Posted on January 30th, 2009 — in Information Parlor
In Steven Covey’s excellent book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” he tells a well-worn story about the use of time.
In the story, some professor guy (I think) stands at the front of a class, with a big jar. In the jar, first of all he puts some big rocks, and asks the class, “Is it full now”.
Mostly they say, “Yes”.
Then he gets some smaller rocks and these fit in quite nicely too, just between the big rocks. Again, he asks the same question, “Is it full now?”
The group, a little more suspicious say, “Yes”, because it seems to be.
He then gets out a bag of sand and surprise, surprise, those tiny grains of sand squeeze down beside the smaller rocks, filling up the tinier spaces. “Full?”, he asks.
“Sure”, say the increasingly dubious bunch of students in the audience.
Finally, trump card is the water, smaller than sand, of course and finally, as we aren’t getting too sub-molecular about it, the jar is full.
Impressive huh?
The professor then asks,
“What’s the moral of the story?”
Of course the class, thinking they’ve spotted the trick here, say,
“You can always squeeze a bit more in”
A standard and pretty smart reply. The professor, however, is a step a head (all that professorism does it, of course!).
“The moral of the story is that you need to get your big rocks in first, or all that other ’stuff’ gets in, way too soon and takes up all the space.”
Cool story?
The point of course, relates to managing your time.
What are your ‘big rock’ things?
Well, for sure it isn’t all the little jobs you do. All the fire-fighting (or it may be in the short-term, but that is another day).
The trick is to create spaces, ring-fenced, as they say, to do the good stuff.
In business, this is a list something like this:-
1. Planning for the future 2. Time with your people - good, focused one-on-one time preferably 3. Coaching your people in their work 4. Developing others around you 5. Delegating constructively 6. Creating Succession Plans 7. Building relationships 8. Developing new business opportunities 9. Fixing problems once and for all 10. Making time for a life outside the business
There are more!
Covey and his big rocks eh?
He calls them Quadrant Two activities. If you don’t spend time putting these first into your schedule, truth is, you will never fit them in and things will never evolve and grow.
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Posted on January 2nd, 2009 — in Information Parlor
If you feel like you don’t know how to talk to people of the opposite sex, you might be onto something!
Men and women definitely have different ways of communicating. Learning how the other half uses language will help to improve your communication with the opposite sex.
And if you’re still not convinced, there is even a term that is specific to the different languages of the sexes. The term is genderlect. Suzette Haden Elgin coined the term in her book, Genderspeak. Her book talked about different methods men and women could use to better communicate.
Deborah Tannen went into even more detail about gender communication in her book, entitled You Just Don’t Understand: Men and Women in Conversation (1990, Ballantine.) Tannen says that even when a man and woman are raised in the same neighbourhood or even in the same home they will grow up in different language worlds.
The question of how to talk to people of the opposite sex really needs to first be answered by understanding the ways men and women differ in how they express themselves.
Here are some of the biggest differences, starting at a very young age:
1. Girls talk or use language as a way to be liked. Little boys often talk to be boastful.
2. A little girl will request something. A boy? He makes demands.
3. Girls tend to use language as a way to create harmony - to get closer to someone. If you guessed that young boys keep conflicts going by talking, you are right!
4. Girls talk using words and will use more words to explain something. A young boy is more likely to use actions to emphasize what he is trying to say.
As we grow and learn how to talk to people, being aware of these differences can help (especially when the people you are talking to are of the opposite sex.)
Many of those early traits continue, as we grow older. Men will continue to use communication as a means of staying independent, while women will continue to use language as a tool for intimacy.
Grown-up men often will talk to establish status (remember the boasting as little boys?) Women will connect themselves to others by using language to build up rapport.
Tannen calls these differences ‘report-talk’ (men) and ‘rapport-talk’, for the women. Understanding this one specific difference can really show how women quite often take what men say, personally, when they really were only ‘reporting’ on a situation.
Learning how to talk to people is made a lot simpler when you understand genderlect - the language of the sexes.
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Posted on January 2nd, 2009 — in Information Parlor
The call center represents your first line of communication with customers and potential customers. Whether you choose to outsource this service or to establish an in-company call center, this is one area in which quality is paramount and cannot be compromised. Clients’ questions and concerns need to be dealt with courteously and effectively, and sales calls require careful handling - as some members of the public have grown wary of unsolicited calls due to the sheer bulk of such calls that they receive, it is imperative that these interactions are the very embodiment of tact, timing and effective communication. This is a tall order, but increasingly, there is software available that is tailor made to fill it.
Of course, the key to an first-rate call center has always been, and remains, effective human communication. That having been said, though, there are also many problems that can be solved by technology. In many cases, the right software can increase the efficiency of your call center so that many repetitive tasks are streamlined or even eliminated. Outgoing calls can be made much more efficiently, so that callers spend most of their time in actual communication with clients and potential clients on the other end of the line. The real value of any call center lies in the personalities and communication skills of the personnel; technology helps us display and utilize these assets. For example, software programs that allow us to use predictive or automated dialing free the caller from this repetitive and time consuming task. Call center software can set up voice messaging for direct marketing, leaving automated messages on voice mail and answering machines that are reached by this method. When a live voice answers, the call is transferred automatically to an agent. Think of the time this can save - call center employees are called into action only when they are needed. Studies show that there is little difference in customer response to an automated answering machine message as opposed to a live one, as long as the automated message is clear, concise and informative. Of course, in live communication, the human quality of the call makes all the difference. Call center software organizes things so that human ability is not wasted, but used to full capacity, without putting undue stress on the employee.
Speaking of employee stress - who in this day and age is not acquainted with the benefits of telecommuting or working from home? Many studies show that employees who work from home are often happier, more efficient, and show a greatly decreased rate of absenteeism. For the employer, too, this makes sense. Because modern technology makes it possible for us to maintain close and effective communication with employees who are working from home, this arrangement is often a win-win situation - greater satisfaction and decreased overhead costs. New call center software makes it possible for some call center employees to experience the benefits of working from home. In fact, in the near future, the virtual call center may become the norm - employees, equipped with the right hardware and software, will both make and answer calls from a home office, while staying in full communication with their co-workers and supervisors. Communication software will facilitate instant system-wide messaging, employees will be supported by software that enables and facilitates telemarketing, routing, predictive dialing, automatic dialing, and automatic messaging. At the same time, they will be able to stay close to their families, avoiding a costly and time-consuming commute.
The potential of call center software has barely begun to be tapped. In time, this software may allow the call center to move far beyond its present role as a sender and receiver of business related communication. To cite just one example, in this time of political uncertainty, quick and efficient lines or communication throughout a community are more important than ever. Call center software could, in an emergency, be called into service: picture an emergency alert system capable of reaching tens of thousands of households almost instantly. Far from being an alienating force, communication software has the potential to connect our growing communities in ways we might never have dreamed of. Innovative use of this technology will be both a challenge and a highly satisfying adventure.
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Posted on November 27th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
Choosing a mobile phone and mobile phone plan may be a confusing task. After you have bought your mobile phone with the required features,design and look, you need to choose the company that will provide your mobile phone service. Then you need to decide on what mobile plan is most cost-effective. Consider on your usage, the value of the services the plan provides, before deciding which plan would work out most effectively for you.
If you are looking forward to lower your mobile phone bill, ‘pay as you go is the way to go. You can start off with figuring out what you need from your mobile phone.Most pay as you go plans offer caller ID, voice mail, and call waiting at no extra charge but vary widely on long distance. Next, think about how many minutes do you really use. Minutes expire in anywhere from 30 to 90 days, depending on the service provider.After that you can renew them online or from any store. Although pay as you go plans include long distance, you’ll pay more by the minute and could run into restrictions, particularly if you travel.Keep yourself informed about the network’s coverage area before you sign.With pay as you go phones, you’ll always know how many minutes are left on your cell phone because after every call you make, your balance comes right on the screen. You will remain in control of your costs , there are no contracts, no bills and above all no worries. Instead, you will purchase credit for your phone and this credit runs down as you make calls or use any services.
So if you’re tired of being locked into service agreements and monthly plans, pay as you go phones are the best option. You can always “top up” your account yourself anytime by simply purchasing the topup. You may get promotional offers like free weekends, free evenings,etc. Pay as you go plans are most common with teenagers use their mobile phones minimally. These plans keep you away from suprising monthly bills.More and more people are saving money from it and finding out that they can take advantage of this convenience. Once you are sure that this plan is a good fit for your communication needs, you can renew it.
It is probably wise to first think about your particular needs and then research the offers other plans are giving before deciding which plan is best for you.
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Posted on November 7th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
If you let it, email can take over your life. Or, you can choose to be in charge by taking control of the volume, content, and importance of your email.
1. Filter it! To limit the time you waste reading junk emails and spam, you could use a filter program. This is a system that weeds out emails based on subject lines and content. They can be effective, but use caution. They can filter out too much. Some filter programs will put the questionable messages in a separate folder, which you can review. Of course, that will take some discipline on your part to view the messages periodically and ensure that nothing important was trapped.
2. Determine when to unsubscribe. If you subscribe to numerous newsletters, quotes-of-the-day, etc., take the “consistent” and “significant” test. When the item appears, do you “consistently” read it? That is, do you read most of the issues? Secondly, does it past the “significant” test? Do you read quite a bit of the information and find it useful? If you answered yes to both questions, stay on the mailing list. Otherwise, remove yourself.
3. Prioritize! Make a conscious choice regarding when you’ll review email. Once per day may be sufficient for some, while others may need to check for messages several times. Does your job really require you to be glued to the computer screen? In the six years I’ve been speaking and writing about email communication, I’ve never found anyone who had to be as connected as he/she thought! Email is an invaluable tool that helps you in conducting the communication portion of your job. You control this tool. Don’t stop what you’re doing every time a new email arrives. That’s inefficient. If you can’t resist the mystery shrouding the new message, turn off the tone that tells you a new message has arrived.
4. Make a time management plan. When drafting your plan, remember to include not only the time you spend reading messages, but also the time you spend responding to messages. Personally, when I check email in the morning, I catch myself reading junk mail and typing lengthy responses to friends or colleagues. The next thing I know, the most productive part of my day is wasted. To avoid this, I review my email in the morning and wait to respond to “non-essential” messages until mid-afternoon, which is my unproductive (i.e., “sleepy”) time.
5. Implementation. Once you’ve created a plan for reading email messages, implement it. Any time management plan will be effective if you’ll simply use it.
By Kelly J. Watkins, MBA, Louisville, KY. Visit: http://www.KeepCustomers.com to order, Email Etiquette Made Easy (a comprehensive guide filled with exercises & examples) or for tips on communication & customer service! (812) 246-2424 or kelly@keepcustomers.com.
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Posted on November 7th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
If this is the first production that you have commissioned, or if you haven’t been involved with a production for a while and want to know more about the process, this overview should help you understand some of the things we do as a production company.
As a client, your production company will need your input at key stages but you will not necessarily see each step of the process. With a professional video production company involved you can have as much or as little involvement in your project as you wish to - or have time for!
The Brief
The first part of the production will be the initial briefing meeting. Your production company needs to know what you need to say, who you want to say it to and why. It’s really important that they fully understand your situation and your audience so that they can create the very best communication solution for you.
For help and more information about briefing a production company, have a look at my ‘how to commission a corporate video’ document on this resource site.
Proposal and Quotation
Once your production company has understood your requirements, they will write a proposal. This will include the aims and objectives of the project, the style they are proposing, the content or information to be communicated and an outline production quotation.
If appropriate they will also include ideas and a quotation for other communication services they can help with. It may be that the project needs to be delivered on the web, or on DVD/CD-ROM with some eye-catching packaging designed for it. You may wish to consider a video-email launch for a new sales incentive as well as a business TV campaign.
If you like the proposal and you decide to go ahead with the project, this is the time to discuss the production company’s recommendations and fine-tune your brief, after which they will provide a final itemised quotation. Once they have agreed a cost this should not change unless the brief itself changes - so, no surprises later on!
Scriptwriting
If a script is required, now is the time to write it based on the proposal. Again, the more information you give your production company, the better. Obviously, they can never read enough to match your experience and understanding of your company culture and brand values, so you should ask for a first draft to read through and make any necessary amends before they complete the final script.
Production Schedule
Once the script has been approved, it is time to agree a production schedule including shoot and edit dates. It is helpful if you are able to attend on some shoot days and at key stages of the edit to answer any specific queries that may arise, so your production company should arrange the schedule around you and your deadline.
Planning the Shoot
It is now time to start doing what producers do best - planning and organising the production! The more time you can allow for planning, the better the video will be, so a production company usually works backwards from your deadline leaving as much planning time as possible.
If your project requires actors or a presenter, the production company may hold a casting session and will negotiate rates with agents. They may need to choose outfits and organise makeup artists and hair stylists if required. They may also organise rehearsal sessions so everyone is word perfect for the filming days.
If your programme is in the style of a documentary, a producer or researcher will introduce themselves to the people to be featured, explain what they are intending to do and ask them about their experiences. The script for this style of programme will be based on these conversations with your staff, customers or industry experts.
Other things we sort out for you at this stage are:
• booking crew, talent and equipment
• sourcing locations
• booking a studio and designing the studio set
• finding props
• organising travel and hotels
• commissioning music composition
• briefing graphic artists for title sequences, 3D cross sections, CD/DVD menus and web components of the project
• Producing shooting schedules listing all required shots and shoot timings
• Obtaining film permits
• Producing Call Sheets - documents detailing each location and the contact names and numbers everyone involved
• Arranging specialist insurance and risk assessments
The Shoot
Your crew, usually consisting of a Director, a Cameraman, a Sound Recordist, a Producer and/or Production Assistant and any presenters or actors will arrive on location and, after checking with you that there are no amendments to the schedule or script - will get on with it!
An established corporate video production company should be well-accustomed to filming in schools, offices, airports, helicopters, boats, trains and planes. In any place of work they should do their utmost to cause as little disruption as possible. They may need to re-arrange a few things to make the shots as attractive as possible, but should always make sure they put everything back as they found it - unless you prefer it their way of course!
The Director will have a TV monitor which shows what the camera is recording, so you will be able to check any shots yourself if you need to make sure that something or someone is or isn’t seen.
I am often asked what the Production Assistant does on a shoot. In brief, s/he ensures that the shoot goes smoothly: preparing for the next shot whilst the Director is focused on the current one; finding replacement interviewees should someone be absent or change their mind about appearing in the programme; chasing airport baggage handlers when bags go missing; making sure that you know what is happening at every stage of the process. This basically means that the Director can focus on making your programme look great. The PA will note which takes are the best, which ones to avoid and will also ensure that everyone featured in the programme signs a release form giving permissions to use the footage as required.
Post Production
Once the production company has all of the shots they need, it’s back to the studio to start making your programme.
Logging and Digitising
This involves watching through all of the footage and identifying the best takes. Each shot will be marked and labeled by the production team so that time isn’t wasted in the edit watching through bloopers, or trying to find a specific angle. All the best shots are then digitised on to the non-linear edit suite ready for the edit.
Offline edit
The Offline edit is the ‘first cut’ of the programme. The production team works with the Editor to produce the main structure and content of the programme, which they will then need you to watch and approve. This is the point when you need to involve your colleagues to watch the programme and make one list of amends to make in the online edit.
Online edit
This is the final edit when the production team make your amendments and ‘finish’ the programme. The shots that make up the final programme are now re-digitised at full broadcast quality. The programme is audio mixed and any graphics such as people’s names and job titles, and credits are added.
The online may include a colour grading process depending on your project. A Colourist gives your programme a ‘look’.
Delivery
You now have a programme, but how will it get in front of your audience? It will need to be prepared for CD, DVD, mobile phone, PDA, big screen or little screen. Depending on your communication strategy and the production company’s capabilities this is the time to encode and prepare the programme to make sure that all the right people can access it.
If the programme is going to be delivered on an optical disc (CD or DVD) the production company will have sent designs and concepts to you throughout the production process. The approved design now becomes the bespoke menu system to complement your programme.
If you communicate with a foreign audience, the production company will translate and create subtitles, produce international voiceover versions, and ensure that the delivery format is accurate and appropriate. To access the widest possible audience you should consider British Sign Language and hard of hearing subtitles for your project, or even producing an audio-description of the project for a visually impaired audience.
A good production company can guarantee the quality of your project, but this is worthless if your audience don’t notice it! Get your produciton company to demonstrate how you can print and package your programme for maximum impact. Replication companies can deliver thousands of discs a day, and a fulfilment service ensures that your programme gets to your audience.
Webstreaming
A production company shouldn’t just talk about webstreaming - they should be using it to deliver your project straight to your audience. Look around the production company’s website, and if you don’t see video, dont call them. It is a producer’s job to be at the forefront of digital screen media development, they should offer advice on delivery and design and if the project can be delivered on the web they should come up with a successful solution.
You should expect your video to look like TV. Quality production companies will have exacting standards for every project they deliver. They should encode your programme at exceptional quality for streaming. You can include the project on your own website or have the production company design a microsite using Flash and Windows© Streaming Servers. Create a buzz about a launch - show your audience a trailer, allow them to interact, or send them an email with colourful video and images in it.
You deserve the best from your production company. So don’t accept anything else.
Visit the uk corporate video production team at iceni productions for more information and examples of recent projects for public and private sector clients.
this article copyright 2006 - You may not copy, reproduce, republish, download, post, broadcast, transmit or otherwise use any of this article content in any way except for your own personal and non-commercial use. You also agree not to adapt, alter or create a derivative work from any of the article content except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Any other use of the Website content requires the prior written permission of iceni Productions, a uk corporate video production company.
http://www.iceni-tv.co.uk
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Posted on November 5th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
Userplane’s Michael Jones explains why online video must be included in your marketing mix.
Thanks to online video ads, guys with bad hygiene and pathetic social skills can try wooing VH1 VJ Rachel Perry– and they even get a well-mannered response. Ah, the wonders of the internet.
The ad campaign was an innovative partnership between laddie-mag Maxim and Pontiac to hype the carmaker’s Solstice Roadster. Users logged onto the magazine’s website and submitted pick-up lines to an image of Perry, actually an incarnation of the beautiful celebrity compiled from hundreds of pre-recorded videos. People with the best lines registered to win a car. Depending on the attempt, the program culled Perry’s retort in real time from hundreds of pre-recorded responses. The site was flooded with users. According to Advertising Age, 16,000 people registered in its first three weeks.
The titillating Pontiac campaign was the successor to Burger King’s Subservient Chicken, an online craze of its own. The two demonstrate the unique potential for online video ads. They lock millions of users to the sites, create a viral response by allowing fans to email the links to friends, and generate pop culture buzz. And of course, the online video ads paid off in higher chicken sandwich sales and registrations.
We shouldn’t be surprised online video ads are becoming so popular. The streaming ads are a natural outgrowth of technological advances, evolving consumer habits and the perennial desire to gain traction with users. They are a much-needed advance in the maturation of the internet and will help ensure its future profitability. Fortunately, companies are realizing this. The online research aggregator eMarketer projects streaming video spending will nearly triple to $640 million in the next two years, and grow to $1.5 billion by 2010.
Three key factors have caused the rise of online video ads, and will guarantee the medium soars in 2006. 1.) A tech-savvy culture If the internet were a child, we could say it’s leaving the awkward ugly stage and beginning to blossom. Let’s face it, only a small number of consumers jumped on board with the latest technologies when they over-promised on the results or didn’t work out the bugs. At first, technology was holding back advances, which held back the profits. I was like a parent, cringing and wincing at those banners and pop-ups. It was like seeing my youngster lurching through puberty. Hang in there little buddy, you’re gonna make it! Now, technology is catching up with expectations, which entices a broader range of consumers and gives marketers a piece of the action. I’m beaming.
The rapid adoption of broadband internet access is the primary driver of online video ads. And it’s only going to get better. The U.S. market hurdled a barrier to internet advertising this year when more than half of online households were using high-speed connections. A study by eMarketer estimates the number will continue to grow, from 42.3 million households in 2005 to 69.4 million in 2008.
With all those high-speed connections out there, comScore Networks found consumers putting them to good use. More than 94 million people in the United States viewed a streaming video online in June of last year, according to comScore. The company recently released the first comprehensive assessment of the online streaming marketplace and, surprisingly, discovered that technology isn’t just for youngsters anymore. Consumers between ages 35 and 54 accounted for more than 45 percent of online video ads watched in August 2005. It is 20 percent more likely that these mature adults will watch an online video than the typical internet user, the study found, and people between the ages of 25 and 34 are 12 percent more likely to watch a streaming video. These are hot marketing targets, and they love their streaming media.
“Contrary to public perception, it’s not just ‘college kids’ or ‘bleeding edge’ internet users who are streaming videos,” said Erin Hunter, senior vice president of comScore Networks media and entertainment solutions. Publishers are using innovations like high-quality video product clips, music videos, movie trailers — even news broadcasts — to engage consumers, Hunter said. “This creates a fantastic opportunity for advertisers to capitalize on what is now a mainstream audience,” she added.
2.) An evolving business mindset The video ad pioneers have mainstream companies hot on their heels, jumping on the online video bandwagon. Todd Herman of MSN told Clickz.com that 23 of the top 50 brands have advertised on the site since its launch in August 2004. They include Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, General Motors and Johnson & Johnson.
Hunter, of comScore, says advertisers are “waking up” to the potential of online video ads. “People want more than a two-dimensional experience online, and this powerful medium now reaches everyone with engaging and interesting content,” Hunter said.
The internet makes users part of the media experience. They aren’t just viewers, as they are on television. They’re participants. They’re members of the online community. Advertisers are taking advantage of this increased engagement and loyalty. On New Year’s Eve, MSN aired 30-second video ads from the entertainment and automotive industry throughout its live web cast from Times Square. The coverage allowed internet viewers to become part of the show– sending emails that were included in the web cast.
Companies are also mainstreaming online video ads because they use quantitative data to connect consumers to products and services. This is the new “golden metric” to determine ROI, according to Diane Mermigas, contributing editor to The Hollywood Reporter. “It is impossible to counter the logic that paying 28 cents for a click on Google by a targeted consumer who might engage in an electronic transaction is not preferred to paying 10 cents per reader for a national magazine print ad that might not be seen,” Mermigas writes.
Mermigas says traditional media outlets can cash in on the online action by moving consumers and advertisers to websites. In the future, look for more joint marketing sales between internet video advertising and traditional media outlets. Companies will integrate campaigns, combining online videos with TV spots run on cable networks. This naturally extends the campaign because video production costs were paid when the content was prepared for traditional media.
3.) Interactive, engaging and informative Finding your ads’ target audience is only a start, you have to lock them in to be effective, get them to engage. TV, radio and print have skinned this cat every which way for decades, but they’re still handicapped. They’re dealing with passive mediums and can’t snoop while the consumer interacts with the pitch. The truth is, they don’t know who’s paying attention or for how long! Meanwhile, customers who check out the new online video ads by Ross-Simons not only get a behind-the-scenes peek at the styles of jewelry merchant, their interaction with the ad teaches marketers what works.
Ross-Simons just launched its streaming ads on its website. They star soap opera actress Lauren Koslow of NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” and allow consumers to click on highlighted items to learn more or order the product. The videos engage customers and allow them to take action at the moment of interaction. It’s more than an advertisement– it’s a prelude to a transaction.
Shot on digital video, there is little comparison between online advertisements and their passive cousins. Programmers can blend interactive concepts with the campaigns, like hidden “Easter eggs,” flash, 3-D and high-resolution images. Many online ads include viral elements like emailing the ad to friends or allowing users to become part of the online community by posting comments on the site.
David Hallerman, senior analyst at eMarketer, said, “More than any other advertising format, internet video has the potential to blend hot marketing elements together– branded entertainment, paid search, viral marketing, consumer generated media, behavioral targeting, website brand marketing and online gaming.”
And every time a user emails an ad, clicks on an Easter egg or conducts a search, we’re learning more about our target audience. We’ll take that information and improve, giving consumers what they really want next time, and the time after that, and the time after that. The best part is that this is only the beginning.
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Posted on November 4th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
Determining the different channels on a DIRECTV Dish means determining what frequencies arrive in the IRD (integrated receiver/decoder). The DIRECTV Dish itself is made up of a dish, either oval or round and one, two or three LNB’s (low noise block converter. A DIRECTV Dish single LNB is one that receives satellite transmissions from only one orbiting satellite. The DIRECTV Dish double LNB is able to intercept signals from two different satellites. The most advanced antenna at the moment is the DIRECTV Dish triple LNB that intercepts signals from up to three different satellites at once.
DIRECTV Dish Single LNB
When we look up at the satellite dish antenna on the roof pointing up into the sky we notice that the pointer is not facing the sky, but rather, the dish itself. Why is this? Actually, the concept revolves around advanced optics. Beams. Satellite transmission and reception is all about beams. To think about it easily, think like a laser beam that starts out small, but as it picks up distance it spreads out like a giant ice cream cone (the waffle kind). The more distance, the larger the area of the circle beam will be. In essence, a beam will travel only so far, until finally, the signal looses power. In space a signal should keep traveling theoretically, and that is why we have interference in the atmosphere (beams bounce around). Sunlight is a big cause of this kind of interference. But what is important to remember is that beams bounce. The DIRECTV
Dish with one single LNB is designed so that when a satellite beams a signal in the direction of the DIRECTV Dish, it will bounce back to that pointing device called an LNB.
DIRECTV Dish Double LNB
The LNB’s used in all DIRECTV Dish antennas do the job of catching a signal that bounces off the dish, from any area that those beams from a satellite might hit the dish. As long as the dish finds itself inside that satellite’s broadcasting beam area (remember the ice cream cone) and pointed in the correct direction, the beam signal will bounce correctly and hit the LNB. But satellites stay up in the sky over the equator in an orbit called geosynchronous orbit, and point year round at one area over the earth’s surface. In the case of the DIRECTV Dish double LNB, there are two LNB’s so that if there are two satellites pointing at an area from different angles still in the general cone area of the dish), the DIRECTV Dish will catch both satellite beams. But this means pointing “between” the two orbiting satellites in geosynchronous orbit above the equator, one next to the other.
DIRECTV Dish Triple LNB
Why would you need to get transmissions from two different satellites? Doesn’t one satellite send all the channels in one beam? Not always. A single beam can capture digitally, up to some 12 to 32 different channels. The more powerful a beam the more channels it can send, but in the case of someone with 250 channels, they need to reach other satellites with different transmissions. Thus
a DIRECTV Dish triple LNB catches three different satellite beams from three different positions. In this case, each DIRECTV Satellite is next to the other and your DIRECTV Dish will point to the middle Satellite. Depending on how many channels you want and how many channels are available in a given satellite beam, one, two or three different LNB’s might offer more options for satellite transmissions. But it really does depend on your DIRECTV service and how much you pay monthly. The technician will install your DIRECTV Dish for free, and depending on the service you buy, will give you the proper DIRECTV Dish for free as well and even point it in the proper direction. “Buying a DIRECTV Dish means buying a unique service package that only comes with a service that cares about you the consumer.”
5-Room DIRECTV® System - D10 Receiver (5) / Triple LNB Dish with Professional Installation (D10) The DIRECTV® D10 newest receiver is the first to feature the user interface with the look and feel that will become standard across all future DIRECTV® receivers. * (5) RCA-THOMPSON D10
DIRECTV® Satellite Receivers (D10) * (1) DIRECTV® Approved 18″x20″ Triple LNB DIRECTV Multi-Satellite Dish Antenna capable of receiving all available DIRECTV® programming * (1)
DIRECTV® Approved 4×8 Multiswitch * Standard Professional Installation for satellite dish, multiswitch & required cabling, and activation of all five satellite receivers.
5-Room DIRECTV® System - D10 Receiver (5) / 18 Inch Dish with Professional Installation (D10) The DIRECTV® D10 newest receiver is the first to feature the user interface with the look and feel
that will become standard across all future DIRECTV® receivers. * (5) RCA-THOMPSON D10 DIRECTV® Satellite Receivers (D10) * (1) DIRECTV® Approved 18″ Round Dual LNB DIRECTV Multi-Satellite Dish
Antenna capable of receiving 101W and 119W DIRECTV® programming * (1) DIRECTV® Approved 3×8 Multiswitch * Standard Professional Installation for satellite dish, multiswitch & required cabling, and activation of all five satellite receivers.
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Posted on November 4th, 2008 — in Information Parlor
Do you have the people skill needed to handle difficult people? Best selling author, Peter Urs Bender http://www.peterursbender.com/ has come up with four basic personality types. Based on the fact that you really can’t understand someone who’s being difficult, until you can see the world through his or her eyes, here are the four basic types:
1. The Analytical person:
Give this person details, statistics and a stack of ‘how-to’ books. This person wants exact numbers and answers. Usually introverted; in a problem situation don’t try and plead an emotional case - stick to the facts and provide plenty of data to back it up!
2. The Driver:
‘My way or the highway’ might be this person’s motto. They want to know what saves time and the fastest way to get results. Not overly emotional, this personality type is extraverted. Greatest fear? Losing control.
3. The Amiable person:
The question they want answered is ‘why?’ This person doesn’t like disagreements. An emotional type, the amiable person will give others support and attention. They enjoy building relationships and values the opinions of others. In a conflict situation the amiable person needs reassurance - and lots of it.
4. The Expressive:
The question they are likely to want answered is ‘who?’ A pat on the back is a good thing to this person and they love social events. Another extravert, this type fears being rejected. The expressive shows emotion easily and readily and loves to inspire others.
So to use your people skill to work with different personalities, you don’t necessarily want to use the golden rule. You want to do to others what THEY would like done to them. The only way to really know what that would entail is to really listen to that person.
It may take some time to establish the personality trait that seems to fit the person you are dealing with the most. Nevertheless, it will be time well spent.
Probably the hardest part comes next. You will want to adopt their ways. Let’s say you are the Amiable type and want to develop your people skills with a certain Driver individual. If you’ve taken the time to really understand that the driver needs to feel that he or she is getting the problem resolved their way, you’ll have a better chance at reaching an agreement.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a ‘let people walk all over me’ people skill set. This is more about a shift in our own personality patterns towards someone else’s.
Peter Urs Bender wants us to remember that there are no difficult people, only different ones. He goes on to guarantee that his approach, albeit needing enough courage to change, always pays off.
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Posted on November 3rd, 2008 — in Information Parlor
If you’re in the market for a new cellphone, now is a great time to go shopping. Cellular carriers and resellers are constantly offering special offers. Some companies offer free cellphones (after rebates), calling plans with thousands of minutes, etc.
With all these ads, where do you start? You can go to a local wireless store and see the latest makes and models. You can also research a variety of cellphones on the Internet. If you go to a wireless store, be prepared to spend some time, energy, and gas.
If you want to shop from home or the office, and avoid any sales hassles, you can shop for a new cellphone on the Internet. You’ll save time, money, and gas, and possibly get a better deal on a new cellphone.
Three factors will determine how much you will pay for a new cellphone: 1.) PRICE, 2.) FEATURES, and 3.) CALLING PLAN.
If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to pay anything up front for a cellphone, look for cellphone offers with instant rebates. The instant rebate amount is deducted from the cellphone’s purchase price when you order.
If the cellphone you want costs some money up front, look for cellphone offers with mail-in rebates. You’ll pay the purchase price of the cellphone when you order, and receive a mail-in rebate coupon.
Some cellphone offers promote rebates as much as $100.00 or more. Mail-in rebate checks can take several weeks to arrive, and they’re great if you don’t mind waiting for them. If and when you get a rebate check, it’s like getting cash back. For example, if your cellphone’s purchase price was $100.00, and you receive a $100.00 rebate check, your cost after the rebate is zero.
Cellphones with few features cost less than cellphones with advanced features. If you just want to make calls, you don’t need a cellphone with advanced features. If you’re going to take pictures, download videos, music, and e-mails, you’ll need a high-end model with advanced features like a QWERTY keyboard, camera, large video display, MP3 player, and more.
The last and most important factor is the calling plan. Plans differ from carrier to carrier and you have to decide which plan is best for you. Think how you will be using the phone regularly before choosing a plan. You should estimate how many minutes you will use each day during peak hours, which are typically from 6am-9pm, Monday to Friday. For example, if you can limit your talk time to 30 minutes a day, that comes out to approximately 600 minutes per month.
To get the best deal, look for a plan with the lowest monthly rate and the most minutes per month. Get a plan with more minutes than you’ll need to avoid costly overage charges. Monthly rates of some plans offering the same number of minutes per month could vary. Make sure to look for a plan that offers free long distance, weeknight, and weekend calls. This plan allows you to talk nationwide for a long time at night and on weekends.
If your relatives, friends, and co-workers use the same carrier, you might want to select that carrier. Some carriers offer unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to other people on the same network or other money-saving features for free or a flat fee.
Some plans don’t offer certain cellphone models, and not all plans are available in all areas. If the plan you choose doesn’t offer the cellphone model you want, search for other cellphones that are offered by the plan. The cellphone you want may be offered by another plan from the same carrier or by a plan from a different carrier.
Great cellphone deals are out there, if you take the time and effort to look for them.
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