If you are a business traveler who often travels outside the United States, you will need an international cellular service before you can make calls outside of the country. There are a few countries which are on a unified system which is known as global services for mobiles. These international services require a GSM phone and a SIM card which allows your phone to connect to local wireless carriers in whatever country you are in.
If you already have a cell phone service the chances are fairly high that your phone will not work outside of the United States. Some phones are sold as world phones but they too will have limits as to what countries they can be used.
There are different ways you can obtain GSM phone service while you are traveling outside the United States. One way is the sign up for a regular monthly account but this way is not practical since it would probably commit you to a contract for a year or more.
Roaming: You can always ask your current provider to switch you to global roaming and this would let you use your present phone almost anywhere in the world. This feature does have a big drawback. The roaming charges are very expensive. Some of them can be from $1 to $6 per minute so if you travel often and use your phone a lot this might not be the way for you to go.
Prepaid SIM cards: These cards provide a simple solution because they allow you to have a local phone number and calling rate in whatever country you are in. They are fairly inexpensive and will usually allow anybody to call you at no additional charge. The cost for these cards is bout $30 to $60 and they are usually active for up to a year. However, this can get confusing if you visit many different countries since your number would constantly be changing.
Global Roaming: There are a few companies that have programs that allow you to use your SIM in your phone in all of the countries you plan to visit. The best benefit to this is you will keep the same phone number and the rates are fairly reasonable. Your rates may be a little higher with this plan but you will be able to receive and make calls in about ninety countries around the world.
If you only travel outside the United States occasionally it might be more cost effective for you to buy a prepaid plan which is customized to meet your needs during travel. These might be a little more expensive but if you only travel rarely there is really no reason for you to buy a phone since the cost of a phone can run up to $200.
There are some tips to help keep your international calls at lower rates. Often if you have a prepaid SIM card it is cheaper for you to get incoming calls than it is to make an outgoing call. Call the person you need to talk to and ask them to call you back. Another way to save is to use the call back service. Call the number and hang up before anyone When they get an answer you will be on US service which is provided at a discount rate.
by Kelly Hunter
Link
Monday, August 27, 2007
International Cell Phone Service
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Benefits Calling cards , Phone cards. How To Choose
Prepaid phone cards sales are skyrocketing. Using prepaid phone cards wisely can help you control your phone bills. Prepaid phone cards are also very convenient. For consumers who do not want to switch their long distance carriers, stand-alone prepaid phone cards are the answer. You receive mobility (calling from any phone including cellular), independence from local carrier and anonymity. Prepaid phone cards are also extremely popular with college students, truck drivers, travelers, and international visitors. Often you can find the absolute LOWEST rate to a particular international country by using prepaid phone cards rather than direct dial 1+ service or 1010 dial. We invite you to search our prepaid phone cards rates and purchase your prepaid phone cards online.
Why Phone Cards Online?
Buying phone cards online is very convenient and it has a lot of advantages:
Wide range of the phone cards in one place;
Easy to compare the rates and select the best card for you;
Get the PIN instantly at any time and any place where you have an access to the Internet (go through verification to eliminate any delays).
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Six Reasons To Avoid VoIP
VoIP gets all the headlines, but it's not for every enterprise. If voice quality is mission-critical, for instance, there is a business reason for retaining traditional phone service.
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Cingular (AT&T) Waiver Ruled "Unconscionable" By Circuit Court
Like many companies, Cingular has a little thing in their contracts saying that if you use their service, you void your right to a class action lawsuit and instead have to go through "mandatory binding arbitration," which is basically an extra-judicial corporate court exempt from many of the basic laws and procedures and rights of real court.
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Friday, August 17, 2007
Why iPhone will cost £329 and £399 in the UK
Mobile Choice Blog has been analysing the differences between other Apple products in the US and UK, and used that info to predict the unsubsidised price of the iPhone in the UK.
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Early iPhone Adopters Extremely Satisfied: Best Rating of any Cell Phone
Better than three-in-four (77%) owners report they are Very Satisfied with their Apple iPhone and another 15% say they are Somewhat Satisfied, for a combined 92% Satisfaction Rating – the best we’ve seen for a cellular phone device
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The IPhone Is Internet Explorer 4 All Over Again
Facebook, Netvibes and Meebo all launched new iPhone-optimized versions of their sites this week and all three of them are very nice, but wasn’t one of the points of the iPhone that it offered “a real web browser?”
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
How International Prepaid Calling Cards Started
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.
source
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Long Distance Bill! Secret To Slashing
Long distance today is getting cheaper and cheaper. You should no longer be paying those expensive monthly fees or outrageous per minute billing rates. The secret to slashing your long distance bill is to use a discount long distance rate, pretty simple right?
Here are some tips to be sure you choose the right provider:
Figure out what fits your needs. Look at the details of each long distance calling plan you are considering. What are the in-state (intrastate) rates and what are the state-to-state (inter-state) rates for each plan. Often you will find in-state rates are more expensive then state-to-state so keep that in mind if you make a lot of in-state calls. It is possible to use a different provider for each type of call if you use a dial-around or calling card.
Be aware of any monthly recurring fees. Some carriers charge a monthly access fee in order to make long distance calls at a discount rate. This is ok if you make a lot of calls however if you are not careful, you could actually lose money if you don't make any calls at all. For example if you talk an average 20 minutes per month at 2.9 cents per minute and there is a $4.95 monthly fee then in reality this means you have paid an outrageous 27.65 cents per minute. This is highly overlooked so be aware when you are evaluating providers.
Check to see if there are connection fees. Some calling plans have a connection fee in order to connect your long distance call. This is especially true when making an international calls or when using a calling card. Be sure you read the fine print on this one.
Check if there a minimum per minute charge. Be sure there isn't a minimum charge when connecting your call. For instance, some companies will connect your call and it may only last 3 minutes however they charge a minimum of 5 or 10 minutes. This is especially true when making international calls or using a calling card.
International Calls. This can be tricky if you call more than one country. You may have the cheapest rate calling one country and pay a higher rate to call another. Take the time and be sure you are getting the best rate you can possibly get; this can really save you a ton of money. Calling cards are usually much cheaper than making calls from a standard telephone as long as you use all of the above criteria when selecting a provider.
Check USF Fee. The universal service fund fee is a fee paid to the government and cannot be avoided. The average is about 9% today however most phone companies charge much more than this. It cannot be applied to in-state calls however if you make a lot of state-to-state calls you will be subject to this tax.
If you follow this guide you should rest assured that you have chosen the best possible provider. Be sure to check back with your provider frequently and be sure your rates are still the best. As technology continues to change it will drive competition and make prices cheaper. I would check at least once every six months to ensure you are still getting the best rate you possibly can.
source
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Prepaid Calling Card – Best Tool to Communicate
Communication is a connection that allows access between persons or places. So if you are traveling a lot or live abroad, you need a convenient means to communicate with family and friends.
Of course, you want to keep in touch with family and friends. You may have tried sending emails, chatting with them, but the best way is to talk to them and hear their voices. Definitely, you want to communicate with them anytime and any where without any problem or hassle but what can be the best way to communicate?
Prepaid calling cards are developed to communicate without the use of coins. Prepaid calling cards were developed in replacement with the coins. How hassle it is to bring hundred of coins in your pocket in order to make calls. But with the use of prepaid calling cards which are slim, paper-like structures that you can keep on your pocket and you can use anytime and any where with the use of any phone. So do you find that convenient?
There are lots companies that produce prepaid calling cards and each of these cards differ from each other; each of these cards possesses different features, rates and services. Because of these, you should not have to purchase any of the prepaid calling cards out there, you have to search for the prepaid calling card that can make you happy and satisfied with its rates, features and services.
Do simple research by comparing several prepaid calling cards out there. There are lots of features that you may want in a card. So you have to know those features and select the one that has the features you want.
Some prepaid calling cards have fees and charges, so you have to know each of these, in order not to be surprised with all of these as you use the prepaid calling card. So it is better to gain information that can be helpful to you in finding the right prepaid calling card for you.
The essential feature of prepaid calling cards is that you can use it any time and any where. And the other basic feature is that it is easy and simple to operate or use.
But there are lots of other features that you should look at, such as the PIN. Usually, most prepaid calling cards comes with PIN that you have to dial every time you make a call, this PIN is for the safely of your account. But there are also prepaid calling cards that do not have PIN, so if you find it a bother to dial it every now and then when making calls, so prepaid calling card without PIN is the card for you.
This is one of the reasons why you should look and check out the features of prepaid calling cards. In order to find the features that you want and need and that are useful to you.
It is also advisable to check out if the company is a reliable and trustworthy. It is better to purchase a prepaid calling card with a reliable company in order to assure that you’ll get high quality product and best services.
source
Prepaid Calling Cards
AT&T Lied, Employee Discounts Don't Apply To iPhone - Employee Letter
AT&T pulled the bait and switch on its own employees. One was repeatedly told that his employee discount would apply only towards iPhone calling plans, but not the iPhone itself, or its associated data plan. The employee twice verified the existence of a calling plan discount - at an AT&T store, and with AT&T customer support.
read more | digg story
Why Is iPhone Better? Here My Story
The third item down was the name of the chinese restaurant across the street from me. I tapped it, flicked down and then tapped "Create new contact". I put the phone away and had about 30 more seconds left before the train went and the light went green.
read more | digg story
Friday, August 10, 2007
Total Telecom: XXX content drives mobile video shortcode market
Content company D2see notes that 'girls and gambling' dominate video downloads; growth could be hampered by lack of cross-network support.
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Calls To Verizon
"Poor Jason. Eight months after ordering Verizon FIOS, he is still without decent phone, television, or internet service, though not for lack of effort on his part"
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Pearl Jam censored by AT&T, calls for a neutral 'Net
After a pair of political Pearl Jam lyrics are censored on an AT&T webcast, the group publicly calls for network neutrality. AT&T says that's not the issue.
read more | digg story
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Make Free Pc to Phone Calls - Really works
Hi friends I want to share a website with you people where you can make free calls from Pc to mobile and It’s absolutely free. So get ready for it. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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American Idol Finalist LaKisha Jones featured in calling campaign
When the phones of Houston's trendiest singles started making noise, those who answered were surprised by the voice on the other end.
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Webacall.com - VoIP Service Provider
Webacall.com is currently providing VoIP services. Unlike other VSPs they seem to provide more and diversified services. Eg pc2pc, pc2phone, device2phone and then they also have ani/sms/web/wap callback on the same account whilst also providing refillable virtual calling cards for several access numbers. Add to that they have DID incoming numbers..
VOIP PHONE
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Monday, August 6, 2007
Rhino Equipment announce analog telephony card On - Board Echo Cancellation
Rhino Equipment Team is pleased to announce the release of our plug-in PCI analog telephony card product line with on-board echo cancellation as a standard offering. The Rhino FXO and FXS analog telephony product line consists of non-modular (permanently affixed FXS/FXO circuitry) and modular (user defined FXS/FXO module circuitry) models in order
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TUAW releases iPhone Voice Recorder app
Secret undocumented AVRecorder class allows you to record audio using AMR format. VOIP is now realistically within sight!
read more | digg story
Friday, August 3, 2007
iPhone Display Needs to Reboot
Hey PC fanboys, now you can use this shot of a Windows XP display at an AT&T store when those smug Mac worshipers tell you about how such-and-such Zune commercial was made on a Mac, and how "all media types and artists" use Macs. Windows runs the world, baby.
read more | digg story
iPhone and iPod
Timex teamed up with Apple for this Ironman iControl watch, which is pretty much a standard workout watch with one major difference: It has iPod controls on it. You're able to control play/pause, volume up and down, and the go to the next/previous track on any iPod with a dock connector.
read more | digg story
Thursday, August 2, 2007
All About International Calling Cards
All sorts of businesses, profession or hobbies can benefit from calling cards. Whether you use them as a businessman, real state agent, doctor or any other means you can always be one step ahead of your colleagues or competitors when you have calling cards. Having a calling card is like packing all your business identity, contact information and lo
digg story
The Boston Area Mobile 2.0 Round-Up
Comprehensive listing of Boston-area mobile start-ups.
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apple iphone available to buy in internet
now you can order your apple iphone online
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AT&T: Phone Stolen? You Still Must Pay for the $450 In Porn Downloads
Tiffany's cellphone was stolen right before she got on a chartered sailboat for a week of vacation. When she got back, AT&T told her she was responsible for the entire week of soft core porn downloading that the thief had enjoyed during the time she was away.
read more | digg story
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
iPhone Reverse Engineering Opens New Door to Total Unlock
The iPhone Dev Team keeps closing up on their total unlocking target: they just announced that they have reverse-engineered the software which controls the iPhone's radio communications. The team has now a new way to search for the key to make the JesusPhone work with other carriers...
read more | digg story
Inside AdSense: How to win advertisers and influence ad competition
More and more people are turning to Google Adsense to generate an additional income, it's free to join and easy, so why not? Communities are sharing their revenues between its contributing membersInside AdSense: AdSense and Calling cards
iPhone and sub-zero temperatures?
Mikko Hyppönen of F-Secure tests if the iPhone works in nordic, sub-zero temperatures
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New iPhone Cases by Incipio Silicrylic
he Incipio Technologies presents iPhone cases in four solid colors, the SILICRYLIC Case are only for Apple iPhone, its cost is $30 co
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AT&T Wireless drops iPhone from main page
Rumors that Apple is wearing the pants a little too often in their iPhone relationship with AT&T have received a boost, now that the wireless carrier seems to have stopped promoting the pricey phone on their main page barely a month after its June 29th launch.
read more | digg story
