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May 3rd, 2008

Car Audio - What To Know Before You Buy Used Car Audio Systems

Posted in Internet Hardware

If you are looking for a car audio system and would love to save a little money when purchasing, you should consider buying a used system. Many people think you can only get quality sound from new equipment, but that is not true. You can find great packages that are sold directly from another consumer if you know what you are looking for. There are a few things to remember before making a purchase however. If you are considering buying a used system, think about these things before you throw down any cash.

The first thing to consider is what you need. You should always be aware of what your automobile can handle before purchasing a used system. When you go to a store to purchase new equipment, the salesperson usually assists you on knowing what you need. When you are purchasing from a consumer however, you may not be getting correct information. Since most consumers won’t offer a refund policy, you will need to know that the equipment will work on your car before buying it.

The best way to figure out what you need is to go your research. Go to a salesperson or a audio specialist and ask them about the specific equipment you are looking at. Ask them if it will work in your car. You may even have to let them inspect your car, but they can likely tell you whether or not it will work over the phone. After you know that the equipment will work for your car, you will need to make sure the equipment works as it should. Ask to test the equipment, if it is not in a car at the time.

If you cannot test the equipment, you might not want to purchase it. Even though someone might tell you it works fine, they may not be as honest as you would like to think. Most sellers are honest, but there are a few who will try to trick you and you don’t want to be their next victim. So, be sure that you know what you need for your current automobile and be sure the car audio system you are looking at is still usable. If you do these two things, you will be able to save yourself a lot of money by purchasing used quality equipment. It is always great to save money, but you only want to purchase used equipment that will work for you. If you don’t, then you really haven’t saved anything at all.

http://car-audio-hq.com Everything you need to know about car audio, from purchasing the best value to choosing the right speakers.

April 14th, 2008

Wireless IP Phones

Posted in Internet Hardware

A wireless IP Phone can be described as a sophisticated, next generation mobile IP communication device. The concept of Wireless IP Phone originated due to the spread of Wireless LAN (WLAN) in business organizations.

It integrates the regular IP phone with wireless installations and facilitates parallel voice and data support to enterprise desktops on the same wireless prop. The technology supports not just the standard packet-switch IP telephones but also the traditional circuit-switch PBX (Private Branch Exchange) interfaces. Primarily developed to be used within the offices, it combines the cost-effectiveness of an IP Phone and the convenience of a mobile phone.

Originally the wireless IP Phones were not intended to replace the traditional mobile phones but were meant to be used exclusively within a restricted environment like the premises of a business organization or a house. The earlier models work only through WLAN which has limited geographic application. The range of operation, both indoor and outdoor, of the phone would depend on the capacity of the hardware providing the wireless access and it goes without saying that performance would deteriorate with distance.

The latest models are designed to support both WLAN and public wireless network. Mobile PCs such as laptops and palmtops can be carried anywhere and can run on various applications but they lack the compact portability of cellular phones. Public wireless networks such as cellular phones cover wide geographical areas but have limited data bandwidth. Therefore, the new models of Wireless IP Phones are developed combining the open architecture of laptops and the easy portability of cellular handset so that they can switch to public wireless network after coming out of the purview of WLAN. There will not be any interruption in service during the switch.

The Wireless IP Phone works on battery and needs to be charged just like a regular cellular phone. Older models’ battery requires greater power; talk time and stand by time are also lower than those offered by a regular cellular phone. But the latest models claim to be on par with regular cellular phones and offer similar features like caller ID, call hold and transfer, conference calls, selectable ring tones, phone book etc.

However, security is the major problem. Signals are broadcast over the air in the wireless system and can be easily intercepted by outsiders who are within the range of reception. Wireless link must be secured to avoid such risks.

IP Phones provides detailed information on IP Phones, IP Phone Services, Wireless IP Phones, IP Phone Systems and more. IP Phones is affiliated with VOIP Phone System.

April 13th, 2008

Nokia Themes: Celebrate in Style

Posted in Internet Hardware

Whether you’re celebrating a holiday or a birthday, an anniversary or graduation, or you just want to express yourself, a Nokia theme can be the way to do it. With new bright colored screens and great polyphonic theme music, your Nokia phone can have the theme to put you in the mood or make your season brighter. Or you can use a Nokia theme for someone else to put them in the mood.

A Nokia theme is more than just a ring tone. It’s also a wallpaper and screensaver that are designed to work with your ring tone choices, and that you can switch around to suit yourself as the seasons change, or as you do.

What can you do with a Nokia theme?

1. Send it to someone you love. Instead of buying the traditional Mothers Day or Fathers Day card, a Nokia theme letting your mum or dad know how special they are to you is a great way of letting them know you remember them. Or you can send an anniversary theme to your wife or boyfriend, birthday themes to that special someone, or a rock theme or other personalized Nokia theme to someone as a special occasion gift or just because.

2. Celebrate the season. Sometimes we all have a little trouble getting into the holiday spirit. Having a Christmas song in your Nokia theme can make a difference; or a Valentine’s theme can be great in February, both to keep you in that romantic mood and to remind your significant other that the Big Day is on its way. Or maybe you’re just one of those people who likes to decorate everything for your favorite holiday. Either way, a Nokia theme for the season can be a great idea.

3. Brag a little. Did you just graduate, or did you just land that great new job? Maybe you just had a new baby, or your girl just agreed to marry you. You might be able to find a Nokia theme that’s perfect to express your pride about your new accomplishment, status, or addition.

4. Express yourself. With Nokia themes based around the Bible, around rock and roll, odd aliens, and technology, you can express your preferences and a part of your personality with your Nokia phone. Think of it as a modern way to wear a button to let people know who you are - or as an electronic bumper sticker.

5. Have some fun. With Nokia themes for just about everything, you can download themes to your phone that are just fun. How about a theme focused around aliens and rock? Or sports? Or the beach? Or maybe your favorite celebrity. Maybe you like surrealist art, or computer generated art. Whatever you prefer, you’ll find a Nokia theme that will work for you.

No matter what you’re looking for in a Nokia theme, you’ll be able to find it here. Fun-loving or serious minded, avant-garde or conservative, you can find the things you’re passionate about in your Nokia themes.

Philip Nicosia is the webmaster of Ringtones.lt, a site specialising in the

different genres of ringtones, including

Nokia themes,

true tones and

mp3 ringtones.

April 3rd, 2008

A Quick Guide to Wireless Networking

Posted in Internet Hardware

1. Essential Equipment

Right, let’s move right along. The first thing to do in setting up a wireless home network is to get the correct equipment. These are the things you need:

Wireless home networking kit

This is your basic equipment for the network. Typically, these home networking kits come with a firewalled wireless router (e.g. the immensely popular Linksys WRT54G). Some also bundle a wireless PC card for connecting laptops to the network, or a wireless USB adapter for connecting desktop PCs.

Windows installation CDs

These are required sometimes during installation of drivers, so its handy to have them around first.

Ethernet cables

These are required if you intend to mix wired PCs into a wireless network. For example, you can connect an Ethernet cable between the wireless router and a desktop PC.

2. Install the Wireless Router

Install the wireless router according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Modern wireless home networking kits make this really easy. Just connect the wireless router to power supply, connect the wireless PC card to your laptop, or USB adapter (or Ethernet cable) to the desktop PC. Then insert the installation CD into one PC and start the software installation process.

As part of the setup process, you usually need to surf to a local IP address, e.g. 192.168.0.1 to setup basic parameters for the router. Most of the options can be left as default, with the exception of SSID (Service Set Identifier) and encryption settings, which are explained below.

3. Choose the Service Set Identifier

Wireless networks require a network identification code called the Service Set Identifier (SSID). When connecting devices to the network, this is the name you use to specify which network you’re connecting to. Make sure you set up this parameter using the router setup page or utility.

4. Encrypt Your Wireless Network

Remember an intruder can easily gain access to an unencrypted network without too much trouble. Wireless networks these days usually use the WEP standard to set up encryption. To configure this, go to your router setup page or utility and enter the WEP security key (usually its a 128 bit hexdecimal text entry you need to key in).

Note this WEP key down. Now, go to each PC in your network. Open up the Control Panel -> Network Connections and select your wireless network connection. You need to enter the WEP key for the connection - the manufacturer’s should have instructions on how to do this.

5. Sharing the Printer

If you intend to share a printer (say from your desktop), then go to your desktop, go to Control Panel and select Printers. Right-click your printer icon, and choose Properties. If there’s a Shared tab in the dialog box that appears, click the tab and make sure the share option is selected.

Conclusion

Guess what? That’s it! Setting up a wireless network is as simple as that. You can now easily check email, share files, or print documents from the comfort of your living room, garage or front porch! So what are you waiting for? Get busy and set up that wireless network now!

Gary Hendricks runs a hobby site on building computers. Visit his website at Build-Your-Own-Computers.com for tips and tricks on assembling a PC, as well as buying good computer components.