Posted by Carl on Aug 18, 2009 in
Good Going
You may have seen in the news that the NHS has opened up a dedicated telephone line for people who are feeling stressed about the credit crunch. 0300 123 2000 is the number for the Credit Crunch Stressline for people to call who are worried about job security and redundancy or stressed about debt or financial problems. The line is open 7 days a week between 8am and 10pm and callers will speak with health advisers who will offer practical advice and point people in the direction of useful online resources.
Here are 10 reasons why the NHS Stressline is an 0300 number:
1. 0300 numbers, like all 03 numbers, meet the needs of the public as they cost the same to call as 01/02 numbers – even from a mobile.
2. The public trust 0300 numbers as they are exclusively for public sector organisations.
3. Organisations can deal with callers more efficiently, gain valuable information about their specific 03 number and ensure all calls are answered by the right person, first time.
4. It’s possible to record calls to a 0300 number.
5. 0300 numbers can easily move with the organisation if it relocates.
6. Organisations can control where they receive their calls, by rerouting their 03 number to any UK landline or even a mobile phone easily via the web/phone.
7. It’s possible to see the geographic location of callers and the busy periods of the organisation using online call statistics packages.
8. Callers can be queued, meaning that all important calls will be answered.
9. There is an extensive range of easy to remember 03 numbers available as they are still relatively new.
10. They can often be inexpensive to run if you seek out the provider with the most competitive offering in the market.
Many other UK organisations are now using 03 numbers, including Oxfam, the National Blood Service and Metropolitan Police. The above reasons should serve to illustrate some of the main reasons why.
Posted by Carl on Aug 18, 2009 in
Good Going
Almost 15 million pixels go into the CCD of the Powershot G10 CCD. And those pixels give you an outstanding image quality, plus an amazing choice of cropping options with the final image.
Unlike, say the Canon A590IS model, which is geared to amateurs, the Powershot G10 is very much a prosumer model. The list of features alone make that clear.
Featuring a wide angle lens of 28 m.m. and couples that with a 5x zoom. Optical Image Stabilisation keeps the image sharp even when using the long end of the zoom – very important for anyone who can’t hand-hold a camera as steadily as before. The image stabilisation feature should mean that more of your shots will come out sharp.
The lcd monitor is a 3.0-inch Pure Color LCD II screen. That makes it much easier to line up your shots – no more squinting to see what’s on the screen. If you’ve never used a large L.C.D. monitor digital camera before then you’ll be astonished at just how much easier it makes life. The Canon Powershot offers a really beautiful display.
Canon have also added their DIGIC 4 image processor. Digic4 offers faster operation and enhanced image quality – something everyone will enjoy.
Don’t forget that a camera needs some food and a camera that has extremely high resolution is going to need a lot of memory card to store its images. That’s where cards like the sandisk 8gb sdhc secure digital card or the transcend 8gb sdhc card are so useful. An 8gb card will store a useful number of hi-res images and allow you to keep shooting for longer.
The Canon Powershot G10 is a stunning example of engineering and design.
For most people it will be a more practical and a better alternative to an SLR. It’s certainly not the smallest digital ‘compact’ on the market, it’s probably the best specified and ergonomically designed cameras available today.
Posted by Carl on Aug 18, 2009 in
Good Going
Mastering engineers have thousands of recording and mixing techniques to make top notch CD’s and Albums. CD Mastering is one of the best kept secrets of the best mastering engineers today. Since most everything is recorded in the digital realm, top studios will do something called layback mastering. This is where the digital signal is put back to an analog version so it can be mastered through original analog processors, though a lot of times it is also recorded to an two-track machine in order to get the fatness that analog tape gives to the sound. It also takes the harshness away from digital recordings, and can round out the low end giving the low frequencies that rich analog sound.
Layback CD mastering will often cost a bit more than basic all digital mastering, since it takes more time and there are the costs for the analog tape, but for serious projects, it can be the end step in accomplishing the top quality for the album. Since digital recordings can seem more brittle to many people because no matter how loud the signal gets, digital gives you accurate yet flat reproduction. Analog tape, however, softens as the DB increases in level, so high-ends are rounded instead of clipping, which becomes a warm, rich sound as the harmonic series is balanced out. This is much more very pleasing. In addition, a hotter input sound will create a bigger effect. As the top ranges soften up first, this means that as the signal goes up, the highs naturally soften up, resulting in a less harsh, much better recording. This is the beauty of the Layback mastering process.
There are different mastering houses around the world that have the tools to do analog mastering, however, it also necessitates you have an engineer with the track record to get the best end product possible with the equipment. I’ve tried out a few mastering houses and one of incredible sounding is www.stevethomasmastering.com. He is a top CD mastering engineer, yet he also has done thousands of albums as a mixing engineer as well. But his quality is similar to some of the most pricey mastering studios in the world. If you already have someone you’re using there’s nothing wrong with that. But, I would really encourage you to look him up. You won’t be disappointed!
Posted by Carl on Aug 18, 2009 in
Good Going
I hate speeding tickets but I love driving. While driving in general is not that exciting, driving fast is. There seems to be a problem with it called speeding tickets. Nothing can alter your driving mood like the infamous traffic ticket. That’s why I pay much attention to fighting traffic tickets.
I got a speeding ticket once off the Oregon Coast for going 65 in a 30mph zone. Unfair I tell you. I am not the only person who has gotten one of those “infractions” for speed limit signs that are unfairly posted; such was the case on a road trip with my friend a while back. You need some knowledge on speeding tickets how to to handle this.
If a speedometer on a car reads up to 120mph, why make a speed limit at 65mph on the freeway? They want you to speed so they can make their money. I think cops get off making you feel stupid by asking you why they pulled you over. Or they think you are dumb enough to admit you’re guilty before you have a chance to defend yourself. They force you to learn how to get out of a speeding ticket.
Fight speeding tickets by sticking it to the man! A hundred dollar speeding ticket is just a disguise for the real cost. Inevitably you always get scheduled to appear in court during working hours so that you continue to lose money. Now your $100 dollar ticket has magically turned into a $200 plus ticket. There is nothing good associated with speeding tickets. So I am an advocate for contesting speeding tickets every time.
Of course if you are a girl you have a better change at getting a warning then a full on ticket, well that is if you are lucky enough to get pulled over by a man cop. True story, I was driving down some road in Arizona and I got pulled over for passing on a double yellow, in front on coming traffic, which just happened to be a light green cop car, going 90 in a 35, with a Washington driver’s license, a car registered in California, and insurance in Arizona!
Now I would like to say that I got off with a warning because I was all jazzed up that day, but I would have to say for all those offenses which were pretty obvious, that I got off because he could not prove that I was speeding. I mean, he did not have radar so he could not have been able to pace me and there were no air cops either so he really did not have anything for his defense.
After reading this book I found on contesting speeding tickets, in hind sight I can say it was defiantly the lack of evidence that got me off the hook, not my smile. I have not gotten that lucky all the time but now I know I have a reliable defense when it comes to getting my tickets reduced or thrown out.
I am not likely to get that lucky again and my driving record is not exactly good, so I have to pay fortune to keep my car insured and I cannot stand driving school. When a light turns yellow, what does it mean? Good gosh it is like being in elementary school again. Besides I know the traffic laws I just have a problem when it comes to obeying them.
Obviously to avoid speeding tickets you probably should not speed, but 1. I cannot stand being behind some old man with an oxygen tank in the back of his car; and 2. Most speed limits are too slow. I got a speeding ticket in an alley once for going 10 mph. Gimmi a break! My Grandma can walk faster than that.
In short, contesting the infamous speeding ticket is easy if you know where to find the information you need to beat it.