Consumer Electronics Guide | ElectronicsJunkie.com

Archive for April, 2009

Chances are, you’ve probably witnessed some ridiculously funny commercials made by VOIP providers. But do you really know what they’re about?  A basic VOIP definition means and stands for voice over internet protocol.  In layman’s terms, this means a phone that uses the internet or ip as its phone line.  VOIP has many key differences from the traditional phone system that you are used to.  It holds several advantages over standard phones, with a few downfalls.  Let’s look at what voice over ip is and how it can benefit you.

The VOIP system, in most cases, hooks up pretty seamlessly to your existing phone.  You can just use your regular phone and plug it into the box that you’re given.  The box from your VOIP provider hooks into the internet and takes care of all the technical stuff, while you’re free to dial and talk like normal.  It may seem confusing, but it basically operates like a very advanced form of email.  It translates your voice into data packets that can be transmitted instantaneously through the internet and then comes out on the other side.  Although you may worry about a significant lag time with this, for most VOIP providers, one does not exist.  You can talk easily, just like you were talking on a regular phone.  You may be thinking…”Great, but why would I go to the trouble of switching?”

Probably the single biggest factor in the VOIP revolution is price.  If saving money is important to you (chances are it probably is), VOIP may be for you.  If you make many long distance phone calls, voice over ip is most likely a lot cheaper than what you pay now.  The reason for this is that your call is routed over the internet.  You can call someone in Indonesia and talk for three hours and it would be the same as talking to someone down the street.  Think about it.  Does it cost you any extra to send someone an email overseas compared to someone locally? Of course not…that would be ridiculous.  So, if you need to talk to someone in another country, this is definitely something you’ll want to look into.  With many VOIP providers, you can get one low price that covers unlimited local and long distance calls.  In many cases, it’s what you might be paying just for local service from a traditional phone provider.

VOIP providers also provide many amazing features that you can’t receive with a regular telephone.  You’ll probably get all of the features that you usually pay extra for, free.  You’ll most likely get call waiting, three-way calling, caller ID, voicemail, etc.  In addition to these standard features, you can integrate the phone into your computer easily.  If you desire, your voicemail, can be routed directly to your email inbox.  This is a neat feature that can come in handy.  You can make multiple phone lines ring simultaneously.  This can be very handy if you’re running a business. You can make your business phone ring on another phone line if necessary.

Another great feature of voice over ip is the ability to choose your own area code.  You may be asking, “Why would I care what area code I’m in?” Imagine that you move and you want to keep the same number.  All you have to do is pack up your box and move it.  Then when you get to wherever you’re going, just plug the box back into your broadband connection and you’ll still have the same number.  Now your Grandma can still call you without even learning a new number.

If you own a business that operates a great deal with people of a certain area, but you’re not in that area code, you can simply pick the area code you need.  Now your customers won’t have to dial long distance to talk to you and therefore increases the likelihood of them calling you.

Despite all of these features, you may decide that you don’t want to go through the trouble of switching.  While it is a growing sector of the telecommunications industry, it’s not for everyone.  It’s not quite as simple as a regular phone line, so you’ll want to research the options you have available.

There are multiple VOIP providers for you to choose from.  Probably the most well known of these is Vonage.  They have very good call quality and many features available for everyone.  It is not the cheapest provider, however.  Other good providers are AOL, AT&T and Skype.  Whichever one you choose, make sure it offers what you need.

Recommended Free Reading

IP Phones Checklist: What to ask before you buy
Learn what questions you should ask before purchasing IP Phones for your VoIP System.

When you are looking for a Radar detector, it helps to understand what you need and want before you run out and purchase one. The Escort Solo radar detector is one of the many models of radar detectors available on the market today. As with most products, there are advantages and disadvantages to this model. However, before we start discussing either one, let us have a closer look at the Escort Solo S2 radar detector.

The Escort Solo S2 radar detector is a cordless radar that operates on batteries or an optional Escort smart cord. Of course, to get the full effects of being cordless, you would have to forgo the smart cord. However, for those who want to save on battery, the smart cord is a great investment. The radar itself offers LCD graphic display with LED backlight, as well as DSP (Digital Signal Processing. Driving through different areas such as cities or highways is easy with the included sensitivity control.

This radar detector has four different operating bands such as Laser, Ka-band, K-band, and X-band. It contains a host of features such as:

• Long Range Detection
• Power Management
• Immunity against the VG-2
• Earphone Plug-in
• Power Indicator
• Automatic On/Off Power
• Meter for Signal Strength
• Automatic Mute
• City Mode
• Auto Tones
• Control for Brightness
• On/Off Bands

The Escort Solo radar detector promotes laser and radar detection at 360 degrees, as well as the ability to eliminate almost all false signals. Escort backs their products with a thirty day trial feature, if ordered directly from the factory, as well as a one year limited warranty on all their products.

Advantages

There are many advantages to this radar detector and the first one being that it runs on batteries. The 2 double A batteries that are included with the model allow for motorists to forgo using their car lighter. However, since many new car models exclude a car lighter in this day in age, a battery powered radar detector is the way to go.

Other advantages include the fact that the radar detector can go with you anywhere you go, such as in rental cars or when traveling with other friends. It is compact and ready for use whenever you are ready. You might also enjoy the LCD screen because of its many features as well. You can easily spot how much battery is left, as well as when the system is on mute, and the voltage in the electrical system of your vehicle.

Disadvantages

Like anything, there are disadvantages with this radar detector. The buttons are very small on this model, which means you are essentially hoping that you hit the right buttons, not an easy task with someone who has large hands or fingers. Also, because the model runs on AA batteries, it is very likely, if you use the radar detector often, that you will spend more than your fair share on batteries keeping the juice flowing.