Cool Tools for the Internet
- DialPad.com
So, is your long distance bill over $100 a month, even with those long distance phone company incentives (You know, 5 cents a minute, between every other odd numbered day, including even numbered weeks, excluding holidays, birthdays, and paydays)? Does you computer have a microphone, internet connectivity (Silly question, huh?), and speakers? Is your computer equipped with at least a 200Mhz Pentium II processor? If so, then, log on to DialPad.com by clicking here, and you, too, can have free long distance!
Sound too good to be true? Sorry, but the old adage "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" doesn't apply here. Go to their site, sign up with a username and password. Log back in, add people to your address book, and dial away. I'm not afraid to ask Paula how much the phone bill was, because now it does not include ANY long distance calls!
OK, there is possibly one one very minor drawback, and that's a possible echo that whomever you call might hear. Often, users would complain that they hear themselves when they're talking. But, I think I've got this one figured out. Simply point your speakers away from the microphone, so the sound won't be picked up by the microphone, and you should be OK. If you're computer savvy, bring up your volume manager, and turn down the microphone gain level. I've also heard that purchasing a headset microphone (Found locally at electronic stores for about $20) will also correct the situation.
One other final possible "gotcha" is for you AOL users. If you're on AOL, I'm not sure if you'll be able to use this service. This requires a Java enabled browser (Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher or Netscape Communicator 4.0 or higher). I'm not sure if AOL currently supports JAVA in it's browser. Sorry mom and Julie. But, please, give it a try, and let me know. I personally have to give the edge to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, which is free of charge, and more stable (In my experiences) than Netscape's product.
- NetMeeting
Video conferencing? Over the internet? Yep. Even if you don't have one of those nifty web cams, you can still talk over the internet for free with NetMeeting (If you have a microphone and speakers). It just takes a little more scheduling than with DialPad.com. We've been using NetMeeting several times a week to talk with our loved ones in Fairhope (You know who you are). And, since they have a web cam, we can see them, and they can see us. Interested? You can get NetMeeting by clicking here. Follow the simple installation instructions. Oh, did I forget to mention the cost of NetMeeting? Sorry if I did, but guess what? NetMeeting is FREE. Yep. Free.
If you're interested in a web cam, I can easily recommend the Intel PC Camera Pro Pack. You can visit them (Intel), and get the details of their web cam by clicking here. You can even capture video from your camcorder, and then place it on your home page (OK, so now everyone knows my secret)!
- Microsoft Windows Media Player
Have you clicked on what was supposed to be a video clip on our page, only to have some error message pop up? That's probably because you don't have a .MPG file viewer. Without going into too much (boring) detail, I'll just say that by installing this software, you'll be able to see the video clips I have placed throughout our home page. You can get the Windows Media Player by clicking here. Follow the simple installation instructions. Once again, it's a free utility, courtesy of Microsoft. I've got some more detailed information about the Microsoft Media Player that you can review by clicking here.
- Online Purchasing
I do a LOT of online purchasing. I mainly do it to save money, and you should too (That is, if you need to save money). As a home theater owner and enthusiast, I love watching DVD's. Locally, DVD's cost anywhere from $20 to $30 with some of the newly released Disney animation titles reaching $40. Well, I've got over 80 DVD's, and I've never paid over $21 for a DVD (And, that's those $40 Disney DVD's), including shipping and handling. Need PC software, hardware, or Nintendo games? Easily find bargains on the internet. Here's a list of where I shop online.
- Reel.com Videos, DVD's, CD's. To get the best price, find 'electronic' coupons here, and use them when you're checking out. And, if you're smart (Like me), find a coupon, order a few items, meet the minimum spending requirements, place your order, use the coupon, and repeat until all your coupons are exhausted (Or, of course, you've run out of money). This holiday season, I saved over $110 using coupons at Reel.com.
- DVD Price Search If you run out of electronic coupons, use this to find the lowest price available on a DVD. They also list specials at each internet site, and post new low price information. A great site for comparison shipping.
- Cyberian Outpost Name sound familiar? Last year, they had some hilarious TV commercials. Remember the commercial where a pack of wolves was let loose on a marching band? Remember the hamster being shot out of a cannon through the "O" on the Outpost sign? Those were Cyberian Outpost commercials. They have very, very low prices, and free overnight shipping (If the item is in stock). Yep, they usually have the lowest price, PLUS free overnight shipping via Airborne Express. They also have a great selection of PC and Nintendo games at very attractive prices. I recently purchased my Intel PC Camera Pro Pack from them, as well as several Nintendo 64 games.
- eBay auctions Collect anything? If you do, I'm sure additional items for your collection can be found here at eBay. I collect Darkwing Duck items. Darkwing was one of Brad's favorite Disney characters. Anyway, I find hundreds of Darkwing items each month available at this sight. Just go there, sign up, and follow some common sense. Check to see that the person holding the auction has sold items successfully before, especially if it's a high ticket item. This is done by reading the sellers profile. Anyway, everything's pretty well laid out, just use some common sense.
- Need Help?
If you need installation help, have a general question, or know of another new "cool internet tool", don't hesitate to EMail me. Hey, it's not like I pay for long distance, huh?
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