monitor remote areas of the plant for safety reasons, monitor the premises after hours and ensure that your employees are treating both you and your customers fairly. Evidence taken from security camera systems has been used as evidence in sexual harassment suits, burglary trials, even murder trials. The evidence isn’t always used to convict, either. In one case, the security videotapes from security video camera covering an employee parking lot were used to prove that the car of an employee could NOT have been used in a hit and run accident that took place several blocks away ? they showed the car parked in its usual spot every 2 minutes throughout the entire day.
Business owners have installed security cameras at cash registers, overlooking dressing rooms, in parking garages and on loading docks. A security camera in the elevator greatly increases the safety of a building. Security cameras have been used to monitor work progress at construction sites and aid managers in making decisions about unexpected occurrences that may keep a project from completing on time.
Protect Your Family with a Home Security Camera System
According to police in any major city, the mere presence of a home security camera can reduce the chances that your home will be burglarized by as much as 80%. In addition, security cameras can monitor an infant’s room, identify callers at the front door and allow you to view what’s going on at home when you’re away at the office ? or on a longer trip. Combined with remote monitoring, a security camera in your home can help alert police to a break in at your home, and provide evidence for conviction if one should happen.
There are a wide variety of security camera systems to choose from for either home or business. A consultation with a professional security installation company can help you decide which is the right one for your needs.
Owen Gerrard has written articles for home and business security for sites such as security cameras and cctv cameras.
Stretching for Health
Lack of flexibility is now seen to be a major cause of general health problems and sports injury and is being linked to everything from stress. back pain, and even osteoarthritis. It also means that nagging injuries, especially around your joints take longer to heal.
Latest studies show that up to 60 percent of the general population with bad backs and knees have tight hamstrings and hips and the main cause is a lack of flexibility.
Active-Isolated Stretching (AI)
Olympians have been employing Active-Isolated Stretching (AI) now for about 10 years, but it has only recently been brought to the public’s attention.
I have used this technique on my clients for quite a while now with great success, while adding renewed life and spring to tired out muscles. AI stretching prevents injury, as conventional stretching can cause real harm such as muscle pulls and tears.
AI stretching does what stretching is supposed to do; it transports oxygen to sore muscles and quickly removes toxins so recovery is faster. It also works as a deep massage technique because it activates muscle fibres during the actual stretch.
How to Stretch
Before stretching, dress in loose clothing and try and acquire a five-foot length of rope and tie a loop in the end. The purpose of this is to loop the end of rope around the exercising appendage to squeeze the last couple of inches of stretch from the exercise.
Find a comfortable place to stretch either on your bed, a carpeted floor or on a mat.
Isolate the muscle or group you want to stretch then contract the muscle opposite. This causes the isolated muscle or group to relax straight away and when it does it is ready to stretch.
Gently and quickly stretch the isolated muscle until it can’t be stretched any further; now give yourself a gentle pull with your hands or rope. Go as far as you can and then hold the stretch for no more than 2 seconds then release, do this for a total of 5 repetitions on the isolated muscle or group.
The reason for just a 2-second stretch is because when a muscle realizes that it is being forced into a stretch it contracts to protect itself from being overstretched. If you can beat this contraction you’ll be well on the way to a greater Range of Motion.
Remember to hold for no more than 2 seconds, release, return to the normal position and repeat for the five repetitions. Try not to have any hesitations between stretches and make it as fluid as possible. Try to stretch every day if possible, remember to:
· Work one target muscle at a time.
· Contract the muscle that is opposite the targeted muscle, which will relax in preparation of its stretch.
· Stretch it gently and quickly.
· Release it before it realizes that it has been stretched and goes into its protective contraction.
Below are two exercises that can be done straight away even while you are at work to stretch that tension and stress from of your body.
1. Lie down on the floor with your buttocks against a wall and your legs straight up the wall. Slowly flex your toes towards your knees, hold for two seconds and repeat five times. This will loosen up your lower back and stretch your hamstrings and hips giving instant relief for tired backs.
This exercise can be done while at the office anytime you start to feel that stress and tension building up.
2. Sitting in a chair and putting one leg out straight, flex your toes towards your knee, now lean towards that foot, stretching your hands towards it and letting your head and shoulders follow, hold for two seconds and repeat five times. This will create a stretch right across your lower back and neck.
A flexible body is:
· More efficient
· More easily trained for strength and endurance
· Enjoys more range of motion
· Stays balanced more easily and is less prone to injury
· Recovers from workouts more quickly, and feels better.
Gary is the author of several ebooks, including “Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks” – the complete ebook and time-saving solution for burning away unwanted fat, and “Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks” – easy-to-use and follow techniques that serve as a guide to muscle growth without having to “live in the gym”.
Visit Gary’s website at http://www.maximumfitness.com/
52 Ways To Stop Your Slice
If there’s one thing that haunts most golfers more than missing a 3-foot putt, it has to be slicing the ball off the tee. So this week I have written 2-different articles – the first being 52 Ways to Stop Your Slice and the second being If You Understand What Causes A Slice You Wouldn’t Need 52 Ways To Stop A Slice! So consider this a bonus section to Golf Improvement Weekly.
Part 1 – Fixing your slice can be a complicated task or it can be a Simple solution – the choice is up to you. Now the average person reading this will say – “Well Marc, I want the Simple Solution.” Yet, when we go to work on getting rid of your slice using these Simple Solutions, the average Golfer says – “Yeah but, what about working on an inside to out swing path, what about turning my wrist over at impact, isn’t my swing too flat, shouldn’t I work on getting my elbow down to my side to get the club in the correct position on the downswing?” Because of the Golf Instruction Experts or Guru’s that we hear from each week on Television or Magazines or Internet Chat Rooms – we assume that the solutions to simple things such as Slicing the Ball Off The Tee have to have complicated corrections and that there always has to be swing changes made to your swings.
And I actually enjoy hearing how complicated you think it is to fix your golf swing because to see your faces when you’re able to Stop Slicing the Ball by just using some of our drills is fascinating.
Fascinating? Why Fascintating?
Because for most Golfers we see, there is so much going on in your heads during each swing you make – I’m surprised your still playing golf. Too many Golfers make this game hard work. It’s like the Monkey said – “A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work!” I’ll believe that one when I see it. I guess I haven’t worked in an office enviroment enough, but I can’t imagine people banging their mouse’s on the ground and yelling the expletives they do on the golf course in the middle of the office. Or telling everybody in earshot how bad they messed up on getting an important assignment done – you’d get fired right on the spot if you acted that way in the office.
Yet on the golf course we see clubs banged against the ground – I learn more “salty” language than I did during High School – and I constantly hear how badly everyone’s playing, even after they’ve just played 2-holes. “Oh man, this is the worst golf I’ve ever played!” Hey don’t get down on yourself, you’ve only played 2-holes. “Yeah but I’ve never played this bad in my entire life.” I don’t understand, you’ve never double bogied 2-holes in a row in all the years you’ve played golf? “Well yes, I have. But, I just don’t feel comfortable right now with my swing. I just feel off and I’m not having fun!” Didn’t you just tell me that A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work?
If that’s the case, your job must really stink!
So the first way to Stop a Slice is to not get so upset at yourself that you start to hold the club as if it were a $1,000,000 bill. You must realize that when you hold the club so tightly the tightness doesn’t stop at your hands – it works its way up your arms through your shoulders, right up your neck and into your brain. And when all this tension is pulsating through your body – your swing gets “Stuck” and when you’re “Stuck”, you need to find a way to become “Unstuck” and that usually means you’re going to have to Compensate some where in your swing to make up for being “Stuck” and that Compensation will lead to some act of Inconsistency which includes Slicing the Ball off the Tee. (How’s that for a run-on sentence Robert Z?)
The Monkey says “I read that if I Slice Off The Tee that I should tee my ball up on the right-side of the tee box (for a righty Golfer – left side for a lefty Golfer) and aim to the left to allow my ball to have more room to Slice.” I don’t know about that one – Why is that going to help you to not Slice Off The Tee? “Well, it won’t stop me from Slicing Off The Tee, but it’ll allow me more room to allow the ball to Slice.” I guess you’re correct, it would give you more room to play the Slice Off The Tee and if you know you’re going to Slice – that would be a good PLAN to have. Yet I believe that the reason that most Golfers Slice Off The Tee is caused by bad Aim and having your Aim so far to the left, can’t be helping.
If your Aim is off, you’ll have to Compensate somewhere in your swing to make up for that fact.
The reason that you’ll need to Compensate is that if your Aim is bad and you do make a good swing, the ball won’t go where you think it should be go. Yet the majority of Monkeys will start trying to figure out what went wrong with their golf swing as opposed to fixing their Aim. So then on your next swing, instead of fixing the Aim, you feel as though you need to fix your swing instead – so in the middle of your swing you Compensate for the bad Aim and that Compensation will lead to some act of Inconsistency which includes Slicing the Ball off the Tee.
Oh my goodness, I have 50-more Ways To Stop Your Slice to go.
Ok, the next 50 Ways To Stop Your Slice – if you’re looking for Golf Tips that you think will improve your Score, this isn’t the place to be looking for them. We don’t work with Golf Tips, Golf Made Simple works with Reality! Please don’t think of us like you think of other Golf Instructors you’ve worked with or heard talking or read about. Our approach is totally different than what is already out there. Yes, we help you to hit the golf ball better and to eliminate your Slice Off The Tee (we have 100’s of Testimonials, Returning Golfers and Referrals to prove it) – but we don’t use the ineffective approach that is employed by 9.9 out of 10 Instructors out there. While they’re teaching you what Positions you need to be in along with overwhelming you with their “Theories and Assumptions” about swing path, swing plane, grip, etc, etc, etc -
We’re allowing you to Feel the motion of your golf swing in a way you’ve never felt it before.
As Graham Nicholson recently said at one of our classes – “Usually when you go to a Golf School you’re worried about pounding 1000’s of golf balls and tearing up your hands. On our 2nd day at Golf Made Simple we hit maybe 80 to 90 golf balls and I got more out of that session than I could’ve dreamed of. And that translated into hitting the golf ball better than I ever have before. It was truly more about quality than quantity!”
To Stop A Slice Off The Tee – everything in your swing has to be moving together to produce a straight club face at impact. That’s it! That’s the answer! Yet, to get your body to do that, you need to learn to get everything moving together using drills like – The Symetrical Drill, Parallel Hands, Riding Hands, The Stepping Drill, The Swoosh Drill, The Belly Swing, The Modified Belly Swing (MBS), The Toliet Paper Drill, Eyes Closed, The Grass Cutter and Tire Drill, The Ace Bandage Drill, The Baseball Drill, etc, etc, etc.
Which Drill is best for you?
We won’t know till we work with you to see which fits your Golf Swing. But you can be assured that these Drills will give you a feel for your Golf Swing – and that is critical because 7 out of 10 Golfers can’t feel their golf swing and 9 out of 10 Golfers don’t know what they should be feeling. Yet, although most Golfers are having trouble feeling their swing, all the Golf Instruction you hear about is trying to get the club in this Position or that Position. Getting the club in certain Positions is not about Feel – it’s more about giving you more to think about on every golf swing and turning you into a Robot over the golf ball. Who wants more to think about when you’re hitting off the 1st Tee with 16-other Golfers watching you?
The Golf Tips that you’re hearing from the Monkeys (other Golfers and Golf Professionals) are all Compensations to try to fix other Compensations you’ve developed because you were told to use those Compensations to fix other Compensations. So pretty soon there is no way you can have Confidence in your Golf Swing when you have 52-Compensations To Stop Your Slice on your mind everytime you walk-up to the Tee to hit your Driver. Why is it that Kids have the smoothest, best looking swings in the world? What do you think they’re thinking about on every golf swing? Probably – “I hope that Adult doesn’t come over here and try to teach me what they’re struggling to do!”
The Kids are Feeling their golf swings and are truly having Fun and hitting the ball more Consistent than you are because they’re just swinging the club. The average Golfer isn’t happy with their Golf swing and they get less happy everytime they go to the Driving Range to practice because they’re practicing Positions as opposed to Feeling their swing!
I’d believe the Kid that says “A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at School!”
9 out of 10 Golfers aren’t happy with their Golf Game – yet you say “A bad day on the golf course is better than a good day at work!” Man, your job must really stink! Yet, those 9 out of 10 Golfers that aren’t happy with their Golf Game continue to use Golf Tips (or I should say “Theories and Assumptions” that are really nothing more than Compensations) to improve your game. Please realize that all those Golf Tips that you’ve tried in the past and might try in the future aren’t going to just suddenly leave your swing when you realize they didn’t work. Like it or not, those Swing Tips are etched in your golf swing forever – even after you say you’re not going to think about that Tip anymore – that swing thought will be there forever. Your swing is made up of everything you’ve thought of in the past – even the things you tried during just one practice session in the past.
So basically your swing is made up of one Compensating Manuever piled on top of another and another and another.
And the good news is that when all those Compensations work together – you hit a good golf shot. Yet, when they’re not working – you hit Inconsistent shots. So my question to you is – “Are your Compensations usually working together to produce Consistent shots?
Part 2 – What causes a Slice? For a Righty – Side Spin to the right. For a Lefty – Side Spin to the left.
What causes a Golfer to say I need to read an article that’s going to give me 52-Reasons How To Stop A Slice? Listening to the Monkeys and so called Guru’s handing Tip after Tip after Tip to you. Or should I say Compensation after Compensation after Compensation to you. And you know what Compensation equates to? Inconsistency! If you built your home like you built your golf swing – The Big Bad Wolf would be able to “Huff and Puff and blow your house down!” Though if you start with a solid foundation and continue to use that foundation to build your golf swing based on Feeling your swing, you won’t have to rely on Golf Tips or should I say Compensations to stop your Slice.
It’s not too late to get away from a swing that is built on Compensations! What Do You Think?
Regards,
Marc – Your Instructor for Life
The nationally recognized PGA professional, Marc Solomon and his staff, lead four person classes for a customized experience. Students can take 3, 5 and 7-day classes in St. Augustine, FL, Amelia Island, FL and Santa Barbara, CA. Their Instructor For Life program guarantees that each student can always contact their instructor for free customized advice, tips, drills and exercises – for life. It’s Golf Made Simple.
For more information, or to read Golf Improvement Weekly (the world’s most read golf improvement newsletter), please visit http://www.GolfMadeSimple.com
Slow The Aging Process By Watching What You Think
How to stop the old aging process is the ultimate age old question. Overtime, the cells of our body grow and die. There is nothing that can stop this process totally, but we are finding out so much more about the body and aging that we can slow down the ravages of time. So much of anti aging is a mind body connection. If you want to keep as young as you can in your body, you should stay young in your mind as well. Energy will follow what you focus on with your mind; so if you are worrying about how tired you are feeling, or how stiff your body is, or you are counting the wrinkles or gray hairs on your head, your energy and the energy around you will give you more of what you are focusing on. I propose to you that one of the first tips for anti aging is to stop thinking about aging; and start focusing on healthy you are, how good you feel and how great you look.
Another easy tip for anti aging is looking at the foods you eat. I remember when I was a kid in the 50’s and 60’s and there was almost no fast food or processed foods in the grocery stores. I remember when there were no TV dinners and you couldn’t find a box of Meat Helper anywhere. It was also rare for us to be overweight too. I didn’t have any friends that were overweight and you probably didn’t either. Eating too fast, and not eating enough of the good unprocessed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables is one reason we are more unhealthy and age quicker than years past. If you aren’t getting enough vitamins in your diet, you might consider taking supplements. There are a host of vitamins on the market today so ask your pharmacist what brand is recommended and trusted for potency.
We women are looking for the magic wrinkle cream or body lotion that will erase wrinkles. If you find one that erases those wrinkles will you let me know? Some creams are better than others and some have natural herbs in them. Some doctors tout clearing up brown spots and reducing the signs of aging with retinoids. These retinoids are the most documented of the anti agers. It all goes back to prevention and sunscreen instead of trying to clear up the skin damage when it is already done.
It is also well known that stress will make you sicker and age you more quickly than just about anything. You have heard the expression “I just aged 5 years from that experience” or “I just lost 5 years of my life”. What can you do to live a more stress free life? If you can’t pick up and move to the country like I did, you have to find ways with exercise, meditation, leaving the work at the office, listen to classical music on the commute and so on to de-stress. Here again, stop a moment when it is quiet and focus on how relaxed and de-stressed you are. See yourself very calm and happy and everything is happening just as it should. If you have never tried doing that, I suggest you try just slowing down for a brief moment and see how good that feels. “Stop and smell the roses” as the saying goes. Sleep is also critical so don’t try to be super anything and take care of yourself first. If you aren’t taken care of, how can you possibly give back something you don’t have?
If you really want to slow the aging process, focus your attention on health, your family, friends, and how good it is to be alive. Be grateful for what you have in life and wake everyday knowing everything is playing out exactly as it is supposed to. Try not to “sweat the small stuff” and monitor your reactions to things. It usually isn’t the event that stresses us; it is how we react to the event. If you don’t let the event take control you will remain calm and your body won’t get thrown into a fight or flight mode. Whenever you can keep your blood pressure normal you are ahead of the game of life.
Beverly Marshall is a successful freelance writer, certified Aromatherapist and Feng Shui consultant. Her many articles offer guidance, suggestions and common sense ideas to change your life. If you are interested in products and information regarding alternative medicine, vitamins, osteoporosis, menopause, essential oils, insomnia, anti aging, dry skin and more; her many articles can be found at http://www.alternative-medicine-4u.com
Differentiation ? Smart Marketing Strategies for the Solo Entrepreneur
Are you ever frustrated or hesitant when you talk to prospective customers because you can’t readily explain why they should come to you rather than go to your competitors? Sure, you might have your 30-second elevator speech, but then they ask you that dreaded question, “So what makes you different?” Then, all those self-doubts creep in, and you just aren’t sure what to say. Differentiation can boost confidence–yours in yourself and that prospective customer’s confidence in you!
– Dif-fer-en-ti-ate v. tr. To perceive or show the difference in or between; discriminate. –
In business terms, to differentiate means to create a benefit that customers perceive as being of greater value to them than what they can get elsewhere. It’s not enough for you to be different–a potential customer has to take note of the difference and must feel that the difference somehow fits their need better. (Other words that mean virtually the same thing: Competitive Advantage; Unique Selling Proposition; or Value Proposition.)
As you are building your business, you can use differentiation to attract more customers. Once you have momentum, differentiation allows you to charge a higher price because you are delivering more value to your customers. Make a point to evaluate and adjust your differentiation methods at least annually.
The various methods of differentiating your businesses fall into four general categories:
Price Differentiation
Focus Differentiation
Product/Service Differentiation
Customer Service Differentiation
Price Differentiation
Differentiating on price is probably the most common and easily understood method. HOWEVER, for Solo Entrepreneurs, caution is in order. On the one hand, potential customers might expect a lower price from you than from your larger competition because they perceive you as having less overhead, etc. On the other hand, cheaper prices can evoke perceptions of lower quality, a less-stable business, etc. And if you compete on price against competitors with deeper pockets, you can price yourself right into bankruptcy. Be creative with this differentiator by competing on something other than straight price. For example, you might offer:
- More value–offer more products or services for the same price.
- Freebies –accessories, companion products, free upgrades, and coupons for future purchases.
- Free shipping, etc.–convenience sells, especially when it is free!
- Discounts–includes offering regular sales, coupons, etc. (see cautions above)
Focus Differentiation
For Solo Entrepreneurs, this is the most important method of differentiation, and in many ways, the easiest. Why? Because as a Solo Entrepreneur, you simply can’t be everything to everybody, so you must pick a specific way to focus your business. Once you have done that, you have an automatic advantage over larger companies because you can become more of an expert in that one field –and you can build close relationships with key customers that will be hard to duplicate. For example, you might differentiate yourself through:
- Location–take advantage your closeness to prospective customers.
- Customer specialization–be very specific about what characteristics your customers will have-for example, racing bicycle enthusiasts or companies with a spiritual conscience.
- Customer relationships–know customers really well, form partnerships with them, and get them to speak for you!
- Affinity relationships–associate your product/service with a well-known person or organization.
- One-stop shopping–offer everything your target market needs, in your area of expertise.
- Wide selection (within your niche)-although this one may seem to be the opposite of focus–the key is to be very specific in one dimension and very broad in another.
Product/Service Offering Differentiation
How much you are able to differentiate your product or service offering will vary based on what type of business you are in. For instance, if you are in a highly regulated business, your options may be limited. Explore a totally new market or type of product or service, however, and the possibilities abound. The key to successful differentiation in this category, again, is to know your customers, really, really well. Talk to them often, and you will know what they need most and be able to offer it, long before your competitors know what is happening. For example, your product or service could stand out in one of these ways:
- Quality–create a product or service that is exceptional in one or more ways. Examples: Lasts longer
- Better
- Easier to use
- Safer
- New/First–be the first one to offer something in your location/field.
- Features/Options–offer lots of choices, unusual combinations, or solve a problem for a customer in a way no one else does.
- Customization–as a Solo Entrepreneur, you may be able to more easily handle special orders than big, mass-market competitors.
Customer Service Differentiation
Have you noticed how customer service seems to be out of vogue these days? This situation makes excellent customer service a great opportunity for differentiation and another natural advantage for Solo Entrepreneurs that already know what’s important to their customers. Build your reputation on making customers feel really good about doing business with you. Works great with referral marketing, too. Examples:
- Deliver fast–next day, or one-hour–make it faster than customers think possible.
- Unique channel–offer a service over the phone or Internet instead of in person or in their office rather than yours.
- Service-delight customers!–it may seem expensive to offer exceptional service–but it pays off in word-of-mouth advertising.
- Before/during/after-sales support–provide technical or other support to customers using your product. You might use joint ventures to provide that support–but customers will perceive it as being from you!
- Guarantee/warranty–offer 100% money-back, or free replacement parts.
- YOU–offer yourself, your unique blend of talents and skills, to attract customers. Make sure they get access to you, too!
Keys to Successful Differentiation:
- Know your customers, really, really well.
- Pick a blend of differentiation methods that, in the eyes of your customers, truly sets you apart.
- Talk about your differentiation in terms of customer benefits.
- Tell everyone about what differentiates you–often.
- Keep your differentiation fresh by listening for changing customer needs.
Copyright 2002-2003, Terri Zwierzynski, Accel Innovation, Inc.
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Terri Zwierzynski is a coach to small business owners and Solo Entrepreneurs. She is also the CEI (Conductor of Extraordinary Ideas) at Solo-E.com and the author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small Business. Terri is an MBA honors graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill. Terri has been coaching for over 10 years in a variety of settings, including 6 years as a senior-level coach and consultant for a Fortune 500 company. She opened her private coaching practice in 2001. You can reach Terri at http://www.TerriZ.com.
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***** Find more articles like this at http://www.Solo-E.com ? Keeping Solo Entrepreneurs Juiced in Business and in Life. Our team of Solo Entrepreneurs are comprised of small business experts who support others in finding business success with the flexibility and freedom to have a life, too. Network with other freelancers, self-employed and Solo Entrepreneurs in our forums, enjoy our articles and newsletter, and find other online training opportunities. *****
Bluetooth Basics – Bluetooth Technology Tutorial
Bluetooth Basics
Bluetooth technology is nothing new, but in many respects it still seems to be more of a buzz word rather than a well understood, commonly accepted technology. You see advertisements for Bluetooth enabled cell phones, PDAs, and laptops, and a search of the Geeks.com website shows all sorts of different devices taking advantage of this wireless standard. But, what is it?
History
Before getting into the technology, the word Bluetooth is intriguing all on its own, and deserves a look. The term is far less high tech than you might imagine, and finds its roots in European history. The King of Denmark from 940 to 981 was renowned for his ability to help people communicate, his name (in English)… Harald Bluetooth. Perhaps a bit obscure, but the reference is appropriate for a wireless communications standard.
Another item worth investigating is the Bluetooth logo. Based on characters from the runic alphabet (used in ancient Denmark), it was chosen as it appears to be the combination of the English letter B and an asterisk.
Capabilities
The FAQ on the Bluetooth.org (https://www.bluetooth.org/) website offers a basic definition: “Bluetooth wireless technology is a worldwide specification for a small-form factor, low-cost radio solution that provides links between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet.”
Just like 802.11 b/g wireless networking systems and many cordless telephones, Bluetooth devices operate on 2.4 GHz radio signals. That band seems to be getting a bit crowded, and interference between devices may be difficult to avoid. Telephones are now being offered on the 5.8 GHz band to help remedy this, and Bluetooth has taken its own steps to reduce interference and improve transmission quality. Version 1.1 of the Bluetooth standard greatly reduces interference issues, but requires completely different hardware from the original 1.0C standard, thus eliminating any chance of backwards compatibility.
The typical specifications of Bluetooth indicate a maximum transfer rate of 723 kbps and a range of 20-100 meters (65 to 328 feet – depending on the class of the device). This speed is a fraction of that offered by 802.11 b or g wireless standards, so it is obvious that Bluetooth doesn’t pose a threat to replace your wireless network. Although it is very similar to 802.11 in many ways, Bluetooth was never intended to be a networking standard, but does have many practical applications.
Practical Applications
There are a variety of products that take advantage of Bluetooth’s capabilities, from laptops and PDAs, to headphones and input devices, and even wireless printer adapters.
Many Laptops include an onboard Bluetooth adaptor to allow the system to connect to any Bluetooth device right out of the box. For laptop or desktop systems that do not have an adaptor built in, there are many USB Bluetooth adaptors available.
Bluetooth enabled PDAs allow for convenient wireless synchronization and data transfer.
Headphones can take advantage of Bluetooth for two purposes? audio playback and mobile phone communications. Using something a mobile headset with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone allows anyone to go hands free, as well as wire free.
Logitech, and other manufacturers, also produce input devices that eliminate wires thanks to Bluetooth. You can add a Bluetooth mouse to your system, or both a mouse and keyboard. One advantage that Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse combinations have over the standard RF wireless keyboard/mouse combinations is range. Where most standard RF keyboard/mouse combinations have a range up to 6 feet; a Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combination will usually have a range of up to 30 feet.
Bluetooth printer adaptors make sharing a printer extremely convenient by eliminating the need for any wires or special configurations on a typical network. Printing to any compatible HP printer from a PC, PDA or mobile phone can now be done easily from anywhere in the office.
Final Words
At this point the popularity of Bluetooth might not be as large as some proponents would have hoped, but many devices are available for those interested. The cost and competition from other standards have hindered the widespread acceptance, but Bluetooth does offer a viable solution to many devices that might not have wireless connectivity without it.
Top Ten Tips To A Terrific Valentine?s Day – For Men in Relationships
Okay guys, so this is a great opportunity to get back in the good books, or if you are already there, to get some extra points. Women love to be courted, wooed, treated like princesses. And most of them like this to occur on Valentine’s Day (as well as other days, but that’s a Tip List for another time!). Beware, unless you have been told to ignore Valentine’s Day (and only if you have in the past and it has worked), do NOT, under any circumstances, neglect to celebrate this occasion of love and romance. Her friends will all be asking her the next day what you did, and if she has to tell them “nothing”, it cannot be good for you! Read these tips for some help:
1. Don’t forget about Valentine’s Day! There are lots of reminders everywhere. Notice the hearts and advertisements.
2. Leave her a note or card before you leave for work and tell her that you will be thinking about her.
3. Don’t wait until the last minute to make your arrangements – she will know and will feel like your relationship is not important enough. How can she tell? Flowers from 7-Eleven are not the same as flowers from a florist, and coming home an hour later than usual from work will not warm any hearts. If you are having dinner at the local chain restaurant, she will know that you didn’t make reservations early enough.
4. If you are planning to take her out and if you have children, offer to arrange for child care for the evening. Arrive home early from work.
5. Do tell her what you loved about her when you first started dating, and tell her what you love about her today.
6. Do compliment her (sincerely) on something you find attractive about her (personality, appearance, or both).
7. If you are planning on celebrating at home and you have children, offer to bring dinner home for them and put them to bed while she has a bubble bath with candles (which you will prepare for her). Rose petals in or around the tub is a nice touch!
8. If you are thinking of bringing home flowers, think about sending them to her instead (whether she is at home or at the office)- it costs a few extra dollars to get them delivered, but women love to receive gifts by delivery.
9. If you are interested in getting some extra love (read: action), plan to put extra effort into preparing yourself for it. For example, have a shower and maybe an extra shave, brush your teeth – act as though it is a first date.
10. Finally, take the time to prepare her for the action. Listen to her about her day while maintaining eye contact, spend time kissing her and letting her know how you feel about her. Take your time, both before and during. Add some candlelight and romantic music (pick her favourite).
Try to incorporate as many of these tips as you can into this special day, and keep them handy for other times of the year as well. Your woman loves you and it is important to let her know, in ways that mean something to her, that she is special to you!
Dr. Gayla Swihart DeHart, from Vancouver, Canada, is a Professional Coach with a Ph.D. in Psychology. She helps busy professionals manage stress, improve goal-setting and follow-through, and increase life and work satisfaction. More information on Dr. DeHart and her services can be found at http://www.AchieveExcellence.ca
Combination of Countryside Living and Modernity in Jacksonville, NC
Sometimes we miss living in the countryside. Such activities as annoying horses at the stable, waking up with the sunshine, drinking fresh milk from the ranch, or walking around the corn field are the best can be recalled from those good ol’ days. Our daily routines in modern time like working in the office are one of many reasons why we cannot feel the same rural life like we used to have.
Now, if you live in Jacksonville, Florida, or have a plan to settle in this Duval County area, you can once again feel the country life touch by living in Jacksonville NC homes. Once you settle in the Jacksonville NC homes, you will feel the country romance you have been missing for all these years. All homes in Jacksonville NC are provided by the Sterling Farms.
Homes in Sterling Farms give the combination of modernity and countryside touch. Even so, Sterling Farms is only a couple of miles away from the city. Sterling Farms has 30 models of homes you can choose to stay. Each model is designed to present countryside feel yet equipped with modern facilities for simplicity and practicality reasons. If you are interested in finding more details about these homes, simply visit their website or you can dial their representative number to get the sale info.
Choose Your Own Office Furniture
If you want to have trusted company which seems has good reliability and perfect service, you should have a nice office equipped with the first class furniture and equipments. If there is a certain company which want to have business with you and the representative for the company come to your office they must prejudge the reliability and the quality of your company by seeing the interior of your office. So, it is a must to provide the best products like furniture and equipments in your office.
To choose office furniture is not as easy as to buy it because nowadays, you as the manager or even the CEO of the business you have cab choose the type, quantity or even the color of the office furniture that your office want to buy. By simply logging on to the FullFurnishings.com you can choose and directly buy the office furniture for your office.
There are many types of office furniture available at the online stores and you can also choose the office furniture by its types to make you easier in choosing the products like you can choose multipurpose tables category if you want to buy that kind of table for your office.
A $40 Million Dollar Little Known Referral Strategy
Would you like to know how a car wash chain with only 12 locations has cleaned over 33,373,975 cars and has an annual revenue of over $40 Million (that is not a misprint) using little to no paid advertising?
Well, sit forward because I’m about to tell you. The company name is “Car Spa” and here’s how I discovered their brutally effective referral strategy. I often go to Taco Bell to have lunch and read a book. I noticed a little flyer next to their cash register.
A few days later I stopped in with my family to get a frozen yogurt and right next to the cash register was the same flyer.
The next day, I took my family to our favorite buffet restaurant and low and behold, there was a stack of Car Spa flyers.
I then started asking the people at these locations what the deal was with the Car Spa flyer that they had next to their cash register and they all said that some old guy comes around every week and replinishes their stack.
I asked them, “Do you have some type of reciprocal arrangement with Car Spa?” They all said, “No… they asked if they could put their flyers there as a gift to our guests and we said sure.”
Here’s a copy of the referral flyer that Car Spa uses to drive traffic. http://www.marketingbestpractices.com/temp/car_spa.pdf
Pretty simple. Notice the 48 hour guarantee.
They’re All Over the Place!
Before you knew it, I started noticing their little discount flyers ALL OVER THE PLACE.
The copy center I use had a stack of Car Spa flyers.
The barber I use had a stack of Car Spa flyers.
The oil and lube place I use had a stack of Car Spa flyers.
The local handicraft shop my wife goes to had a stack of Car Spa flyers.
My son’s dentist had a stack of Car Spa flyers in his office.
My local chiropractor friend had a stack of Car Spa flyers in his office.
An apartment complex office I visited had a stack of Car Spa flyers.
Everywhere I went, I saw a stack of Car Spa flyers. It was amazing. The have these little “referral lead generation magnets” all over the place.
So I Finally Visited Car Spa
And it wasn’t any surprise that they were so busy that it took about 15 minutes of waiting just to get my car into their car wash.
I then went inside their office to wait for my car and noticed that they did NOT have one flyer from another business inside their office.
They were able to get all those other businesses in the area to send them referrals without having to do one reciprocal referral arrangement. And they did it simply by asking the business owners. That’s all.
Car Spa probably gets 100 times the amount of referrals of any other business in the area as a direct result of this simple referral tactic.
If you have a brick and mortar business, what’s stopping you from doing the same thing? All it takes is a couple of hours a day and a handful or referral flyers to pass out.
Copyright 2005 David Frey
David Frey is the author of the best-selling manual, “The Small Business Marketing Bible” and Senior Editor of the highly-acclaimed, “Small Business Marketing Best Practices Newsletter.” To get your free lifetime subscription simply visit http://MarketingBestPractices.com
