The seemingly ubiquitous mobile phone has become an indispensable item. A market which was almost niche as little as 10 years ago is quickly heading for saturation and the price of mobile phones is falling even as technologies and features develop. Everyone has one - from the kids in the playground to your Gran and Granddad. Contracts expire and the handset models move out of fashion, superseded by the next on almost a monthly basis. But as the price falls and we become more informed about the market and in what constitutes a good deal - how do we find a cheap mobile phone deal that fits our wallets and our communication needs?

Upon renewal of your mobile phone contract, your network will no doubt roll the terms of your contract on and offer you the obligatory upgrade, but in a competitive marketplace it would be unwise to sign up without checking out the competition first. Similarly the local mobile phone shop can probably offer a decent deal allowing you to look at different deals and network providers and at first this might seem like a decent deal in comparison, but are you going to find a genuinely cheap mobile phone deal in the High Street?

Probably the best place to begin your search is online. Resellers covering numerous major networks as the High Street retailers do will allow you to search and compare deals, but with the removal of overheads associated with the bricks and mortar store you might be able to find a good cheap mobile phone deal (http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/cheapmobilephones.html ).

Finding the right network package can be tricky to and again, the web can be used to refine your search and arm you with the information you need to make the right decision, (http://www.reviewcentre.com). It can be important to get an unbiased view on what you are getting for your money so that you get a service that suits you as well as simply a cheap mobile phone.

When your phone contract is up do a spot of legwork before you agree. You just might save yourself a few pounds and get a better, cheaper mobile phone out of the deal.

Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland: Contact details:
E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com Phone: 0131 561 2251 Michael’s Website: Taxi Belfast

Not anymore!

The rates have dropped and now anyone can buy prepaid calling cards that allow access from anywhere. You can be on a vacation, or in a hotel room and you simply pull out your calling card and dial away.

Convenience continues to be a driving force behind the most innovative ideas all across the continent. A calling card is no exception in that it provides easy access to a discount long distance carrier.

The primary advantage which the prepaid card calling services offer is convenience and flexibility, which accords consumers and business end-users the ability to effectively plan and develop a budget for their monthly long distance calls.

The primary advantage which the prepaid card calling services offer is convenience and flexibility, which accords consumers and business end-users the ability to effectively plan and develop a budget for their monthly long distance calls.

About The Author

Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-longdistance-4u.com/
mjy610@hotmail.com

What is important to note is that these companies would not be interested in buying the lease if they felt that there was a significant risk that the lease would, in fact, be terminated. The reality is that cell towers are going to be around for a long time and the leases will continue. That is not to say that your particular cell tower lease is not susceptible to termination, especially in light of carrier consolidation. Recently, wireless companies like AT&T and Cingular have merged. (Both AT&T and Cingular are trademarks of their respective companies). Estimates of how many duplicative sites will be terminated as a result of this merger range from 8,000 to 20,000 sites. While the exact number is unknown, some landowners will receive termination letters in the mail. It is possible to determine whether or not your particular site is susceptible to termination by reviewing the cell towers in your area.

The sale of the land leases for a lump sum is one way of averting this risk. Additionally, there are other reasons why an individual landowner might want to consider selling his cell tower lease rights. These reasons include a scenario where the landowner has plans to sell the underlying property in the next few years. Another scenario is where the lump sum payment can be used to extinguish existing high interest debt.

One area that every landowner contemplating selling a cell tower lease should be concerned with is the taxation of the transaction. It is imperative that you consult with your accountant regarding any offer and whether or not the payment is susceptible to capital gains treatment.

Lastly, there are industry experts available who can assist you in the determination of whether or not the sale of your lease asset is a sensible decision. Make sure that before you make a potentially costly decision, you consult with your accountant and industry experts.

Ken Schmidt is the owner of Steel in the Air, a cell tower consulting firm. Steel in the Air provides expert consultations on cell tower valuation, cell tower lease negotiations, lease buyouts, lease renegotiations and lease buyouts. Ken has been quoted on cell towers in the NY Times and numerous other publications.

While special theft protection devices are offered for mobile computers,
experienced thieves often view this as little more than an annoyance. In the end, the loss of the hardware is only part of the problem. It’s when sensitive data resides on the laptop that real problems begin.

Common thieves can be good at instantly taking advantage of a laptop owner’s inattentiveness: The thief strikes while passing by, snapping up laptops in a airport food courts, desks in offices or unlocked automobiles. The hot laptops are then converted into cash easily by using an internet auction site.

“One in ten laptops gets stolen,” according to Bill Schiering, of
Camera Security Now, which sells security camera systems.

Businesses with laptops can be protected with an inexpensive internet based camera system, says Schiering.

“Security Camera systems are likely at best to scare off the common garden
variety thieves,” says PC expert Andrew Wendt from the Computer Service Now.

“More important than protecting the laptop is protecting sensitive company data,” says Anthony Cipollone, Tech Travel Agent for Rentacomputer.com, a nationwide computer rental firm. The theft of databases hurts companies more than the loss of the laptop, especially since company laptops are often covered by insurance and databases are not.

If a thief gets control of company documents or sensitive access codes, these can lead to greater damages. Users must therefore take steps before a theft occurs. This includes encrypting data on the hard drive or by only accessing company data via Terminal Services or Citrix remote desktop operating systems,” Cipollone says.

To prevent access to the laptop’s data, users should also create additional Windows and BIOS passwords, Wendt says. Experienced hackers can get around these, however, warns PC expert Cipollone. An alternative for preventing unauthorized access is fingerprint scanners, says Wendt from Computer Service Now.

In the end, a combination of steps is the best, Wendt advises. The latest theft protection devices for laptops are now offered as PC expansion cards, containing a motion sensor and encryption software is a must.

Companies should record the laptop’s serial number so that the police can make a positive identification in case of a theft recovery. Laptop owners can also make recovery of their laptops easier engraving the company name in the plastic case of the laptop.

There one more trick for keeping thieves at bay while traveling. Use a regular suitcase instead of a classic laptop bag for transporting the laptop. The surest way to keep a thief away from stealing your company laptop is to not make it obvious you have a laptop computer.

John Beagle is a writer for Xponex Web and Media
Services. Telephone: 513-422-1907×222

Prepaid Cellular Are A Smart Choice!

There are huge demands for prepaid services all over the world, somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 million prepaid cellular and long distance users in North America along. The growth of the pre-paid wireless industry has been truly astonishing, and there is no end in site. In Europe, over 75% of all cellular phones are pre-paid. With the high deposit costs required to get a non pre-paid cellular phone, many people simply have not been able to afford to get one and penalties for the people who can afford cellular phones, if service is canceled. Pre-paid is the answer.

Your Customers Prepay and Never Get Overcharged.

Wireless with no contracts or monthly fee, your customers take control of there cell phone usage with Prepaid Cellular Service.

Budget minded cell phone users

Emergency users

Parents who want their kids to stay in touch without the worry of running up a bill

People with some damaged or no credit history

Prepaid cellular services are getting very popular these days. Many people now prefer prepaid services since they offer a variety of advantages related to lifestyle and cost control that simply are not available through post-paid contract based services.

Prepaid cell phones have a distinct advantage over regular subscriptions. They offer cost control with a fixed price per minute, control over costs with cell phones distributed by parents, no credit check and increased anonymity.

Increasing Consumer Demand For Prepaid Cellular

Prepaid cellular services are currently the fastest-growing segment of the wireless phone market, perhaps because wireless service can be started up with no subscription fee for well under $100. More and more people are using this service to control spending than to get around credit problems.

In Europe, already more than 60% of subscribers are on a prepaid wireless plan, while in the United States, only 8 to 10 percent of users have chosen that system. But it’s growing fast: In Canada, for example, some providers see their prepaid subscribers base increase 50% faster than those of an ordinary monthly billed service.

Prepaid Cellular Phones Are Ideal In The Following Situations:

If your customers want to budget their cell phone use or

If want a phone for occasional use but don’t want to pay a monthly service fee or enter a long-term agreement, or

If have no credit history or past credit problems, or

If usage varies from month to month, or

If want to buy children a phone for emergency use but restrict the amount of calls they make, or

If are looking for a gift. or

If don’t feeling comfortable providing information for a carrier credit check, or

If want to learn about their usage patterns befor committing to a long-term monthly billing wireless contract.

Prepaid Deals Let Your Customers Budget Their Spending In Advance. Customers Will Never Spend More Than Had Originally Planned With Prepaid:

Customers that need control cost of their cellular services use only their prepaid minutes and keep on track with budges. The ability to pay for the exact number of miutes used - and no more - appeals to everyone.

up-front cost control

no long-term contrac

life-saver for emergencies - accidents, breaking down on the road

Advantages Of Prepaid Cellular Service:

Provides lifestyle advantages: The abilites to limit calling expenditures as well as service duration are especially attractive to students, parents, young professionals, and businesses with contract employees.
Young subscribers and their parents benefit because the possibility of receiving an unexpected large bill in the mail is eliminated.
Allows people who may not have established credit histories to enjoy the wireless communication.

Prepaid Cellular Service offers customers more flexibility, and the ability to pay up front for their cellular service - with no contracts, no credit checks and no monthly bills.

Prepaid cell phone service allows your customer to control their costs by giving them the freedom to purchase and redeem airtime on an as-needed basis without contracts and commitments.

For someone who doesn’t want to talk a lot - able to limit themselves to less than one hour a month -prepaid cellular are more affordable than monthly contracts, with fewer hasssles in starting or stopping service.

With prepaid cell phones, customers pay for what they expect to use upfront giving them total control of their cellular costs. Every time your customers use their cell phones, they buy some airtime. Just remember your customers will be repeat customers coming to your place of business to top-up their account before they run out.

Users enjoy the ability to control costs and retain privacy. They get the freedom and convenience of cell phone service with no deposit, credit check, contract or activation fee. Prepaid minutes can be spread over several months, usually two or three, so if use only phone occasionally, it can be less expensive than paying every month for airtime for airtime that they won’t use.

Now from a single POSA Terminal, a retail merchant can
offer his customers multiple Pre-Paid services.

This method is superior to merchants having to use “LIVE” pre-paid
cards that are expensive to purchase and are plagued by theft.
A merchant must make as many as 10 Pre-Paid card sales
to makeup for the theft of one live card!

But now, with the P.O.S. Activation System, these problems are a thing of the past.

Merchants receive an inventory and marketing materials, at no cost to them.

These Inventory have no value unless they are activated at the P.O.S. Terminal.

This has several advantages:

Eliminates Theft -
The display have no value.

Reduces Display Space -
There is no need for cards with multiple dollar denominations.

Encourages Repeat Business -

Benefits to Merchants

Generate high income on each high-speed transaction-no upfront costs

Choice of prepaid programs to meet merchant needs

Aggressive commission programs

Pay only for what you sell

Eliminate stock shortages for specific scratch cards

Encourage routine consumer visits

Attract new customers with the added convenience

Promote other consumer purchases at the ATM and in the store.

If you’re a merchant retail business owner, and would like to receive the most knowledgable beneficial benefits on how bill payment & cellular services benefits your business and customers…then this is a must read on.

WWW.PREPAIDWIRELESS.2YA.COM - A SMART Solution Made For Smart Merchant Retail Businesses! The Wave Of The Future. The SMART Solutions. Retail Licensing Provider Of Bill Payment Services & Prepaid Cellular Services.

For More Information Go To: http://www.prepaidwireless.2ya.com

If we can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us! 1-877-947-3577

The Good Times (Season 4) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the two-part season premiere “The Big Move” in which the entire Evans family is prepared to move to Mississippi where James has landed a high-paying job. Together with Willona, they plan an elaborate going away party. But the party is interrupted by the news of James’ death in a tragic car accident. As the funeral proceeds, the grief stricken children wonder why Florida has yet cry… Other notable episodes from Season 4 include “Michael’s Great Romance” in which Michael falls in love with a girl who has the hots for J.J., and “Florida’s Night Out” in which the family is worried about Florida spending so much time alone, that is until Willona takes her out on the town for a night at an exciting night club…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Good Times (Season 4) DVD:

Episode 62 (The Big Move: Part 1) Air Date: 09-22-1976
Episode 63 (The Big Move: Part 2) Air Date: 09-29-1976
Episode 64 (J.J. and the Older Woman) Air Date: 10-06-1976
Episode 65 (Michael and the Warlord) Air Date: 10-13-1976
Episode 66 (Michael’s Great Romance) Air Date: 10-20-1976
Episode 67 (Evans Versus Davis) Air Date: 10-27-1976
Episode 68 (J.J.’s New Career: Part 1) Air Date: 11-10-1976
Episode 69 (J.J.’s New Career: Part 2) Air Date: 11-17-1976
Episode 70 (Grandpa’s Visit) Air Date: 11-24-1976
Episode 71 (Rich is Better Than Poor… Maybe) Air Date: 12-08-1976
Episode 72 (Florida’s Night Out) Air Date: 12-15-1976
Episode 73 (The Judy Cohen Story) Air Date: 12-22-1976
Episode 74 (The Comedian and the Loan Sharks) Air Date: 01-05-1977
Episode 75 (The Hustle) Air Date: 01-12-1977
Episode 76 (Thelma’s African Romance: Part 1) Air Date: 01-19-1977
Episode 77 (Thelma’s African Romance: Part 2) Air Date: 01-19-1977
Episode 78 (Willona’s Surprise) Air Date: 01-26-1977
Episode 79 (A Friend in Need) Air Date: 02-02-1977
Episode 80 (A Stormy Relationship) Air Date: 02-09-1977
Episode 81 (Florida and Carl) Air Date: 02-23-1977
Episode 82 (My Son, the Father) Air Date: 03-02-1977
Episode 83 (J.J. in Business) Air Date: 03-09-1977
Episode 84 (Love Has a Spot on His Lung: Part 1) Air Date: 03-23-1977
Episode 85 (Love Has a Spot on His Lung: Part 2) Air Date: 03-30-1977

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a blog where you can find more reviews like this one of the Good Times (Season 4) DVD.

Well, according to almost every list ever made, from TV Guide, to Entertainment Weekly, to you name it, the most popular, if not the greatest singer of all time, was Bing Crosby. Crosby had no less that 383 songs in the top 30 during his lifetime, including 41 number 1 hits. Crosby had a one of a kind voice that simply dominated the music scene from 1931 to 1954. His biggest hit of all time was “White Christmas”, which radio stations still play today when Christmas time comes around. Not only was it Crosby’s biggest hit but it was the biggest selling single of all time. It was number one on the charts for an amazing 14 weeks. There is no artist that has come even close to Crosby’s popularity, not even the man most lists have at number 2.

That would be the great Elvis Presley, who was the most popular singer of the last half of the 20th century. Presley is given credit for almost single handedly starting the rock and roll revolution. His style completely changed the look and feel of popular music. His popularity ran from 1956 to 1981. He had 85 songs in the top 30 and a total of 18 number 1 hits. His biggest hit of all was “All Shook Up” which was number 1 on the charts for a solid 9 weeks.

Surprisingly, at least as far as popularity goes, no other stars even come close to the popularity of Crosby and Presley. However, there have been other great singers during the 20th century and certainly somebody, even if he or she is far from the front runners, has to come in at number 3. Unfortunately, this is where most lists usually go off in their different directions. Many are split between pre 1950s singers and post 1950s singers and the top 10 in many lists is so varied that it is hard to get a sense of who the majority of the people feel should be in that top 10.

For example. Many lists have Al Jolson at number 3 because of his 91 charted hits and 23 number 1 hits. But other lists don’t even have Jolson listed, probably because he was in an era that has long been forgotten. Certainly Jolson had one of the most unique voices of all time. Some lists have Elton John coming in at the third position because of his 47 top 30 hits and 8 number 1 hits. Much of John’s appeal must be credited to his ties to many other people as well as his tributes to Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana. And yet, there are lists that don’t even have Elton John in the top 30.

Much of the problem probably can be attributed to who you ask. Younger people will lean more towards the post 1950s era while older folks will go for the old time standards. That’s why to find Crosby and Presley at the top of most lists is truly a tribute to these two great singers.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Celebrities

Starting out

First of all, you really have to think about the image you want to convey. Every record label has an image, mostly created by the selection of bands on the label. So start off by grouping together with some bands you know that are similar to yours. Make sure that these bands are serious, and that they believe in the record label. You will be doing a lot of band promotion together, and sharing a lot of resources, so you need to trust these musicians, and you need to maintain your brand identity. Because yes; a record label is a ‘brand’. Think of certain record labels you know, and you immediately associate them with a certain ethos - a certain type of music. For example, 4AD built its reputation by signing bands like The Throwing Muses, Dead Can Dance, This Mortal Coil, The Cocteau Twins, and of course, The Pixies. It has always been known as an off-the-wall combination of ethereal and edgy rock bands.

First steps - sharing resources

Sharing your resources as a young record label is very important. It is essential that every band on the label helps in the creation by joining in fully. Finding a rehearsal studio is a good first step - find a location that you can all share, and use your own equipment. You will cut down on costs, and you will find that you have more time available for rehearsing. Secondly, if you have some money behind you, try to assemble your own studio. You can maybe contact other studios to see if they have old equipment that they want to sell second-hand, or you can scour the internet for offers. If you have the equipment to record, then you won’t have to pay for studio time, and you can take as long as you want to record your music.

This initial investment may hurt you, but a record label is a long-term investment, and if you are serious about producing good quality music, you are taking the right steps.

First steps - Responsibilities

Everyone involved in the record label should know their responsibilities. First of all, you should be looking at getting a distribution deal. This means that someone has to contact the distributors and cut a deal with them, and maintain friendly relations. Distributors will often ask record labels for approximately 40% of the cover price of a CD, which may seem like a lot, but it will get your CDs into the record shops.

Naturally, not everyone buys CDs nowadays. Music is changing, don’t forget, and the online revolution means that people are downloading music online more and more. Inclusion on i-Tunes, therefore, is absolutely essential, as is your own page on myspace.com. You should have your own page for the record label, as well as pages for each band - make sure that as many people as possible can hear your music and can see that your label exists.

Someone should be regularly contacting radio stations, both internet radio stations and traditional radio stations. Once you have targeted the radio stations you want to work with, you can cut a deal with them, maintain good relations with them, and carry out your band promotion.

Next steps - Creating The Product

So, once you have set up your organisation, you have to create a product to promote. Make sure that you only release one CD at a time, so that you can focus your promotion - try to have all the groups working to a schedule that is set well in advance. That way, you can organise the band promotion so that everyone benefits from it.

You need to consider copyright as well. Each band has to copyright its own music before putting it out on the net, or distributing it in record shops, and you have to copyright your own brand as well. This is part of the regular paperwork involved in running your own record label, so make sure that you know your country’s administration backwards!

When promoting gigs, make sure that your flyers all carry the same identity, i.e. your record label logo, and the same layout. This gives people the idea that something important is happening, and creating a buzz around your groups is very important. When people see a record label at the bottom of a flyer, they are immediately impressed, so in effect, you are creating your own buzz!

Keeping it going

So you have your rehearsal studio, you are producing your own music yourself, and your bands are playing concerts, and doing well. So keep it up - keep coming up with new promotional ideas, and keep the buzz alive. Create a small festival, make sure that your label is recognised by the owners of the local venues and make sure that you have a good reputation. You have a lot of organising to do if you are going to run your own record label, but it’s worth the time and the effort.

It is also important that you look for independent musicians who might want to join your record label. You will probably receive a lot of demos from various bands, but the best way to add indie bands to your label is to go out and find them yourself. Don’t forget, a record label is really just a name - but it is the driving force behind your band, and if you want to make it work, people have to know you, so that means going to music events, festivals, concerts, etc., and making band promotion your mantra.

Having your own record label, then, means that you improve your own band’s reputation by association. It also means that you create your own local music community with other independent musicians, and that you benefit from each other’s knowledge, know-how, and resources. Indie music has always been at the forefront of musical change - with bands often one step ahead of the crowd. Owning your own record label puts you two steps ahead of the crowd.

learn more about starting a record label or register on our site to get signed with a record label

A Persian rug is definitely one of your biggest investments. So you need to take care of your rugs so that they don’t lose their shine. Whenever you find a stain on your rug, you must promptly clean it up. You will be able to remove the stain easily if you take action immediately. You should always use a paper towel to remove the stain. As the rugs are gentle and soft, you shouldn’t use too much pressure, or scrub them forcefully. You need to clean the Persian rugs with running water. Also, don’t forget to squeeze out the additional water. Then you can lay the rugs outside your home to dry. Try to dry both sides of the rugs.

Also, you should be extremely cautious while applying spot remover. Some spot removers are so harsh that they can get rid of the color of your rugs altogether. So while cleaning Persian rugs you should try the spot remover on a very small area. If the result is satisfactory, you can go ahead and use the spot remover for the entire rug. After all, you can’t afford to damage your rugs. If you find cleaning Persian rugs too complicated, you can get help from the rug dealers. The dealers have professional rug-cleaning teams. They will take care of cleaning your Persian rugs.

Persian Rugs provides detailed information on Persian Rugs, Antique Persian Rugs, Discount Persian Rugs, Cleaning Persian Rugs and more. Persian Rugs is affiliated with Oriental Area Rugs.