A new survey released today suggests the biggest fear people have related to mobile use is terrorism.
And while the results suggests while people are still most worried about terrorist using cell phones for terrorist activities, an increasing number of people are concerned about mobile bullying and message abuse.
- Terrorist Acts (ie..bomb detonation, threatening conversations in public places) - 34%
- Mobile Bullying (ie..intimidating messages sent from peers in the school yard or work place) - 13%
- Physical Health Dangers (ie..wireless smog, phone masts or heat from device panels and batteries) - 12%
- Mobile Abuse on Youths (ie..exposure to inappropriate content/ potential paedophilia attacks) - 11%
- Privacy Invasion (ie..operator-centric GPS systems to track individual's whereabouts - 9%
- Violent Crime (ie..random mobile theft, pre-meditated assault filming or extortion) - 6%
- Operator Scams (ie..opt-in subscriptions, corrupt TV call-in and voting competitions) - 5%
- Intrusive Marketing (ie.."mobile spam" of betting/gaming/adult sent via SMS or Bluetooth) - 4%
- Accidents (ie..driving, walking down the street using device) - 3%
- Messaging Hoaxes (ie..prank faux terror threats or health scares via SMS) - 3%
Writer TJ Behe is not surprised people have become more astute to such dangers and his latest graphic novel focuses on the subject.
"We're seeing the good, bad and ugly side of mobile phone use. Dangerous social behaviour. Serious health risks. Various scams sprung upon us by nasty people operating in the telecoms market. It's important folks are aware of how this - after all, we walk around with one of these things in our pockets and purse!
Behe book's Contraband is illustrated by UK comic artist Phil Elliott and follows a young man's journey into a new "voyeur underground", where profit-hungry youths prowl streets secretly filming radical events with mobile devices to satisfy society's demand for sensational on-the-go content.
For more information go to contrabandcomic.blogspot.com.
JS
About the Author
Freelance Journalist
Friday, September 28, 2007
Employer e-mail monitoring by David Yuri
The legislation referring to employer e-mail monitoring is still in an emerging phase that is quite unsettled at this point in time. In this brief article the privacy rights of non public-sector employees are debated as they are considered to be relatively unprotected by the federal and state regulations. It is true that there are various broad judicial interpretations of enacted privacy legislations that may encourage the legitimacy of employer e-mail monitoring practices as elements of common law claims are quite difficult to prove by employees.
The use of e-mail throughout business hours is quite a common characteristic of the 21st century workplace world wide. According to recent studies there are more than 130 million workers only in the US who are flooding recipients with approximately 3 billion e-mail messages per day and that is why e-mail monitoring services have also become popular among employers. E-mail services are provided as efficient means of facilitating intra-company communication and communication with the outside client bases. The e-mail serves increase the efficiency of the workflow as it is not expensive to provide, simple to install and easy to use. Also, e-mail usage has helped in the process of decreasing the use of office-related, paper-based correspondence. However, the need of e-mail monitoring services has increased as this technological advancement has also proven to create collateral problems. These issues occur when the use of e-mail services is directed towards employees' private life. It is important to note that the legal environment today seems to be quite unprepared as far as solving the e-mail monitoring problem is concerned. This legislative problem is mainly based on the fact that a lot of employees are not aware of their privacy rights concerning the company-provided e-mail accounts. Most employees draw the false assumption that their personal e-mail messages sent from work are protected from their employers' scrutiny.
It is common that employee privacy issues also arise in other areas of the work environment besides the e-mail monitoring. Some employers have even gone to the extent where they monitor employee phone calls and in some rare cases companies even record the time employees spend on their bathroom breaks. The use of e-mail monitoring services in order to observe the employees behavior actually represents an aspect of the legitimate struggle between the employer's ability to conduct its business operations and the employees' privacy rights. This is a serious struggle whose boundaries are continuously changing as far as the arena of workplace e-mail is concerned. The problem occurring from this rapid advancement is that neither the Constitution nor the state and federal legislations provide a clear concept referring to the extent of employee privacy rights as far as work-related e-mail accounts are concerned.
There are several companies that are marketing e-mail monitoring services with the purpose of full e-mail monitoring by use of applications to programs that can record the time used by employees to check their e-mail. Such a full e-mail application program records information like e-mail recipient, e-mail sender, number of words used, time spent reading e-mails, time spent composing e-mails, number of attachments,; and type of e-mail (business-related or non-business related). On the other hand, there are companies that use less-intrusive e-mail monitoring programs that pick up only information, such as employee name, date, and time the e-mail was read.
Some of these e-mail monitoring services may be considered as crossing the line between employers' legitimate business justifications and intrusion into employees' privacy. The present state of e-mail monitoring definitely creates a need for new legal rules and concepts that both employers and employees can have access to in case they need to defend their business practices or to remedy an invasion of their privacy.
It is recommended that employers who want to avoid liability for monitoring employee e-mail usage "take all necessary steps to eliminate any reasonable expectation of privacy that employees may have concerning their use of company e-mail...systems." (Lewis, supra, note 8) All this should be done via a company inside regulation that comprises a detailed electronic communications policy distributed regularly to all employees before any monitoring begins. The most important things that this policy should state include the fact that the employee is absent of any private rights while using the company e-mail and a thorough explanation of the rules governing the use of the e-mail system.
About the Author
More and more employers consider {a href=" http://www.SiteRecon.com"}e-mail monitoring as an action of reducing their employees' private messaging that conflicts with the workflow and create server overloading. This is why a lot of employers choose to solve this problem by means of an e-mail monitoring service needs.
The use of e-mail throughout business hours is quite a common characteristic of the 21st century workplace world wide. According to recent studies there are more than 130 million workers only in the US who are flooding recipients with approximately 3 billion e-mail messages per day and that is why e-mail monitoring services have also become popular among employers. E-mail services are provided as efficient means of facilitating intra-company communication and communication with the outside client bases. The e-mail serves increase the efficiency of the workflow as it is not expensive to provide, simple to install and easy to use. Also, e-mail usage has helped in the process of decreasing the use of office-related, paper-based correspondence. However, the need of e-mail monitoring services has increased as this technological advancement has also proven to create collateral problems. These issues occur when the use of e-mail services is directed towards employees' private life. It is important to note that the legal environment today seems to be quite unprepared as far as solving the e-mail monitoring problem is concerned. This legislative problem is mainly based on the fact that a lot of employees are not aware of their privacy rights concerning the company-provided e-mail accounts. Most employees draw the false assumption that their personal e-mail messages sent from work are protected from their employers' scrutiny.
It is common that employee privacy issues also arise in other areas of the work environment besides the e-mail monitoring. Some employers have even gone to the extent where they monitor employee phone calls and in some rare cases companies even record the time employees spend on their bathroom breaks. The use of e-mail monitoring services in order to observe the employees behavior actually represents an aspect of the legitimate struggle between the employer's ability to conduct its business operations and the employees' privacy rights. This is a serious struggle whose boundaries are continuously changing as far as the arena of workplace e-mail is concerned. The problem occurring from this rapid advancement is that neither the Constitution nor the state and federal legislations provide a clear concept referring to the extent of employee privacy rights as far as work-related e-mail accounts are concerned.
There are several companies that are marketing e-mail monitoring services with the purpose of full e-mail monitoring by use of applications to programs that can record the time used by employees to check their e-mail. Such a full e-mail application program records information like e-mail recipient, e-mail sender, number of words used, time spent reading e-mails, time spent composing e-mails, number of attachments,; and type of e-mail (business-related or non-business related). On the other hand, there are companies that use less-intrusive e-mail monitoring programs that pick up only information, such as employee name, date, and time the e-mail was read.
Some of these e-mail monitoring services may be considered as crossing the line between employers' legitimate business justifications and intrusion into employees' privacy. The present state of e-mail monitoring definitely creates a need for new legal rules and concepts that both employers and employees can have access to in case they need to defend their business practices or to remedy an invasion of their privacy.
It is recommended that employers who want to avoid liability for monitoring employee e-mail usage "take all necessary steps to eliminate any reasonable expectation of privacy that employees may have concerning their use of company e-mail...systems." (Lewis, supra, note 8) All this should be done via a company inside regulation that comprises a detailed electronic communications policy distributed regularly to all employees before any monitoring begins. The most important things that this policy should state include the fact that the employee is absent of any private rights while using the company e-mail and a thorough explanation of the rules governing the use of the e-mail system.
About the Author
More and more employers consider {a href=" http://www.SiteRecon.com"}e-mail monitoring as an action of reducing their employees' private messaging that conflicts with the workflow and create server overloading. This is why a lot of employers choose to solve this problem by means of an e-mail monitoring service needs.
Latest Affiliate Trend: Free Cash, Gaming Systems, Electronics, and More by Chris Robertson
There are some people who say that affiliate marketing is a waste of a website's real estate and that, in recent years, companies have turned away from affiliates in favor of search engine advertising. Marketing gurus may soon be eating their words, though, as ingenious entrepreneurs and savvy consumers have found a groundbreaking way to make affiliate marketing both fun and profitable for all involved.
From an advertiser's perspective, offering an affiliate program helps fill the insatiable need for new customers or clients. It may not be the only element of the company's marketing efforts, but affiliates continue to provide a steady stream of new business. Because companies pay their affiliates based solely on performance (as opposed to based on, for example, the number of impressions), it's a good investment for the advertiser.
From the affiliate's perspective, button and banner advertising have no hard costs. The space is there anyway, so why not incorporate affiliate advertising as one of a website's revenue streams? In order to bring in significant revenue, however, the challenge for the affiliate is the same as that for any other website: generating traffic. After all, without traffic, affiliate revenue, AdSense revenue, and any other revenue grinds to a halt.
This is the point where affiliate marketing has undergone a transformation. By offering incentives to consumers and other webmasters to patronize the first website's affiliates, everyone wins. Advertisers get new customers, affiliates receive revenue, and consumers and other webmasters receive enticing incentives. If you were a gamer, why wouldn't you want a free PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii? If you love music, you'd certainly be up for getting a free iPod or MP3 player. And who wouldn't celebrate receiving a new HDTV, new computers, or cold, hard cash?
The way it works is both simple and clever. A website with dozens or hundreds of affiliates offers free memberships to individuals and webmasters. A new member starts by selecting the incentive he or she wishes to receive - money, a PS3, an Xbox 360, a Wii, a cell phone, or an iPod, for example.
There are three different methods a member can use to earn the free gift: referral, cash back, or points. Through referral, the member encourages friends to sign up using a link that connects to the member's account and to complete offers from a variety of affiliate partners. The number of referrals needed varies by the value of the incentive the member has requested. The cash back method allows members to receive cash for each offer they complete, and the points method enables members to accrue points towards their prize of choice.
Once a member completes the requirements, he or she can order their free gift and the website fulfills the request. Essentially, the gift is a commission on the money earned from the member referrals and completed offers.
This kind of transformative affiliate marketing enables websites to encourage consumers and others to advertise their affiliate programs while rewarding them to do so. Advertisers, meanwhile, receive the new customers they need and want. It's a sure-win for everyone involved!
About the Author
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: free cash
Visit Majon's Internet directory.
From an advertiser's perspective, offering an affiliate program helps fill the insatiable need for new customers or clients. It may not be the only element of the company's marketing efforts, but affiliates continue to provide a steady stream of new business. Because companies pay their affiliates based solely on performance (as opposed to based on, for example, the number of impressions), it's a good investment for the advertiser.
From the affiliate's perspective, button and banner advertising have no hard costs. The space is there anyway, so why not incorporate affiliate advertising as one of a website's revenue streams? In order to bring in significant revenue, however, the challenge for the affiliate is the same as that for any other website: generating traffic. After all, without traffic, affiliate revenue, AdSense revenue, and any other revenue grinds to a halt.
This is the point where affiliate marketing has undergone a transformation. By offering incentives to consumers and other webmasters to patronize the first website's affiliates, everyone wins. Advertisers get new customers, affiliates receive revenue, and consumers and other webmasters receive enticing incentives. If you were a gamer, why wouldn't you want a free PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii? If you love music, you'd certainly be up for getting a free iPod or MP3 player. And who wouldn't celebrate receiving a new HDTV, new computers, or cold, hard cash?
The way it works is both simple and clever. A website with dozens or hundreds of affiliates offers free memberships to individuals and webmasters. A new member starts by selecting the incentive he or she wishes to receive - money, a PS3, an Xbox 360, a Wii, a cell phone, or an iPod, for example.
There are three different methods a member can use to earn the free gift: referral, cash back, or points. Through referral, the member encourages friends to sign up using a link that connects to the member's account and to complete offers from a variety of affiliate partners. The number of referrals needed varies by the value of the incentive the member has requested. The cash back method allows members to receive cash for each offer they complete, and the points method enables members to accrue points towards their prize of choice.
Once a member completes the requirements, he or she can order their free gift and the website fulfills the request. Essentially, the gift is a commission on the money earned from the member referrals and completed offers.
This kind of transformative affiliate marketing enables websites to encourage consumers and others to advertise their affiliate programs while rewarding them to do so. Advertisers, meanwhile, receive the new customers they need and want. It's a sure-win for everyone involved!
About the Author
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: free cash
Visit Majon's Internet directory.
Calls for US by Frank Vanderlugt
Making calls to US to our loved ones is not an easy task. It is obvious for our hearts to desire for more when it comes to establishing a conversation with people we love. However, limited talk time and exorbitant call tariffs leave our hands lied.
There are several ways to communicate in the US including telephones and emergencies.
When it comes to phone numbers, the standard American telephone number is ten digits such as 555-555-1234. Now, here the area code consists of the first three digits and often need to be dialed when one makes a local call. In case, you are calling a number outside the originating area code, you would require to dial '1' prior to the ten-digit number if you are calling via a residential landline phone such as 1-555-555-1234. You should also check with your hotel before dialing a long distance number because hotels usually have their own specific dialing policies.
Most 'toll-free' phone numbers are with area codes "866", "800", "888" and "877". These numbers are billed to the owner of the particular number and not the caller. Hence, you don't require to pay anything for these numbers via a pay phone. However, you should keep in mind that most of the hotels in the US still change a fee for connection if you want to dial these numbers from a room phone.
Emergency calls from the US can be made by dialing 911. This will provide you immediate assistance from an emergency personnel. This number can also be dialed to reach the fire department, police or medical assistance. 911 is a free number and can be dialed for no fee at all from any phone including pay phone. If you are looking for directory assistance, dial 411. Here, you may require to pay some charges.
There is also a provision in the US to make calls in case a spider or snake bites someone. All one requires to do is to contact the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. This will provide you prompt assistance.
Cell phones are really popular in the US. The coverage of cell phones here is good in well populated areas however, you would find different carriers with exclusive systems and areas. This indicates that the cell phone service provided to you in certain areas of the country may be extremely poor and really great in some other areas.
You may have to face mediocre or non existent coverage in several subways and buildings. GSM mobile telephones work at varied frequencies in the US as compared to other countries. The 1900 MHz is really common in the US. These days 850 MHz is really common in the US. These days 850 MHz is used in cellular phones, specifically on the cingular network.
You may additionally require a tri or quad-band telephone service to work well in the United States. Try contacting your cellular provider regarding the phone and service compatibility prior to traveling.
You can also purchase calling cards from convenience stores. Almost every super market sells these cards.
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.calls4us.com 2 Calls4uscom
There are several ways to communicate in the US including telephones and emergencies.
When it comes to phone numbers, the standard American telephone number is ten digits such as 555-555-1234. Now, here the area code consists of the first three digits and often need to be dialed when one makes a local call. In case, you are calling a number outside the originating area code, you would require to dial '1' prior to the ten-digit number if you are calling via a residential landline phone such as 1-555-555-1234. You should also check with your hotel before dialing a long distance number because hotels usually have their own specific dialing policies.
Most 'toll-free' phone numbers are with area codes "866", "800", "888" and "877". These numbers are billed to the owner of the particular number and not the caller. Hence, you don't require to pay anything for these numbers via a pay phone. However, you should keep in mind that most of the hotels in the US still change a fee for connection if you want to dial these numbers from a room phone.
Emergency calls from the US can be made by dialing 911. This will provide you immediate assistance from an emergency personnel. This number can also be dialed to reach the fire department, police or medical assistance. 911 is a free number and can be dialed for no fee at all from any phone including pay phone. If you are looking for directory assistance, dial 411. Here, you may require to pay some charges.
There is also a provision in the US to make calls in case a spider or snake bites someone. All one requires to do is to contact the poison center at 1-800-222-1222. This will provide you prompt assistance.
Cell phones are really popular in the US. The coverage of cell phones here is good in well populated areas however, you would find different carriers with exclusive systems and areas. This indicates that the cell phone service provided to you in certain areas of the country may be extremely poor and really great in some other areas.
You may have to face mediocre or non existent coverage in several subways and buildings. GSM mobile telephones work at varied frequencies in the US as compared to other countries. The 1900 MHz is really common in the US. These days 850 MHz is really common in the US. These days 850 MHz is used in cellular phones, specifically on the cingular network.
You may additionally require a tri or quad-band telephone service to work well in the United States. Try contacting your cellular provider regarding the phone and service compatibility prior to traveling.
You can also purchase calling cards from convenience stores. Almost every super market sells these cards.
About the Author
frank j vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.calls4us.com 2 Calls4uscom
Portable GPS Units, Key To Finding Your Way by Jim Kesel
The early handheld or portable GPS units were designed for military personnel. They tended to be bulkier and somewhat cumbersome to use. Now that GPS technology has been made available to civilians, the GPS units themselves have improved in one essential area of design: portability. The new portable GPS units allow consumers to have as much GPS power as soldiers have and in some cases have more features. This article will discuss the three types of portable GPS units available on the market: GPS units used exclusively for tracking purposes, GPS units designed for navigation and portable GPS units which can be used for both.
Portable GPS units designed for tracking are available in a variety of forms. The first are known as GPS auto trackers. The portable version of GPS auto trackers are usually battery-operated and can be conveniently put in the car's glove compartment. The next type of portable GPS unit with tracking capabilities are personal GPS systems. They can be a small device that looks like a cell-phone, (which can be placed in one's pocket, purse or backpack), built in special GPS watches or even in tennis shoes. These systems can be used to track loved ones, (especially children), or for exercise performance purposes. The latter is done by allowing a person to track how far and fast they might have walked or jogged. Finally, there are GPS units that can track expensive personal belongings, such as laptops. These types of portable GPS units can be placed in a USB or flash card slot.
On the other end of the spectrum are portable GPS units designed for navigation, also known as GPS navigators. GPS navigators can either be handheld or designed for use in a car. Handheld GPS navigators look similar to a cell phone. The graphics can either be in color or in black or white. GPS navigators designed for the car are generally rectangular and can be connected to the windshield by suction cups. Both types of GPS navigators allow a person to obtain directions and maps as they are on the road. Sophisticated portable GPS navigators communicate directions through a computer-generated voice.
Combination portable GPS units are designed for both navigational and tracking capabilities. An example can be seen through GPS-enabled cell phones. The downside to these at least in comparison to GPS navigators is that they only work in areas that have that particular cell phone company's coverage. If the area does not have coverage, the cell phone GPS won't work well. However the portable GPS units navigation capabilities are not affected by poor cell phone coverage.
Portable GPS units can be used for tracking, navigation or a combination of the two. Indeed, these GPS units offer quite a bit of GPS power, considering their reduced size. With a device that is small enough to fit in one's pocket, people are offered two things: the ability to get to their chosen destination on time or the ability to keep a 'virtual' eye on expensive possessions or loved ones. Price-wise portable GPS units with the tracking capability will be a bit more expensive, but in the long run when one is ensured that everything and everyone most dear to them is where they are supposed to be, it won't take long to realize the money would be well-spent.
About the Author
James Kesel, MS is the Publisher of GPS Auto Tracker providing information on Portable GPS and the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems.
Portable GPS units designed for tracking are available in a variety of forms. The first are known as GPS auto trackers. The portable version of GPS auto trackers are usually battery-operated and can be conveniently put in the car's glove compartment. The next type of portable GPS unit with tracking capabilities are personal GPS systems. They can be a small device that looks like a cell-phone, (which can be placed in one's pocket, purse or backpack), built in special GPS watches or even in tennis shoes. These systems can be used to track loved ones, (especially children), or for exercise performance purposes. The latter is done by allowing a person to track how far and fast they might have walked or jogged. Finally, there are GPS units that can track expensive personal belongings, such as laptops. These types of portable GPS units can be placed in a USB or flash card slot.
On the other end of the spectrum are portable GPS units designed for navigation, also known as GPS navigators. GPS navigators can either be handheld or designed for use in a car. Handheld GPS navigators look similar to a cell phone. The graphics can either be in color or in black or white. GPS navigators designed for the car are generally rectangular and can be connected to the windshield by suction cups. Both types of GPS navigators allow a person to obtain directions and maps as they are on the road. Sophisticated portable GPS navigators communicate directions through a computer-generated voice.
Combination portable GPS units are designed for both navigational and tracking capabilities. An example can be seen through GPS-enabled cell phones. The downside to these at least in comparison to GPS navigators is that they only work in areas that have that particular cell phone company's coverage. If the area does not have coverage, the cell phone GPS won't work well. However the portable GPS units navigation capabilities are not affected by poor cell phone coverage.
Portable GPS units can be used for tracking, navigation or a combination of the two. Indeed, these GPS units offer quite a bit of GPS power, considering their reduced size. With a device that is small enough to fit in one's pocket, people are offered two things: the ability to get to their chosen destination on time or the ability to keep a 'virtual' eye on expensive possessions or loved ones. Price-wise portable GPS units with the tracking capability will be a bit more expensive, but in the long run when one is ensured that everything and everyone most dear to them is where they are supposed to be, it won't take long to realize the money would be well-spent.
About the Author
James Kesel, MS is the Publisher of GPS Auto Tracker providing information on Portable GPS and the latest GPS Tracking and Navigation systems.
Video Counseling by Jennifer Baxt
Video Counseling
There may come a time in your life when you need counseling. You may need marriage counseling, family counseling, grief counseling, or some other type of therapy. Getting counseling, however, does require your time, and you simply may not have time to literally go to a counselor's office. Online counseling may be the answer for you - but it may not be enough.
With advancing technology, you could have video counseling. A video counselor will do everything that an in-person counselor would do - except it is done via video, instead of face-to-face. Video counseling literally takes online counseling a step further, in that you can have an actual therapy session with the use of two way video.
Online counseling is fine for many, but sometimes, it will be beneficial to both you and the video counselor to be able to see your face and to hear your voice. In this way, they can get a better sense of what you are feeling, and adjust the therapy to those feelings.
At the same time, you benefit by being able to have your video counseling in the privacy of either your home or office. This makes it possible to keep appointments easier, and to enjoy that total privacy as well. Video counseling is just like face-to-face counseling in the same room.
Video counseling also gives you another advantage. You can enjoy what constitutes an actual therapy session, without having to drive to the therapist's office. This works especially well for people who do not live near a good therapist, allowing you to choose from any video counselor in the world, regardless of your location or theirs.
In many cases, video counseling is less expensive than traditional counseling as well. You also don't have to worry about purchasing expensive equipment for video counseling. All you need is a computer, an Internet connection (preferably high speed), a web cam ($10 - $20), and one of the many popular messaging systems that is video enabled, such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or Skype, all of which are free.
If you have put off seeking counseling due to time constraints or privacy issues, you should definitely consider seeking out a video counselor for video counseling. A video counselor can help you address a wide variety of issues, and can even conduct couples therapy and family therapy via video counseling. Depending on the services offered by your video counselor, your video counseling may also include counseling via email, phone, or online chat.
About the Author
Jennifer B Baxt, LMHC, LMFT offers online audio/video counseling and works with children, adolescents, individuals, couples, geriatric population, depression, anxiety, bi-polar and substance abuse. If you or anyone you know has further questions, please feel free to contact jennifer@completecounselingsolutions.com or http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com
There may come a time in your life when you need counseling. You may need marriage counseling, family counseling, grief counseling, or some other type of therapy. Getting counseling, however, does require your time, and you simply may not have time to literally go to a counselor's office. Online counseling may be the answer for you - but it may not be enough.
With advancing technology, you could have video counseling. A video counselor will do everything that an in-person counselor would do - except it is done via video, instead of face-to-face. Video counseling literally takes online counseling a step further, in that you can have an actual therapy session with the use of two way video.
Online counseling is fine for many, but sometimes, it will be beneficial to both you and the video counselor to be able to see your face and to hear your voice. In this way, they can get a better sense of what you are feeling, and adjust the therapy to those feelings.
At the same time, you benefit by being able to have your video counseling in the privacy of either your home or office. This makes it possible to keep appointments easier, and to enjoy that total privacy as well. Video counseling is just like face-to-face counseling in the same room.
Video counseling also gives you another advantage. You can enjoy what constitutes an actual therapy session, without having to drive to the therapist's office. This works especially well for people who do not live near a good therapist, allowing you to choose from any video counselor in the world, regardless of your location or theirs.
In many cases, video counseling is less expensive than traditional counseling as well. You also don't have to worry about purchasing expensive equipment for video counseling. All you need is a computer, an Internet connection (preferably high speed), a web cam ($10 - $20), and one of the many popular messaging systems that is video enabled, such as MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or Skype, all of which are free.
If you have put off seeking counseling due to time constraints or privacy issues, you should definitely consider seeking out a video counselor for video counseling. A video counselor can help you address a wide variety of issues, and can even conduct couples therapy and family therapy via video counseling. Depending on the services offered by your video counselor, your video counseling may also include counseling via email, phone, or online chat.
About the Author
Jennifer B Baxt, LMHC, LMFT offers online audio/video counseling and works with children, adolescents, individuals, couples, geriatric population, depression, anxiety, bi-polar and substance abuse. If you or anyone you know has further questions, please feel free to contact jennifer@completecounselingsolutions.com or http://www.completecounselingsolutions.com
Home Automation- Is it for you? Great ideas for your home: by Ben Stern
Home Automation- Is it for you? Great Ideas for your home.
Having the ability to Remotely and wirelessly control lights and appliances can be not only cool but incredibly convenient for those of us seeking a modern digital home. Imagine having all inside and outside lights, sprinklers, fountains and almost any other appliance imaginable in your home, working automatically in concert with each other to provide the ultimate in safety and comfort. Not to mention the practical benefits of arriving home in the dark to a well lit property, free of boogey men and whatever else happens to roam your neighborhood after hours.
How about the ability to view your home via the internet with wireless cameras that can capture footage on demand or when a sensor trips? All of this and more is possible with x10 products. What is the best part about it? All of the equipment available is completely affordable, easy to set up and use.
Like the majority of my fellow gadget lovers, I've been remotely controlling lights and appliances using X10 modules that send on/off commands through a homes existing power line since the early '80s. The x10 Power-line Carrier protocol was created in the late '70s and continues to be the industry standard. Over the last 30 years, the company has developed and sold millions of units, not only under the X10 brand name but also as an Original Equipment Manufacturer for major consumer electronic companies such as IBM, Phillips, Magnavox and Radio Shack.
In the mid '90s, X10 introduced the first PC-based home control kit called Active Home, enabling programmed routines to execute automatically through a serial port interface module plugged into a power outlet. Since then, over one million units have been sold. Much to the delight of these customers, the company has released a much anticipated upgrade kit called Active Home Pro, featuring an amazingly functional tiny white whole house transceiver box with built-in RF and a USB connection combined with newly designed control software. This system enables the user to control every function right from their computer either manually or automatically.
The active Home Pro upgrade kit is only $49.99, equal to the cost of one control device. Of course, you can purchase a complete kit for $99.00 which includes controllers, remote controls, wireless key chains, light sockets and wall sockets. Shipping is free for all orders over $49.00 at x10captain.
X10's Active Home Pro is a clear winner for the Do-It-Yourself customer. Years of customer feedback has resulted in a system that is technologically sophisticated yet doesn't require a computer programming degree to operate. The basic concept is simple. Plug control modules/switches into lights and appliances, assign each one a house/unit code such as A1, and insert the module into a wall outlet/switch box. Boot up the Active Home Pro software, and enter the fun and colorful world of X10's computer based remote home control.
From here, the possibilities are virtually endless. The new USB computer interface with built-in RF whole house transceiver can send and receive all 256 house/unit codes and even control X10 cameras. The newly designed software uses drag and drop commands to label, organize and view by room all X10 control modules. Within minutes you can create for example an Evening Lights tab, and then create Macros grouped Inside Lights On and Inside Lights Off. Click on Timers to easily schedule lights and their brightness level based on dusk and dawn, day of week, holidays, etc. Better yet, forget about the timers.
Using the built in Lifestyle Mode, the software will automatically record when you turn lights on or off using a controller during a typical 24 hour day. Just download your instructions into the computer interface and turn off your machine. Your timers and routines will operate automatically year round.
The well designed, clean looking transceiver box also offers the ability to monitor X10 home surveillance cameras, provide remote control via the Internet or cell phone and even run if/then routines, commonly called conditional Macros.
Speaking of x10s cameras, there are so many different models to choose from, depending on your needs. I particularly love the camera systems that allow you to view your home via the internet anywhere you have a camera. I think any home owner would appreciate the ability to see who is coming around your home during the day or night. The cameras can be used to monitor your property outside, keep an eye on your business or help monitor a baby's or kids room inside your home . There are many possibilities. The user has the option to view and record any captured footage on demand or that was was tripped by a sensor. The nice part is you can record footage directly to your PCs hard drive or to a VCR.
Any home or business owner would appreciate these systems. They are affordable, easy to set up and use. I have multiple cameras around my home and all of them have come in handy at one point or another. If nothing else, they are very cool and feed my passion for cool gadgets.
Among the array of other X10 products offered at x10Captain.com, one of their popular items is the x10 video sender. The video sender enables the user to transmit TV transmissions from a basic cable box, DVD or VCR and transmit it to any other TV in the house without having to add extra cables or wires. It is 100% legal and eliminates the expense of adding additional cable lines and cables from your cable company. This is a nifty little gadget and works great. The price is only $49.99.
Overall, x10 products are amazing little pieces of technology. If you have never experienced home automation or have been using x10 items for years, I know you will agree that technology has infiltrated every part of our world. X10 has been making quality products for years and they continue to create new and exciting ways to enhance our every day life. I couldn't imagine living without them.
About the Author
I'm 38 years old, a Resident of Florida, happily married and employed as an airline pilot. I also work full time as a consultant for x10captain, an online source for home automation equipment, surveilance equipment, security systems, cameras, and entertainment equipment. My passion for high tech gadgets and technology has been a big part of my life. As an airline pilot flying a high tech aircraft for many years, i am still fascinated with techno
Having the ability to Remotely and wirelessly control lights and appliances can be not only cool but incredibly convenient for those of us seeking a modern digital home. Imagine having all inside and outside lights, sprinklers, fountains and almost any other appliance imaginable in your home, working automatically in concert with each other to provide the ultimate in safety and comfort. Not to mention the practical benefits of arriving home in the dark to a well lit property, free of boogey men and whatever else happens to roam your neighborhood after hours.
How about the ability to view your home via the internet with wireless cameras that can capture footage on demand or when a sensor trips? All of this and more is possible with x10 products. What is the best part about it? All of the equipment available is completely affordable, easy to set up and use.
Like the majority of my fellow gadget lovers, I've been remotely controlling lights and appliances using X10 modules that send on/off commands through a homes existing power line since the early '80s. The x10 Power-line Carrier protocol was created in the late '70s and continues to be the industry standard. Over the last 30 years, the company has developed and sold millions of units, not only under the X10 brand name but also as an Original Equipment Manufacturer for major consumer electronic companies such as IBM, Phillips, Magnavox and Radio Shack.
In the mid '90s, X10 introduced the first PC-based home control kit called Active Home, enabling programmed routines to execute automatically through a serial port interface module plugged into a power outlet. Since then, over one million units have been sold. Much to the delight of these customers, the company has released a much anticipated upgrade kit called Active Home Pro, featuring an amazingly functional tiny white whole house transceiver box with built-in RF and a USB connection combined with newly designed control software. This system enables the user to control every function right from their computer either manually or automatically.
The active Home Pro upgrade kit is only $49.99, equal to the cost of one control device. Of course, you can purchase a complete kit for $99.00 which includes controllers, remote controls, wireless key chains, light sockets and wall sockets. Shipping is free for all orders over $49.00 at x10captain.
X10's Active Home Pro is a clear winner for the Do-It-Yourself customer. Years of customer feedback has resulted in a system that is technologically sophisticated yet doesn't require a computer programming degree to operate. The basic concept is simple. Plug control modules/switches into lights and appliances, assign each one a house/unit code such as A1, and insert the module into a wall outlet/switch box. Boot up the Active Home Pro software, and enter the fun and colorful world of X10's computer based remote home control.
From here, the possibilities are virtually endless. The new USB computer interface with built-in RF whole house transceiver can send and receive all 256 house/unit codes and even control X10 cameras. The newly designed software uses drag and drop commands to label, organize and view by room all X10 control modules. Within minutes you can create for example an Evening Lights tab, and then create Macros grouped Inside Lights On and Inside Lights Off. Click on Timers to easily schedule lights and their brightness level based on dusk and dawn, day of week, holidays, etc. Better yet, forget about the timers.
Using the built in Lifestyle Mode, the software will automatically record when you turn lights on or off using a controller during a typical 24 hour day. Just download your instructions into the computer interface and turn off your machine. Your timers and routines will operate automatically year round.
The well designed, clean looking transceiver box also offers the ability to monitor X10 home surveillance cameras, provide remote control via the Internet or cell phone and even run if/then routines, commonly called conditional Macros.
Speaking of x10s cameras, there are so many different models to choose from, depending on your needs. I particularly love the camera systems that allow you to view your home via the internet anywhere you have a camera. I think any home owner would appreciate the ability to see who is coming around your home during the day or night. The cameras can be used to monitor your property outside, keep an eye on your business or help monitor a baby's or kids room inside your home . There are many possibilities. The user has the option to view and record any captured footage on demand or that was was tripped by a sensor. The nice part is you can record footage directly to your PCs hard drive or to a VCR.
Any home or business owner would appreciate these systems. They are affordable, easy to set up and use. I have multiple cameras around my home and all of them have come in handy at one point or another. If nothing else, they are very cool and feed my passion for cool gadgets.
Among the array of other X10 products offered at x10Captain.com, one of their popular items is the x10 video sender. The video sender enables the user to transmit TV transmissions from a basic cable box, DVD or VCR and transmit it to any other TV in the house without having to add extra cables or wires. It is 100% legal and eliminates the expense of adding additional cable lines and cables from your cable company. This is a nifty little gadget and works great. The price is only $49.99.
Overall, x10 products are amazing little pieces of technology. If you have never experienced home automation or have been using x10 items for years, I know you will agree that technology has infiltrated every part of our world. X10 has been making quality products for years and they continue to create new and exciting ways to enhance our every day life. I couldn't imagine living without them.
About the Author
I'm 38 years old, a Resident of Florida, happily married and employed as an airline pilot. I also work full time as a consultant for x10captain, an online source for home automation equipment, surveilance equipment, security systems, cameras, and entertainment equipment. My passion for high tech gadgets and technology has been a big part of my life. As an airline pilot flying a high tech aircraft for many years, i am still fascinated with techno
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