Archive for May, 2010

Automated Robocalls  are pre-recorded phone messages that a candidateor political groups send before elections. Candidates hire robo call services that use autodialing technology capable of sending hundreds of calls immediately , thus the name “robo call,” or delivering messages robotically.  Content of the messages can vary, including soliciting support at the polls, or responding to a political opponent .

The federal government and the vast majority of states permit political robo calls, though some states have restrictions. Candidates are also permitted to call phone numbers that are on the national Do Not Call list. The use of robo calling is controversial with proponents saying it upholds free speech, while opponents equate it with telemarketing and that it should be outlawed completely.

Phone broadcasting is an extremely powerful medium — so powerful in fact, that many voters  consider it an invasion of their privacy. It can be a two edged sword. While it is the fastest, most effective, and least expensive  means to enable voters to hear a candidates voice, if executed improperly, it can actually cost  votes for a candidate.

Voter acceptance all depends on how you use robo call technology. For example, it’s expected that voters would be bothered receiving  intrusive  calls at dinner time. No one enjoys  having their private time interrupted. So why do ill-advised political candidates launch  their robo calls at the worst possible time , undoubtedly  losing votes in the process? Who knows? The ideal time to send your recorded message out is during the day between 10am and 3pm. That way, your automated calls are delivered to voicemail  (70% of the American population is NOT home during the day) and people  can listen to the message at their leisure, and without interruption .

All of this sounds reasonable , but again, little attention or thought is given this portion of the campaign. If used properly, robo calling can be the most efficient and most effective way to get your messageto the citizens .

While individual state laws vary, federal law requires that the phone broadcasts identify who made the call and include an identifying telephone number or address.

Here is a list of “best practices” that candidates or political groups should consider when using robocall services or a robocall provider:

1) Robo call campaigns should be conducted during the day rather than the evening to avoid interrupting dinnertime and other family activities. Messages  can be played to people who answer the phone live or can be left on answering machines. The object is to call during the day and leave as many messages on answering machines as possible so recipients can listen to the message at their convenience.

2) The huge advantage to robo calling is that unlike television or radio, calls can be targeted to people who actually vote. Moreover, voter lists can be defined into subgroups and different messages can be delivered to each group. For example, you might want to deliver a different message to senior citizens and another message to people who live in a particular town or city.

3) Keep your recording  to 30 seconds or less. Make sure you identify yourself.

4) Plan early! Most robo call campaigns  are thrown together at the last minute and little thought is given to the message or in organizing a phone list. A properly managed robo call campaign can take days or weeks. Make sure you have a good, properly formatted list (an spreadsheet works) and that you have scheduled and reserved time with your robo call provider. Sometimes capacity is maxed out and last minute robo call customers are unable to get their messages out. Generally, voter phone lists are public information and can be obtained from local or state election boards.

5) Tell your robo call service provider what Caller ID number you want voters to see. Be prepared to use a phone number associated with the campaign. That number will receive a lot of calls since many voters will call back wondering who called them. The best practice is to have your Caller ID number go to a recorded voice mail greeting that identifies your campaign and thanks the voters for their support.

6) Like any other political advertising, robo call providers will require payment in advance. Since most don’t charge for undelivered messages that are unanswered or disconnected, the providers can only estimate. Chances are they will overestimate the job and give you an immediate refund for any overpayment. Regarding rates, you’re best bet is to pay on a per minute basis rather than per number because many of the numbers on your list will be undeliverable. Generally, you can estimate that 75-80% of the calls will get through. All in all, if used properly, robo calling will help a candidate get an important message out to voters, particularly when responding to last minute attacks. But the use of robo calls should be limited and used sparingly.

Know Your iPhone Application Prices

There are thousands of iPhone applications that you can choose from once you have purchase your new iPhone. However, you’ll need to be aware of iPhone application prices so that you can stay within your budget when it comes to maintaining your phone. More apps are being added for the phone every day, and this number is only expected to increase. Here are some of the best ways to find affordable iPhone application prices, as well as the best free apps for your phone.

You can look for iPhone application prices by searching the iTunes store. You’ll need to have an iTunes account in order to download the applications that you want, and the site will give you the information you need to determine which apps are ideal for the model of iPhone that you have. You’ll find applications that will help you to do everything from find local businesses to organizing your vacation, and it only takes a few minutes to get started.

You can also search some technology magazines in order to get more information on iPhone application prices. Check out magazines like Computer World or PC Magazine to get the latest iPhone news and reviews on applications that you think may work best for you. The reviews will also help you to figure out if the applications that you want to buy are worth the price. Most applications are only between one and ten dollars, but if you want to add a number of features to your phone, this can get pretty pricey.

If you’re looking for iPhone apps that are completely free, so that you won’t have to worry about iPhone application prices, you can use your favorite search engine and type in ‘best free iPhone apps.’ This will give you thousands of results, and the search results will give you the most popular apps as well. The links for these applications are very convenient to download, and you can add them to your phone in a matter of minutes if you’ve already opened your iTunes account.

Of course, you can also visit the Apple store nearest you, so that you can learn more about the newest applications that are available for your iPhone. And when you search using the Apple Apps store online, you can find applications that will help you to find completely detailed driving directions, or to find the caloric intake of all of the food you eat throughout the day.

Using an iPhone application prices review will also help you to figure out which apps are helpful and free of charge, and which features are worth spending the money for. This will help you to narrow down your choices, and make your  iPhone much more practical for use.

About the Guest Author:

Sandy James is a keen article writer, she is a regular guest author on many electronic devices and technology websites.

For a living, Sandy runs a growing insurance business from the comfort of her own home, providing stand alone insurance, such as mobile phone insurance and iphone insurance along with many other gadgets. For more information on the cover provided, please visit http://ipadinsurance.org, where you will see the savings available over the high street stores.

You’ve heard this story before, you buy a new computer and it works at blazing fast speeds and you are very happy. You download some files, copy software from a CD, surf the internet and use your email. Everything is fine but within a couple of months, you find your computer infested with viruses, spyware, trojans, and all sorts of malicious code. This is the reason why it is absolutely essential that you run some good antivirus security software on your computer.

Without antivirus firewall software your computer will become infested with viruses, no matter how cautious you are about copying files or visiting harmful websites. The number of vulnerabilities a Windows based computer has is extremely high, and sooner or later your computer will, without a doubt become infected. The signs of a virus infection can range from crashes, unknown files, missing files, and the computer slowing down to a crawl.

Some viruses and spyware is used by cyber criminals to steal your personal data and passwords. This can compromise sensitive data like bank account numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc. Therefore It is vital that you buy a good antivirus security program to protect you and your computer from these types of threats.

Not all antivirus products are suitable. You need high quality software that regularly updates, can detect the very latest viruses, spyware and malware, and is backed by strong customer support. Unfortunately, none of the free antivirus programs you’ll find on the internet have all these features. Really, the best option is to buy antivirus security.

You can find trial versions of most antivirus software on the internet. The trials will let you determine if the product is suitable for you. You can test to see its effectiveness, user-friendliness, ease of update, etc. When buying ESET NOD32 programs, these are key areas to look for. Unless the software is easy to use, has automatic updates, can check for a wide variety of threats (viruses, Trojans, spyware, rootkit), and can be scheduled to run at specific intervals, it is not worth purchasing. Take time to trial the major programs to find the one that offers a strong mix of the above features, meets your requirements and suits your computer. Also try emailing the customer support to see how quick and responsive they are before making a purchase.

If you want to stay safe online, be protected from current day threats and secure your personal and sensitive data, it is absolutely essential that you buy antivirus that is good quality and provides reliable security from a respectable source.

Having a  t1 connection for your enterprise, you are able to anticipate a lot of wonderful things. T1 lines have grown to be increasingly common among small organizations due to its countless functions as well as advantages.

A good number of modest firms who require a sooner and far more reliable communications program are selecting to hook their companies with a t1 line by reason of its advantage. Let’s dissect the basics of what makes a t1 connection all that a lot more attractive to most tiny small business proprietors and also startup companies.

T1 lines can easily deliver a considerably swifter exchange rate of web data as well as voice. The digital network can offer you speeds of up to 1.544 Mbps and it can present up to 24 channels for the clients or staff. Each of those lines are going to be fluid and could be utilized on an available basis.

With each and every of these 24 channels capable of accommodating a lot of men and women, it means that fewer lines are needed to accommodate a higher figure of men and women.  An typical circuit can approximately provide about 50-100 end users with no any kind of trouble.

Needless to say, if your organization demands you to service greater than 100 folks at any given time, you may well require more than one t1 connection or basically upgrade to a t3 or DS3 series. The t3 series can be the great program to take advantage of if you happen to be running a significant call center company or if you’re an ISP within your location.

Nevertheless, for little enterprises, a t1 connection can be the best characteristic to include on your repertoire.

When compared with DSL or Fast Ethernet connections, a t1 connection can be a much more reliable network that will help you gain everything that you have to have completed for your organization or buyers.

You’ll find an abundance of great differences among the t1 line as well as an ordinary quick Ethernet connection. Let’s have a more detailed look at some of these main differences.

For one, you’ll be able to assume the t1 line to be a devoted connection. Whenever you hook up having a DSL line or a quick Ethernet connection, you’d need to share your network with everybody else that’s also utilizing the same ISP or hooked up to the identical network as you’re. This indicates that the more folks utilizing the service at any one time, the slower the rates of speed get.

Nevertheless, using a t1 service, this is not a trouble at all. You get a devoted series which can provide you with with all of the bandwidth you need to program your workers or simply use as you please.

One more great difference is on the limitations. With an Ethernet cable, it is possible to only go as far as 100 meters for your connection, whereas with a t1 line; this could be extended considerably further. This is the primary explanation that your service supplier can’t use a CAT cable to hook up your house.

Furthermore, you are able to get yourself a a lot more cost efficient cost for a t1 connections in comparison to an Ethernet line. Needless to say, the price tag would still vary on your place, however in the extended run, the t1 line might help you cut back additional in your communications expenses.

You can find more information on t1 connections and even get a free consultation on t1 phone lines and long distance t1 service. 

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