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There are millions of international prepaid calling cards being sold and used everyday. You may be wondering how it all began.

Although international prepaid calling cards have become a powerhouse technological system generating billions of dollars, you might be surprised to know that it was first developed three decades ago. The history of prepaid calling cards is as interesting and amusing as other modern invention stories that you may have heard before. The cards were originally made in Europe then reached America after a decade. Today, almost every nation in the world has a variety of international prepaid calling cards available.

The 70’s

In 1975 SIDA, a producer and distributor of vending machines in Italy began experimenting with the idea of making calling cards. The idea was to replace coins being used for payphones since medal coins were in shortage and theft and vandalism was rampant. The first batch of made prepaid calling cards were released into the market in 1976.

These were very slim cards from cardboards and got stuck on more than one occasion. They operated via a magnetic strip at the back of the card that can be scanned by new special phones upon insertion of the card. The idea of paying per minute was already incorporated in this pioneer batch.

In 1977, the popularity of the new prepaid calling cards rose after one year and nearby countries in Europe like Sweden, France, the United Kingdom and Austria also started using the system and manufacturing cards. The magnetic strip validation was the key trait of the cards. A year later, Nelson G. Bardini from Brazil used inductive technology to improve international prepaid calling cards. There are sequences of coils that identified how much is used up in the card.

The 80’s

The new cards using inductive technology was presented at the national inventors’ exhibition in 1982. Japan also began manufacturing prepaid calling cards which sold several thousands daily. The Nippon Telephone and Telegraph company was the first in Japan to adapt to the new system. In 1984, France developed the technology by using chip-based “smart cards”.

Three years later, World Telecom Group, Siemens and General Electric manufactured magstripe cards which contained information. This is the same technology used by credit cards today. In 1988, the first catalogue of telecards was released in England by Dr. Steve His*censored*s. In 1989, AT&T invested in the system as well producing several thousands of cards daily.

The 90’s

In 1990, the non-magstripe calling card was made by Regional Bell Operating Company in New York which involved dialing a toll-free access number. The caller would then input the Personal Identification Number or PIN. This new system started the rise of international prepaid calling cards since it was very versatile and allowed access to any phone in the world. By 1995, over six hundred million dollars in sales were made from international prepaid calling cards.

The 2000’s

Sales continued to soar well into the 21st century counting in the billions. The system replaced most collect call systems and coin payphones and continued to develop with other gadgets as well like cellular phones and the internet. With its continuous success, international prepaid calling cards are definitely here to stay.

Vanessa Arellano Doctor

http://www.flatrateonline.net

By: Vanessa Doctor

Since the World has somewhat shrunk over the last years, it is no wonder that people travel to every corner of the Planet. It is hard to imagine a good dealer or a business person staying in one place, without making profitable deals with partners from foreign countries, isn’t it?

If we are talking about traveling for long distances, we can’t but mention how our heart grows fonder and how we miss the people we left, even if it is for a short period of time. So what we offer is - calling your home! Isn’t that wonderful to hear the voice of the wife who will tell you what she is cooking, thinking of you; or hear your husband, who is the “housewife” and takes care of the kids while you are away? That is what concerns your relatives. But you are also to call your office to make your boss happy, that you got the necessary sign; or if you are boss yourself, why not call to your office and make your people happy, and maybe give them a rise, telling that great news over the phone!

Depending on which country you went to you can use either of AT&T, Africa, Hello from UK phone cards, and many others. You can connect to your home and office, to your wives and husbands, to your parents and kids from far away! Another thing is that here is no cheating about cheap calling rates; we never go back on our promises, like sometimes others do. What we offer you will get! We are interested in your satisfaction and you are interested in what we offer.

By: Mike Dadson

For lots of people, leasing pagers is a better deal than buying them. When you lease, you pay a tiny fee for rental of the unit, in addition to the regular monthly service fee. If you don’t need to buy one, why shell out the cash?

Why might leasing be a better deal than buying?

- Simple economics. Leasing is cheaper than buying.

As technology increases, more people are choosing to use a pager instead of a phone. Old numeric models allowed you to only receive numeric messages. Then, you had to find a phone and call the mystery person back.

Now there are alpha-numeric models that allow you to use text as well as numbers. A two way allows you to send, as well as receive, these messages.

You can rent an alpha numeric pager, and it can save you the trouble of using a cell phone. Cell phone text messaging is not always cheap or efficient, so a rented pager can do your work for you.

- Try before you buy. You can check out features before you buy.

Pagers can run you anywhere from $40 well into the hundreds. How do you know if you need another electronic gadget to add to your arsenal? Wouldn’t you hate to spend the money and then never use it?

Renting is a good way to figure out whether you really need one. It’s also a good way to figure out which features you need. When you are looking, they’ll really make your head spin with all those add-ons and features. Some of them sound good, but will you use them?

You can test drive with a rental. For example, you may find that you never look at your stored messages. Maybe this is a feature you don’t need. You can save a few bucks by ditching the stored message feature when you buy your own.

- It’s just a temporary thing. Some people just need one for a certain period of time.

How many electronic gadgets have you bought, used for a couple of months, and then put away in the closet for somebody else to find? If you only need one for a couple of months, why buy when you can rent?

For example, maybe you’re traveling, but you don’t want to be too far from clients or friends. You might be going someplace where you won’t have Internet access. In that case, a pager will keep you in touch.

For those who travel for work, you might want to lease while you are on the road. There are features like nationwide paging that will save you money when you are away from home. You can also rent locally in the area where you’ll be working.

Small business owners find leasing to be convenient for outfitting their employees. It is not always cost effective to buy everyone a pager.

Leasing pagers has lots of benefits for lots of people. Most importantly, it’s good to know that you can rent the newer models. No matter why you’re getting one, you might want to check it out before you buy.

By: Anna Woodward

Pagers have come a long way in recent years. With those old-school versions, all you could do was receive numbers. You would get a page, and it would just give you a series of numbers to call back.

Like everything else in our high-tech world, these tools are improving every year. Now, you can get news headlines, text messages and tons of features like voice mail with a simple, inexpensive model.

Why Alpha-Numeric Pagers Are Different

“Alpha-numeric” means that you get the alphabet along with your numbers. Now you have the entire alphabet soup to work with. It’s a standard feature these days that most pagers can do text messaging.

So, how long of a message do you want to write? You’ll want to think about this when you are shopping around. There are 1-way and 2-way styles. With a two way, you can send as well as receive messages.

Different services offer different word limits. For example, the simplest plans start at 240 characters. This means letters, not words. It’s not a whole lot, but it’s enough to say “meet me at such-and-such a place at such-and-such a time.”

You can’t get one big enough to write the Great American Novel on, but you can get those that allow you more characters if you need them. Still, there are some that allow you to write up to 500 characters or more in a message.

Most of these sophisticated two way models have a small keyboard attached. You won’t be able to touch-type on it unless you have tiny fingers, but it’ll get the job done. Manufacturers are always working on new ways to make entering text easier.

Who Can Use An Alpha-Numeric Pager?

An alpha-numeric pager can come in handy for anyone. Lots of people find them more convenient to use (and cheaper!) than a cell phone. Numeric versions just give you the phone number, and then you have to go and call the person. But, with their text options, they allow you to communicate immediately and directly.

These advanced tools are a great way for businesspeople to communicate with clients when they are away from the desk. If you absolutely need to be reachable at all times, an alpha numeric pager can be essential.

What Services Are Available?

The latest models come with lots of features; it’s just a matter of what you want to do with them. You can go as simple or as complex as you want to.

Storage - All alpha numeric pagers have storage options. You can get expanded memory, where you can save all your messages, as well as phone numbers and other contact information. You can use it as your tiny pocket rolodex.

Range - Most services will allow you to choose how far you would like your range to extend. For example, you can choose nationwide paging and keep in touch anywhere in the country. Unlike cell-phone roaming charges, nationwide service is usually not much more than local service.

Internet - The latest models have Internet capabilities. Right now, these services are fairly limited, but new models with expanded features are coming out every year. With some new styles, you can access your e-mail anywhere with your own tiny pocket computer.

Alpha numeric pagers can be useful for anyone, from family members who want to keep in touch, to small business owners who find the communication tool indispensable. And, there is always something new coming out every year!

By: Anna Woodward

The proxy server connects the computer you use and the Internet. The Internet is used for accessing information, as we all know, and the proxy server helps with checking the information. With a proxy server, the information you try to access, will first get transmitted to that and only then reach your computer.

With proxies, one will talk about the security one needs while using the Internet as well as increasing the speed if you are downloading files. There are anonymous proxy servers, which could help you hide the IP address. With this, anyone trying to gain access to your computer through the Internet may not be able to do so.

Anonymous proxies can be used for any web pages, including free email sites. Proxies will help you transfer files at a faster speed, and also connect you to the Internet at a faster pace. Any kind of information you need will be instantly given to you. The most important advantage of proxies, is your privacy. It protects you from malicious Internet users.

Proxy sites will also allow you to surf the web without anyone’s knowledge. This is especially useful for secret agencies and government organizations. It will help you redirect the request for information that you have asked for, thereby making you anonymous. There are even three types of proxy servers, and they are transparent, anonymous and high anonymity.

The first one is applicable only for high transfer, the second may quote that you are using a proxy, but the third allows you to be completely anonymous. Using proxies is claimed to be legal, as there are people even offering these services to the public. These servers are very similar to web servers. There is no such rule that the Internet has to be used only in a certain way, as it is for public use.

Thus anyone can use proxies, if they think they feel vulnerable with the use of the Internet. This is a great way to maintain privacy with the other users. But we also need to be careful of certain proxies. They may be associated with hackers.

It is not at all difficult to get a proxy list. It is easily available on search engines, and anyone needing that can obviously gain access to them as soon as they need. While one may not be immediately familiar with the use of the proxies, a little time and research will help the user become familiar very easily.

By: Roberto Bell

X-Box was introduced by Microsoft Corporation. It is basically a gaming device launched to counter the Sony’s play station series. The users of X-Box are provided with the feature of Xbox Live. On order to connect to X-Box Live the user needs to access a wifi network. X-Box is not provided with inbuilt wifi facilities. So if gamers want to enjoy the advanced features of X-Box needs to buy wifi network adapter. These adapters are available at Microsoft outlet but can be very expensive. Those who can afford it surely benefit from the excellent features of X-Box. It never gives you a chance to sit idle with its cool and exciting games.

The wifi network adapters provided by Microsoft are compatible with X-Box 360. These adapters are easy to install and are smarter than most of the available wifi adapters. But he Microsoft adapters are very costly since it provides dual-band 802.11 a, b, and g bandwidth to the user. The Microsoft adapter makes use to USB port which can be used for the following two purposes:

It enables the user to make use of Ethernet port for computer hook up.

It is easy to connect Microsoft wifi network adapter to X-Box 360. it can be installed with the help of USB cable.

If a user wants to connect any other wifi device to X-Box 360 he must use an Ethernet cable.

Now search through the X Box 360 settings and select X Box 360 wifi setting. It should be made sure that SSID of the wifi setting matches with the SSID of the nearby wifi router. If the router has been configured as network name broadcast then the SSID would automatically appear on the screen.

The next step involves the setting of security feature with that of X Box 360 wifi router. If the router is running WPA standard then you need to disable the setting as X Box 360 does not support it.

Next we need to save the network setting and test and established connection to check whether it is functioning properly or not. There is an option in X Box 360 known as ‘Test Xbox Live Connection’ which automatically tests the network connection. Now the gamer can enjoy the various features of a wifi connection, being able to play some multiplayer games online. Its look and features have attracted quite a lot of buyers. The X-Box 360 has brought a sort of revolution in the world of play stations and is surely and all time entertainer for the youngsters.

By: David Faulkner

A SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) is a rectangular memory chip used in some cellular telephones. It holds personal identity information such as: cell phone number, phone book, text messages, and other data. The SIM card makes it easy to hold this data and activates the phone. Most cell phones come with built-in memory and the SIM card which can be thought of a memory card; stores limited information.

A SIM card is very helpful. If for some reason your phone is not working, you can slide it out of your phone and into another. You cell phone carrier will bill you for the call even though you used another phone. The same is possible if you upgrade your cell phone.

To use a phone that accepts your SIM card, the other phone must be from the same carrier or unlocked. Some phones are locked by carriers so that SIM cards only used by that carrier can be used in the phones they make. If you’re traveling across the country or over seas, (if your headset is not locked) you can buy a SIM card that will allow you to talk at minimal cost to. For example you can purchase a prepaid SIM card or SIM cards made by overseas carriers.

By: Charenelle Williams

By: Aubrie George

Services available on the Internet or services that have been enabled through the widespread availability of high-speed Internet in homes and businesses are continuing to be incredibly successful, and there is every indication that this trend will continue. The popularity of worldwide VOIP services has increased to almost $16 billion in 2006, after doing an amazing and unprecedented doubling act in 2005.

But one of the things that is even more amazing is that several studies have concluded that VOIP services, based on its current trend, popularity, and financial price points, is well set to triple by the year 2010. Hosted VOIP services are managing to outnumber and outpace the IP PBX market, and the biggest thing fueling this is the implementation of VOIP in the residential market.

Residential VOIP services are well established and pretty much bug free, providing a very stable platform to replace the traditional telephone. It was well over a year ago that the number of new VOIP activations passed the number of new traditional phone activations for the first time in history.

Business VOIP services are gaining significant ground also. While some say that business VOIP is still a year or more away from being ready for “business prime time”, that fact really depends on what a business requires from their VOIP services. To be sure, business VOIP has gained significantly in recent years, where it was only a few years ago that the best business VOIP phones sounded as if you were calling from the bottom of a bathtub.

The biggest thing holding back more widespread acceptance of VOIP is the availability of reliable high-speed Internet access and bandwidth. For the residential customer, they often have very low-end DSL service, which often is not much faster than dialup and equally as unreliable. Even if they do not have a “low end” plan for their DSL or cable Internet service, the service is not reliable enough for use with VOIP, and that is not the VOIP provider’s fault.

Consumers need to understand that the reason they are paying $30-$50 per month for Internet access is because their Internet service provider has oversubscribed their connection. Some consumers may get the service they think they are getting, but when you see the ads that say “3 mb speed”, most consumers don’t realize that 3 mb is not guaranteed, nor in most cases, will they ever see it, since it is a theoretical maximum only. Consumers also do not realize that the advertised speed is their “download” speed only, and that their upload speed is significantly less, perhaps only as much as twice the speed of a dialup connection. With one computer using the connection, they may not see it, but if they are using one computer AND VOIP services, they could be asking more of their Internet connection than it is capable of providing.

Businesses face the same problem. Even if a business has “business class DSL” or “business class cable”, that still does not give them dedicated or guaranteed bandwidth in most cases. Sure, the business class service is significantly cheaper than getting a T1 line, but sharp business owners are quickly finding out that you get what you pay for. If you want dedicated and reliable, then you get a T1 line, but if you want “cheap” and “maybe it will work most days” service, you get service like DSL or cable that is really designed for the residential market, even with the name “business class”, which is a marketing gimmick more than anything else.

Even a small business with 6-8 phone lines, which also means 6-8 computers online at the same time, cannot make a long term plan for success with business class DSL or cable, especially if they want to migrate those phone lines to VOIP service. It is only a matter of time before the realities of that shared and non-dedicated Internet connection catches up with them.

Sure, a T1 line costs more, but a T1 line provides dedicated bandwidth availability and a 99.99% uptime guarantee, 24×7. The cost of a T1 is prohibitive for residential use, but for a business, even a small business, that depends on the Internet for their business operations, and which could save even more money with VOIP, the real question becomes one of whether or not a business can afford NOT to get a T1 line, or are they willing to let their competition (who DID implement a T1 line) pass them by and leave them in the dust.

By: Jon Arnold

DirecTV is one of those few companies that has everything you could ever need for your television viewing pleasures! DirecTV has one of the largest selections of channels they provide. They offer over 195 basic channels that include local channels and those hard to find channels.

Some of the channels DirecTV provides are:

- TLC, USA, Cartoon Network, Animal Planet, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, MTV, VH1, The Weather Channel, Speed, NFL, Sports South, Oh! Oxygen, Classic VH1, GOD, GSN, Fit TV, Fox News, Food Network, HGTV, Nick at Night, Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, Lifetime, TCBS, and Bravo

With the 195+ channel selection it would take you a long time to get bored of channel surfing because that does not even include the HD ( High Definition ) channels, HBO channels, Cinemax channels, or ShowTime channels! With such a wide selection there is a guarantee that anytime of the day you can find something to watch! You will always be entertained!

DirecTV also offers DVR ( Digital Video Recorder ) and TiVo in its packages. This system will make sure you will never be with out entertainment. The DVR system makes it possible for you to record any show or movie you want right onto your DVR system. It will be saved on your list and you can access all your saved shows anytime and watch them as often as you like! TiVo can also record two shows at the same time. With TiVo you can buy or rent movies that will be delivered right to your TiVo system instantly so you can watch them right away! You can also get an upgrade for TiVo that allows you to transfer your recorded or purchased shows to other DVR systems and even record them onto DVD’s. You will never run out of shows to watch and if you feel like watching a certain movie you do not have to leave your house and drive all the way to the movie rental place and then have to worry about returning them on time. All you have to do is just order them with a simple click of a remote button. Speaking of remotes, the

DVR system makes your TV turn into a giant DVD player. You can pause, rewind, and fast forward any show you are watching! You can break from that horrible habit of waiting for commercials to do anything you have the power to control TV they way it suits you! IF you hate commercials you do not even have to watch them anymore because you have a fast forward button.

Along with all these mind-blowing attributes DirecTV makes it easy to set up their system in your home because you do not have to do it! DirecTV specialists come to your home at the time you designate and complete the whole set up for you in a speedy, professional, 100% accurate manner! You can have up to 4 different rooms in your home set up with DirecTV receivers when they do your start up installment and best of all the equipment is all FREE. You do not have to buy one electronic part to start you DirecTV service.

By: David Johnson

Every satellite television provider seems to be just like the other. Even all the satellite television providers’ way over the top prices seems to fall right in line. So where is the positive, original and affordable satellite television provider. The positive, original and affordable satellite television provider is none other than DirecTV!

With DirecTV you get the rare cheap price for the great quality service. DirecTV charges low monthly rates and they give you the same, no way better, satellite television service than any of the other satellite television providers out there. If you like quality satellite televisions service for low monthly rates then you will love DirecTV. With DirecTV you do not have to pay over the head prices for pretty much nothing, you pay super wallet friendly prices for the above and beyond the average service and the average quality of service. When you obtain service with DirecTV you also get your start up equipment, like the necessary satellites, totally free. The free equipment also comes with a free professionally done DirecTV

installation at your home, at your convenience. DirecTV is the best and most cost effective satellite television provider out there.

If you are one of those people who just absolutely loves your channel selections then DirecTV is the satellite television provider that is exactly what you need. Not only is DirecTV the best quality satellite television provider out there but they have one of the largest selections of satellite television channels out of all the satellite television providers out there. With DirecTV you get a grand slamming 195 plus basic channel selection! Wow, that is a lot of freaking channels. I mean how could you even get bored there is a guarantee that there will always be something to watch on television with that many channels to select from. But wait, because there is even more of a channel selection coming up. With the basic channels you also get local channels and over 140 High Definition channels to chose from. I am most certainly positive now that with DirecTV and its grand slamming channels selection that if you wanted to you could infinitely sit in front of the television and there would never be a second (excluding the time during those pesky commercial breaks ) that there was not something entertaining to watch on DirecTV’s satellite television.

So in a world where every satellite television provider seems to be just like the other with way over the top price the positive, original and affordable satellite television provider is none other than DirecTV! With DirecTV you get the rare cheap price for the great quality service. DirecTV charges low monthly rates and they provide you with way better satellite television service than any of the other satellite television providers out there. Also if you are one of those people who enjoys a broad channel selection provides a grand slamming 195 plus basic channel selection and you also get local channels and over 140 High Definition channels to chose from. So all in all DirecTV is the best provider you can get!

By: David Johnson