A Nintendo Wii Videogame Helped Me Lose Weight

When I decided a few years back to lose a couple of pounds, I turned to my cousin who said he had dropped 20 pounds in two months and had a great time doing so. He said he had bought a Nintendo Wii and started playing some of the games the system offered.

One Nintendo Wii videogame in particular proved to be the most valuable when it came to my weight loss goals, and it was the same one he had started with when he was trying to lose weight ó the Wii Fit videogame.

Essentially, it comes with a balance board feature that determines a person’s body mass index and Wii Fit age. The goal of the game is basically to get into better shape through about 40 different exercises that help you to burn calories and lose weight but are also fun to do.

When I first heard about the idea of becoming fit from a Nintendo Wii videogame, I was very skeptical. I had always felt that exercise involved going to the gym or running around the block. If you were not doing something grueling and sweating profusely, it didn’t seem like you were really getting the workout you needed.

What I soon discovered, however, was that I was losing weight and getting healthier, and I actually looked forward to playing the game. You have a variety of activities that you can do, which are divided into four categories: strength training, aerobics, yoga, and balance games. It never gets dull, because there are so many activities from which to choose.

Another great feature about this particular Nintendo Wii videogame is that it allows other people to compete with you. We actually set the game up to where my wife and children all play together, get a great work out in and have a ball in the process.

I really couldn’t ask for more, because I am losing weight, getting into better shape, providing a good example for my children and having a great time in the process. I have even found that my children will invite their friends over to play, and they have a lot of fun. To them, it is not exercise; they are just having a good time playing a video game with their friends.

I honestly never thought that a Nintendo Wii videogame would change my life to such a degree as Wii Fit has, but I can honestly say that I am in much better shape than when I first bought it. I’ve lost 30 pounds and have more energy, and can say with complete certainty that it was one of the best purchases I have ever made.

A secure network for a small business is no small matter, so what’s to be done?

Small businesses normally have a small network staff, perhaps a well-rounded computer person who seems to know about every aspect of computing and networks, someone to whom you can entrust your system, and your network security. If you’re such a person, or in charge of such a person or small IT staff, you’ll want to be certain that your network is truly protected.

The reasons are obvious: information theft and software corruption. This is especially important if your systems are exposed to the internet, which, of course, most are. There is an abundance of infiltrators out there trying to get into your data, maybe into your accounting system or bank accounts. Then there’s the possibility of identity theft, the theft of your employees social security numbers, for instance. These infiltrators are ingenious and are constantly seeking new ways to get in.

They know that a small business, probably not having a person or unit solely dedicated to network security, is the easier target among businesses. They know that most small businesses buy ready-made network systems, systems that you or your staff may be competent to install, but not necessarily competent to secure. A small business is prime pickings.

Networked systems out-of-the-box will claim security is guaranteed because getting into the system requires a password. Did you know that there are programs that can figure out your passwords?

These run at terrific speeds, trying every possible combination of characters, starting with those most often used. Your best bet is to enforce a password policy that requires some odd combination of characters. For instance, you could require all passwords to have at least one numeral in them.

You could also require lengthy passwords. These take a lot longer to crack. There is also the normal protection of allowing a user only three tries before breaking connection. The cracker has to keep re-connecting to try new combinations. It’s a good policy if you want passwords an be and effective network security technique.

A common security hole in small businesses is the trust you must place in your employees. Sure, they’re okay when you’re paying them, but after they leave, well, watch out for some of them at least. Security is constantly compromised by ex-employees who have taken passwords with them. They are able to get into your systems in a variety of ways, or they can simply let others know how to get into them. When an employee leaves, as that employee is walking out the door, this access should be stopped, his passwords changed, or his account(s) removed. Don’t forget to cut off email access as well.

Small business network security also means that you’ve configured your systems when they are installed. Most out-of-the-package systems come with all doors open, especially firewalls. Be forward-looking: to hire a systems person who has a good knowledge of firewalls. Don’t trust the vendors assurance. Close those doors.

Also, make sure you, or your staff, is doing everything to prevent virus infection. It’s an epidemic! About 1200 new ones come up every month; your installed anti-virus software may not recognize them. Keep anti-virus software up to date, limit downloading, and layer your security so that each layer, network and LAN, email and individual workstations, have anti-virus software.

Because network security is so important to your business, and there are other considerations, strategies, and techniques to secure your network, perhaps the best approach is to find a good network security consultant, have them study out your systems, and provide recommendations. They may be worth the cost, but if they’re any good, you’ll never know it, because you wont have a security breach. Ironic.

The Migration to VoIP calling.

Communication is important to everyone and especially to businesses. The need for a cheap and easy form of communication has brought about the integration of fax, email and recently use of VoIP calls. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) works just like your normal landline.

VoIP uses the internet to transmit voice, data and video traffic. Thus, VoIP calls have brought about a new revolution in cheap communication methods over long distances and in some cases, these calls can be made at absolutely no cost. As you can see, this form of communication is not only ideal for businesses, but for anyone looking for alternatives to a cheaper mode of communication.

However, VoIP calls offer more than just a cheap means of communication. With VoIP, you can conduct meetings and presentations with a number of people or even close deals with customers much faster than before. In addition, via a webcam or a videophone, you get to see who you are talking to.

VoIP calls can also be made and received anywhere on the planet as long as there is an internet connection. This allows for important business opportunities and emergencies to take place despite long distances. In almost all ways, VoIP calls prove to be superior to traditional phone calls.

Effective VoIP calls require that your internet connection be both stable and fast. When one of these is missing, any calls made via the internet will have delays or will result in dropped calls. This is an important consideration, especially when you are trying to make a sale. While a one-second delay may not seem like much, it can make a difference as to whether you get a ëyesí or a ënoí from the other party when it comes to a business transaction.

One of the best VoIP calls services is the one that is relayed over the 3G data network. This type of connection requires no PC, no WiFi connection or any additional kit. Some mobile operators have also integrated a VoIP element to their services that allows them to offer cheaper calling rates in addition to introducing new revenue streams. All in all, VoIP calling is transforming the global communications matrix by creating a single converged network that carries both voice and data on the same protocol. Many companies are rushing to migrate and many more are helping make the move. VoIP calls will continue to get cheaper and better. Have you made the move yet?

Using Major Search Engines.

Searching for information, people, or places is probably one of the most common things that people do on the Internet. You may spend time on social networks, playing games, and sending emails, but you probably search for something using major search engines at least once or twice a day, if not more.

If you want information, the Internet may be one of your first stops. In order to get what you need, and to know you are getting information that you can trust, there are some things you can do and some guidelines that you should keep in mind.

Most of the major search engines work in the same way, but you may get different results for each one. The key to finding what you want is to use the right words when you search. These are called keywords.

These words are what the search engines use to see what documents, pictures, or news items you want to see. Choosing the right or wrong words can mean finding what you need and feeling lost in the results you are given. You also want to be sure you get web sites with good information versus sites that offer you filler material.

The keywords that you use determine what you find through the major search engines. In order to get the right results, you want to make sure you use the right words. Think about starting a conversation with someone that you know. You want to get this information from them, but you only have a few minutes to talk to them. What would you say to them to get the quickest answer? Usually that helps you decide the major point you want to research. Use these words to find the information you want on the Internet.

Many people use just one or even two words when searching for data to help them with their questions. One word will usually bring up too many results that are not related to what you want. Two words is better, but not always the answer. Sometimes you need three or even four. Are you worried about your cat’s health? Go to some of the major search engines and type in ‘cat’ to see what you get to come up. Then type in ‘cat illness’ to see the results get better. To get even better results, type in ‘common cat illnesses’ and see what you get.

While you are figuring out how to use the right words to get what you want, also learn how to judge a web site. You can find great information about cars in many places, but you have to be more selective about the results you seek through major search engines when you want medical information.

Some web sites are going to give you better information than others, and some sites are going to be dangerous. For serious issues that can affect your health and your life, be more choosy. Otherwise, read what you find and see how much sense it makes and how many other places can back up what you just read.

The New Government Plan to Bring Broadband Services to the Countryside.

George Bush always had more time to devote to getting wardrobe malfunctions off TV than bringing up America’s access to “the Internets” to the standards the rest of the world enjoys. Now that a little more sense seems to prevail in the government, the FCC has drawn up its vision for pulling the country up into the 21st century. And it envisions Internet access as the main method the country communicates – not television, and not the telephone. Just the Internet. Not that such a great industry shake-up is going to go down easily. A new plan like this is bound to get the established majors all worked up for how it challenges their positions in the business. According to the new plan, the government will be completely focused on bringing broadband services to the countryside, rural parts of the country that don’t have access right now.

The government also plans to set off the development of a new kind of set-top box that will do it all for remote places – cable, Internet, and anything else. Rural areas are also going to get better cell phone services. These plans could not come a day sooner; fully one third of all Americans have no access to broadband services. Still, each one of these plans is going to be fought out tooth and nail as the established players come to feel threatened. What use is it that the country that gave the world the Internet, most of modern computer technology and most of the world’s greatest software, doesn’t have the means to take it to the large parts of its own land?

The average speed of individual broadband services in the country is about 1.3 Mbps. The FCC wants to raise that to 100  Mbps for a third of the nation, over the next ten years. And it wants to reserve a large part of the wireless spectrum for the experimental technologies of the future. The government feels that pretty soon, rural areas will be able to access great online learning materials on tap. With information so widely available, they feel it will put America back on top. Most of the country can’t wait for it to happen. Google for instance has a plan to wire several cities in the country with such ultra-high-speed broadband access already. There are cities across America that are trying to bob up into Google’s line of sight to get on Google’s list – several of those cities are renaming themselves to be called Google City.

Right now in America, we need to pay about $30 a month for the miserable 1.3 Mbps we get. Over in Japan, the same money will buy you 8Mbps and it’s even higher than that in South Korea. All the cable and telecom operators in this country, when they laid down their fiber optics, earned valuable tax breaks for their investment in the country’s infrastructure. If they can’t use it for the betterment of the country now, if they can only use their investments to overcharge and underserve the country in broadband services, the government should just obtain eminent domain – the government order that private property be sold to it for the betterment of the country.

Free Software is better than whatever!
What’s better than free? Free love, free food, free land, and, best of all, free software. There’s free and then there’s the best free. That’s what you’re after when bringing software into your system, the best free software possible.
This software will simply and perfectly perform the functions you expect it to perform, what it claims it will perform. These functions might be part of the critical operations of your system as used by you, functions you often have to perform to get your work done. If free software cannot realize the functions you expected from it, it’s really free junkware and should be avoided.

Of course, if it’s free, you save money. The nice thing about free software is that you can test it without purchasing and discarded it if it fails to work without feeling the bite because, well, it’s free. For you, a positive indicator that the software will prove reliable is the availability and extent of software support. The best free software will always provide product support. This is good news for engineers, programmers, data base managers, all who fear free software will take away their jobs: all will continue to have valid roles in the method of intelligent human control of automated systems. The ship will require its crew.

Justly reciprocating, the free software creator will give it a life of it’s own; it will become, like an Adobe, or a Firefox, that is, an honorable, free, standards-based software package with pride of position, first in support, dedicated to solving the problem rather than fixing the blame. If it’s that good, maybe the provider might ask for voluntary donations.

The best source for information on free software is the world renown PC Magazine. This magazine has been the premier source for all things PC since the PC hit the markets. In one of their compilations of best free software, they determined that if you bought the same software they listed as free, you would be paying about $5,183 for the complete set. That’s a couple of new desktops at today’s prices, and some fancy laptops too. The smart money is on seeking the best free software before paying for what might in fact be the worst.

The all time greatest free software packages are well known and ubiquitous. You can expect to find Adobe Reader, for instance, on nearly ever PC you come across. It’s PDF format is a standard web document format, and with the plugin, you can use the reader in your browser and take Adobe to new heights.
Of course, for top quality, best free software for the office, no other can compete with OpenOffice. Many prefer it to Microsoft’s equivalent office suite. It has a professional word processor with all the capabilities you expect out of a commercially viable writer, a sophisticated spreadsheet, a graphics designer, a presentation tool to rival Microsoft’s ìPowerpointî, and a data base package to rival its ìMS Accessî database. There’s everything there for a new or small business and the savings are astounding.

That’s just a few of the free software out there. PC Magazine can tell you all about it.