New internet domain names in 2009: ICANN

"People surf the Internet in Beijing in 2007. Internet users should soon be able to use new domain names such as .love, .paris or .bank if one of the world wide web's biggest shakeups is approved this week as expected by the web regulator ICANN."

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) oversees the assingment of domain names and internet protocol addresses that help computers communicate. This week the ICANN is scheduled to vote on allowing new domain names. This move would allow people to acquire websites ending in something other than the typical "dot" com, org, net, etc. According to the article, "Apart from the .com, .net or .org, the 1.3 billion web users will be able from early 2009 to acquire generic addresses by lodging common words such as .love, .hate or .city or proper names." Corporation names such as .CNN or .Microsoft would be restricted. Competition to acquire popular domain names has become increasingly difficult with the amount of websites available today. As a result, newer websites are forced to abondon the typical .com and create catchy names by using country codes, such as www.del.icio.us.

With this new proposal domain name restrictions will be relaxed, allowing any common word to be used. Although 2009 may seem far away for some, be prepared to start seeing a flood of new websites ith these new domain names once this plan has been approved.

Outstanding Service Earns National Award

MedCom Professional Services, Inc. Wins ATSI Award of Excellence – Top Ten Score. MedCom Professional Services, Inc. of Levittown, PA has been honored with the exclusive 2008 ATSI Award of Excellence for the eleventh consecutive year. The award is presented annually by the Association of TeleServices International (ATSI), the industry’s trade association for providers of telecommunications and call centre services including telephone answering and message delivery. MedCom Professional Services, Inc. was presented with the award at ATSI’s 2008 Annual Convention held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, in St. Louis, MO.

After six months of intensive testing, an independent panel of judges scored call handling skills such as courtesy, response time, accuracy and overall service to their clients, the cornerstones of the call management industry. If a company scored better than 80% or better in ALL categories, they are presented with the coveted Award of Excellence. MedCom earned the score of 97.1%.

“The Award of Excellence is a ‘mystery shopper’ program that provides independent testing for quality assurance in customer service levels,” says ATSI President Allan Fromm. “We congratulate MedCom Professional Services, Inc. for their TOP TEN achievements.” In 2008, there were nearly 140 competing answering services enrolled in the program.

Now an eleven-time winner, MedCom Professional Services, Inc. earned the Diamond Award for eleven consecutive years.

ATSI extends its congratulations to the staff of MedCom Professional Services, Inc. on their proven quality service to their customers.

About ATSI
The Association of TeleServices International was founded in 1942 as a national trade association representing live answering services. ATSI now encompasses companies across the United States offering specialized and enhanced operator based services including: call centers, contact centers, inbound telemarketing (order entry), paging, voice messaging, emergency dispatch, fax, and internet services among others.

Inspiring 8 Year Old with One Leg

So this post has nothing to do with business practices, technology or the answering service industry, but I feel it is a well deserved story for many of you to read. I saw this story covered on ESPN and then found a great web article covering the story titled, KID CAN DO IT ALL ON ONE LEG. Adam Benner is an 8 year old boy with one leg, lost at the age of 1 year due to cancer. His desire to fit in with his peers and accomplish his goals should be an inspiration to everyone. He plays baseball, football, and soccer with fellow peers as if he doesn't miss a step or expect any special treatment. From the above article, during an "at bat, his athletic skill and balance allow him to take a full swing, and he usually makes contact. He hops to first base as quickly as he can. If he's safe, he uses crutches to run the bases. When he gets thrown out, he hops dejectedly back to the dugout." This is a great story about perseverance and determination.

ISP Bandwidth Caps vs. Net Neutrality

The Internet has become a commonplace for communication and accessing data. Recently, Time Warner has decided to test a different approach on how users will pay for that access. Time Warner is leading the charge to begin data caps and usage based charges to consumers on Internet consumption. AS a result many users against this concept will abandon Time Warner and begin service with alternate service providers, such as Verizon or Comcast.

“Time Warner Cable will launch a trial program on Thursday which will impose monthly Internet consumption caps on new subscribers in Beaumont, Texas. Following a two-month grace period, cable users will pay $1 for each additional gigabyte consumed beyond the cap…

…The caps differ depending on the tier of service paid for by the consumer. The lowest level of service is a 768Kbps connection with a 5GB cap for $29.95 per month. The high-end package will offer 15MBps with a 40GB cap for $54.90 per month. Consumers will pay by the gigabyte for consumption in excess of the established caps. Customers will be able to see how much bandwidth they have left by visiting the Time Warner Cable web site.” For the full article, please click here.

Reaching and exceeding these data caps could be quite easy for an average user, which is set at 5GB for the low plan package. Watching YouTube videos, downloading music and video from iTunes, streaming television shows or sports games all add up quickly to the monthly data cap limits. With more and more websites and video downloads and streaming done in HD quality, reaching these caps will occur even faster.

This is the first post I have made on Net Neutrality. A Wikipedia entry explains the concept of net neutrality as “a principle that is applied to residential broadband networks, and potentially to all networks. A neutral broadband network is one that is free of restrictions on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, on the modes of communication allowed, which does not restrict content, sites or platforms, and where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams.”

To me Time Warner’s test program is the first step in what could be a complete overhaul of the Internet as we know it, an overhaul that will be unpleasant for the average user. Additionally, certain ISPs have been accused of throttling certain websites performance. ISPs controlling content, pushing “their” preferred websites and limiting access speeds to competitors’ sites will severely reduce the Internet as we know it today. In comparison to cable, you pay a monthly fee for basic cable channels. Your fee is increased for the digital cable package, and you must pay even more for premium channels such as HBO. Just apply that same concept to the Internet. You may get access to Google, Yahoo, and bundle of basic websites for the base price. If you want to access YouTube and the next tier of website, not so fast pay a higher monthly fee. For all those with social network profiles, if you wanted to sign into so called premium websites such as MySpace or Facebook that could cost you even more money per month. This concept will completely change the way people use the Internet and what website will be available. Also, with new restrictions on Internet usage companies like Google, Yahoo and many other developers may stop developing new and innovative features.

For an interesting article on bandwidth usage and how ISP throttling and data caps will affect small businesses, please click here. I hope this post helped spread the word about net neutrality to help keep access to the Internet open and equal to everyone and save the Internet as we know it.

Exercise by Playing Video Games???

With so many diets and exercise programs out there today, not many of them come with an entertainment factor, let alone getting exercise by playing video games. The Nintendo Wii has become a widely used gaming console known for making the participants get up and act out the desired motions. I have seen Wii gamers of all ages; children as young as first grade all the way up to my 80+ year old grand parents playing games on the Wii. Nintendo plans to release “Wii Fit,”to make exercising fun and possible from the comfort of your own home.

“If Nintendo has their way your living room could be the new big thing in exercise. Personal trainer Robert Dothard said the focus on balance in "Wii Fit" is what makes the workout great. With its new game "Wii Fit" hitting stores Monday, Nintendo is looking to bring exercise into the home, making people more aware of their bodies and starting to create a comfortable, fun environment to get healthy. Personal trainer and fitness expert Robert Dothard said making exercise available and enjoyable in your home means reaching an audience of people who often feel embarrassed walking in to a traditional gym. "I had a real difficult time training people in front of what I called 'God and everybody' -- with the whole gym looking," he said. "If someone is not in good shape you know and they are in the public gym and they're not performing well it's an uncomfortable feeling." "Wii Fit" which retails for $90, comes with the game and a "balance board" which is used to calculate your Body Mass Index, weight and measure shifts in your balance at the beginning of each session. Users then choose different workouts from the categories of strength training, aerobics, yoga and balance. Each area features different short workouts ranging from a minute to upwards of 10 minutes including push-ups and side planks, skiing, jogging and seeing how many times you can spin Hula Hoops.”

To read more of this article, please click here.

Windows Touch Screen Operating System

CNN's Technology page has released an article mentioning a sneak peek at Microsoft's latest operating system and a special feature planned to be included.

“Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday that its next operating system will be made for touch-screen applications, an alternative to the computer mouse, and its top executives reaffirmed interest in joining forces with Yahoo Inc. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer unveiled the iPhone-like touch-screen feature at The Wall Street Journal's "D: All Things Digital" conference, calling it "just the smallest snippet" of the Windows 7 operating system slated for release in late 2009. A Microsoft employee showed possible applications like enlarging and shrinking photos and navigating a map of San Diego by stroking the screen. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates framed the new feature as an evolution away from the mouse. "Today almost all the interaction is keyboard-mouse," Gates said. "Over years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink - all of those - will be huge.”

To read more of this article, please click here.

Securing Hotspot Connections

Sticking with the theme of internet security in the last few posts, here are some suggestions on protecting yourself while using public hotspots. These wireless hotspots can be found at places such as airports, hotels, Starbucks, etc. Generally these hotspots are open to everyone with no encryption or password settings. This can mean that anyone could possibly see your internet traffic. Although it is very convenient to easily access the internet at locations like these, it is worth while to take a few precautions.

• Make sure it's a legitimate hotspot: Nefarious types have been known to set up pirate routers with familiar SSID names like "wayport" or "t-mobile," and then use them to capture unsuspecting users' log-on information and other private data.
• For those connections you use only occasionally, drill down and change the setting from automatic connection to on demand. That means when you take your home laptop into work, you should be prompted to connect rather than connect automatically. This is also true with a service like T-Mobile; you should be prompted to connect at a participating coffee shop or airpport. This is another layer of safeguarding against bogus routers. Go ahead and leave the automatic connection feature on for your secured home network and other networks you connect to all the time (work), but turn it off for *all* others. Thereafter, logging onto a network creates a few seconds of hassle, but the added security is worth it.
• Verify that your PC's software firewall is turned on, and that Windows' file-sharing feature is off; it's off by default in Windows XP with Service Pack 2. To check this setting, open Control Panel and choose Windows Firewall (you may have to click Security Center first in XP or Security in Vista). In XP, select the Exceptions tab, and look in the Programs and Services to make sure "File and Printer Sharing" is unchecked. In Vista, click Change settings, then select the Exceptions tab and follow the instructions for XP.
• Never send bank passwords, credit card numbers, confidential e-mail, or other sensitive data unless you're sure you're on a secure site: Look for the lock icon in the bottom-right corner of your browser, as well as a URL in the address bar that begins with https. Such sites build in their own encryption.
• Always turn your Wi-Fi radio off when you're not at a hotspot: Hackers can use it to create peer-to-peer Wi-Fi connections with your computer and access it directly.

Thanks to PC World and CNet Reviews for the above suggestions. Click on their names to read a few more of their suggestions.

Keep Your Wireless Networks Secure

Now that wireless networks are so ubiquitous and easy to set up, there are many ways that other people can “jump on” your connection. This may not be harmful for people just trying to find the strongest available signal to browse web pages, but for those that know what they’re doing can possibly steal personal information and see what you’re doing on your network. Since setting up a new WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) is generally as simple as “plug and play,” it may be worth while to take a few minutes to configure some security features.

Here are some of the things you can do to protect your wireless network:

• Secure your wireless router or access point administration interface. Most router settings are setup by default as an unprotected network. This lets anyone with a wireless card access to your network. When you do setup the secured network, make sure to change the password from its default password. Many times the default password would be something simple like “password.” Create a password that is unique so that only you would know it. However, don’t make it so obscure that you forget it, as you will only use the new password occasionally.
• Don't broadcast your SSID (Service Set IDentifier). Most WLAN access points and routers automatically broadcast the network's name. This makes setting up wireless clients extremely convenient since you can locate a WLAN without having to know what it's called, but it will also make your WLAN visible to anyone with a wireless card. Turning off SSID broadcast for your network makes it invisible to your neighbors and passers-by. This isn’t much of a security feature because once you have connected to the network, anyone can save the connection settings to automatically connect.
• Enable WPA encryption instead of WEP. Encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. WPA provides much better protection and is also easier to use, since your password characters aren't limited to 0-9 and A-F as they are with WEP. WPA support is built into Windows XP (with the latest Service Pack) and virtually all modern wireless hardware and operating systems. A more recent version, WPA2, is found in newer hardware and provides even stronger encryption. At least use WEP encryption if that’s all you have available, it is better than nothing. Using WPA encryption along with a secured password to access the network is typically enough security to prevent unwanted users.
• Control the range and strength of your signal. Not all routers have this capability, but with some you can lower the power and strength of your signal. It is very unlikely that you can broadcast the signal do the exact distance you want it, but it is worth a try. Additionally, you never know how far or strong a signal you yourself may need. Sometimes a stronger signal is worth more than the chance of other people at least seeing your connection exists.
• Disable remote administration. Most WLAN routers have the ability to be remotely administered via the Internet. Ideally, you should use this feature only if it lets you define a specific IP address or limited range of addresses that will be able to access the router. Otherwise, almost anyone anywhere could potentially find and access your router. As a rule, unless you absolutely need this capability, it's best to keep remote administration turned off. (It's usually turned off by default, but it's always a good idea to check.)

It is important to know that none of these suggestions are a complete protection; they just make it a little harder for people to access your wireless network. To be honest, most of us with laptops and wireless capable devices have jumped onto others wireless networks. The majority of the time people are just looking to access their email or general websites. Without encryption and other protective measures, anyone can use readily available tools to see all your Wi-Fi traffic. Being prepared and securing your connection can save you some hassle and interruptions from the other not so honest users.

I found a great tutorial on how to setup and secure a wireless network. It walks you through step by step. Better yet it even gives pictures to guide you through the process. Click here for the tutorial.

The Best Available FREE Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is a computer program that detects, prevents, and takes action to disarm or remove malicious software programs, such as viruses and worms. You can help protect your computer against viruses by using antivirus software. Computer viruses are software programs that are deliberately designed to interfere with computer operation, record, corrupt, or delete data, or spread themselves to other computers and throughout the Internet.

Modern antivirus software are designed to combat a wide range of threats, including worms, phishing attacks, rootkits, trojan horses and other malware. The way antivirus software works is done generally by two tactics, scanning and heuristic (educated guess) analysis. Antivirus software mainly uses a virus dictionary that it uses while scanning for matching virus or suspicious activity. These dictionaries need to be regularly updated.

Even if you only use your computer for the most basic functions, as long as you have access to the Internet, it is highly recommended to have antivirus software. Today, there are wide number of antivirus programs available. Each one tends to offer different levels of security. If you are looking for standard protection, there are antivirus programs available for free for personal use. In a poll on www.makeuseof.com, users voted on their favorite (free) antivirus software even amongst some pay-for programs. As of the time of this post, here were the results:

What’s your Favorite Antivirus Software?

• AVG Antivirus Free Edition (FREE) (38%, 267 Votes)
• Avast Home Edition (FREE) (15%, 103 Votes)
• Eset Nod32 (not free) (13%, 92 Votes)
• Avira Antivir (FREE) (11%, 74 Votes)
• Kaspersky Anti-Virus (not free) (7%, 47 Votes)
• Norton Antivirus (not free) (6%, 39 Votes)
• Other (please specify in comments) (4%, 30 Votes)
• McAfee VirusScan Plus (not free) (3%, 22 Votes)
• TrendMicro / PC Cillin (2%, 11 Votes)
• Bit Defender (not free) (1%, 9 Votes)
• PC Tools Antivirus Free Edition (FREE) (0%, 3 Votes)
• F-PROT Antivirus (not free) (0%, 2 Votes)
• Panda Software (not free) (0%, 2 Votes)

Click here to see the full poll results.

The Future of the Wireless Industry

With so many new devices and applications being constantly designed and developed, there is so much potential for future services. Products using wireless service get faster and more efficient every day. Many people rely on wireless services and devices for their everyday needs, such as directions, weather updates, downloading music, and local news, etc. The demand for faster and stronger signals continuously increases. Forecasting new products and services relying wireless technology consists of endless possibilities. Industry experts have proclaimed that the wireless industry will revolutionize our lives, if it hasn’t already done so.

“There's grand talk throughout the tech world about a wave of new networks and wireless innovation that will provide better Internet access, deliver streaming video and foster an array of consumer-friendly features. Although it's too early to be sure which companies or networks will be most successful, the optimists dominate the skeptics…

'As far as identifying what the next wave of applications is going to be, no one really knows,’ said Frank Dickson, chief research officer for MultiMedia Intelligence, a business consulting firm in Scottsdale, Ariz.”

To continue to read more of this article, please click here.