Sunday, December 09, 2007
Webmail - What are the Benefits?
There are so many different webmail services on the internet, from the huge ones like Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, to the much smaller ones from private websites and ISPs. There is a lot to worry about with e-mail these days but some of these front line webmail services are really a great way of helping to protect your system.
Location and Applications
Two of the biggest benefits of using web based e-mail as your primary e-mail service is the fact that you can essentially use it from anywhere with any application. As long as you have an internet connection and a web browser you are probably good to go. Of course some organizations block certain websites (to keep people doing their jobs at work) you might find yourself unable to check your e-mail at work. But if you are on vacation or at home, or at a hotel on business then you should have no trouble getting at your e-mail.
Spam, Phishing, Worms, and Viruses
This is probably the single biggest reason you should consider switching to a webmail interface for your e-mail. Most good services screen or filter your e-mail to help keep you safe by deleting or quarantining dangerous, or potentially dangerous e-mails. G-Mail for instance has a really great spam blocker, will not open pictures or links be default unless you tell it to, and recognizes e-mails with possibly forged headers and warns you that the e-mail or sender my be fraudulent!
Online Storage
By using web based e-mail you also have the ability to have all your history of e-mails or important documents follow you wherever you roam. This is even more true recently since all the major providers of webmail are drastically increasing your storage capacity. Why bother deleting your e-mail when you can archive it and then pull it up later when you require it, possibly from the other side of the world, or on a beach in Mexico. If you do all your e-mail from one computer and store it in offline media then you are heavily restricted when you are away from home, unless you have someone to mail stuff to you upon request.
POP3 / SMTP
Most webmail services now offer you the ability to use your normal e-mail program at your computer if you don't want to always go to the web to download your mail. I personally prefer the web based method because it's one less program cluttering up my computer and with broadband internet access it's just as quick as being on my computer anyway.
Notification Utilities
A lot of the bigger web based e-mail providers have applications that run in your task bar or system tray that will notify you when new e-mails arrive. This can be setup to check every few minutes or almost in real time. G-mail for instances gives you the "G-Mail notifier" which is a great little tool! Other e-mail servers are integrated in to various instant messenger applications such as ICQ and MSN Messenger.
Location and Applications
Two of the biggest benefits of using web based e-mail as your primary e-mail service is the fact that you can essentially use it from anywhere with any application. As long as you have an internet connection and a web browser you are probably good to go. Of course some organizations block certain websites (to keep people doing their jobs at work) you might find yourself unable to check your e-mail at work. But if you are on vacation or at home, or at a hotel on business then you should have no trouble getting at your e-mail.
Spam, Phishing, Worms, and Viruses
This is probably the single biggest reason you should consider switching to a webmail interface for your e-mail. Most good services screen or filter your e-mail to help keep you safe by deleting or quarantining dangerous, or potentially dangerous e-mails. G-Mail for instance has a really great spam blocker, will not open pictures or links be default unless you tell it to, and recognizes e-mails with possibly forged headers and warns you that the e-mail or sender my be fraudulent!
Online Storage
By using web based e-mail you also have the ability to have all your history of e-mails or important documents follow you wherever you roam. This is even more true recently since all the major providers of webmail are drastically increasing your storage capacity. Why bother deleting your e-mail when you can archive it and then pull it up later when you require it, possibly from the other side of the world, or on a beach in Mexico. If you do all your e-mail from one computer and store it in offline media then you are heavily restricted when you are away from home, unless you have someone to mail stuff to you upon request.
POP3 / SMTP
Most webmail services now offer you the ability to use your normal e-mail program at your computer if you don't want to always go to the web to download your mail. I personally prefer the web based method because it's one less program cluttering up my computer and with broadband internet access it's just as quick as being on my computer anyway.
Notification Utilities
A lot of the bigger web based e-mail providers have applications that run in your task bar or system tray that will notify you when new e-mails arrive. This can be setup to check every few minutes or almost in real time. G-mail for instances gives you the "G-Mail notifier" which is a great little tool! Other e-mail servers are integrated in to various instant messenger applications such as ICQ and MSN Messenger.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
A Cheap Alternative To Broadband?
Are you a dial-up user looking for a faster connection,but don't like Broadband prices? If so, you should take a look at a new service called OnSpeed, which has received rave reviews in Internet technology publications.
What OnSpeed does is to re-route web pages and email viaits own servers, compressing the data on the fly prior to sending it onwards to your PC. A small program then decompresses the data, so that you can view it in the normal way via your browser or email client.
In my own dial-up tests, with a modem running at a nominal49kb/s I appeared to get speeds close to that of my normalbroadband connection of 598 kb/s - very impressive. Image quality is often reduced but the compression for this can be improved, though with an adverse effect on the speed of course.
Some file types like MP3 also cannot yet be compressed. Thecompany is working on these issues however and expects tofind solutions soon.
Unfortunately I was unable to use email in my tests, dueto a 'port' conflict with a spam filter that I was using. Thestandard advice on the OnSpeed site for such cases is to disable the offending program. Not a constructive approach - to saythe least - so I hope that the relevant instructions will be changed soon.
More significantly, the problem persisted even when Iswitched off the OnSpeed application on my PC; in the end I had to remove the program to get the spam filter working again. I expect that this fault can be resolved, but clearly there are issues in this area that need to be addressed.
The software is easy to install, and is available for Macas well as Windows PCs. On the whole the service is surprisinglygood, and a lot cheaper than broadband. Unlike other 'speed-up'techniques that tweak your computer's settings but result inlittle noticeable improvement, OnSpeed really works.
I can recommend OnSpeed for dial-up users who can't justify theexpense of broadband, or who are not located close enough to asuitable exchange. OnSpeed is also stated to be great for mobileor PDA users, as GPRS (wireless) speeds can be boosted by as muchas 8 times. It even helps with broadband if you can only get areduced service in your area.
My overall rating is 4/5 - very good, but the email support needsto be improved.
What OnSpeed does is to re-route web pages and email viaits own servers, compressing the data on the fly prior to sending it onwards to your PC. A small program then decompresses the data, so that you can view it in the normal way via your browser or email client.
In my own dial-up tests, with a modem running at a nominal49kb/s I appeared to get speeds close to that of my normalbroadband connection of 598 kb/s - very impressive. Image quality is often reduced but the compression for this can be improved, though with an adverse effect on the speed of course.
Some file types like MP3 also cannot yet be compressed. Thecompany is working on these issues however and expects tofind solutions soon.
Unfortunately I was unable to use email in my tests, dueto a 'port' conflict with a spam filter that I was using. Thestandard advice on the OnSpeed site for such cases is to disable the offending program. Not a constructive approach - to saythe least - so I hope that the relevant instructions will be changed soon.
More significantly, the problem persisted even when Iswitched off the OnSpeed application on my PC; in the end I had to remove the program to get the spam filter working again. I expect that this fault can be resolved, but clearly there are issues in this area that need to be addressed.
The software is easy to install, and is available for Macas well as Windows PCs. On the whole the service is surprisinglygood, and a lot cheaper than broadband. Unlike other 'speed-up'techniques that tweak your computer's settings but result inlittle noticeable improvement, OnSpeed really works.
I can recommend OnSpeed for dial-up users who can't justify theexpense of broadband, or who are not located close enough to asuitable exchange. OnSpeed is also stated to be great for mobileor PDA users, as GPRS (wireless) speeds can be boosted by as muchas 8 times. It even helps with broadband if you can only get areduced service in your area.
My overall rating is 4/5 - very good, but the email support needsto be improved.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Why You Should Switch To A Fast Internet Connection
With high-speed Internet access becoming available in more and more areas, perhaps it is now available in your neck of the woods. If it is, you might be wondering if it makes sense to upgrade from dialup. For most people, the answer is probably yes! Here are a few reasons why:
- Cost - As it was for me, your most important consideration is most likely the extra expense required to move up to a high-speed connection. But if you think about it, the extra cost is probably very minimal.
If you now pay for a second phone line just for accessing the Internet, that monthly payment added to your ISP charge is probably as much as a high-speed connection will cost you.
- Increased productivity - If you work from home via the web, you'll get more done in less time with fast Internet access.
Large downloads will take seconds instead of minutes (or even hours), and your Internet research time will be cut dramatically. And all of those huge, graphic intensive web pages that slowly creep onto your screen will pop up right away!
- Convenience - You'll no longer be annoyed by lost connections and endless busy signals. You can stop waiting around while your modem dials in and does its best to establish a shaky connection.
A high-speed Internet connection is always on, meaning whenever your computer is on you have immediate and constant access to the Internet. What a timesaver!
- Conclusion - If you work at home and high-speed Internet access is available to you, you'll almost certainly be extremely happy if you make the move. In fact, most people who try it wonder how they ever got along without it and say they'll never switch back!
Even if you use the Internet simply for recreation and pleasure, the astounding difference in speed and convenience coupled with the relatively minor extra cost make a high-speed connection a bargain!
- Cost - As it was for me, your most important consideration is most likely the extra expense required to move up to a high-speed connection. But if you think about it, the extra cost is probably very minimal.
If you now pay for a second phone line just for accessing the Internet, that monthly payment added to your ISP charge is probably as much as a high-speed connection will cost you.
- Increased productivity - If you work from home via the web, you'll get more done in less time with fast Internet access.
Large downloads will take seconds instead of minutes (or even hours), and your Internet research time will be cut dramatically. And all of those huge, graphic intensive web pages that slowly creep onto your screen will pop up right away!
- Convenience - You'll no longer be annoyed by lost connections and endless busy signals. You can stop waiting around while your modem dials in and does its best to establish a shaky connection.
A high-speed Internet connection is always on, meaning whenever your computer is on you have immediate and constant access to the Internet. What a timesaver!
- Conclusion - If you work at home and high-speed Internet access is available to you, you'll almost certainly be extremely happy if you make the move. In fact, most people who try it wonder how they ever got along without it and say they'll never switch back!
Even if you use the Internet simply for recreation and pleasure, the astounding difference in speed and convenience coupled with the relatively minor extra cost make a high-speed connection a bargain!
Chat-less
Are you suddenly chat-less now that Yahoo has shut down many chat sites, due to complaints? One complaint was that people where using chat rooms to lure under age kids for sex. While others say the chat rooms were used to promote underage sex. A Houston Attorney, actually filed a 10 million dollar lawsuit to put an end to that problem. Yahoo reacted on the news by shutting down thousands of chat sites and advertisers on those websites pulled the plug on their ads as well. Do not despair, today you might be chat-less but soon you will find a new home to talk to friends on the Internet. Yahoo confirmed they took the sites off the air but insists it was in the high hundreds and not thousands.
Many users are enraged that the sites were taken down, while many parents applaud Yahoo's fast acting public relations move to remove those sites immediately. Some of the advertisers who pulled out are PepsiCo, State Farm and others. Perhaps Paris Hilton can do advertise their now for Carl's Jr.? Yahoo does not constantly monitor the content in the chat rooms, but will close a room if it receives too many complaints.
Some sources tell us that other such chat rooms now have real language filters which set points and once those have been exceeded warnings go up and if this continues then the sites are shut down. Modern Technology and text recognition software for these things is well known in high-tech circles and military intelligence. One company began promoting its software today to alleviate the problem, they specialize in email scanning and resume artificial intelligence reading and key word scanning. Chat rooms have always been a great way to meet online, yet also considered problematic for monitoring. Think on this if you find yourself; "Chat-less"
Many users are enraged that the sites were taken down, while many parents applaud Yahoo's fast acting public relations move to remove those sites immediately. Some of the advertisers who pulled out are PepsiCo, State Farm and others. Perhaps Paris Hilton can do advertise their now for Carl's Jr.? Yahoo does not constantly monitor the content in the chat rooms, but will close a room if it receives too many complaints.
Some sources tell us that other such chat rooms now have real language filters which set points and once those have been exceeded warnings go up and if this continues then the sites are shut down. Modern Technology and text recognition software for these things is well known in high-tech circles and military intelligence. One company began promoting its software today to alleviate the problem, they specialize in email scanning and resume artificial intelligence reading and key word scanning. Chat rooms have always been a great way to meet online, yet also considered problematic for monitoring. Think on this if you find yourself; "Chat-less"
