5 Reasons to Drive People to Your Facebook Page

Having reached the 500 million member mark recently, there is no doubt that Facebook is the giant of social media. Many businesses and brands have "ridden the wave" of Facebook, and have started a page just to keep up with the digital Joneses.


But why Facebook?


A good question, especially if your business already has a fairly dynamic website. So if you have conversion points, dynamic content, consumer feedback forums, commenting features, etc. you might be wondering what benefits Facebook could offer in the digital space. Although the website may have all the right moving parts, there are still reasons to have a Facebook page.


1. It can help measure the strength and engagement level of your brand.


In much the same way that you know someone is interested enough to take the time to fill out an e-mail subscription form or comment on a blog, having people "Like" you on Facebook validates the fact that you have a strong brand that people are interested in. Similar to an e-mail subscription, it shows that people are interested enough in your content that they are willing to opt-in to receiving updates.


2. They can share their own stories and content.


While forums are a great place for people to discuss specific topics and share ideas, they do not have nearly as strong of a foothold in the digital arena as Facebook. Because people are already comfortable using Facebook, they are more likely to share photos, videos, and stories about your business on your page than in a forum.


3. It makes sharing content from your website and blog easier.


E-mail subscriptions are an excellent way to measure conversions and build an e-mail list, and I in no way whatsoever disagree with their usefulness. However, some people prefer to receive their information on Facebook rather than deal with e-mails. When someone Likes your page, it gives you another opportunity to share your content with your audience in a setting that they are already comfortable in.


4.It increases visibility.


First, Facebook pages show up in Google searches, increasing your search results presence. Furthermore, Google indexes public updates from Facebook Pages. The popularity of Facebook coupled with the indexing of links posted to a business Facebook Page provides additional link juice for your website. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that your website will populate higher in search results. (Zappos.com, considered to be a true social media success story, dominates the first page when searching for Zappos.


Secondly, when someone Likes a Facebook page it shows up in their friends' news feeds. This spreads the word that your Facebook page exists, and other people on Facebook may check out your page.


5. It allows you to interact with your fan base.


And finally, Facebook provides a channel for you to truly interact with the people that Like your business. So make sure to interact with them! When someone asks a question, make sure to answer them. When someone posts some photos, comment on them if appropriate. And when someone has something to say about your business or brand, be it good or bad, you have a chance to respond to them in the public eye.


Facebook has changed over the years, and time has shown that the ways in which people use Facebook is in constant flux. However, it has become clear that Facebook isn't going away anytime soon. So if you're already on Facebook, drive people to your page for these reasons and more. But if you want people to stay on your Facebook page, make sure to be Like-able!


Certainly there are more reasons to have a Facebook page, and we'd love to hear your suggestions and thoughts on Facebook!


Joe Recomendes is the Social Media Content Manager for Walker Marketing


The original article can be found at The Walker Marketing Blog


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Recomendes

Which is the past, Charlie Chaplin or us?

Its a suprise when I look into this picture, and almost shock and get heartattack when I discover the video on u tube, a woman talking on the cell phone, caught inside Charlie Chaplin's film, "The Circus" on 1928 .


As we all know, there were no cell phones back in 1928. However, an Irish filmmaker, named George Clarke has discovered something rather unusual in extra footage from Charlie Chaplin’s film.

“The Circus” was filmed back in 1928, when technology wasn’t even close to what it is today. However, as you can see in the video footage below, a woman appears to be talking on a cell phone during the filming of the movie. If this really is in fact a cell phone, there really is no explanation unless this women is a time traveler….. Right?

Twitter and Facebook have been buzzing all day, with people trying to determine if the device that the woman appears to be talking into is really a cell phone.

Even if it were a cell phone, how on earth would she be getting a reception on it? If she was a time traveler from the future, her cell phone still would not operate without the infrastructure that exists today. That is of course, unless this women could have traveled to 1928 from a point in time beyond today, when cell phones could operate without cell towers.

These are all simply theories. Other theories explain that the device is not a cell phone, but simply an old-fashion hearing aid. Perhaps, the woman was having trouble with her hearing aid device, and is talking in order to see if she can hear herself properly. So far this theory seems to be the most believable we have heard so far.

What do you think. Did the filming of Charlie Chaplin’s film really catch a woman from the future talking on a cell phone, or is there a better explanation?

Source : thenewsofttoday.com

Verizon CDMA iPhone 4 Pictured?

Leaked pictures of what is reportedly the mythical CDMA iPhone 4 have surfaced. According to the leak, the device is already in the DVT (design verification test) stage, and made an appearance in a repair shop in Vietnam loaded with the Inferno test firmware that Apple uses, bearing the model number N92DVT. If the leak is legitimate, the device sports a micro SIM card slot, supporting rumors that the phone will be a dual-mode device, providing global roaming, or perhaps even becoming an every-carrier model that may replace the existing iPhone. If the recent leaks are accurate, Apple is already nearly done with the CDMA iPhone as it has already reached the final stage of testing with a launch on Verizon expected to arrive early next year.


Source : Ubergizmo.com

How to Build Mobile Web Blogs on Mobile Phones

Just like web blogs, Mobile Web Blogs are meant to keep the world updated about your recent or current condition, status, events, happenings or anything that you want to share with the people. And, with the popularity of mobile phones at peak, today a lot of people use Mobile Blogs for different purposes. For example- a photographer uses it for uploading his pictures; a business uses it to promote its products or services, and so on. This practice enables businesses to interact directly to their target customers and thereby increase sales and profit; plus establishing their identity in people's mind.

Research shows that mobile phone usage is a hot trend in the market; it is used for various purposes, like sending, SMS, e-mails, and the latest trend, 'browsing'. Experts suggest that to prevail in the market, a business must possess a mobilized website (Mobile Website). In a mobile, Internet works much like it does in a computer or laptop. The only difference is that, here the screen is small. When the user requests for a Mobile Blog or any page, it is retrieved from the web and then converted into a format compatible for a mobile phone.

There were times when designing a mobilized blog was an arduous task, considering the limited features of mobile phones, but things have changed as Smart Phones like iPhone and Blackberry have conquered the mobile phone market. Actually, designing of a Mobile Web Blog is extremely easy and expects systematic strategy from the web designers and further take few things into account, like general behavior of the user, current trends, challenges, and more. A web designer should further ensure that the Mobile Blog works smoothly with all types of Smart Phones and mobile browsers.

Conventional websites are formatted to be compatible with mobile phone screens and at the same time, simplicity is ensured by the web designers. To add a flavor to the blog, various advanced features are added, such as touch screen option, scroll down, one-touch access, and omitting minor spelling mistakes. In addition to this, the use of white space is given immense care while designing a Mobile Web Blog that decides the readability of the entire page.

Mobile Content Management System, Creating Mobile Sites, Mobile Site Builder, Build a Mobile Site. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Subhash_Prajapati

Yahoo.com suspended for a while.

Lately, world reporting that Yahoo.com having a little problem with the server. It include accessing yahoo mail, yahoo mail sign in. For an unspecified time, Yahoo's home page simply displayed a plain text "Server Hangup" message in the browser. Other Yahoo features, such as Yahoo Mail, Calendar, Sports, News, and Finance appeared to not be affected by the outage.

When the site came back up, some users reported to eWEEK that for a span of time, the local news they were accustomed to seeing on the Yahoo home page was news from another city, and that the usual rotation of 32 top news stories was whittled down to four.
There are reports that Yahoo Mail is still working, despite issues accessing Yahoo.com. Seems that maybe this problem happened only for some place only, or maybe all. 

Apples iPad will become Verizon Wireless Best Seller

Verizon Wireless announced Thursday that all of its retail store will begin selling Apple's iPad start at Oct. 28. This have become a speculation that the new partnership could pave the way for an iPhone for eager Verizon customers. A Verizon Wireless spokesman declined to comment on whether an iPhone partnership is in the offing.


Interestingly, consumers won't have access to the iPad 3G. Instead, if you want one from Verizon, you could buy an iPad Wi-Fi version plus a Verizon MiFi mobile hotspot. The hotspot uses Verizon's 3G network and generates a Wi-Fi hotspot that you can then use the iPad with. From the press release:

Verizon Wireless will offer three bundles, all featuring an iPad Wi-Fi model and a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, for a suggested retail price of $629.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 16GB + MiFi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + MiFi and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + MiFi. Verizon Wireless is offering a monthly access plan to iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for just $20 a month. In addition, Verizon Wireless will also offer all three iPad Wi-Fi models on a stand-alone basis.

There have also been reports of the iPad going on sale at Wal-Mart, Target and even Sam's Club. 

HTC Hd7 new and trendy, best among the best with latest technologies inside

The HTC HD7 is by far the largest of the new HTC 7 smartphones, with a 4.3-inch touchscreen which is the biggest screen among the three handsets here. The HD7 is thinner than HTC's Windows Mobile-based HD2. It has a 5-megapixel camera and one part of the back of the camera acts as a stand in case a user wants to set the phone down and play Xbox Live, or watch videos or mobile TV on it. The HD7 will be available in the U.S. only from T-Mobile, from Bouygues Telecom in France and from Telefónica elsewhere in Europe. In Asia, it will be available from operators in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.




Windows Phone 7 also offers the ultimate mobile Microsoft Office experience. The Office hub allows customers to view and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents as well as creating notes in OneNote Mobile that sync wirelessly online. Meanwhile the HD7's 16GB memory, the largest of any Windows Phone 7 smartphone, ensures the Music + Video hub will always have something to enjoy including movies, music and TV. The huge memory's also ideal for photos and HD video.




HTC HD7 Specifications

Size: 122 x 68 x 11.2mm
Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm QSD 8250
Memory: 16GB
Screen: 4.3in 16m colour 480 x 800 WVGA multi-touch TFT LCD
Camera: 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, HD video recording
Connectivity: Quad band GSM, Dual band WCDMA Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Sensors: G-Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Ambient light Sensor, Digital Compass
Other features: A-GPS, micro-USB charger, built-in kickstand, 3.5mm stereo headphone socket

Google Car On the Street: Driverless

The automatic car uses a video camera, radar sensors and laser beams to “see” the movement of cars around it and react accordingly. In addition, the maps implemented within it use the car to navigate roads and arriving at its destination.


The automatic car uses a video camera, radar sensors and laser beams to “see” the movement of cars around it and react accordingly. In addition, the maps implemented within it use the car to navigate roads and arriving at its destination.Nexus One Car Dock - By Google / HTC

Anti Virus Protection and Site Monitoring from McAfee

McAfee is one of the oldest and most well known names in computer protection services. One of their most recently released antivirus products is VirusScan with Site Advisor. This antivirus software system provided protection from computer viruses, spyware and hacking and advises the user when they are going to access a webpage that is high risk. It updates automatically, offers free technical support and a 30 day trial with a money back guarantee. If you and your family want to surf the web, communicate and shop online; and know that you have security, then McAfee Virus Scan Plus with Site Advisor is a system you should explore for your next antivirus protection service.McAfee Total Protection 2011 3-User

McAfee Virus Scan offers several security features in one product. Among these are:

*Virus Protection: By blocking, removing and keeping viruses from accessing your computer.

*Spyware Protection: Your personal and financial information is protected from spyware threats by blocking those programs from accessing your computer. By keeping others out, your stored personal information is safer and protects you from increased risk of identity theft as well as the time consuming task of repairing damages to your credit.

*Hacker Protection: Access to your computer is limited and this antivirus software protects and conceals your information by limiting their access while you are using the internet.

*Surf the Web Safely: With McAfee's unique Site Advisor rates proprietary web sites and alerts you if you are on a site that is high risk.

*Automatic, continuous updates: Your security product is only as good as its most recent update. This system works continuously and automatically updates its system and your computer with detection software. When new downloads are available, they are free for subscribers.

*Improves your Personal Computers Health: This software works to keep your computer free of threats as well as everyday computer clutter that occurs as a result of Internet access.

With the most recent improvements to McAfee Virus Scan the system is streamlined allowing the security features to perform faster while requiring less of your computer's resources. This allows you to maintain the high level of protection many people associate with McAfee products as well as continue to use their computer during scheduled scans and keep this software working in the background efficiently.

McAfee Virus Plus is $39.99 for a one year subscription. This software is so sure you will be satisfied with the downloaded they offer a money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with this McAfee product, just notify them within 30 days and they will refund your purchase. Additional protection for more than one computer or the McAfee Internet Security Suite 10-1 software protection program is available for $49.99 for one year, up to three computers.

Free technical support is available online, including Virtual Technician, chat and e-mail. A response to a request for technical support was received within twenty minutes of sending. This antivirus software is easy to purchase online, download, install and configure your personal control settings. In just a few minutes your antivirus and antispyware protection can be working efficiently on your personal computer.

McAfee Virus Scan subscription offers one year of protection from viruses, spyware and hackers. Protection occurs continually, automatically, and efficiently. New updates are available whenever new threats are discovered making it easy to ensure that you have the latest protection available to keep your personal and financial information safe.

Lisa Carey is a contributing author for Identity Theft Secrets: prevention and protection. You can get tips on Identity theft protection, software, and monitoring your credit as well as learn more about the secrets used by identity thieves at the Identity Theft Secrets blog. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Carey

iPad Advertising, Condé Nast 5 best practices.

The publisher recently completed a survey and a series of interviews of people who downloaded apps for its GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair and Glamour magazines. A goal was to give both editors and advertisers a better understanding of who was looking at the apps, how much time they were spending with them and what they liked and didn’t like about the experience.

Based on its findings, Condé Nast’s five recommendations about iPad Advertising are: to take advantage of functionality, to provide clear instructions on how users should engage with an app, to supply additional information but avoid repurposing creative assets used for other media, to remember to tell a story and to lead users “down the purchase funnel.”

Survey respondents indicated that they responded positively to the additional functionality of the iPad. With that in mind, Condé Nast suggests that advertisers include “compelling and unique experiences” with video, photo galleries and links to Web sites—especially links that enable users to directly purchase the featured product.

See more Apple iPad Tablet (32GB, Wi-Fi)

What Is A Facebook Poke?

Have you ever been poked on Facebook and wondered exactly what it meant? Well, in this article, we will take a look at the meaning of a Facebook poke. It might just mean much more than you think.

Whenever I go on Facebook, I see a little portion of the screen saying that people have poked me. Facebook claims that a poke can be used “to say hello” to your friends. Thus, I see this poke feature on Facebook as a way that my friends are saying, “Hello, I am thinking about you and I miss you.”

Thus, I think a Facebook poke feels pretty good.

Facebook For Dummies

After you receive this Facebook poke, you then have the option of poking back. This could be translated as a way of saying, “Thanks for thinking of me. I feel the same way.”

However, this is just the surface meaning of a Facebook poke, but if we dig deeper, we may find that a Facebook poke means much more.

Such was the case with my friend Bob.

Bob recently asked me, “Richard, what does a Facebook poke mean to you?”

I said, “It’s an acknowledgement, a friend saying hello.”

He claimed that sometimes it can mean much more and proceeded to tell me a story.

Long ago, Bob had been good friends with a girl named Alexandra. Alexandra and Bob often took their relationship passed the friendship level but it never changed into a full blown relationship. Thus, after some time, Alexandra met someone and ended up marrying this man and invited Bob to the wedding.

As it happens when people lead different lives, Bob and Alexandra stopped communicating with each other on a regular basis pretty quickly and then not at all. In fact, they went five years without really talking to one another at all.

And then, Bob received a Facebook poke from Alexandra out of the blue. After not communicating for five years, Alexandra suddenly initiated communication.

Bob wondered about this sudden Facebook poke. Was this just an acknowledgement or was there something more to the story?

Well, it turns out, after Bob checked Alexandra’s Facebook profile, she was single again. Bob decided to poke her back and see where things led.

In the end, Bob and Alexandra began dating and now they have plans to marry each other.

Thus, while a Facebook poke is often just an acknowledgement, it can sometimes say a whole lot more!

Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day

By: Richard Tyler

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Is Norton Antivirus 2011 better than the old one?

Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2010 has proved that it is one of the best antivirus firewall software programs there is. Its promise to focus more in providing overall protection has been fulfilled effectively time and time again. After a year, Norton introduce the 2011 version.




In Norton Antivirus 2011, Norton gives people blazing installs and quick scans, useful system-managing tools and security extras like the capability to scan your Facebook wall for malicious links, and most importantly, extremely high ratings in threat detection and prevention. With a 30-day trial that has no other restrictions, anybody who's willing to pay for Windows security should check out these two suites. With provided feature like Norton Safe it stops you from browsing a page which is not safer. It more often adds a safe icon to major search engine results indicating the site is safe or not. It also protects you from Facebook spam attacks and been prevented by been attacked by virus on your Facebook Profile. Proactive performance option alerts you when a certain program is slowing down your pc so that you can make changes to improve the performance. So you will come to know what program is consuming what amount of memory.


Norton Internet Security 2011 and Norton AntiVirus 2011 are now available for purchase in the U.S. through various retailers and the Norton online store . Norton 2011 products support Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit) Home/Professional/Tablet PC/Media Center with Service Pack 2 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit) and Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) both for Starter/Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate editions. Norton Internet Security and Norton AntiVirus 2007 or later users with a valid product subscription are eligible to receive the latest product updates via the subscription service model.


Get a Norton Antivirus 2011 - 1 User, or Norton Antivirus 2011 - 5 User for better protection.

Solar Power versus Generator - the Choice By Anna Hart

As I write this in early 2007, the controversy over global warming has heated up (pun intended), and people are taking another look at solar power versus generator. For those living outside the power grid, the second look may save not only the green in the rain forest, but also the green in the bank.

Many who live "off the grid" in isolated locations have traditionally relied on generators for electrical power. Others have installed generators for back-up, emergency electrical power. Neither thought there was a choice, but now there is a choice: solar power versus generator.

In this article, we look at the choice. Which is more economical; more convenient; more environmentally friendly? Should you make the change.

Solar Power versus Generator - Cost

The cost of solar power versus generator is much less over the long term.

The initial cost of a solar power system will be greater than that of a generator system. This is often the reason people install a generator rather than choose solar power. One must look beyond the initial cost, however, to get the full comparison of solar power versus generator.

* Solar power, once installed, has little maintenance or further expense. There is no fuel to purchase, since the sun's energy fuels the system.

* Generators are not so. After installation, a generator will require regular servicing by a professional every 6 months. Generators require fuel - a cost that is constantly increasing. Moving generator parts must be replaced from time to time due to wear and tear.

Solar Power versus Generator - Convenience

Convenience is another factor to consider when looking at solar power versus generator power. Solar power is much more convenient than generator power.

* Solar power may be less convenient to purchase and install, since it is not as widely available as generators. This is due to the currently small market for solar power. As the market increases, however, this will be less of a problem. Solar power systems have no moving parts to wear out or need lubrication. Once installed, solar power requires little attention. The user can almost forget it.

* Generators are widely available, so convenient to purchase and install. Convenience decreases after installation, though. A generator must be monitored frequently to be sure sufficient fuel is available. It must be refilled often when used as a regular source of power. Fuel must be ordered and delivery taken - or fuel must be hauled by the owner. The system must be serviced twice a year. This servicing will include filter changes, an oil change, a tune up, and complete inspection of the entire unit. Worn parts must be replaced.

Solar Power versus Generator - Efficiency

The solar power versus generator battle includes the matter of efficiency, too. Which is more cost-effective? The facts seem to point to solar power.

* Solar power is received in through the panels, free of cost, and stored in batteries. It is ready for use when needed, but in times of reduced usage, the power remains in storage.

* Generators run constantly, regardless of the amount of power being used at a given time. As they run, they consume costly fuel. When power usage is reduced in bright daylight, generators must continue to run.

Solar Power versus Generator - Dependability

Some argue that, in comparing solar power versus generator, we must compare the dependability factor. In this area, they claim, generators win.

* Solar power is very dependable in locations that have bright sunlight 300+ days of the year. In areas with less sunlight, or during periods of cloudiness and storm, solar power is less dependable. The system will continue to provide power from charged batteries, but will eventually go dead. Having said that, it must be noted that Germany, which has far fewer sunny days than most of North America, is said to have much higher usage of solar power. The problem of dependability seems not that big.

* Generator systems do not depend on sunlight. They do, however, depend on fuel. If storms or some other disaster hinders one from replenishing the fuel supply, generators also become useless.

Solar Power versus Generator - Eco-friendliness

Finally, eco-friendliness must be considered in any discussion of solar power versus generator. That is, which is kinder to the environment: solar power or generator? The obvious answer again is solar power.

* Solar power has no emissions when working. There is no pollution involved in fuel production - no greenhouse gases. It is totally clean. Solar power uses a renewable energy source.

* A big drawback to generator use is still the matter of emissions and the environment. Generators are usually run on diesel fuel, and diesel fuel is produced from a fossil fuel. There are emissions in the production of the fuel, and also in its use. Diesel generators are a major source of air pollution and high sulfur levels in North America. Exposure to diesel generator exhaust can lead to health hazards.

Solar Power versus Generator - the Solution

For most people, the resolution of the solar power versus generator debate is to install a hybrid system. Using solar power as the main energy source will save money. The fuel is free. Solar power is convenient, efficient, and eco-friendly. What it lacks in dependability can be made up by having a small back-up generator for prolonged cloudy periods.

My Choice

When I compare solar power versus generator, I definitely have to choose solar power. It is clean, free, quiet, and peaceful.

Get a solar charging kit: Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit

©2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about solar power at http://www.solar-energy-connection.com. Anna has also posted articles on that site about solar power for homes. If you want basic information about solar power for the home, you won’t want to miss her article on the subject. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Hart

Things You Never Knew Your Mobile Phone Can Do

Everyone has a mobile phone nowadays. I am pretty sure that most people would not be able to survive more than a few hours without their mobile phones. However, besides the basic surfing on the Internet, making calls and sending SMSes to friends, there are a few handy things that your mobile phone can help you with. Who knows, these tips might even save your life if you are ever caught in such situations.

Emergency

You are in an emergency situation e.g. you’ve just met with an accident in a deserted area and you can’t remember the number of the nearest hospital. Don’t fret and most importantly do not ever panic. All you have to do is to pre-save this number into your phone; 112 and dial it because it is the Emergency Number for mobile phones worldwide. This number works even if you do not have any coverage on your mobile. Dial 112 and your mobile will start to search for any existing network to locate the nearest emergency number for you.

Locking Your Car

We might laugh at people who are caught in such situations but it is bound to happen sometimes. And if it happens to you, at least you will have an idea of what to do. If you have accidentally locked your keys in the car and you do not have a spare with you at the moment, call someone nearest to your spare keys on their mobile phone from yours. 

All you have to do is hold your mobile phone about a foot from your car. Then tell the person on the line to press the unlock button while making sure that the remote is near to his or her mobile phone. Interestingly enough, your car will unlock. You therefore can save the trouble of getting someone to drive a long distance just to pass you your spare keys.

Battery Power

Think about this: you’ve utilized almost all the battery power in your mobile phone and you are nowhere near a charger. Your phone is seconds away from self shutting down and you desperately need to use it to make some important calls. Well, don’t panic because you can activate your reserve battery power just by pressing the following keys on your mobile *3370#. This will give your mobile an additional 50% increase in battery power which should last you till you can get it charged.


So you see, your mobile phone can be useful for things other than chatting with your friends and checking out their latest Facebook status updates!


Also don't forget to check this MiniSuit iPhone 4 Skin Case for iPhone 4G / 4th Generation compatible with 16GB / 32GB HD TPU skin case and MiniSuit LCD Cleaner keychain - Smoke Circle, out for sale now!

How Does Broadband Work? Everything You Need to Know

Optic Cabel Closed Up (Credit : dvice.com)

While many urbanites take it for granted, broadband internet communication is one of those things that has only slowly penetrated the hinterlands of the United States. For people in rural Montana, internet connectivity can resemble using dialup modems, and more and more residents are becoming curious about whether broadband will reach their communities, and are asking, "how does broadband work?"

From a consumer perspective, broadband requires a modem and a high speed cable run out to their home; the two primary benefits of connectivity are download speed, and the fact that it doesn't monopolize a telephone line to be used. It's this lack of a high speed cable that's slowing down penetration into rural areas.

As to how it works in a technical sense, first we need to define a term: Bits per second. Original modems sent 300 bits per second; this rapidly went to 1200 bits per second, then 2400 bits per second, then really took off in the early 1990s. One byte (one character of text) is 8 bits, and file sizes are rated in kilobytes and megabytes (and gigabytes).

For transmission speeds, a critical part of how broadband works, old-style modems going over plain old telephone wires have a bandwidth cap of 56K per second. In the US, it effectively starts are 768K per second with asynchronous DSL (or ADSL), and can go upwards of 7-8 Bbits per second with high end digital cable lines for residential areas. Most home networking gear, whether wired or wireless, allows transmission on the local network at much higher rates than your connection to the Internet, though the amount of bandwidth available means most people won't notice. (It is why digital content providers are pushing home media servers, so that the server can download things you'll want to see and cache a local copy for everyone in the house to use.

How broadband works for most service providers is that it's asynchronous - the download speed is lower than the upload speed. Thus, when using a DSL line, the download speed is 768K/second and the upload peed will be about 256K/sec. Cable modem systems are usually bandwidth capped for upload speeds at about 1MB/sec, in large part as an effort to slow down the propagation of peer to peer file sharing networks.

The drawback of cable modem usage is that as the number of users on a subnet grows, the overall performance for all users drops proportionally. Each line is dedicated - there are no other people using your bandwidth and slowing it down. The drawback of DSL service is that you have to be within a certain distance (2 km) of the central switching station to get service at all. (One of the big infrastructure booms of the 1990s was rolling out more DSL lines by adding more switching capacity)

New elements of roll outs include "Fiber Optic To Home", or "FiOS". These use fiber optic cables all the way to the house, and can give bandwidth caps in excess of 10 Mbits per second. It's expensive, and is mostly used in higher rental or home priced areas.

Broadband Network Architectures: Designing and Deploying Triple-Play Services

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Patullo

How to Make Your Own Electricity

As a part of 'Energy Independence', generating electricity is the easiest and most flexible thing you can do. One of the easiest ways to generate electricity is to make your own solar panels (For under $100)! You can do anything from generate power to run a gate or garage door opener, put lights and power in an outbuilding, sell power back to the grid to cut your electric bill, or even completely live without power from a utility company and operate an electric car.
See the Warnings section.

 Steps

Examine Your Needs

• Be realistic - don't deny yourself if it's important to you.
  
• Plan for future extension if you underestimate.
  
• Don't neglect well pumps and other necessities in your planning.
  

Decide What You Are Trying to Achieve

• Do you want to just save money?
  
• Do you want to be prepared for disasters?
  
• Do you want to be self sufficient?
  

Evaluate your need the power for?

• Water/Well
  
• Lights
  
• Refrigeration
  
• Appliances
  
• Entertainment
  
• Electric Vehicles
  

Decide if you Survive With a Bit Less

• Do you need the biggest TV?
  
• Do you need an ice maker in your freezer?
  

Incremental Growth
It's possible to install in stages, so you don't bite the huge cost all at once.  You can start small, learn and build confidence to go bigger.

1. Many grid-attached rooftop systems can be expanded - this is something to make sure of when you shop.
   
2. An automatic gate can be run off solar power, whether the grid is up or not.
   
3. Any RV or trailers that have deep cycle batteries should have at least 60 watts of solar power just to keep the batteries up when it's not in use.  More like 200-400 watts if you are going to use it and not run a generator every day.
   
4. An outbuilding (a detached garage or shed) that doesn't have lights or power, or that 'needs' an electric door opener can be run off solar for less than the cost of having it wired to the main building by an electrician.
   
5. A well pump so you will still have water if the power is out.
   
6. Certain circuits in your home can be isolated and put on a battery/inverter.
   
   
   
   • The one that has your computer room, for a truly uninterruptable power supply
     
   • Just the lighting circuits, so your home is always well lit
     
   • The alarm system
     
   • Gas/propane powered heaters or pellet stoves
     
   • Circulating fans
     
   • Gas/propane powered stoves/ovens/water heaters with electric 'brains'
     
   
   

Shop Around
Just because you are fortunate enough to have a local 'alternative energy' dealer, it doesn't mean they will give you the best bargain or the best system.  Quite the reverse, usually.

• If you go to talk to a dealer, be armed with internet prices for hardware.  They are likely to be as tough and ruthless salesmen as a car dealer.
  
• Know what you're talking about before you visit the dealer.
  
• Salesmen are not always "evil", and they can be very useful when it comes to state and federal rebates for alternative energy installations.
  
• Comparison shop and find the lowest possible cost for the best equipment after shipping/taxes.
  
• If you're not 'handy' enough, consider stalking a solar dealer's business and hiring the dealer's help to install hardware for you.  They'll be the guys with the pickup trucks (and maybe trailers) loaded with stuff to install some place.
  
• Not every contractor or 'handy man' is equally qualified to install these systems.  Make sure they have experience, or use their lack of experience against them to barter price for their getting this experience.
  

Maintenance

• Like anything else, if you don't take care of it, it will fall apart.
  
• Decide how long it must last.  Saving a little money now can cost a lot of money later.
  
• Try to work out and budget for expenses related to keeping the system going in the long-run.
  
• Ask about insurance coverage for larger installations.  Your current home owner's policy might not cover it if a disaster wrecks it, and that could be heartbreaking.
  
• Decide if it's worth the bother to you.  Some people want to throw the switch and have the lights go on by magic, regardless of where the energy came from.  This takes a little planning and daily thought.
  
• Work out what can (and will) go wrong with it.
  

Conservation
While it's possible to run everything you can possibly think of from solar/wind/water, it would be prohibitively expensive for most people to afford to install a system that can handle all of that.  Large household air conditioners, electric heaters, electric ranges, etc. all draw prohibitively high amounts of current that reasonably scaled renewable systems just can't handle.  Your local solar dealer (assuming there is one) may run their whole business off the panels and keep it 59 degrees in the peak of summer and 85 degrees in the dead of winter, but consider how much hardware they had to buy (wholesale) and install (themselves) to manage that trick.

• Every dollar you spend on conservation means two or more dollars less generation equipment to make the home work.
  
• Comfort vs. Luxury vs. Ideology
  
  
  
  • Realistically, photovoltaic panels, wind and micro-hydro power will not heat or cool your home for a reasonable installation budget.  If you have the money, they CAN, but you will probably be looking at a grid-tie solution for that, since you will be generating excess power much of the time that batteries can't soak up fast enough.
    
  • There are solar water and air heaters that work well, but these heat the water or air directly from sunlight, not via an electrical circuit.
    
  • Wind generators may have a 'diversion' load (for when the batteries are charged) that needs to be put somewhere, and this CAN go into a water heater, but it won't generally make the water hot on its own.
    
  • Generally speaking, you won't be able to air condition or heat your home with the size of a solar and/or wind system that you could reasonably afford without a second mortgage on the house.
    
  
  
• Highly efficient refrigerators tend to be smaller and the most energy efficient ones open from the top.  Consider what you will need (and want) to keep cold, and whether you can put some things in a chest freezer, or re-arrange your conventional kitchen layout.
  
• Gas-Absorption (Gas/Electric/Heat powered) refrigerators are still available.
  
• On non-grid systems, 12/24 volt lighting and appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines can save substantial power over their AC counterparts by cutting the inverter 'middle man' out of the equation.  That 10~15% of a small load is a small price on an inverter, but 10~15% of a big load is a lot of wasted energy.
  

Inverters
While it's possible to run the whole household off DC, it's far less expensive and convenient to get AC appliances and run them off an inverter.

• On grid-tie systems, the inverter is integrated into the system that ties the power to the grid, and connected between the power company's meter and the house.  These can usually be chained together to handle power output requirements.Cobra CPI 480 400-Watt 12-Volt DC to 120-Volt AC Power Inverter with 5-Volt USB Output
  
• Many smaller inverters can be more efficient and less expensive than one large inverter.  These can run individual household circuits.
  
• On non-grid-tie systems where the grid is used to supplement stored or generated power, inverter, generator and grid circuits must not mix.  For instance, a battery charger could run off grid/generator power, and certain household circuits (like kitchen/air conditioner) can run off grid/generator, but other circuits that inverters supply need to be isolated from the grid power.
  

Backup
The natural elements that a self contained power system rely on are not reliable.  The sun is not always shining, the wind is not always blowing, and the water is not always flowing.

• Grid
  
  
  
  • This is the least expensive solution for most people, especially those who are already power customers.  They install one sort of power (i.e. SOLAR), and tie the package to the grid.  Then when there isn't enough power coming in, the grid makes up the shortfalls, and when there is excess power, the grid buys it.  Larger systems can consistently run the power meter backwards.
    
  
  
• Storage
  
  
  
  • If there is no power service nearby, it can be much more expensive to get connected to the grid (or even to connect an outbuilding to the house) than to make and store your own power.
    
  • This is pretty much going to be lead-acid deep cycle batteries, and they shouldn't be stored in your house because they can gas off hydrogen.  Each type of battery needs a different kind of charge cycle, so make sure the charge controller handles your type of battery, and is configured correctly for it.  Batteries can not be mixed and matched, and generally new batteries of the same type will not do well when mixed with older batteries.
    
  • Batteries and their connections need routine inspection (even 'maintenance free' batteries must be routinely inspected).
    
  • Deep cycle batteries don't do well if they are deep cycled beyond 20% depth of discharge frequently.  If you cycle deeply often, their lives will be cut very short.  If you cycle them shallowly most of the time and deep cycle them infrequently, their lives will be prolonged.
    
  • Deep cycle storage is rated in amp-hours.  If you want roughly kilowatt hours multiply amp hours times the number of volts (12 or 24 volts), and divide by 1000.  To get amp-hours from kilowatt-hours, just multiply by 1000 and divide by 12.  If your daily use is going to be 1KWH, you'll need about 83 amp/hours of 12 volt storage, but then you need 5 times that (considering you never want to discharge past 20%), or about 400 amp-hours to deliver that amount of juice.
    
  • You will need more power to charge than the batteries you have are rated for.  If you can take 1KWh off the batteries overnight, you need to be reasonably certain that this can be put right back in again tomorrow along with your normal use, or your batteries will be constantly discharged and won't last very long.
    
    
    
    •  Wet (flooded) cells are the most common.  They need to be serviced (the tops come off so you can add distilled water), and they need an occasional 'equalize' charge to cook the sulfur off the plates and keep all of the cells in about the same condition.  Some high quality wet cell batteries have independent 2.2 volt cells that can be replaced if they go bad.  'Maintenance free' batteries will lose water as they gas off, and eventually cells will dry out, and then they're just 'bad', and you can't add more water because the caps don't come off.
      
    • Gel batteries are not serviceable, and unforgiving of charging problems.  A charger designed for a Wet cell will cook the gel off of the plates and form gaps between the electrolyte and the plates.  Once one cell has managed to overcharge (due to uneven wear), the whole battery is bad.  As part of a small solution, they work reasonably well, but don't work well in larger solutions.
      
    • AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are more expensive than either of the other types, and don't need service.  As long as they are charged correctly, and not cycled too deeply they will last a long time, and they can't possibly leak or spill, even if you smash them with a hammer.  They do still gas off if excessively overcharged.
      
    • Car batteries are just that, for CARS.  Car batteries do not perform well in situations that call for deep cycle batteries.
      
    • Marine batteries are usually hybrid deep-cycle and starting batteries.  As a compromise they work well in a boat, but not well for household power.
      
    
    
  • See 'External Links' for more information about batteries.
    
  
  
• Generator
  
  
  
  • If there is no grid, or you want disaster/blackout backup, a generator may be required.
    
  • You don't want to draw batteries dead, so you'll need a way to make power when all else fails, so you don't deep-cycle your batteries to the point where you end up replacing them too frequently, or end up with no power.
    
  • Even with a generator, batteries are required in an off-grid system.  Charging batteries will put a reasonable load on the generator so it works efficiently for the fuel it consumes, while simply running lights will put mostly light loads, which are very inefficiently handled by most generators.
    
  • Many generators are very slow to react to load changes (switching on a power-hungry device causes the power to falter).
    
  • Small, commonly available generators at your hardware store are made for occasional 'emergency' use.  They will generally fall apart if used for daily power.
    
  • Large household generators cost a LOT of money.  They can run off gasoline, diesel or LPG, and usually have a self-starting mode where they kick on when the grid power is interrupted.  These can kill electricians who pop a service disconnect and don't know there's also a backup generator.
    
  • Generators made for RV/trailer/marine use are small, quiet, made for continuous/daily duty, and affordable (at least compared to household generators).  They can run off gasoline, diesel or LPG, and are made to run on demand for hours at a time for a period of years.
    
  
  

Solar Power
Solar panels should have south facing exposure to the sun (north-facing in southern hemisphere, up-facing near equator).

• Relatively clear weather most of the year is helpful, but light overcast conditions are sometimes beneficial.
  
• The best angle needs to be adjusted according to your latitude.
  
• If necessary, they can point straight up at any latitude, but will lose some efficiency and you'll need more panels.
  
• Fixed Mounts can be built onto their own structure (which may house batteries and charge controller beneath) or placed on an existing roof.  They are easy to mount and maintain if near the ground, and have no moving parts.
  
• Tracking Mounts follow the sun and add efficiency, but can be more expensive than simply adding a couple more panels to a fixed installation to make up for the difference.  They are mechanical contraptions that are easily damaged by severe weather and have moving parts to wear out.
  
• Just because a solar panel is rated for '100 watts', it doesn't mean it will deliver that much the way you had to mount it, or because of weather, or because it's winter and the sun is riding lower on the horizon.  You'll need more power.
  

Power from the Sun: A Practical Guide to Solar Electricity

Wind Power

• There are many kinds of wind generators.
  
  
  
  • Can be home-brewed from old car alternators (that need a relatively high wind to operate)
    
  • Can be bought pre-packaged and less expensively than equivalent solar output
    
  
  
• May need a specialized charge controller with a 'diverter load'.  This is normally a big resistor, but can be a 12 (or 24) volt electric water heater element.
  
• May need to be prohibitively high up to work in your area
  
• Can be a noise problem (shop carefully)
  
• Can be an 'eyesore' to your neighbors
  
• Occasionally birds fly through (some of the bird goes through, anyway).
  
• Need consistent wind.  Open, desolate areas work best as they have the fewest things blocking the wind.  Generally supplements solar power by making energy whenever the wind is blowing, like at night, and on cloudy days.
  

Wind Power, Revised Edition: Renewable Energy for Home, Farm, and Business

Micro-Hydro
There are various types, ranging from a homemade propeller connected to a car alternator to fairly robust and intricately engineered systems.

• This needs flowing water.  If you don't have river-front property or year-round streams/springs, it's just not going to work for you.
  

Micro-Hydro Design Manual: A Guide to Small-Scale Water Power Schemes

  

What You Should Consider

• If you live in a sunny environment, consider solar energy.
  
• If you live in a windy environment, consider wind energy.
  
• If you have access to flowing water, micro-hydro may work better than solar and wind combined.
  
• A combination of power sources works best.
  
• If your home is connected to the grid (has electrical power delivered from a utility company), consider a 'Grid Tie' solution.
  
• If your home is remote and/or not connected to the electrical grid, or you want renewable power backup, consider a self-contained solution.
  

 Cost and Maintenance
Up Front Cost

• Any system that supplies the needs of a household will be expensive.
  
• In any place where the utilities aren't already installed right to the doorstep, the cost of connecting new construction to the grid can exceed the cost of installing your own power generation.
  
• There are many options to finance the system and tax/handout benefits for some power sources.
  
• If it can't justify itself in dollars and cents, does it justify itself in...
  
  
  
  • Immediate necessity (no utilities)?
    
  • Peace of mind?
    
  • Not having wires through your property?
    
  • Bragging rights?
    
  
  

 Things You'll Need

• Inverter
  
• Charge Controller
  
• Deep Cycle Batteries
  
• Power Source(s)
  
  
  
  •  Solar (Photovoltaic) Panels
    
  •  Wind Generator
    
  •  Micro-Hydro Generator
    
  •  Motor
    
  
  

   Sources and Citations

• http://journeytoforever.org/ (All kinds of sustainable information)
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_energy