Internet Fax is simply using the Internet or your email system to send and receive faxes. Since it is web based, you can send your faxes anytime anywhere; as long as you have an Internet connection and these days that's available just about everywhere.
You sign up with an Internet fax service provider to get your own fax number (local or toll free) which you use in the same manner as you would use any fax number. There is a small charge for this service but keep in mind you do not need an extra phone line to do Internet faxing since everything is done online.
Many small and large business owners are switching over to Internet Fax for some obvious advantages: it is very convenient, it is very fast, it offers more privacy, many faxes can be sent/received simultaneously (no busy signals) and it is available wherever you have the Internet. Plus there are no messy fax machines and no need for a second phone line.
One of the most asked questions about Internet Fax relates to the confusion over just how the whole thing works. Many traditional fax users can't quite get their heads around the idea of having faxes without the traditional fax machine.
Basically, you sign up with a fax service provider and get your own fax number and you send/receive your faxes thru your email system - your fax is attached to an email as either a TIFF or PDF format file. You can access your faxes from an online interface (your fax login site) where your faxes are received and sent. You can also store your faxes online there.
What confuses most people who are not familiar with online faxing is the question: can I still send my faxes to the old traditional machines, since many of my business partners may not be using Internet Fax?
The answer is YES!
You can send your faxes to the old traditional fax machine and if they have your fax number, they can still return a fax to you via the old traditional manner or fax machine.
Here's how Internet Fax works:
You use a fax gateway or Internet Fax provider/server to handle your faxes. For example, say if you were sending a fax.
Computer/Internet -> Fax provider/server -> Phone line -> Fax machine
You use your computer and the Internet to log into your online account/page to send your fax to your fax provider/server which then uses the phone line to send your fax to the receiving fax machine.
If you are receiving a Fax
Fax machine -> Phone line -> Fax provider/server -> Email message (thru Internet) -> Your Email account
Someone uses a fax machine to send you a fax which goes thru the phone line to your fax provider/server which converts it into a TIFF or PDF file and sends you an email message with your fax attached in your email.
If both parties are using Internet Fax, then your faxes can be sent/received using your email systems over the Internet.
Computer/email -> Fax provider/server -> Computer/email
What you really have to keep in mind, once you sign up for an Internet fax service you will have an online interface (login site) where you can send and receive your faxes. Then when you send or receive a fax, you get a confirmation in your web interface and/or by email.
This offers some great advantages such as receiving and sending your faxes whenever and wherever you access the Internet. No more busy signals, no more messy fax machines, no more nosy workers seeing the contents of your fax, and no extra phone line. Plus, many faxes can be sent/received simultaneously, even when your computer is turned off. No more missed faxes because your phone line was busy.
However, in order to get all these advantages you have to sign up for an Internet fax service. There are many well known Internet fax providers such as MyFax, eFax, RapidFax, TrustFax, Send2Fax... and some very good lesser known faxing companies such as MetroHiSpeed out of Seattle and Faxage out of Denver.
A word of caution, when signing up for any long term business service it pays to do your homework first. It pays to shop around mainly because even any small savings may prove significant over the long haul. Prices can range from very cheat (under $20 a year) to around $10 - $15 a month depending on the kind of service you need. There are many different plans and services, and keep in mind, you will pay more for International faxing.
Internet Fax seems to be the way of the future as more and more businesses go online. Besides, as we become more and more modernized, computers are offering us simple and convenient solutions to many of our daily traditional business tasks such as faxing. Can your business or any company really afford to be left behind or not take advantage of the benefits of Internet Fax? Can you still remain competitive without Internet Fax? It's your call?
by: Titus Hoskins
Monday, 10 December 2007
What Is Internet Fax?
10 Simple Ways To Speed Up Your Windows XP
1. Defrag Disk to Speed Up Access to Data
One of the factors that slow the performance of the computer is disk fragmentation. When files are fragmented, the computer must search the hard disk when the file is opened to piece it back together. To speed up the response time, you should monthly run Disk Defragmenter, a Windows utility that defrags and consolidates fragmented files for quicker computer response.
* Follow Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter
* Click the drives you want to defrag and click Analyze
* Click Defragment
2. Detect and Repair Disk Errors
Over time, your hard disk develops bad sectors. Bad sectors slow down hard disk performance and sometimes make data writing difficult or even impossible. To detect and repair disk errors, Windows has a built-in tool called the Error Checking utility. It’ll search the hard disk for bad sectors and system errors and repair them for faster performance.
* Follow Start > My Computer
* In My Computer right-click the hard disk you want to scan and click Properties
* Click the Tools tab
* Click Check Now
* Select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box
* Click Start
3. Disable Indexing Services
Indexing Services is a little application that uses a lot of CPU. By indexing and updating lists of all the files on the computer, it helps you to do a search for something faster as it scans the index list. But if you know where your files are, you can disable this system service. It won’t do any harm to you machine, whether you search often or not very often.
* Go to Start
* Click Settings
* Click Control Panel
* Double-click Add/Remove Programs
* Click the Add/Remove Window Components
* Uncheck the Indexing services
* Click Next
4. Optimize Display Settings
Windows XP is a looker. But it costs you system resources that are used to display all the visual items and effects. Windows looks fine if you disable most of the settings and leave the following:
* Show shadows under menus
* Show shadows under mouse pointer
* Show translucent selection rectangle
* Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop
* Use visual styles on windows and buttons
5. Speedup Folder Browsing
You may have noticed that everytime you open My Computer to browse folders that there is a little delay. This is because Windows XP automatically searches for network files and printers everytime you open Windows Explorer. To fix this and to increase browsing speed, you can disable the “Automatically search for network folders and printers” option.
6. Disable Performance Counters
Windows XP has a performance monitor utility which monitors several areas of your PC’s performance. These utilities take up system resources so disabling is a good idea.
* Download and install the Extensible Performance Counter List (http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/tools/existing/exctrlst-o.asp)
* Then select each counter in turn in the ‘Extensible performance counters’ window and clear the ‘performance counters enabled’ checkbox at the bottom button below
7. Optimize Your Pagefile
You can optimize your pagefile. Setting a fixed size to your pagefile saves the operating system from the need to resize the pagefile.
* Right click on My Computer and select Properties
* Select the Advanced tab
* Under Performance choose the Settings button
* Select the Advanced tab again and under Virtual Memory select Change
* Highlight the drive containing your page file and make the initial Size of the file the same as the Maximum Size of the file.
Windows XP sizes the page file to about 1.5X the amount of actual physical memory by default. While this is good for systems with smaller amounts of memory (under 512MB) it is unlikely that a typical XP desktop system will ever need 1.5 X 512MB or more of virtual memory. If you have less than 512MB of memory, leave the page file at its default size. If you have 512MB or more, change the ratio to 1:1 page file size to physical memory size.
8. Remove Fonts for Speed
Fonts, especially TrueType fonts, use quite a bit of system resources. For optimal performance, trim your fonts down to just those that you need to use on a daily basis and fonts that applications may require.
* Open Control Panel
* Open Fonts folder
* Move fonts you don’t need to a temporary directory (e.g. C:\FONTBKUP?) just in case you need or want to bring a few of them back. The more fonts you uninstall, the more system resources you will gain.
9. Use a Flash Memory to Boost Performance
To improve performance, you need to install additional RAM memory. It’ll let you boot your OS much quicker and run many applications and access data quicker. There is no easiest and more technically elegant way to do it than use eBoostr (http://www.eboostr.com).
eBoostr is a little program that lets you improve a performance of any computer, powered by Windows XP in much the same way as Vista’s ReadyBoost. With eBoostr, if you have a flash drive, such as a USB flash thumb drive or an SD card, you can use it to make your computer run better. Simply plug in a flash drive through a USB socket and Windows XP will use eBoostr to utilize the flash memory to improve performance.
The product shows the best results for frequently used applications and data, which becomes a great feature for people who are using office programs, graphics applications or developer tools. It’ll surely attract a special attention of laptop owners as laptop upgrade is usually more complicated and laptop hard drives are by definition slower than those of desktops.
10. Perform a Boot Defragment
There's a simple way to speed up XP startup: make your system do a boot defragment, which will put all the boot files next to one another on your hard disk. When boot files are in close proximity to one another, your system will start faster.
On most systems, boot defragment should be enabled by default, but it might not be on yours, or it might have been changed inadvertently. To make sure that boot defragment is enabled:
* Run the Registry Editor
* Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Dfrg\BootOptimizeFunction
* Set the Enable string value to Y if it is not already set to Y.
* Exit the Registry
* Reboot
Hope you find these 10 tips useful. Have a nice day!
by: Andrew Zarudnev
Sunday, 9 December 2007
7 Tips For Buying An Affordable Laptop
Computers for people on the go that is what laptops or notebooks are, your work and entertainment move with you. The computer markets are flooded with laptops of all kinds and configurations. There are laptops that have WAP cards that keep you connected to the World Wide Web and yet others that can be connected via cables to the internet through mobile phones or hotel cable connections. There are affordable laptops and state-of-art laptops that can run your life for you. In fact at a computer showcasing event a company showcased a laptop that can turn on washing machines, garden sprinklers, ovens, coffee makers, bath water, as well as home security systems. So, even if you are half way across town you can have hot coffee and a warm bath waiting for you when you return. Don’t be scared a laptop can be affordable too!
1. When planning look for older technology that works well. Don’t aim for the latest. You can buy slightly older laptops with wireless capabilities for lower amounts, two years ago a wireless laptop sold for USD 2500 now there are versions available for even USD1000.
2. Look for laptops with alternate technology. Often an AMD laptop may be more affordable than one that runs on Intel.
3. Used or refurbished laptops are sold for less than half the price of new ones. So you could think about buying one that is around one year old. Very often power users or gamers are so passionate about their laptop configurations that they immediately upgrade when newer technologies become available. Scan through gaming websites and for laptops on sale. The World Wide Web is a great place to buy laptops that are second hand. Look at Trading Sections for posts from gamers who want to sell gaming laptops.
4. Study configurations of laptops once you determine your needs. Try and choose a laptop that has at least 512 MB memory. A laptop with 512 MB can run most non graphic intensive applications.
5. Another aspect you need to look into is processor speed.
6. Try and buy a laptop that is branded this will ensure service and repair continuity.
7. Laptops are sold online at specialist as well as auction websites. So, get a laptop that suits your budget by going online and visiting reputable and leading websites that sell laptops. A comparison study is important as it will save you money.
If you are web savvy and know where to look you can save money on purchases of a laptop or other items by buying what you need on the World Wide Web.
By Arthur Raise
Know about your Inkjet Cartridges
Usages of Inkjet Cartridges
The main benefit of using inkjet cartridges is to get quality images or any print transaction, and other activities related to printers. In this cartridge system, the inkjet printer puts small droplets onto blank paper through nozzles to create any image or text. The amount of the droplet is usually decided by the printer driver software placed in the printer. Normally, a cartridge can be found in various colors as in liquid form to develop a colorful/black and white image on printable paper.
Inkjet printers are designed in such a way to provide you printing stickers, labels, posters, and documents. In addition, the benefits of inkjet cartridges can be used in developing attractive images on shoes, T-shirts, etc.
Problems of using un-branded inkjet cartridges
If you are looking for a quality inkjet cartridge, you must be careful about many points that will help you to get best pictures and other images. Therefore, it becomes necessary to have complete information before actually putting your money into the right inkjet cartridges.
First of all, it is necessary to determine the quality content of inkjet cartridges, which is responsible for increasing the productivity level, but also offer better and quality prints. So, it is better to avoid purchasing local or average inkjet cartridges, as these kinds of cartridges may create problems in the nozzles of the printer. A well-suited and branded inkjet cartridge, especially ISO standard, can be efficient and perform better than cartridges that are available in the market. In addition, inkjet cartridges usually come in individual size to fit into the particular printer. Buying a quality inkjet cartridge also gives you warranty (minimum one year). So, if you desire to buy a new inkjet cartridge, take proper notice to get the relevant information.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Remove Spyware: Make Your PC Clean And Safe
To find out how effectively you can remove Spyware from your system read it. Spyware are some malicious programs that get installed in your computer through Internet with the help of free offered utility software. These Spyware or the Adware as usually known, install with or without users consent and began to track the usage of the computer. To remove Spyware less drastic strategy is not to allow the Adware or the Spyware to be installed. This can be done by inspecting the offers of free anti-Spyware companies and setting the firewall protection in computers. Let's look upon the other effective methods to remove Spyware.
To effectively remove Spyware from your system, you need not to worry at all. As there are hundreds of Spyware removal tools lie around over the Internet. Most of them are recognized as free anti-Spyware software. Just install them on your PC and run with appropriate instruction given and just remove Spyware from your system within some mouse clicks.
To stop Spyware effects on the computer, some effective Spyware removal tools often called, as Spyware doctors are easily downloadable to remove Spyware. This anti-Spyware software comes with the utility of scanning Spyware. The Spyware scanner can do a deep scan of the registries, files, folders, and other location like system files to trace the signature of the Spyware. Matching with the signatures stored and evaluating further risks these programs calculates the severity of the effect. Then the final result is the files are either quarantined or deleted.
These Spyware-Adware removers also have the features like auto update, which update the signatures or identification codes. You have to be also careful regarding the fake anti-Spyware programs available to remove Spyware. They just remove certain competitor Spyware while let the supporting remain in the PC. This trend is also taking its charge now days. These Spyware doctors are very robust and quick in detecting such action codes and are well off with updates to remove Spyware at fullest. They do perform the very effective actions of identifying the Spyware bundles in almost all free offers.
Just keep in mind that to 100 % remove Spyware from your system, sometimes you have to spend some penny in purchasing the full-versions of anti-Spyware. The genuine Spyware removal tools are, no-doubt, available in free but with limited coverage only mostly without updates capability. If you are really annoyed and tired by un-wanted ads and also wish to secure your privacy then go for a paid version of any reliable anti-Spyware software. This will definitely save your time and of course save your from the threats of Internet.
by Arvind Singh
Choosing The Best File Recovery Solution
All file recovery solutions are not created equally. But, choosing one
specific software or service company can be overwhelming from the sheer numbers
available. For starters, why do some file recovery software cost as low as
$29.99, while others range as much as $400? Before addressing these details, and
how to choose the best file recovery solution for your situation, let's make
sure your files have the best chance to be recovered.
Safety First...
If you are reading this article on the computer you are trying to recover files
from, do the following steps immediately (Your computer is always running in the
background, and could be overwriting the data you are trying to recover):
1. Close any important documents that are open.
2. Print this article to follow off-line.
3. Unplug your computer (Do not turn off your computer, unplug it now.).
Note: Unplugging the computer stops the computer from running all together.
Turning off or shutting down your computer might make the computer go through a
process that could overwrite data - your files.
What not to do...
1. Do not run the system recovery disk from the computer manufacturer. This
software is designed to get your computer running again with no regard to your
data. In other words, it is not designed as a file recovery solution. Just ask
the manufacturer if there is a possibility that you could lose data. Yes, is
always the answer.
2. Do not install file recovery software on the computer you are trying to
recover files from, for this could overwrite the files you are trying to
recover. You must have a secondary storage device (i.e. hard disk drive, USB
device, etc.) to install the program and to recover the files.
Note to Advanced Users: Even if you are trying to recover a particular
partition, and already have a separate partition to install the file recovery
software on, do not do it. Since there is possible corruption within the file
system at this point, you run the risk of overwriting the partition and files
you are trying to recover during the installation process. Better safe than
sorry. Install the program on a secondary drive.
File Recovery Software...
Which file recovery software you choose depends on what has happened:
1. Have you accidentally delete a file that you want back?
2. Have you lost a file, or found it damaged upon opening it?
3. When starting your computer, has it failed to boot to the desktop,
invoking a blue or black screen, or an error message (write that message down)?
Accidentally deleted files can usually be recovered by File Undelete software,
which lucky for you is the cheapest solution at about $30 USD. If you cannot
locate a file after running the program, the file system (where the files lie)
may have been altered, deleted, or damaged. This means, File Undelete software
cannot work, and you should use a "complete" file recovery product.
Lost or damaged files require a "complete" file recovery software, which usually
costs about $100 USD. (Professional grade recovery software which include
multiple recovery functions costs as much as $400). If you cannot locate a file
after running the program, or if your computer failed to boot to the desktop,
you may need File Recovery Services.
File Recovery Services...
A good rule of thumb at choosing a file recovery service company is, if they
develop and sell file recovery software - not just sell them, they should have
reliable in-lab services (After fifteen years of developing file recovery
software, and knowing who is who in the industry, I can attest to this point).
Also, full-scale recovery companies only do file recovery and computer
forensics. So, ask a computer related question like, can you install a network
with thirty computers? Yes means hang up the phone. Remember, you always get
what you pay for and nobody works for free.
In conclusion, the saying in the industry is "file recovery is not, if it will
happen, but when will it (and will you be prepared)." Prevention is the best
solution. So, to ensure the safety of your files in the future (not to mention
the hassle of having to go this process again) consistently do the following:
1. Back-up files daily to a secondary storage device, not on the main hard disk
drive where you originally saved them.
2. Defrag your computer regularly. Doing so will increase the probability of a
successful recovery if you ever encounter this problem again.
3. At least once a month confirm your back-up is working properly. This is a
common problem
by Ken Roberts
Computer Tips
Computer errors are very common and every computer user may face different kinds of issues so they should learn about the solutions of the common computer related problems. The common factors that cause problems in computer are viruses, spyware, Trojan horses, adware, corrupted registry, faulty hardware, low memory, low capacity hard disk, low CPU speed and stuffing computers with large number of software applications. In this article, I have compiled a list of the most common computer problems and their solutions.
Computer is very slow
This is very common issue and it arises due to the several factors such as too many programs running at the startup, low RAM, low processor speed, spyware running as a background application, errors in the Windows registry and the buildup of the garbage files on the hard disk. Scanning your computer with an up-to-dated anti virus and anti spyware program, cleaning and repairing Windows registry, increasing memory, deleting temporary files, deselecting the programs at startup and uninstalling unwanted software applications can solve this problem to a very large extent.
Network Server is not accessible
In a networked environment every computer depends on the server for logon authentication, files access, internet and printing access and sharing server resources. The downtime and the communication failure with the server are very problematic and frustrating for the users. Check both end of the network cable and make sure that the attached RJ-45 connectors are properly plugged into the LAN card and hub/switch. Ping the server’s IP and make sure you get the reply from server. Ensure that your server is on and working fine. A large number of the running applications on the server and simultaneous access to the server from a number of users can slow down the performance and speed of the server. Scan your PC with an up-to-dated antivirus program because certain viruses and spyware are responsible for the communication failure. Replace your LAN card with new one and assign different IP address and try to connect with the server.
Computer locks up or freezes
Missing .dll files, viruses, faulty registry, defective RAM and spyware slows down the performance of the server and it locks up frequently. Scanning PC with the anti virus and anti spyware program, cleaning and repairing registry and increasing RAM can solve this issue.
Computer won’t boot
Faulty power cable, power extension and power supply all contributes to this problem. Checking one by one each of the above components can pinpoint the problematic part. Simply replace that part with new one and your compute is okay.
Computer reboots itself
Defective cooling fan, power supply, RAM, viruses and spyware can cause this to happen.
Memory usage is maximum in computer
Either the memory is less than the recommend memory to run certain applications, swap memory chips with each other, scan your computer for viruses and spyware, increasing the page file and physical memory can overcome this problem.
Browser’s home page has changed itself
This is most likely a spyware problem and scanning computer with an up-to-dated anti spyware program can fix this issue.
Computer’s clock losing time
If you see that your computer’s clock is losing time frequently replace your CMOS battery.
My computer can’t get connected to internet
Check IP address, gateway address, scan your PC for viruses and spyware, check network cables and make sure that server’s or gateway’s firewall application is not blocking http requests from your PC.
Computer making noises
Faulty RAM, VGA, hard disk, Sound card, Processor and other components produce noises. Make sure that each hardware device is properly connected inside the PC and if the problem is still not resolved then replace the faulty hardware component with new one.
by Bashir
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