Hacker Speak

This article will show you: 1. How to avoid wasting your time with FREE stuff! 2. How to identify real bargains! 3. Some top FREE programs and services

Entering “Free Stuff” in Alta Vista will yield a colossal 521,442 results. Over half a million web pages! Here are some guidelines to sift the wheat from the chaff.

1) Beware of programs written by amateurs and enthusiasts unless you particularly enjoy experimenting with your computer. If you are running a business you probably don’t have the time. Any program with very basic readme files or little or no support files I avoid like the plague. Experience has taught me they waste time trying to work out how to use them, they jam up the registry files on the computer and don’t uninstall properly if at all. This kind of FREE stuff can turn your computer into a mess, degrading the performance of other programs. If you do want to try them out, keep a separate partition on your hard disk dedicated for that purpose.

2) Don’t get side tracked with shareware. If you are prepared to pay for programs, fine, look at shareware. After a brief trial period you will often be expected to pay for the full version. Personally, I don’t spend time on these unless I am looking for something specific, or the shareware program is particularly good.

3) Subscribe to one or two good lists to keep you informed of FREE stuff. I get these delivered to my mailbox every week, spend about two minutes looking through the headings and if something really catches my eye, I investigate using the criteria above. A good one is: http://www.jumbo.com

How to identify REAL bargains? If the program comes from a professional, well established company you are on to a winner. A 30 second look at their web site will tell you what kind of outfit it is. If a generous help file is supplied or if regular updates are published, you know the program is here to stay and it is worth investing time and energy in learning it. An example is Pegasus Mail, mentioned in the top FREE programs below. I was tempted to buy Eudora Pro. I had used the free Lite version and really liked it. Fortunately, just before I parted with the cash, I discovered Pegasus. This program does everything Eudora Pro would do for me and it is FREE. An unbelievable bargain. It is now my default mail handler.

Take a look through this list of top FREE programs and services. There is gold here:

EMAIL HANDLER
Pegasus Mail is an excellent email program. Multiple signature files, multiple filters, various identities for multiple email accounts, spell check, it is all here in one easy to use program.
http://www.pmail.com

EMAIL MERGE
WorldMerge sends personalized messages to mailing lists. A brief advertisement is included at the foot of the message when using the FREE version. Unless that is a major problem for you, this program is an absolute bargain! http://www.coloradosoft.com/associate-jump.cgi?ID=2085

TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
A very comprehensive report is emailed to you every day giving a complete breakdown of the visitors to your web site, their movements through the site and where they are coming from. This information is essential for a successful marketing campaign.
http://www.websitetrafficreport.com

KEYWORD SUGGESTION TOOL
GoTo.com has a great tool to help you see what search words and phrases are being used on the internet. Use this in combination with Alta Vista as explained in the next section and you have a powerful method for optimizing keywords on your web pages.
http://www.goto.com/d/about/advertisers/othertools.jhtml (1. Search Term Suggestion List)

MARKETING TUTORIALS
FREE marketing tutorials are usually designed to lead you into purchasing the main product. The two listed below are no different in this regard. However, they are different in another way. Both offer substantial content which is very valuable on its own, even without purchasing the main product. Both come from Ken Evoy so they really overdeliver, in keeping with the style of his Make Your Site Sell. (MYSS review: http://www.vitalstop.com/ebr-myss.htm)

1) Infoproducts
In this five day course you learn how to create your own information product from scratch. Excellent suggestions are given for brain storming. Get a step by step guide on how to actually market your own product. The rewards from this program are immense as you market a product you have complete control over.
mailto:timsvitalstop.com@sitesell.net

2) Affiliate Masters
This five day course in my opinion is brilliant. Learn how to combine the free keyword suggestion tool at GoTo.com along with searches at Alta Vista to find keywords which have maximum effect in the search engines. This suggestion alone is like gold! I’ve used it ever since. mailto:tamsvitalstop.com@sitesell.net

JPEG WIZARD GRAPHICS CONDENSER Reduce the size of your GIF or JPEG graphics files and super charge the loading time for your web pages. This free tool is another gem from the folks at Pegasus. http://www.jpegwizard.com

AUTORESPONDER
There are many free ones out there, but many liberally sprinkle their own advertisements around your message. GetResponse keeps its own advertising to a bare minimum. The easy to use interface is crammed with features. http://www.getresponse.com

WEB SITE MONITORING
Check for dead links, link popularity, browser compatibility, load time, keywords, HTML accuracy and spelling accuracy to ensure your web site is giving top performance. This free service allows for a one page check per submission.
http://websitegarage.netscape.com

WEB HOST MONITORING
Do you really know how what kind of service your web host is giving you? Use the FREE trial service at HostWatcher to alert you whenever your web host is down, or the speed is slow. Also see how long it takes for your pages to load. http://hostwatcher.com

Yes you can mine gold from FREE stuff. You can also waste huge amounts of precious time if you are not selective. Follow the suggestions above and get the best of the best from FREE stuff.

Mike Jones
Mike.Jones@khi.breeze.net.pk

Comments Off

The following guide gives you details of all uk gas and electricity suppliers and the products that they offer as well as some useful definitions of the terminology they use.

Capped/fixed
Many suppliers will allow you to pay a set amount each month based on the expected annual cost of your bill. This is based on monthly Direct Debit payments.

Dual Fuel
You could save money by opting to have both your gas and electricity supplied by the same company. Dual fuel deals often offer reduced prices.

Economy 7
Economy 7 electricity tariffs use different pricing structures according to the time of day. For example, the night rate (usually 1am to 8am) is cheaper than the day rate.

Online
Some suppliers offer accounts that can be managed online, including online billing and meter reading. Lots of these accounts also offer online discounts.

A-Z guide uk gas and electricity suppliers

Atlantic Electric and Gas Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Electricity Domestic Standard
Electricity Economy
Gas Standard

Basic Power Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Basic Power Economy 7 tariff

British Gas Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
British Gas Advance Payment Dual Fuel
British Gas Advance Payment

Countrywide Energy Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Countrywide Energy Prepayment
Countrywide Energy Standard

Ecotricity Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Ecotricity Economy 7
Ecotricity Standard

Good Energy Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Good Energy Economy 7 tariff

Green Energy UK Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Green Energy UK Green Energy 100
Green Energy UK Green Energy 10

London Energy Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
London Energy Economy 7 Premier No Std Charge
London Energy Prepayment
London Energy Online Dual Fuel

Manweb Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Manweb No Standing Charge Economy 7 Dual fuel
Manweb Online Energy Dual Fuel
Manweb No Standing Charge Economy 7
Manweb Standard
Manweb Online Energy Dual Fuel No Standing Charge

Npower Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
npower Economy 7 Dual Fuel No Standing Charge
npower No Standing Charge

Powergen Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Powergen Age Concern One Bill
Powergen Energy Online Dual Fuel
Powergen Age Concern
Powergen EnergySavingPlan

Scottish Hydro-Electric Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Scottish Hydro-Electric RSPB Energy

ScottishPower Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
ScottishPower Online Energy Dual Fuel No Standing Charge
ScottishPower Standard
ScottishPower Online Energy Dual Fuel

SEEBOARD Energy Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
SEEBOARD Energy Economy 7 Dual Fuel
SEEBOARD Energy Prepayment
SEEBOARD Energy Economy 7
SEEBOARD Energy Online Dual Fuel

Southern Electric Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Southern Electric RSPB Energy

Swalec Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Swalec RSPB Energy

SWEB Energy Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
SWEB Energy Economy 7 Premier No Std Charge
SWEB Energy Prepayment
SWEB Energy Online Dual Fuel

Telecom plus Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Telecom plus Dual Fuel
Telecom plus Standard

Utilita Company Profile
Available gas & electricity products
Utilita Get180
Utilita Get80

© 05/2004 A-Z guide uk gas and electricity suppliers
by,
Roddy Stafford
Public Relations’ Director
& Staff Writer for Swap My Bills.com– Your source of information for Gas & electricity news; Home Phone news; Compare and Swap gas, electricity and home phone providers for free.

About the Author

Roddy Stafford
Public Relations’ Director
& Staff Writer for Swap My Bills.com– Your source of information for Gas & electricity news; Home Phone news;

Comments Off

I like to be around positive people, people who tend to be happy, who look on the bright side of life. Far too many people walk around in what seems like a depressed state. Come on people, it costs nothing to smile.

I must admit, I used to be one of the ones who walked around in a depressed state. I had many things on my mind, many things I was not happy with, I used to feel so sorry for myself. Even when I write about it now, I laugh about how pathetic I used to be.

Things were about to change however. At the time a new employee joined the company where I worked, his name was Stuart. Now this may seem cruel but Stuart did not have a lot going for him. I won’t go into details but lets just say I did not feel jealous of his life. I became quite good friends with Stuart and we would go to lunch together. I would meet him in the canteen at 1pm and would be waiting in my gloomy state of mind for him to arrive. Arrive he certianly did, always with a beaming smile on his face. We would sit down and talk whilst eating our lunch and he never had a negative word to say. When he talked, he talked with passion, about sports and films. One day it dawned on me, if Stuart (who from what I know of him, seemingly has nothing) can always be positive, happy and smiling, why can’t I?

This was the beginning of a new era in my life. An era of being positive, appreciating what I have got and more than anything else, plenty of smiles.

Stephen Hill has a couple of websites at http://www.debt-specialist.co.uk and at http://www.lasik-laser-surgery.co.uk.

About the Author

None

Comments Off

With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market, it’s increasing difficult to know where to start for your first purchase. One of the major determining factors of the price of a digital camera is the number of pixels. Nowadays, even 5.0 megapixel cameras are affordable, even for casual snapshots.

But is bigger always better?

Higher megapixel cameras do have some drawback. The first, and most obvious, is price. A basic 5.0 megapixel camera currently runs between $200 and $300. A 1.2 megapixel camera can be had for less than $50. Storage for those large pictures will also cost you more. A 32 MByte memory card will hold around a hundred 1.2 megapixel pictures. This drops right down to around 60 pictures for 2.0 megapixels and to around 40 pictures for a 3.0 megapixel model. One other consideration, not often mentioned, is that a higher megapixel camera has to do more work to compress and store images, leading to longer waits between picture shots and viewing.

Before you rush off and spend $300 for a camera, consider what you will be doing with the pictures. Are you viewing them just on your computer? Sending them as email attachments? Printing them on an existing inkjet printer? Having them professionally printed?

The larger the number of pixels, the larger the file size. An important consideration if you are emailing them as attachments. The following chart shows sample file sizes, typical resolution and maximum print size for different pixel counts stored as high-quality JPEG files:

Pixels - - - File Size - - - Resolution - - - Print Size

1.2 - - - - - 480k - - - - - 1152 x 864 - - - - - 4 x 6 inches
2.0 - - - - - 980k - - - - - 1600 x 1200 - - - - 5 x 7 inches
3.0 - - - - - 1.2M - - - - - 2048 x 1536 - - - - 10 x 8 inches
5.0 - - - - - 2.3M - - - - - 2592 x 1944 - - - - 11 x 14 inches

Most computers will only display the 2.0 megapixel image (at most) without scrolling, so you may find yourself resizing all your pictures - or not using the maximum resolution of your camera - if you have a 5.0 megapixel camera.

Only ever print pictures at 5 x 7, or only view them on a computer? Then a 2 megapixel may be enough for now. The prices will be lower next year if you want to upgrade later.

Obviously, the higher pixel cameras do have some advantages, especially when it comes to cropping and editing - and you know the salesman will want to sell you the best camera in the store - but I hope this information will help in making an informed decision.

About the author:

Marty is the editor of a number of websites including http://1PhotoProducts.com and http://word-definitions.com

Comments Off

The US Army became the largest user of gas masks just prior to America’s entrance into World War One. After that attack in France, there was no way a modern fighting force was going to be deployed against the Germans without the best equipment available to protect them from poisonous gas attacks. Plants that were churning out small numbers of gas masks for firefighters suddenly had huge orders to fill for the fighting men of America and its allies. Money came pouring in to the industry which mushroomed overnight into large business enterprises. The very minute production began in earnest on the existing models, tweaked to ensure their usefulness against the known chemical agents of the time, research and development teams went to work to improve on the early designs.

The British first built a carbon monoxide respirator that was in use during World War One before the first use of chemical weapons by the Germans. Scientists had discovered that unexploded enemy shells gave off extremely high levels of carbon monoxide gas. These levels were found to be high enough to kill soldiers within 100 yards of the unexploded devices in trenches, foxholes and other small, sheltered protective areas where the carbon monoxide could concentrate even further. The effect was similar to a car exhaust when an automobile is left running in a closed garage.

It was a Canadian who designed a “smoke helmet” with a single exhaling tube filled with chemical solvents to neutralize the chlorine used in the gas attacks. Using this design, the smoke helmet was adapted by the allied forces and is widely considered to be the first mass produced gas mask employed for use against the Germans. The Germans countered with a gas mask (for use by their troops against the possibility of a wind shift blowing their own chemicals back over them) that employed an air filter drum screwed onto the front of the breathing apparatus that could be changed easily and quickly to keep the filtration system fresh during multiple attacks. The British countered with the SBR or Small Box Respirator which became the most widely used gas mask during the war.
About the Author

Gas Masks Info provides detailed information on military gas masks, surplus gas masks, and gas masks for sale, gas mask manufacturers, and the history of the gas mask. Gas Masks Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.

Comments Off

Everything has its day and its time, and Wedgwood China is no exception to the rule. Because the company is 250 years old there are patterns that were used to create dishware that simply no longer exist, but pieces of the dishware still do. People take such good care of their Wedgwood China and such good care went into their manufacture that many of the original pieces made in the very early days of the company are still in existence. The situation is this - when people die, they pass their Wedgwood China collections down to their heirs. During the course of history, pieces break or go missing. Thus, the value of a complete set dating back a long time is almost impossible to imagine. However, around the world there are organizations who try to match collections of Wedgwood to make complete sets. For later designs, it is easy to get fill-in pieces to restore your set to its original grandeur.

Wedgwood itself guarantees it will do its best to keep an inventory of all of its patterns on hand, to replace broken or lost pieces for customers who request them. But even these are not limitless and there are many of the countless designs that have run out and have become discontinued Wedgwood China. Once Wedgwood has officially discontinued a particular pattern, the prices for any and all existing pieces skyrocket.

There are numerous places of business all over the world that specialize in handling only discontinued Wedgwood China pieces for that serious collector or highly prized family heirloom collections missing one plate or teacup to make it complete. As you can probably imagine, a full set of a discontinued Wedgwood China pattern can be quite valuable. Check out the auction prices on older pieces and you’ll get an idea of what great, great Grandma’s China may be worth on today’s market.
About the Author

Wedgewood China provides detailed information about discontinued, antique, and discount fine china, plus fine china outlets, values, and history. Wedgewood China is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.

Comments Off

AFL (the goldmine) this week Qualifying and Elimination Finals, the winners surely can go at least one stage more:

Friday:
West Coast-Sydney SwansIt’s a big gamble to tip against West Coast at home. Last week the club’s 20 match winning streak at home was broken, this was the reason West Coast eneded second in regular season. This is qualifying match, the loser will have one more chance! 12.30 CET my bet: West Coast to win, odds 1,55.
Saturday:
Geelong-MelbourneThis match is everybody’s guess. The teams ended handtohand in the regular season. Both sides have had their form affected by injuries and this contest may just come down to which team is the healthiest. The loser eliminated from the next stage of the final! 06.30 CET, my bet: Geelong to win odds 1,8.
Adelaide-St. KildaAdelaide ended on the first spot, but Adelaide’s captain - who is undoubtedly a match-winner - will be missing. The loser has one more chance! 11.30 CET, my bet: Adelaide to win, odds 1,7.
Sunday:
Kangaroos-Port Adelaide
This is elimination pair, the loser is out from the next stage. 06.30 CET, my bet: Kangaroos to win, odds 1,9.
winner AFL picks
About the Author

None

Comments Off

Bright in color and full of vivid design, Hawaiian shirts are an immensely popular way to introduce yourself - and your clothing - at parties, the pool or the beach. They have become an international symbol of Hawaii. Although they continue to increase in popularity, Hawaiian shirts are not a new trend or fad. In fact, the design of the popular shirts has been around for decades.

Hawaiian shirts got their start in the 1930s, when clothing manufacturers on the islands decided to produce a cloth that had a design unique to Hawaii. Watumull’s East India Store led the pack by hiring artist Elsie Das to create 15 hand-painted floral designs that were then printed onto silk. Unfortunately for the store, the designs were not supposed to be printed on heavy silk. Although the manufacturer did not print the shirts as had been requested, it turned out for the best - the heavy silk shirts became extremely popular in Hollywood. Movie stars, singers, and politicians all donned the prints. In the movie “”From Here to Eternity,”" Montgomery Cliff, Burt Lancaster, Ernest Borgnine, and Frank Sinatra all wore Hawaiian shirts. The craze has continued on for years. Tom Selleck was seen wearing Hawaiian shirts in “”Magnum PI.”"

Hawaiian officials have certainly encouraged the Aloha shirt craze. In 1947, the Honolulu Board of Supervisors passed a resolution, encouraging city and county employees to wear Hawaiian shirts from June 1 to October 31 each year. Further, every Friday in Hawaii is considered Aloha Friday, when locals and tourists alike wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt or dress with pride. The islands even have an official Aloha Week, where thousands of people dress in Hawaiian pride.

Today, Hawaiian shirts continue to be a symbol of relaxation in tropical paradise.

About the Author

Hawaiian Shirts Info provides detailed information about Hawaiian T shirts and wedding shirts, as well as vintage, cheap, and wholesale Hawaiian shirts, and more. Hawaiian Shirts Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.

Comments Off

1. Be Yourself

It’s great to watch other successful speakers, to see what they do and how they do it. To be a great speaker in your own right requires you to develop your own style, to speak using your own voice. Be yourself when you speak and you can’t help but be successful.

2. Be Bold

You might think that it takes boldness just to stand up and start talking, and it does, but there are plenty of speakers out there who come across like timid mice. Be bold as a speaker, confident in your abilities. Practice every day, give speeches whenever you can.

3. Be different

Successful speakers aren’t like everybody else. There’s something that sets them apart. Makes them stand out. They’re the speakers who do more than just stand in the front of the room and talk at you.

4. Be funny

Successful speakers know how to be funny, that is: they know when and where to use humor in their presentations… and they aren’t afraid to do so.

5. Be engaging

Listening to a speech is, for most people, a passive activity. Successful speakers involve their audiences and converse with them so that it’s a conversation, not a talking-to.

6. Be positive

No matter what the subject, successful speakers are always positive with their audiences. They help their audiences learn what to do as opposed to what NOT to do. They focus on the upside, not the downside.

7. Be challenging.

Lastly, great speakers always challenge their audiences to do great things. And again, it doesn’t matter what the subject. A successful speaker gives you the know-how and the challenge to make your life more enjoyable and more rewarding everyday.

©2001 Jim M. Allen

About the Author

Jim Allen is a professional life & business coach. For more ideas, subscribe to his free bi-weekly ezine, THE BIG IDEA, by sending a blank email to: SubscribeGA@CoachJim.com

Comments Off

Marilyn Monroe made that phrase famous. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. That still makes a lot of sense. Here’s why.

Reason #1 diamonds are a girls best friend because they are so beautiful. Fiery, romantic diamonds light up her finger. White diamonds look beautiful with outfits in every color.

Reason #2 diamonds are forever. There are lots of beautiful things around. Why diamonds? Roses are beautiful, but they fade. Dresses are gorgeous, but after childbirth, or as she ages, that beautiful dress would not look as beautiful on her anymore.

Reason #3 diamonds are precious. Sure, moissanite may be what a girl might buy for herself, because of its lower price, but moissanite is man made. Diamonds are rare, natural stones. The diamonds that girls love are of the highest quality. The lower grade diamonds may be used in tools, but women look at the quality of the diamond. A large, high quality diamond would definitely impress.

Reason #4 diamonds are romantic. Especially when he is proposing to her with a diamond worth two months of his salary. It means sacrifice for love on his part. The fact that he loves her enough to save that sum to buy that diamond for her is a very romantic gesture that she will remember for years to come, each time she sees that diamond on her finger.

Reason #5 diamonds say that her man can provide for her very well. From the days when men would go out and hunt for animals to feed the family, to today, when most men go out there to bring in the money to support the family, women love being cared for. Being provided for. In many cultures, women look to marry a rich man. A man who can provide for them. If a guy can afford to give her diamonds, he can easily provide for her daily needs and for that of her children.

Reason #6 diamonds are practical. Like the song, diamond’s are a girl’s best friend. A kiss will not pay the bills. A rose isn’t going to pay for her rental. A diamond, on the other hand, in times of emergency, can be a life saver. A single diamond can be sold for enough money to pay for a woman’s bills when times get tough.

Reason #7 diamonds are a girl’s insurance. Ok, so now, there are insurance policies in paper, that promise to pay for her old age medical bills etc, but diamonds are a lot more beautiful. She holds and sees them. She wears them. Everyone admires them. They assure her that even when she gets old, when she loses her looks, even if her guy leaves her for a younger woman, the diamonds would still be with her. A collection of diamond jewelry assures her that in her old age, or she is in dire need for cash, a piece of diamond jewelry could be sold, or pawned for much needed cash. Diamonds are a girl’s insurance.

The writer is the webmaster of Buy Diamonds which gives you tips on how to get the best diamond within your budget.

About the Author

Why do smart women covet diamonds so much? What do diamonds really say to a woman?

Comments Off