Donkey God

In what could come as a jolt to government promises in Digital Britain, it has been revealed by a BBC News Online report that up to 3 million homes in the UK lack the promised 2Mb broadband connection and have to make do with much slower broadband speeds. What makes the situation even grimmer is the fact that the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

According to research conducted by BT, also referred to in the interim Digital Britain report, only 7 percent of homes in the country were unable get a 2MB connection. However, BBC has reported that this estimate is vastly inaccurate, and the number is as high as 3 million. The homes in question are not only rural ones, which usually battle connectivity problems, but urban ones too. In fact some of the affected areas are even located in London’s commuter belts and in the vicinity of prime cities, and some are a stone’s throw away from high-speed fibre cables.

The reasons cited for the lapse in connectivity vary from ownership disputes over the cables, to lack of profitability in expansion and the detours that cables need to take around landmarks like the M1.

The 3 million homes which have either been left out of the promised connectivity scheme or are trying to reach the 1.5Mb mark show the huge divide in broadband connectivity between those who have been fortunate enough to get a faster than 2Mb connection and those who have not. Not sure you’re getting the best for your area? - click here to compare broadband.

There have been some suggestions that satellite and mobile broadband networks would bridge this gap, but the disparity is too wide to be taken lightly and some serious measures must be taken to solve the issue.

The recently held GSMA Leadership Summit has concluded with a suggestion that the mobile broadband industry can move the global economy forward in a big way.

The annual event, which is attended by CEOs from the mobile industry worldwide, is the highlight of GSMA’s annual industry get-together. Considering the participants involved, the summit is keenly watched and is considered important in setting the industry’s direction for the next one year.

This year, with the global economic turmoil in mind, the industry leaders have come out with the opinion that investments in mobile broadband can play a significant role in reviving the economy. They also stressed on the role of the government as a facilitator for materializing their vision. It was expressed that by building the right kind of regulatory framework, governments can ensure that investments are encouraged. The issue of broadcast spectrum release was also touched upon, with Rob Conway, GSMA CEO saying that different spectrum in different countries is hurting the manufacturers, and more coordination is needed on part of the governments to standardize mobile spectrum across different countries.

Coming from the GSMA, it may seem like the industry’s vision of reviving the economy is perhaps a lofty one, but no one can deny that in the current scenario, any sort of major investments can play a significant role in getting the economy back on track, and worried governments should welcome any help on offer with open arms.

It looks like Vodafone UK have Christmas well and truly wrapped up with offers for all. For contract customers there are a range of phones with free gifts ranging from Nintento Wii, Ipod Nano and Red Letter Day Vouchers; for pay as you talk customers there are prepay Christmas offers and a free digital picture frame with selected pay as you talk phones; and for those looking for mobile internet access there’s the Dell Inspiron Mini 9 netbook with built in mobile broadband.

I’m particularly interested in the latest addition to the range of Vodafone mobile broadband products. The Dell inspiron Mini 9 comes complete with built in mobile broadband connectivity and a choice of a 1GB or 3GB price plan.

The competition between mobile broadband operators to attract the most mobile broadband customers rages on; with offerings other than prices to lure new customers. Offers for this Christmas’ “must have” hardware products are abound. The latest being the Vodafone’s new USB modem with 4GB memory. The new stick, which Vodafone are calling ‘USB Stick Pro’, comes in shiny black with a retractable USB connector and Vodafone branding. In addition to its memory capacity, it has an advertised 7.2Mbit download speed, and it is available free on all 18 and 24 month contracts.

Oh I don’t know, there’s such a choice at the moment… maybe I should wait for the January sales.

Whether you have recently moved into a new house and require a whole collection of home appliances & furniture; or you simply need a new kettle - John Lewis has you sorted. It is commonly recognised that the kitchen is the nucleus of the home, so it’s key to have the correct appliances after all, in the view of the fact that the incorrect sandwich maker can make a significant difference.

Evidently some purchases are substantially more important than others; so you may well spend additional time considering which grill or washing machine you want rather than pondering over your next sandwich maker. Nonetheless, even the smallest of items can astonishingly improve the look and feel of any kind of kitchen. Also, buying lots of items from one place gives you the ability to give your kitchen a more contemporary look by coordinating the style of your purchases. Glancing around the John Lewis store you might also find other ideas for kitchen items you may perhaps not have contemplated in the past - kettles for illustration.

But it’s not purely the ‘look’ of the electrical appliances you ought to look at but also its use; for instance what size toaster do you fancy? How many options must there be on your washing machine? Do you fancy a gas or an electric hob? For further info and recommendations on opting for the greatest home appliances then take a look at John Lewis’s customers’ guide, which can be accessed on their website.

Purchasing from the John Lewis site couldn’t be any more easier or more practical. Not only will you get free standard delivery on each & every order; you may also request next day delivery should you ever require that juicer in an urgent situation; and also free returns should you be upset by your product. John Lewis also at this time offers 2 day express delivery service on a select number of kitchen appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers and cookers. As a result, you can defiantly buy from John Lewis’s site with complete assurance. Are you looking to buy a Bosh dishwasher? Well check out the John Lewis website for great savings!

Around twelve WiFi VoIP handsets and phones have been put to the test by leading security experts, who say that security problems range from potential DoS attacks to more severe issues that allow “deep access” to the device that lets a hacker get hold of any sensitive information on the phone.

Problems like this inevitable. So where is the onus to prevent such problems? it has been posited that if we see practices like this develop as these devices become more prevalent then the manufacturers will only have themselves to blame when the security backlash comes back to haunt them.

VoIP hacking is the contemporary version of war dialing - a strategy of automatically scanning telephone numbers using a modem, usually dialing all phone number in a local area to find where computers or fax machines are available, then attempting to access them by guessing passwords.

Still there are actions people can take to limit security vulnerablities. Here’s a list of WiFi VOIP security issues, and some useful ways to protect against them:

Many points of attack:
As the VoIP phones get more advanced, so could the points of entry for malicious attacks increase. Email, client Web browsers, Bluetooth, SMS, WiFi, media players, and image viewers could all open back doors for hackers. Though users can use open-source and commercial tools to regularly test their phones and networks, they’ll ultimately have to rely on vendors to also do effective testing on these devices.

Targeting phones in public environments:
One way of doing this is a Bluetooth scanner could be concealed at the entrance to a major airport or train station and be used to grab user data. It may be best to keep Bluetooth and other wireless features swicthed off when not needed.

Rogue access points:
Other than this when at the office or on the road, users will have to always be wary and scan for rogue access points. Hackers will set up access points to target specifically WiFi phones in the corporate space as well as at conferences and other places business people like to congregate. Decent device authentication and encryption can help provide protection here.

Targeted attacks:
Select attacks on specific voice-over-wireless networks can also be an issue, although perhaps one that the victims may try to downplay.

The mobile phone, a development that has now been around for and existing for ages. Its found the skills grow & advance from something that was purely & easily only a cell phone, to something else remarkable which comes with an MP3 or digital camera or in fact both. This is what the current generation of nowadays are probing for. The more amazing devices that are included along with it the further you yourself would like it. The recent most popular hand-set available at the current time seems to be the remarkable iphone. Fashioned by Apple, this is top of the line, its an iPod and a cell phone. Therefore if you are a devotee of technology then this is absolutely the exact cellphone for you.

The cellular phone is also called a wireless or possibly a mobile phone. Although cell telephones have taken over our current society they have been all around for some decades, in some form or maybe a another. The cellular handset trade persists to escalate and increase by leaps and bounds as it has in the previous few years. Even though it went underway little more than twenty years ago. Designers have Presented a great quantity of new technologies that keep mobile telephone consumers returning back for extra. They go on each day to escalate the collection of capabilities and services to receive the rising requests of what these days, on the go civilisation wish for.

There are also numerous particular networks. The current leading and most in style ones are Orange, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. These days people can opt whether people need to possess a cell contract on pay as you go or possibly a on an actual contract. Contract cell phone are usually the most sought after class of contract & with this it means the greater part of the time you do not take to pay for a state of the art new cell phone, it ordinarily comes free along with the package. Mobile phones on contract give you the most adaptable choice in regards to how people manage it, there is an enormous decision found in the styles of contracts for sale to you yourself. This makes it exceptionally effortless for you to pick a deal that are appropriate for your requests & how you manage it. Get the cheapest mobile phone deals with MobileShop, Click Here.

Essentially the most principle choice with broadband deals is that you pick up the perfect one for you. What’s wonderful about Compare Broadband UK is that they just supply unprejudiced home broadband & mobile broadband advice. Unlike all other broadband sites they display unbiased advice on a selection of assorted internet providers, they help to find the utmost offer for one’s self so the client may spend the smallest proportion of money possible and nevertheless use a magnificent deal from your internet company.

Mobile Broadband is the name applied to describe various breeds of gadgets, including the wireless dongle USB from Three Broadband, which provide one with wire less high speed internet access whilst expelling the wires and whilst expelling a fixed phone line connection. Mobile Broad Band gives the customer the added convenience to use one’s laptop where ever you are found to be situated. All the client actually have to do is plug in the USB dongle and off you go, simple wireless broadband wherever you want to use it. There are tons of various offers to go for and countless different packages to go for with many varied internet operators. The internet operators with good offers currently are Madasafish, Sky, T-Mobile and AOL. These top providers have all taken the lead initiative in delivering wireless net access. All the same the aforementioned mobile telephone networks have fore mostly focused on marketing their chosen service to laptop users, Wireless Broadband has become decidedly popular and virtually two million United kingdom broadband clients currently connect wirelessly to the web in and around their home, this is a figure that is forever growing as even more people get in the know to all the hundreds of advantages of wireless net. Wireless broadband is great for an apartment which accommodates numerous family members or people all looking to have access to the internet, it means that should even more than one member can often be connected at the same time. And the spectacular benefit is that if you don’t actually have a wire anymore. Thus no additional phone knotted cables and telephone extensions coming from the wall and being connected to your pc, incredible don’t you think. Work out the house with Mobile Broadband from Compare Broadband UK.

Gaming laptops used to only be able for purchase through niche companies. Obviously for the retailers they were hugely money making even though not shifting in significant volumes. These desirable notebook computers were just overpriced. They were like the ultimate of what was possible with notebook technology, the best laptops in existence. I would get really excited by them however I knew I could not go out and buy laptops at the high prices they were at. The outlook for gaming notebooks is now seen by the large manufacturers as a great opportunity for them.

Lowering prices are not typical is this market so bigger companies could be making lots of cash. With such little profits on other laptop computers it is no surprise they would like to be included here. In my view bigger manufacturers can use leverage to induce prospects to buy laptops despite the price. For sure this would be the demise of the small system builders? Now consumers will have much more choice it makes it challenging for the small manufacturers. Plainly the value of an established brand name comes into use here.

Surprisingly, the laptops they are launching are a couple of the best laptops to date. I think that local system builders may still have an opportunity. The customizations feature is a large bonus to the customer. These specific purchasers are generally really familiar with the technology and can judge each of the parts by themselves. In a couple of scenario’s the performance is far more significant than the looks for particular kinds of people. As a possible prospect myself this is really all a good situation for me. The competitiveness between the established manufacturers should push prices down when they try to distinguish from one another. I’m not too certain any of that would happen though. The best laptops are more often then not going to be out of reach to be honest. Global brands have involved themselves with the laptops for gaming sector and only time will tell what the future will hold.

Scope out http://www.rizeon.com as they are giving a few really fast laptops for the prices.

Laptops have propbably been on the top of everyones must have list lately. Taiwanese manufacturers have said raw material shortages will affect deliveries this year due to the astronomical demands. Whatever happens in the market this demand for laptop computers only seems to be growing. Whatever you do you’re dealing with technology that is evolving all the time so its difficult to keep up to date.

More consumers are purchasing laptops for gaming these days. These laptops are also increasing in value because of the gigantic competition faced from value laptops. Gaming laptops are no longer mocked by serious gamers because they are actually fairly good. Compact parts that perform better and are more heat efficient also means that gone are the times of the enormous notebook computers for gaming. Sure one is not disagreeing that there is a performance gap between notebooks and desktops in terms of gaming tasks but there should always be one right? I would not give it too long before we see ultra mobile gaming laptops on the shelves.

Although the market share is ruled by manufacturers marketing via retail outlets I think the direct model and custom built laptops will always be here. The idea of obtaining after market parts entices some customers in my view. I fancy the fact that you can on occasions even ask for what parts you want. The laptops found in stores are normally prebuilt based average, mass market people and well not everyone is normal now are they? Custom made laptops cater for everyone regardless of their specialist needs. Companies who provide custom laptops normally provide a more personalised and local support as well. A number of specialist markets acknowledge they are catered for better because of this.

I can’t wait to see what portables come out next. The extremely budget notebook sector seems to be drumming up all the buzz at this time. The Eee just built a new specialist market. In my view the market would take well to a 15 inch variant modelled on the identical roots. Stronger enclosures needed for such laptops are still too expensive. Consumer trends imply that gaming laptops will become increasingly lighter in the next few years. Despite the fact that notebooks technology follows plans there is always going to be a gadget that changes all that.

If you want to buy laptops check a few of these out.

What IS assertive communication?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and
negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It
recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of
others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our
actions without judging or blaming other people. And it allows us
to constructively confront and find a mutually satisfying
solution where conflict exists.

So why use assertive communication?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of us use assertive behaviour at times… quite often when we
feel vulnerable or unsure of ourselves we may resort to
submissive, manipulative or aggressive behaviour.

Yet being trained in assertive communication actually increases
the appropriate use of this sort of behaviour. It enables us to
swap old behaviour patterns for a more positive approach to life.
I’ve found that changing my response to others (be they work
colleagues, clients or even my own family) can be exciting and
stimulating.

The advantages of assertive communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many advantages of assertive communication, most
notably these:

* It helps us feel good about ourselves and others
* It leads to the development of mutual respect with others
* It increases our self-esteem
* It helps us achieve our goals
* It minimises hurting and alienating other people
* It reduces anxiety
* It protects us from being taken advantage of by others
* It enables us to make decisions and free choices in life
* It enables us to express, both verbally and non-verbally, a
wide range of feelings and thoughts, both positive and negative

There are, of course, disadvantages…

Disadvantages of assertive communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Others may not approve of this style of communication, or may not
approve of the views you express. Also, having a healthy regard
for another person’s rights means that you won’t always get what
YOU want. You may also find out that you were wrong about a
viewpoint that you held. But most importantly, as mentioned
earlier, it involves the risk that others may not understand and
therefore not accept this style of communication.

What assertive communication is not…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Assertive communication is definately NOT a lifestyle! It’s NOT a
guarantee that you will get what you want. It’s definately NOT an
acceptable style of communication with everyone, but at least
it’s NOT being aggressive.

But it IS about choice

Four behavioural choices
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are, as I see it, four choices you can make about which
style of communication you can employ. These types are:

direct aggression: bossy, arrogant, bulldozing, intolerant,
opinionated, and overbearing

indirect aggression: sarcastic, deceiving, ambiguous,
insinuating, manipulative, and guilt-inducing

submissive: wailing, moaning, helpless, passive, indecisive, and
apologetic

assertive: direct, honest, accepting, responsible, and
spontaneous

Characteristics of assertive communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are six main characteristics of assertive communication.
These are:

1. eye contact: demonstrates interest, shows sincerity

2. body posture: congruent body language will improve the
significance of the message

3. gestures: appropriate gestures help to add emphasis

4. voice: a level, well modulated tone is more convincing and
acceptable, and is not intimidating

5. timing: use your judgement to maximise receptivity and impact

6. content: how, where and when you choose to comment is probably
more important than WHAT you say

The importance of “I” statements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part of being assertive involves the ability to appropriately
express your needs and feelings. You can accomplish this by using
“I” statements. These indicate ownership, do not attribute blame,
focuses on behaviour, identifies the effect of behaviour, is
direcdt and honest, and contributes to the growth of your
relationship with each other.

Strong “I” statements have three specific elements:

1. Behaviour
2. Feeling
3. Tangible effect (consequence to you)

Example: “I feel frustrated when you are late for meetings. I
don’t like having to repeat information.”

Six techniques for assertive communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are six assertive techniques - let’s look at each of them
in turn.

1. Behaviour Rehearsal: which is literally practising how you
want to look and sound. It is a very useful technique when you
first want to use “I” statements, as it helps dissipate any
emotion associated with an experience and allows you to
accurately identify the behaviour you wish to confront.

2. Repeated Assertion (the ‘broken record’): this technique
allows you to feel comfortable by ignoring manipulative verbal
side traps, argumentative baiting and irrelevant logic while
sticking to your point. To most effectively use this technique
use calm repetition, and say what you want and stay focused on
the issue. You’ll find that there is no need to rehearse this
technique, and no need to ‘hype yourself up’ to deal with others.

Example:

“I would like to show you some of our products” “No thank you,
I’m not interested” “I really have a great range to offer you”
“That may be true, but I’m not interested at the moment” “Is
there someone else here who would be interested?” “I don’t want
any of these products” “Okay, would you take this brochure and
think about it?” “Yes, I will take a brochure” “Thank you”
“You’re welcome”

3. Fogging: this technique allows you to receive criticism
comfortably, without getting anxious or defensive, and without
rewarding manipulative criticism. To do this you need to
acknowledge the criticism, agree that there may be some truth to
what they say, but remain the judge of your choice of action. An
example of this could be, “I agree that there are probably times
when I don’t give you answers to your questions.

4. Negative enquiry: this technique seeks out criticism about
yourself in close relationships by prompting the expression of
honest, negative feelings to improve communication. To use if
effectively you need to listen for critical comments, clarify
your understanding of those criticisms, use the information if it
will be helpful or ignore the information if it is manipulative.
An example of this technique would be, “So you think/believe that
I am not interested?”

5. Negative assertion: this technique lets you look more
comfortably at negatives in your own behaviour or personality
without feeling defensive or anxious, this also reduces your
critics’ hostility. You should accept your errors or faults, but
not apologise. Instead, tentatively and sympathetically agree
with hostile criticism of your negative qualities. An example
would be, “Yes, you’re right. I don’t always listen closely to
what you have to say.”

6. Workable compromise: when you feel that your self-respect is
not in question, consider a workable compromise with the other
person. You can always bargain for your material goals unless the
compromise affects your personal feelings of self-respect.
However, if the end goal involves a matter of your self-worth and
self-respect, THERE CAN BE NO COMPROMISE. An example of this
technique would be, “I understand that you have a need to talk
and I need to finish what I’m doing. So what about meeting in
half an hour?”

Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~~
Assertiveness is a useful communication tool. It’s application is
contextual and it’s not appropriate to be assertive in all
situations. Remember, your sudden use of assertiveness may be
perceived as an act of aggression by others.

There’s also no guarantee of success, even when you use assertive
communication styles appropriately.

“Nothing on earth can stop the individual with the right mental attitude from achieving their goal; nothing on earth can help the individual with the wrong mental attitude” W.W. Ziege

About the Author

When you match consumer psychology with effective communication
styles you get a powerful combination. At Hopkins-Business-
Communication-Training.com you can find the secrets to
communication success. At Hopkins we show you how to communicate
better for better business results.

www.hopkins-business-communication-training.com