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Product Review: DualPhone 3088 for Skype

If you are like me, and you have family members living in another country, you would appreciate every bit of savings you can avail of. My older brother who lives in the Philippines first introduced me to Skype. Skype offers free calls to those who are also on Skype and low rates if you call landlines and mobile phones no matter the distance. I love the fact that is is free. Even in this day and age, with a lot of long distance carriers battling for lower rates on long distance and overseas calls, they do still add up if you tend to talk longer or if you have a lot of friends and family you want to stay in contact with. Skype makes it possible to make phone and video calls economically, resulting in huge amount of savings for the consumers.

There are, however, limits to what Skype can do on its own, you would have to be on the Internet to avail of those free calls to members and make cheaper calls to any landline and cell phones. The good news is, there is a new phone system that you can use without having to log into your computer. The DualPhone 3088 is designed to allow its users the ability to make Skype calls without having to plug it into the USB of a computer to get signals from Skype- something that the older dualphone model requires. This is because the new DualPhone 3088 for Skype have clients built into its interface, eliminating the need for connections to the PC.

The DualPhone 3088, by appearance, looks like any other cordless phone you use at home. It has has a base station that it uses as a charger, much like a regular home cordless phone. It can also be used anywhere around the house, so long as the base is plugged into the socket and telephone jack. However, there is a third connection to make VoIP (Voice Over IP) possible, it makes use of an RJ-45 input for its Ethernet connection. So, you would need to have the base close to your Ethernet jack or router to make that broadband connection.

Designed by Skype, the phone interface is functional and provides excellent sound quality, allowing you to hear the other person clearly. One bit of an annoyance is that every time you try to use it for landline calls it asks if you would like to call the number via Skype or via landline. You can set it to default to Skype’s SkypeoOut calls if you use Skype more often or default for landlines call if you use it for that more often. Switching to use the alternate can be a bit frustrating at times especially if you are in a rush.

Setting up a Skype Dualphone 3088 is fast and easy. First, plug-in the Skype charging dock to a wall outlet. Put the rechargeable batteries into the handset, then dock it to …

Is Phone Based Therapy Effective?

Phone based therapy has shown to have positive effects regarding both physical and mental health of patients. What phone based therapy consists of are phone calls made to clients through automated phone calls, along with surveys to complete online. These surveys and phone calls help assess clients pain and offer therapy recommendations based on the assessment. They are given the chance to request talking with a live nurse at the end of each survey or automated phone call. Even without speaking with a live nurse, studies have shown a decrease in reported pain from clients who are utilizing this service.

Patients who have used this phone therapy session include those with depression, some with cancer pain and depression, and others with both depression and pain. In each of the groups that used the phone therapy program, there were significantly greater improvements regarding both pain and depression. The group of patients who did not utilize this program were not as successful. The same type of study has been shown to have a positive influence on helping alcohol and drug dependent users remain off such substances. Overall, those who use the phone therapy service have found they feel like they are included and part of something.

Telephone therapy is used as an alternative to face-to-face therapy for several reasons. It saves money on the cost of a therapist and greatly reduces any scheduling conflicts since this can be done from a patient’s home. Patients can also feel more comfortable to opening up when they are not facing a therapist and are in the comforts of their own home. The downside to this type of therapy is that an automated machine cannot perform counseling as well as a human being, in person. Facial expressions can be missed as well as the human contact sometimes necessary for positive change.…

Samsung Galaxy 5 GT-I5503 Smartphone Review

Smartphones are making it big these days and it seems that they’re a threat to conventional cellphones. There are a lot of cheap smartphones out there. In fact, I even have a friend who got his for around $120. It’s not branded but it works fine. I’ve been using conventional cellular phones for years. Then, I decided to jump right into smartphones and I got my hands on my very own Samsung’s Galaxy 5 GT-I5503/00.

It has a 2.8-inch touch screen capable of 16 million colors, a 2-megapixel camera, an audio jack, a 170 MB internal memory and an expansion slot for Micro SD cards up to 32 GB. One great thing about this phone is that it uses the Android 2.1 operating system. It is feature packed and it’s sort of like a small computer. There are thousands of applications and you can get a lot of them free at the Android market. Just be careful on what you download and install. There are quite a number of viruses or mal-ware roaming around.

One thing that users would really appreciate is the ease of navigation throughout the phone’s functions and features. The Samsung Galaxy 5 does seem to live up to that expectation especially with its full touch capabilities. Coming from a conventional cellular phone with a simple operating system and keypads, I find it really easy to use the phone and adjust its settings. There are a myriad of things you can do and you most likely won’t get lost. It may take only a few hours before you get the hang of it.

As a mobile device, it needs to be connected. That’s the reason why you have a mobile phone in the first place. You need to be always in contact with other people and the Samsung Galaxy 5 gives you lots of options. It has 2G/3G, EDGE, GPRS, Wi-fi LAN and Bluetooth. You can easily connect it to other devices using its USB connectivity. It can also act as a regular USB mass storage device especially if you’re used to transferring files using drag and drop.

It has basic texting and calling functions and they do not eat up too much of your battery’s power. I just had a 17-minute conversation with a friend a while ago and it only ate 3% of the phone’s battery life in 2G and that’s roughly up to 9.35 hours which is a fairly accurate claim on paper. It has a long battery life and short charging time through USB or an outlet.

When it comes to audio and video, it won’t disappoint. The audio output is good and quite loud. You can even use external speakers, headsets or earphones. It can play MP3 and WAV files. It also has an FM tuner if you want to listen to your favorite radio stations. Its video capability is not something you can just shun aside. Even though you can only play MP4 files, the …

Google Rumored Near to Unveiling Bendable Smartphone with Ceramic Case

Rumors surrounding the release of a so-called super-smartphone by Google have had the Internet buzzing for several months, and now, Mail Online is reporting that inside sources say the phone, part of Google’s Project X, will have a ceramic case with a bendable screen and will have gesture recognition to boot. GizModo says such rumors might be a bit premature, but agrees that Google is working on a cutting edge phone with hardware maker Motorola.

Up till now, Google has served as merely a partner in the creation of smartphones, adding the operating system, Android, of course, but also technical expertise. The result has been phones with the Google logo on them but that have been designed by the hardware makers. This time, it appears things are going the other way around, Mail says. Google is in the driver’s seat, dictating what they want, and Motorola is simply doing the companies bidding – it’s actually owned by Google after all, much like the arrangements Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, etc. have with their hardware makers. The end result is expected to be a phone that has just Google’s name on it, much like the tablets Microsoft has created. The purpose, GizModo says, is to create a dynamic, cutting edge phone with a cool factor strong enough to best the iPhone.

To that end, Online says, rumor has it that the phone will have a bendable screen, making it safe for stuffing in a pocket without worrying about breaking or scratching it. To take full advantage of the screen, the case is believed to be made out of a type of ceramic that is also bendable, making it possible to bend the entire phone. Also, taking a cue for Microsoft, the phone is likely to have gesture recognition, though it’s not clear if it will be as sophisticated as game controllers.

GizModo isn’t quite so optimistic about when the phone will reach the market, however, indicating that it’s sources (at the Wall Street Journal, no less) have heard that Motorola is having difficulty implementing all the things that Google wants. The result has been numerous delays, which are likely serving to make Google nervous – worried that others will beat them to the punch with new exciting technology.

If Google does debut a phone, perhaps as early as this spring, most believe they will unveil a companion tablet computer to go along with it, similar once again to the way Apple has gone about its business. At any rate, as GizModo notes, all the competition going on to create the newest coolest phone, can only benefit consumers by bring new technology to market at reasonable prices.…

How to Choose Suitable Headphones?

The sensation of music depends mostly on quality of your headphones. Almost all players, Ipods, mobile phones and other gadgets are equipped with headphones. I will not mention the quality of such headphones because often they are not able to bring pleasure from your favorite music. Such headphones serve as a «small attachment» to your player, mobile phone etc. Those who want to enjoy the quality of music must certainly give up an idea of using such headphones. This article will give you a review of different types of headphones which you might find either comfortable or inconvenient, either good or bad. A price of high-quality headphones from well known producer can reach and even exceed the price of your player. Such high-quality headphones can breath life into your favourite music.

Types of headphones

Insert-type

Insert-type or “earbuds” are supplied with almost all players and mobile phones. You will hear neither bass nor clear voice. Of course, there is absolutely no sound proofing. In subway, you will probably have to increase sound on upper limit in order to hear something. Such «China-made» headphones can not satisfy music lovers, so I advice you to throw them away. Quality earbuds must be bought separately. I advice you to buy another type of earbuds – «in-ear» headphones. They can cost from $15 till $150, but such price is reasonable. The main merit of such headphones is a deafen cover, which look like a silicone cap. Such headphones have very nice sound and perfect bass. So if you like electronic or hard music you must certainly buy such type of headphones. I can advice the following models which are most popular in the stores: Creative Zen Aurvana, Audio-Technica ATH-CK5, Sennheiser CX 400 and Philips SHE8500. There are though several disadvantages of such «in-ear» headphones. One of the major problems is that the source of sound is more near to ear than in other headphones. Doctors say that it may harm your organ of hearing. So you must look after the volume and check that the sound level is not very loud.

Monitor headphones

Full-size headphones or monitor headphones can not be used for daily usage with you player because of their size and especially because of the ear cups which fully cover your ear. These ear cups prevent your headphones from falling from your head and filter the outside noise. Most ear cups are made of natural materials but there are many models which use synthetic materials. If you use synthetic ear cups your ears will sweat.

There are two types of monitor headphones: opened and closed earphones. The first one has a small hole in ear cups. This hole improve the quality of sound but it also alow the outside sound to come through. The closed one doesn’t have such hole and the quality of bass is a little bit better than in opened headphones. In general, the better the quality of sound in monitor headphones the higher …

The T-Mobile Rocket 4G USB Stick Makes PC Gaming Truly Portable!

Portable typically refers to a handheld game console- the likes of the Nintendo 3DS or Sony PSP. However, gaming on the go just became a lot more accessible thanks to T-Mobile’s Rocket 4G stick. This easy to setup USB device grants near instant access to the 4G network in all its glorious speed. While it might not equate to a superb wired connection, it does offer a viable alternative. I talked previously about the T-Mobile Rocket and its features, but this time I’ll be focusing on the gaming aspects of the device.

If you’re out and about and dying for some multiplayer gameplay on your laptop, the T-Mobile Rocket might be just what you need. Gamers considering gaming over 4G, look no further than my testing below to determine if it is for you or not.

Any avid online gamer knows that other players are not the enemy. Lag is the true enemy. A sudden stutter or delay can mean the difference between dealing the final blow and being handed a harp and halo- or horns and an accordion. With so much hanging on a fast, reliable connection, it’s no wonder so many are holding their breath and awaiting the capabilities of the T-Mobile Rocket. With my Dell Latitude laptop and the T-Mobile Rocket provided to me by Yahoo, it was time for the tests to begin. To start things off, let’s take a look at Dynasty Warriors Online.

This fast-paced hack and slash series requires strategy, skill, and capable allies. Dynasty Warriors Online continues this trend, although with massively multiplayer online play. After logging in as my wandering swordsman, I decided to hop into a battle and test out the connection. As I and the other vassals of Wu were teleported to the battlefield to face off against Shu, I found myself initially disappointed.

There was apparent lag that caused both clipping and stuttering. While it was certainly manageable, it was more than a stone’s throw from being perfect. A few minutes of slashing and slicing showed some improvement. The frame-rate recovered and my attacks became more fluent. By the second half of the battle my connection had stabilized and I was easily clearing the Shu pretenders out of their bases. The following battle, a clash with Wei, proved to be a bit more difficult. Despite all the action on-screen and the frenzied nature of play, the connection remained stable. Not by any means perfect, but certainly enjoyable.

Champions Online was the second game to see play time with the T-Mobile Rocket. I must attest to how convenient it is to simply plug the device in and start up a multiplayer game no matter where I am. In the case of Champions Online, the initial results were similar to Dynasty Warriors Online. The first couple of minutes were marred by stuttering and clipping. After facing off against a few baddies menacing the city, I was relieved to find …

Daughters of Persephone

O, daughters of Persephone,
where do you lie?

Tell me now, 
has your mother taught you well?

You, the off spring of Zeus and Demeter, 
tell me of your glories amongst golden grass, 
and misty swale.

Your ascension from Hade’s realm, 
to spring’s eternal blessing,

But for a brief moment, 
to commune with your Mother once again.

I feel your warmth yet I do not see you, 
O, daughters of Persephone reveal yourselves to me;

In spring’s golden rays, 
her coins cast upon thine eyes,

I pray, 
show yourself to me,

Let me feel your warmth, and grace of season’s change.…

The Best Alltel Phones

There are a lot of great Alltel phones out there. They are almost caught up to Verizon and Cingular at this point, as well they should be. They are in the eyes of most one of the top three cell phone providers in the country. Choosing a few of the best out of so many selections was difficult but there are some that stand out more than others, so here goes.

I think the first phone you should look at the Motorola V265 Cellular Phone. This is a great phone with a lot of additional touches. It has 128 x 128 pixel 65K color CSTN display. It has a VGA camera, great streaming capabilities and fast downloads. It has a touch screen and even a built in camera.

If you find that model a bit too pricey you should try the Nokia 2865i. It’s not a phone with hundreds of features, but it has the best reception of any phone on the market. Stuck somewhere that reception will be a lot more important to you than any camera feature!

If you just want to go all out and buy something with all the frills included you should try LG AX4270. This is a great phone that is actually very affordable. All the greatest new assets and nice touches like speakerphone.

There are many Alltel cell phones out there but these will give you a good outline of what the company provides. This is a great company to go to when looking for a cell phone and should be one of your first stops.…

I just got done watching the Oprah Winfrey show about talking on cell phones or texting while driving. The episode featured both people who have lost someone in an accident caused by talking or texting, or people who caused an accident because of talking or texting while driving.

Talking on a cell phone or texting while driving is called distracted driving. The U.S. Department of Transportation is working to end the danger of distracted driving on the country’s roads. Oprah is working toward the same end by creating what she calls a No Phone Zone. She has challenged drivers in the country to make the roads safer, and give up texting while driving. I totally support this, especially after seeing this episode of her show. Some of the stories-and pictures-were shocking.

It was a sobering hour, to say the least, but also one that caused me a lot of confusion. I know people talk on their cell phones while driving all the time, but have to admit, I didn’t know people texted while driving as well. I have trouble even comprehending the how of texting while driving. Texting seems difficult enough, what with those little keys, but to do it while you’re also driving?

How could anyone think that the attention it takes to text isn’t attention that really needs to be paid to the road in front of the car? And even if the texter thinks he or she is such an excellent driver and excellent texter that he can handle it, what about all the other people out there texting while driving, who may not be?

Why do you need to text while driving?

Besides wondering how texting while driving is done, I really wonder why. What in the world is so important that it must be transmitted right now, and can’t wait until the drive is done? And if it is so important, I think a person would want to either pull over or stop to make sure that the message is sent correctly.

If what’s being texted isn’t of absolute emergency-status importance, then why is it necessary to send it while driving? Why can’t it wait? And if getting where you’re going in a hurry is the issue that has people texting while driving, the texting ought to be able to wait.

As was brought home very well by this episode of the Oprah show, talking or texting while driving is a dangerous combination. I can’t imagine any situation where doing this is necessary. There’s always another option: either pull over and text, or drive and text later.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I admit I don’t have a cell phone, and I’ve never sent or received a text, so I don’t know what it’s all about. Maybe there are aspects of this texting issue that I’m unaware of-maybe it’s really fun or addictive. Or maybe not.

Maybe it’s just dangerous.

Oprah’s on the right track. Texting and driving don’t mix. To join Oprah’s No …