Voicemail Systems for Businesses – Are they Worth It?

Any business can definitely benefit from the adoption of sophisticated technologies that are designed to promote growth and synergy. This is particularly the case with telephone and voicemail business telephone systems, which are incredibly effective in facilitating business transactions. Any businessman who knows what he’s doing will understand the importance of maintaining communications with clients and customers. This is where voicemail systems come in, providing a convenient avenue for customers and workers to get in touch with you and your business. 

Small businesses are particularly in a position where they can benefit from having a voicemail system, whether it's through an answering machine or a mobile phone. The main purpose of having a voicemail system is to provide customers and workers a personalized way to get in touch with you when no one is around to take their calls. Voicemail systems also provide 24/7 access, allowing you to stay in business even after operating hours. Most of these systems will also have a caller I.D. feature, allowing you to make prompt responses to clients who may have forgotten to leave their contact details. You can also expect to see time stamp features, which should give you accurate information as to when exactly the call was made. 

Of course, this isn’t to say that voicemail systems for businesses are perfect. This platform also has its share of drawbacks, such as the limited number of voice mailboxes which can only accommodate a few voice calls—this is the main reason why most voicemail systems are normally designed for small businesses and residential users. Ordinary voicemail systems are also vulnerable to hacking due to their lacking security features. It’s quite possible for intruders to break passwords and steal contact numbers and messages. If you frequently handle calls of a sensitive nature, you may want to look up systems with more advanced features. 

At the end of the day however, most voicemail systems have benefits that far outweigh their cons. It all depends on your needs and what your business requires to grow. It pays to determine how much you’re willing to spend on your communications structure before you looking into the options that are available to you. A basic system will take care of the fundamentals, which should do for micro home based businesses. For larger organizations, you’ll have no choice but to spend more if you want the best.

Camera Phone VS Digital Camera

Camera Phone VS Digital Camera

Cell phones with cameras are everywhere nowadays. It really makes us thinking whether we now have a mobile phone with camera or a camera with telephone capability. 

What's up with mobiles? The Sharp 903 cell phone now comes with a 3.2MP camera, the Sony Ericsson W800i and the N90 from Nokia Nseries both pitch in with 2.0MP (N90 has also got a Carl Zeiss lens and the autofocus). These phones have good enough quality for everyday pictures. And given the pace of development it is likely that the standard will only raise. Who would have thought that we would be talking of the music capabilities of the iPod phone, or anticipating the launch of the N91 from the Nokia Nseries with a 4 GB hard disc? 

Why camera cell phone? There are digital cameras capable of 10MP or more resolution, but who really needs pictures with such resolution? 2MP is enough for day-to-day usage and general printing purpose, and it ensures that images are not too large to be transferred to other devices. The picture quality of N90 from Nokia Nseries can match that of some lower end digital cameras. Cell phones can have files transferred the same way as digital cameras (cable, memory card and Bluetooth). The inclusion of MMS function in camera phones means that the images can also be directly sent to other phones and emails, which is not achievable with digital cameras. The major advantage of the camera cell phone over the digital camera is its immediate availability, the ability to capture that fleeting image without having to unzip a camera bag and fumble with settings. So you will not miss that precious moment again. 

Professionals are up for the challenge Five of the world's leading photographers (Juergen Teller, Jiancheng Dong, Nick Waplington, Philip Lorca-DiCorcia and Raghu Rai) have taken up the challenge of camera cell phones. They have produced a stunning selection of professional images using the N90 from Nokia Nseries, see it yourself at www.seenew.com. 

Are you up for the challenge? If you think you're pretty good with a camera, take a look at the competition that can also be found on the site. Submit your shots taken with camera phone, and you could be assisting one of the photographers on a commercial photo shoot. Other prizes include the N90 from Nokia Nseries, two return tickets to be flown anywhere in the world and your winning images to be pre-loaded to future Nokia Nseries handsets. 

Digital SLR Camera Versus A Compact Digital Camera

Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are excellent cameras that produce clearer, sharper and more colourful images than most point and shoot digital cameras available. With prices falling rapidly, they are now more affordable then ever. With the price gap between an entry model digital SLR camera and the most expensive compact digital camera narrowing; the question is… do I spend the extra money and get a Digital SLR camera? or save a few hundred dollars and purchase the best digital compact camera.

Well, it really depends on your budget; however if you do spend the extra money, here's what you get:

In addition to the price falls in the Digital SLR models, the performance on these cameras has increased year on year with the latest Digital SLR cameras being quicker and faster than ever before. They have improved to such an extent that power up or start-up time is near instantaneous with virtually no lag time. “Lag time is the time between you pressing the shutter release button and the camera actually taking the shot”. This delay can vary quite a bit between different camera models and it is one of the biggest drawbacks compared to a compact digital camera. The latest digital SLR cameras have virtually no lag times and react in the same way as conventional film cameras, even in burst mode. Compact digital cameras are catching up; however the difference is still significant. A lag time of ~0.5 seconds can result in you missing the heartbeat of the moment and hence that potential great picture.

Digital SLR camera also has a larger sensor versus a smaller sensor in a compact digital camera. This equates to higher sensitivity and less noise and results in the camera taking clearer pictures in low light. (They also have better autofocus speed in low light as well). A measure of sensitivity in a digital camera is ISO and a typical ISO range for a Digital SLR camera varies from ISO 100 – 1600 with the latter being more sensitive. The ISO range for a compact digital camera varies from ISO 50 – 400. In summary, the higher the ISO rating, the greater the sensitivity and the better the photo can be taken in low light.

The Digital SLR cameras have a much longer battery life due to the limited use of the LCD screen. Please note, that as the LCD screen is only used for viewing the image, the battery life of a digital SLR can allow up to 2000 shots per charge in some cameras compared to 500 for a good point and shoot digital camera.

Digital SLR cameras also allow you to interchange lens such as adding a zoom or macro lens when required.

On the negative side of a Digital SLR camera; They are usually larger and heavier than compact digital cameras, the image cannot be previewed on the LCD screen prior taking the picture. If you really require the image to be viewed on the LCD prior to taking the picture, there are third party manufacturers that produce LCD screens that attaches to the viewfinder and allow the scene to be view just like a compact digital camera. The other drawback is the inability to take videos and finally, lenses are expensive with the majority costing more than the camera itself.

Although compact digital cameras cannot compete on features with a Digital SLR camera, they are great value, have the ability to take videos and are portable. If you have decided to purchase a Digital SLR camera I recommend you visitwww.infodigitalcamera.com to find additional information on Digital SLR camera. If you are still undecided, purchase both.

Controlling Insects Organically

Most gardeners are anxious to get out into their gardens as soon as the weather warms up and the first green sprout appears. Unfortunately, plant-eating insects are just as anxious as we are to get into the garden. They seem to think that our beautiful shrubs and tasty vegetables were planted for their benefit!

There are many fine products available in catalogs and garden centers to control insects. But for health or environmental reasons, some gardeners are hesitant to use chemicals in their garden, especially in a vegetable garden.

So what can you do to avoid sharing your beautiful flowers, shrubs and vegetables with every insect that passes through the neighborhood without using potentially harmful chemicals?

Practicing good garden housekeeping should be your first defense in the battle of gardener versus insects. In other words, keep a clean garden and don’t give the insects a place to hide and reproduce. Rake up any dead leaves from the ground and discard them, or better yet, add them to your compost. Harvest vegetables as soon as they ripen, and don’t leave over-ripe vegetables in the garden. Clear out all dead foliage from your gardens in the fall. Prune out any dead or damaged branches from your trees and shrubs, making clean cuts without ragged edges where insects can hide.

If you find insect damage on your plants, there are a large number of organic products that work in a variety of ways to kill insects or discourage them from eating your garden plants. Because many organic insect controls are used for specific types of insects, it is very important to know what insects you are dealing with before choosing the correct organic insecticide. Carefully examine the damaged plant to find the culprits, looking under the leaves and along the stems where they may be hiding. Your county’s Ag Extension Agent can help identify specific insects, or you can also do an online search for insect identification sites.

Butterflies often lay their eggs on plants, and when those eggs hatch the little caterpillars will stay and feed on the plant as they grow. Caterpillars can be controlled using a common organic insecticide known as Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt. Bt is a naturally occurring bacteria that causes caterpillars to stop eating and die. There are several varieties of Bt that can be used, depending on the type of caterpillar you’re after, including one specific to Colorado potato beetle larvae and another for corn earworms. Bt is also effective against tomato hornworms, the little green worms that like broccoli and cabbage, and bagworms. Bt should be applied at 1-2 week intervals to kill succeeding generations of insects. Gardeners with butterfly gardens should avoid using Bt on their plants because it is harmful to butterfly caterpillars. However, Bt is completely harmless to pets and people.

Diatomaceous earth is another natural insecticide that may be used on a variety of insects. Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder that feels like talc, but it is actually the fossilized skeletal remains of small aquatic critters called diatoms. It is completely harmless to people and pets, but when soft-bodied insects come in contact with it, the tiny sharp edges of the diatoms lacerate the insects, making them dehydrate and perish. Apply diatomaceous earth in the early morning or evening when the plants are wet with dew, which will make the powder stick to the surface of the leaves and doom the insects that walk through it. Diatomaceous earth can be used to control ants, aphids, beetle grubs, box-elder bugs, flea beetles, those nasty little earwigs and many more insects. It’s also safe to use on houseplants, and can even be sprinkled on the ground to control slugs.

Insecticidal soap is another favorite organic insect control. Safe to use around bees, birds, and animals, insecticidal soap is made of fatty acid salts. It can be used in the garden and on houseplants to control aphids, spider mites, whiteflies and some leafhoppers and caterpillars. The drawback to insecticidal soap is that it must be sprayed directly onto the offending insects to be effective. Insects breathe through their shells, and insecticidal soap suffocates insects by coating their shells so they cannot breathe. Insecticidal soap must be applied thoroughly and repeatedly for the best results.

There are also plant-based insecticides available. The seeds of the Neem tree produce an oil that disrupts insects’ reproductive cycle, preventing them from multiplying. The Neem tree is native to Southeast Asia and is also grown now in Australia for its insecticidal properties. Neem works quickly and is effective against a variety of caterpillars, beetles, aphids and borers.

Many insects are actually fussy eaters and they won’t eat plants that are distasteful to them. If you’ve grown garlic you may have noticed that insects leave it alone. You can find insect repellants made with garlic that can be sprayed onto plants to prevent insects from eating them. These garlic-based insect repellents become odorless within five minutes after they’re applied and leave no aftertaste on food crops. The plants actually absorb the garlic and stay distasteful to insects for up to a month. There are also garden insect repellants available that are made with hot peppers. Like the garlic-based repellants, the hot pepper repellants are sprayed on the plants to make them distasteful to insects.

Organic insecticides and insect repellants are becoming available at more garden centers and gardening catalogs every year. It is not difficult to control insects with organic insecticides, but the organic gardener must be diligent with frequent plant inspections and take prompt action to avoid infestations when insect damage is found in the garden.

Emergency Dental Care - Professional Pediatric Dental Services when your Child Need them Most

A professional children's dentistry is an excellent way to provide your child with the oral hygiene attention they need in addition to teaching them how to focus on oral hygiene education and prevention. Whether you are in need of emergency dental care or just there for regular cleaning and maintenance for your child they can get the help they need. With offices that are designed to help your child enjoy their visit at the dentist, it will be easier for your child to receive the quality dental care they need. As your child enjoys the a televisions, video games, and playhouses , they become less tense and can allow the dentist and staff to provide them with the care they need. If you are looking for children's dentistry that will provide your child with the oral hygiene attention and education they need, contact one that offers:

• Board certified pediatric dentists
• Compassionate and courteous staff
• A full service facility
• Free X-rays and exams for new patients
• Informative information for both parent and child on how to prevent emergencies for occurring
• Regular maintenance and cleaning services

The main focus of a good pediatric dentistry is to show you how your child can prevent pain, decay, and disease. Through their preventative services designed to help your child develop proper oral habits, they will have the tools they need to practice good oral hygiene all the way to adulthood. 

There are ways to avoid the need for emergency dental care when certain behaviors employed regularly. You and your child can learn important information from knowledgeable children's dentistry staff that will teach ways to help protect your child's teeth and gums. You'll get Information such as regular maintenance and cleaning services will help prevent tooth decay, and help your child avoid painful infection and damage. During participation at sporting events, your child can learn to wear a mouth guard in order to protect their teeth while playing the game. All of these areas are great ways to avoid emergency dental care. Additional ways your child can prevent oral emergencies include:

• Brushing twice a day
• Flossing daily
• Rinsing their mouth regularly
• Attending regular dental appointments

If your child is in need of emergency dental care, or you just want to ensure they develop good oral hygiene habits for a brilliant white smile, contact a professional dentistry. You can visit their web site and learn of any specials they are promoting, the services they provide, flexible payment options, insurance information, contact forms and more.
One of the best things you can do for your child is to provide them with the medical attention they need and oral hygiene is no exception. It is hard to see your child suffer with pain, which is why it's nice to have a well-equipped, top rate, fun and relaxing pediatric dentist office to take them to. With the information you and your child will learn at the children's dentistry, your child can have a fun experience while learning how to take care of their own oral health needs.