April 2006 Archives

A recent survey conducted by J.D. Power and Associates shows that BellSouth ranks number 1 in customer satisfaction for business local and long distance phone service consumers. The J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Voice Services Study(SM) measures satisfaction among small, midsize and large business customers in the United States with both local and long distance service. Companies were judged in several categories, including performance and reliability; billing; cost of service; sales representatives/account executives; offerings and promotions; company image; and customer service.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the preeminent consumer technology trade association, has developed a Web site to help consumers hook up their home theater systems: The CEA Connections Guide. The interactive guide lets you select which equipment you wish to hook up (e.g. DVR, Set-top box, TV, etc.). It then asks you to choose which components are available on all the equipment you had previously selected (e.g. S-Video, Component Video, etc.). At this point, you will be able to choose which equipment connection instructions you wish to view. Now that you have a detailed guide, hooking up your home theater system should be smooth sailing.

There are several items that have been deemed too dangerous to move. Professional movers will not move items that are flammable, corrosive or explosive, and you should not move these hazardous materials either. You can look at this hazardous materials list to see examples of items that you shouldn't move. Before packing, you should ask your professional mover for a complete list of items that they will not move to make sure you are compliant with their regulations.

Now, people who fraudulently obtain phone records would be subject to up to 20 years in prison, according to new legislation passed Tuesday. According to the article, House Bill Cracks Down on Phone Crimes, the legislation doles out the harshest penalties to those who deceptively acquire phone records to commit violent crimes, like stalking or domestic violence. The bill protects VoIP, landline and cellular providers.

Verizon Local Phone Service has several features that can be included with your local calling plan: Unlimited Long Distance, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Home Voice Mail and more. Verizon can offer you several customized services including Local Phone Freedom Packages, Verizon Long Distance and Verizon DSL  High Speed Internet.

After much deliberation, the new telecommunications bill was passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday. The bill contains important provisions regarding regulation for pay-TV services. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, "if the legislation becomes law, AT&T and Verizon will be allowed to gain a statewide license to offer television service, bypassing the current regulation for cable operators that requires them to obtain such access by negotiating with individual cities and counties."

Although the bill itself passed, an amendment to the bill that would have helped cement net neutrality was rejected. To read more about the amendment, you can read House Committee Rejects Net Neutrality Amendment.

Everyone from your mother-in-law to your neighbor has tips on how to pack for a move. If you want to check out suggestions on how to pack from professionals, you can read the article Pack Like a Pro. The article gives you tips and tricks on how to pack well, especially if you are packing boxes that a professional mover will be moving. Before you start packing, you should check out this article to avoid headaches on moving day.

Last week, XM's Opus and Anthony were removed from DIRECTV's lineup "in an effort to move its XM radio service to a 100 percent commercial-free music format," according to a press release from DIRECTV. But, due to numerous requests from fans, DIRECTV has decided to bring the radio show back to the DIRECTV lineup. Dan Fawcett, executive vice president, Programming Acquisition, DIRECTV, Inc. said that "the uproar from fans, pleading with us to put Opie & Anthony back on the air, was deafening to say the least."

DIRECTV's subscription plans include XM radio stations along with the satellite television service. With DIRECTV TOTAL CHOICE(R) programming package, subscribers have access to 50 XM Satellite Radio's music channels. DIRECTV customers subscribing to the DIRECTV TOTAL CHOICE(R) Plus programming package and above have access to more than 68 channels. DIRECTV PARA TODOS(R) subscribers have access to the same XM channels, as well as five additional Latin music channels. 

If you order from DIRECTV now, you get:

• Free month our most popular package (just activate the TOTAL CHOICE(R) PLUS Package for $49.99/mo.)
• Free standard professional installation of a four-room DIRECTV System
• Free DVR or HD Receiver Lease Upgrade after a $100 mail-in rebate

This offer is available on approved credit. Go to WhiteFence to see additional details and requirements.

According to a study from the Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG), 43 percent of consumers say that they live in a household that currently receives a "bundle" of TV, phone or Internet services from a single company. This is up 10% from a study conducted last year.

The report also found that cable subscribers that receive their service in a bundle are about 5 percent less likely to switch from their cable provider than subscribers who do not have their cable service in a bundle. You can view the LRG press release Consumers are Increasingly Likely to be in "Bundles" to find out more about the study.

You probably didn't need a survey to tell you that the Internet is important in Americans' everyday lives. But just in case you didn't realize how important, a survey recently done by Pew Internet & American Life Project reveals that more and more people are turning to the Internet to help in life's major moments. In their memo on the survey, the researchers state that over the three-year period from January 2002 to March 2005, "Internet use grew by:

54% in the number of adults who said the Internet played a major role as they helped another person cope with a major illness. And the number of those who said the Internet played a major role as they coped themselves with a major illness increased 40%.

50% in the number who said the internet played a major role as they pursued more training for their careers.

45% in the number who said the Internet played a major role as they made major investment or financial decisions.

43% in the number who said the Internet played a major role when they looked for a new place to live.

42% in the number who said the Internet played a major role as they decided about a school or a college for themselves or their children.

23% in the number who said the Internet played a major role when they bought a car.

14% in the number who said the Internet played a major role as they switched jobs."

If you would like to view the report, you can go to this PDF document of the report, The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments.

You can get phone service plans from a variety of the top phone service providers from WhiteFence, including the AT&T Personal Choice(SM) plan, which was designed for privacy and control along with the convenience and flexibility necessary in today's active households. The AT&T Personal Choice Plan includes Unlimited Flat Rate, Caller ID and InLine®. It also includes your choice of two of the following features:

• Call Waiting
• Three-Way Calling
• Speed Calling 8
• Auto Redial
• Call Return
• Call Forwarding
• Call Waiting ID
• Call Blocker
• Privacy Manager®.

If a consumer wants to get long distance phone service from AT&T as well, they can sign up for the ALL DISTANCE® Select, which includes all the services of the AT&T Personal Choice plan, as well as unlimited nationwide, direct-dialed long distance phone service.

I'm sure you've heard that VoIP can save you lots of money in telecommunication cost, but did you know that VoIP inadvertently helps out phishers? In a current scam, phishers are sending emails to individuals asking them to dial a number and enter in personal information to get to their financial information
In the article Phishing Attacks Cast Shadow over VoIP, Cloudmark, a provider of messaging security solutions, warns that "VoIP services can reduce the costs associated with conducting such attacks, providing the perpetrators with less risk of discovery." By using new technologies, Cloudmark has been able to identify and block these "spoofed-number attacks."

The lengths that these phishers are willing to go to deceive individuals is amazing. Adam J. O'Donnell, Ph.D., senior research scientist at Cloudmark, is quoted in the article as saying:

"We've seen two separate VoIP attacks hit our network this week, the first we've been able to analyze in detail. In these attacks, the target receives an email, ostensibly from their bank, telling them there is an issue with their account and to dial a number to resolve the problem." Callers are then connected over VoIP to a PBX (private branch exchange) running an IVR system that sounds exactly like their own bank's phone tree, directing them to specific extensions. In a VoIP phishing attack, the phone system identifies itself to the target as the financial institution and prompts them to enter account number and PIN. The result can be personally financially devastating."

According to the article Direct Energy to buy Entergy unit's ERCOT accounts for $30 mil, UK-based Centrica's Direct Energy will be spending a lot of money on Entergy Solutions' retail customer accounts. In the deal, Direct Energy will be getting more than 100,000 residential and commercial customers in the Houston and Dallas areas.

Ever wondered how Netflix decided on the design for their current envelope? Well, apparently others did as well. In the article The evolution of the Netflix envelope, author G. Paschal Zachary discovered it was only after years of changing their envelope that Netfilx settled on their current style. The article includes a detailed photo gallery that charts the evolution of their envelope. 

Have you been looking for information about your state's utility regulations? You should look at your state's public utility Web site to find out about utilities in your state. This site on the Consumer Action Website lists street address and Websites for all 50 states' public utility commissions.

According to the article Cable:Telcos no threat, although telecommunications companies efforts to penetrate the cable market may not be considered a threat, cable companies are a bit worried that Wall Street is too concerned about the potential loss of video revenues. These subjects were discussed thoroughly at the recent National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) Show. Though cable executives spent much of their time saying telecommunications efforts into the media market were more hype than substance, they did concede that any uncertainty in the market may lead to problems on Wall Street.

In accordance with Chinese regulations, Skype in China is being censored. Skype chief executive Niklas Zennstrom confirmed that conversations about the Dalai Lama, the banned Falun Gong spiritual group and other sensitive topics have been censored by Tom Online, Skype's Chinese partner. Rick Tehrani, the author of the article China Censors Skype, writes that this censorship brings up a larger issue, that of how far will the Chinese government go to censor communication as new technologies allows for increased ways for people across the world to communicate. For more information about this subject, you can read Tehrani's article or the article Internet phone firm Skype says Chinese partner filtering text messages; defends censorship.

Graceba Total Communications is a local family-owned and operated business that provides cable television, high speed Internet and phone service in the Wiregrass area (Dothan, Kinsey, Webb, Cowarts, Avon, Ashford, Cottonwood and Gordon) in Alabama. If you are a resident in these areas, you can now get Graceba Total Communications cable and high speed Internet services through WhiteFence.

Want to see how DIRECTV compares to DISH Network? DIRECTV is the nation's leading digital multi-channel television service provider. Some of DIRECTV's features include:

• Packages start as low as $44.99 for over 135 channels.
• Offers local channels in 92 percent of U.S. households, and is launching additional markets in the near future.
• Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) are available for a small monthly fee in addition to the programming. DVRs enable subscribers to record programs and edit commercials as often as the customer needs to do so.
• All programming is digital in quality.
• Offers an exclusive NFL package.

No matter which of these satellite providers offers you found to be more impressive, you can get either of the through WhiteFence. You can also use the WhiteFence comparison engine to further compare DIRECTV and DISH Network's features.

Comcast and Scene It?(R) are teaming together to create customized Video on Demand (VOD) programming. Now, you can order the Harry Potter-themed version of Scene It? through Comcast's VOD service. The game release coincided with Comcast's VOD release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  Comcast Digital Cable customers can select the Harry Potter edition of Scene It? On Demand in the "Free Movies" section of the ON DEMAND menu - there's no additional charge to play, and no boards or game pieces are necessary.

Since beginning to offer Scene It? trivia games in February, the Scene It? interactive games have quickly become one of the most popular original programs on Comcast ON DEMAND. You can read this Comcast press release to find out more about the Scene It? games available through Comcast.

You have several choices when it comes to your satellite television provider. As the lowest all-digital TV price in America, DISH Network is one of the first that should come to mind.

DISH Network's features include:

• Packages start as low as $34.99 for 60 channels of programming.
• All programs are 100 percent digital quality.
• DISH Network offers Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) with all receivers and packages at no additional charge to new customers.
• Dish Network local channels throughout most major U.S. cities.
• Dish Network's customer service is handled entirely in-house and is of very high quality compared to the industry standard.

But what about the nation's leading digital multi-channel television service provider, DIRECTV? How does DIRECTV stack up against such stiff competition? I will post a list of DIRECTV's features tomorrow and let you decide.

Now that the hard date has been set for the switch to Digital Television, consumers need to be educated about digital television (DTV) and how the DTV switch will affect their lives. Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) has decided to partner in this effort. According to a CEA press release, CEA President and CEO Gary Shapiro said:

"We are excited and pleased to partner with NCTA to undertake this important effort. Digital and high-definition television (HDTV) continue to capture the imagination of consumers across the nation. Indeed, CEA forecasts that this year sales of HDTV sets will outpace sales of analog TVs. With a hard date set for the end of analog broadcasting, we are now in the home stretch to completing this historic transition. As we continue on this journey, all industries involved have a responsibility to educate consumers about this exciting new era in television. To this end, we will combine our award-winning experience in DTV consumer education with cable's creativity and broad reach to help ensure consumers have easy access to quality information about this transition."

Though the details of the campaign still are being developed, efforts likely will include: public service announcements, enhanced retailer sales force education, outreach via on demand services, bilingual education and comprehensive cable customer communication.

Cramming is when you are charged for services on your monthly telephone bill that you did not actually incur. Some terms for charges on your phone bill that might indicate that you are being crammed include:

• "service fee"
  
• "service charge"
• "other fees"
• "voicemail"
• "calling plan"
• "psychic"
• "membership"

Other generic terms also may indicate cramming; however, if you have authorized such services, these terms might indicate legitimate charges.

To avoid being crammed, you should:

• Carefully review your bill every month.
• If you see a charge on your bill that you don't recognize, ask whoever charged you the fee to explain the fee. You should check even for small charges, as most crammers try to stay unnoticed by only charging small fees.
• You should keep a list of all services you authorized, as well as any numbers that you have called that incur a fee, so that you will be able to check your list against your phone bill.

For more information on deceptive charges, you can view the FCC's Web page on cramming.

Frontier is one of the nation's largest independent telecommunications providers offering Local, Long Distance, and Internet Access services in 24 states over 2.4 million access lines. Through WhiteFence, you can currently get Frontier local phone service in parts of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.

In BellSouth's first quarter earnings release, it was announced that the BellSouth/DIRECTV package added 105,000 customers during the first quarter. BellSouth has been the most successful telecom venture for DIRECTV as they have contributed 628,000 new subscribers to DIRECTV via its service that bundles the satellite TV offering along with DSL and voice.

As Stephanie mentioned in a previous post, most people are assuming that DIRECTV will be replaced by Echostar's Dish Network once the AT&T acquisition of BellSouth is complete, which is expected to occur in 2007.  Echostar has been a longtime partner of SBC, the predecessor company of AT&T.  By the close of the acquisition, BellSouth will likely have over one million DIRECTV customers. Those one million households will be a huge "swing vote" in the initial primaries of the latest reincarnation of the video wars. Dish Network is best positioned to capture those one million subscribers.

Just because you want to change your cell phone provider doesn't mean your number has to change. According to the FCC's "local number portability" (LNP) rules, you can keep your cell phone number as long as you are switching to another provider in the same geographic area as your current provider. If you want to keep your old number, there is a simple process to follow:

• Do not cancel your service with your current provider before initiating service with your prospective cell phone provider.
• Contact the provider you want to switch to and tell them that you would like to switch to their service. They will begin to port your number.

Before changing your wireless provider, you should check your contract to see if you will be required to pay an early termination fee. You may also have to pay a porting fee. If you want more information, you can check out this FCC Web site on how to keep your wireless phone number.

Can you imagine not having electricity, telephones or road access? The residents of Navajo Nation, a settlement of 250,000 people 160 miles south of Albuquerque, N.M., lived just like that for years. But thanks to an initiative by Cisco Systems Inc., residents of the settlement will no longer have to walk six miles to the nearest pay telephone in order to call someone. Cisco Systems is in the process of establishing an IP network that will include 660 phones and will serve 110 chapter houses of the 27,000 square mile three-state nation. According to an article on TMC.net, author Vijayalakshmi Sridhar writes that this project "highlights the benefits IP can deliver to such a remote community.

With both XM and Sirius available through WhiteFence, it may be hard for you to choose between the two satellite providers. I have found this article on the HowStuffWorks Web site that describes the differences between Sirius and XM. Not only does the article briefly describe how satellite radio works, it also gives a side by side comparison of XM and Sirius in the categories of: Number of Satellites, Programming, Highlights, Equipment, Price, Availability and more.

If you have decided on which satellite provider you want, or you want to use the comparison engine found on WhiteFence, enter your address on WhiteFence.com to compare the satellite radio offers available and to connect to the provider you choose.

It may seam hard to believe, but forecasters are predicting that the 2006 Hurricane season will be even worse than the record setting 2005 season. Colorado State University meteorologist Professor William Gray has predicted there will be 17 named storms in 2006. Gray also said there is an 81 percent probability that a major category three, four or five hurricane will make landfall somewhere on the U.S. coastline. The average probability during the last century has been 52 percent. Across all hurricane statistics, 2006 is being forecasted to be about twice as active as the average hurricane season.

Although hurricane season begins June 1, now is the time to start preparing. Below are some links with checklists that you can use to make sure you are ready.

• Hurricane Checklist  from North Carolina Channel 12
• Hurricane Checklist from South Florida NBC Channel 6 
• Hurricane Checklist from the Virgin Islands' site Here.VI 

Also remember to check your insurance policies (Home or Renters and Auto) to make sure that you are covered. Renters, please remember that your landlords insurance does NOT cover your belongings. If you want to protect your belongings you must purchase your own renters insurance policy. Also remember that almost all insurance carriers stop selling renters insurance (and other types of insurance as well) when a hurricane is approaching; so don't wait until the last minute to purchase insurance or it may be too late.

Continuing with the theme of Internet security, Mozilla users have a new update available to make their browsing more secure. Last week, Mozilla released a new version of Firefox, version 1.0.5.2. According to an article in CNET by Tom Espiner, Mozilla is urging its users to upgrade to the latest version of Firefox, as it fixes several security holes. In the article, the security firm Secunia warns that "hackers could exploit the security holes to gain control of computer systems, conduct phishing attacks and bypass security restrictions." Information about the Firefox release and a link to the download can be found on the Mozilla site.

Telephone slamming occurs when a consumer's phone provider is changed without the consumer's consent. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has several liability rules in place to deter this illegal practice. If you have noticed your phone service provider has been changed without your consent, you should consult the FCC's Web page on slamming. The site details what procedures you should follow to ensure you are treated fairly. You can also read the FCC's Slamming Fact Sheet, which gives good tips on how to avoid being slammed.

As the "net neutrality" debate continues, analysts have begun to ask just how hard would it be to actually block VoIP traffic like some of the telecommunications companies have suggested. In the article Analysis: Blocking Skype Won't Be Easy, author Art Reisman discusses just how difficult it would be to detect and block Skype traffic.

The author describes his efforts to detect and block Skype traffic as the CTO of a company that specializes in bandwidth control and traffic shaping. He concludes the discussion on the topic by writing that "to date all my common tricks for determining VOIP traffic on the Internet have been thwarted by the Skype designers."

So, if Internet Service Providers eventually do begin to block VoIP traffic from providers like Skype, they might find that it is easier said than done.

Are you ready Minneapolis, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Nashville, Kansas City, Columbus, Ohio and Birmingham? Because, as of yesterday, consumers in these cities can get local channels from DIRECTV service in high definition. The addition of these eight cities brings the total number of cities where local channels are available in HD through DIRECTV to 20.

DIRECTV plans to launch HD local programming in 16 additional cities by mid-year. You can read DIRECTV's press release to find out about the recent DIRECTV HD roll-out. If you are interested in getting DIRECTV or DIRECTV HD, you can go to WhiteFence to connect your satellite service.

Both Stas and I have mentioned the importance of wireless safety in the past (check out Stas' article Protect your wireless home network); I recently read an article in PC World that reinforces the need for wireless security. According to the article Got Wireless Security?, leaving your wireless home network unsecured is just as dangerous as leaving files of your most important personal documents on a street curb for all to see. Hackers can easily get into an unsecured wireless network and get financial information, business records or sensitive e-mail.

Symantec and the Internet Education Foundation (IEF) as well as other Internet industry corporations have joined together to educate consumers on the dangers of leaving their wireless networks unsecured through the Wireless Security Initiative (WSI). You can go to the GetNetWise site to find out more about the initiative and wireless Internet security.

In an effort to be more competitive in the IPTV market, AT&T is incorporating Akimbo Systems into its AT&T Homezone service. Akimbo Systems offers Internet-based video-on-demand services, with over 10,000 television programs and movies in its catalog. AT&T Homezone is being tested in several markets across the United States. You can read more about AT&T Homezone, which offers AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet as well as AT&T DISH Network programming, in this article: AT&T wants its Internet TV.

If you are moving on a budget, which most people are, it's good to save money where and when you can. Getting all new furniture can add up financially, especially on top of all the other moving expenses you will be incurring during your move. To cut down on the prices you spend on getting your place livable, you can:

• Buy used furniture: You can shop around at local used furniture shops if you have enough time to do so. If time is an issue, you should try online sites, such as craigslist.com. Once you choose your city and the furniture option under the "For Sale" heading, you can see other people in your area who want to sell their used furniture.
• Rent furniture: Renting furniture is a cost saving option that can not only relieve strain on your wallet, but also on your back. If you move frequently, this could be the perfect option for you. WhiteFence offers rental furniture from the only national furniture rental company - Cort Furniture Rental. If you are interested in renting furniture from Cort, just enter your address on WhiteFence and look at the "Furniture Rental" options.

As I mentioned in a post earlier today earlier today, the first HD DVD players were released recently. If you are really interested in a true review of one of the HD DVD players, the Toshiba HD-A1 that was released on April 15, you can check out this review of the HD DVD player.

A change may be coming in how telecommunication companies market to consumers. In previous years, most telecommunication provider's marketing plans were created in a corporate office and then disseminated to local offices. Now, as these companies try to penetrate the video market, they may have to change the way they communicate to these consumers who are used to the hometown presence of their cable companies.

For example, Verizon is starting to implement grassroots marketing plans in areas where it's FiOS TV service is available. There efforts include going door-to-door to offer the Verizon FiOS TV services and putting Verizon logos on pizza boxes and chinese takeout containers. Such small town efforts are expected to be adapted by Verizon offices nationwide. While this may be an uphill battle to become as ingrained into communities as local cable companies, it would be a battle well worth winning.

This week, Toshiba released two of the first HD DVD players on the market, beating out Blu-ray to the market. As Blu-ray and HD DVD compete to be the format of the future, this is a big deal for the HD DVD format. Blu-ray players are not scheduled to be released for another two months. This article on CNET talks about the new HD DVD players and their impact on the market.

If you order now from WhiteFence, you can receive Time Warner Road Runner Cable High Speed Internet for only $29.95/month for the first six months. If you choose, you also can receive Professional Installation for only $49.99, which is a savings of $50.

Sprint is offering an innovative new service to their cellular customers. With a new Sprint service, the Family Locator, family members can keep track of other family members through GPS tracking. Consumers with Sprint cellular service can subscribe to the Family Locator for only $9.99. Parents can request the service send text messages when their child arrives at school or any other location. To read more about the service, check out this article about the Sprint Family Locator service.

You can easily pay your rent using WhiteFence. RentPayment makes it simple by enabling you to pay with a credit card. For a small charge per transaction, WhiteFence facilitates payment of not only rent, but deposit fees, application fees and other expenses as well. You can go to WhiteFence and enter your address if you are interested in signing up for RentPayment.

Sirius finally reached an agreement with EMI Music Group over Sirius' S50 MP3 player. As mentioned in a previous post, Sirius settles dispute, several major recording companies were upset over the S50s ability to record CD quality music through the Sirius satellite service. You can read about Sirius' agreement with EMI in the article Sirius, EMI Agree On Player Deal.

Need to know how to move your vehicle? There a few steps you need to follow to ensure your car shipment goes smoothly:

• Make sure to schedule the move at least four weeks in advance.
• When you call the car mover, be able to provide information on where the car will be picked up from and delivered, the pick-up and arrival date and the type of car.
• Do not leave personal property inside your car during the move.
• Have your car insured for the move.

For more suggestions on how to move your vehicle, you can look at this Web site.

Notify! is a new service offered though BellSouth and The Weather Channel.  For $49.95 a year, subscribers to Notify! will be alerted to all forms of severe weather, including tornadoes, hurricanes and thunderstorms. Customers can get a 30-day free trial of the service. A recent article in Telephony Online gives several details about the new service from BellSouth.

SCANA Energy serves more than 450,000 residential consumers in Georgia. They are part of a family of companies that have been in the energy business for over 150 years. Experience the difference in natural gas with SCANA Energy. Sign up today and get a $25 credit on your first bill. 

Sirius has made a deal with car manufacturer Kia. Beginning with the 2009 models, Sirius will be installed as standard equipment in all Kia vehicles. The agreement runs for five years, until 2014.

Sirius' rival XM has had success as well in signing agreements with large car manufacturers, including General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Nissan. More information about the satellite radio companies' deals are available in this article, Kia to Install Sirius Radio in 2009 Cars.

Planning the layout of your new house will save you hours of shifting around boxes once you get to your new home. Using the home planner on the Century 21 Web site, you can easily plan where you will place all your furniture before you even begin moving. Once you plan out your home and furnishings, you can print out your plans to share with your movers to make sure all of your possessions go where you want them to go.

According to CMP Media's VARBusiness, Skype service may drive down the price of all phone service. Skype has begun to market services to small to medium business. In a press release written by CMP Media LLC, it is stated that 300 million people are now using Skype to make calls around the world. Because of this, Skype could have a huge impact in driving down the price of phone service worldwide.

EchoStar did infringe on patents held by TiVo, at least according to a Texas jury. The jury determined that EchoStar will have to pay $73.9 million in damages to TiVo due to the patent infringement.

EchoStar plans to appeal the verdict and said in a statement that they believe they will ultimately prevail. EchoStar claims that the current patent held by TiVo is overly broad. You can read more about the EchoStar/TiVo patent battle in the article TiVo scores patent win against EchoStar by Tom Krazit.

WhiteFence allows consumers to comparison shop for a wide variety of services, such as change of address forms, local phone service, long distance phone service, VoIP service, digital phone service, satellite radio subscriptions, satellite Internet service, cable television, satellite television, electricity, natural gas, high speed Internet access, newspaper subscriptions, furniture rental and other household services. Consumers can choose from a wide variety of providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Qwest, Sprint, OPEX, BellSouth, EarthLink, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox, Charter, DISH  Network and DIRECTV.

According to a blog entry on CNET by Elinor Mills, EarthLink and Google are planning to set up free municipal Wi-Fi in cities other than San Francisco. Ironically, this news comes just as complaints about EarthLink and Google's Wi-Fi plans in San Francisco have come to light.

Critics believe that EarthLink and Google's Wi-Fi plans will interfere with San Francisco residents' privacy. Experts also suggest that the Wi-Fi system might interfere with many Wi-Fi users' radio signals. To find out more about the critics issues with the Wi-Fi plan, you can read Critics Hit San Francisco Wi-Fi Plan on Privacy, Interference by Stephen Lawson.

If you are just hooking up to the Internet for the first time, you might not know what you should consider when picking your Internet Service Provider. The Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC) has developed a guide of issues you should evaluate when choosing an Internet Service Provider. The guide covers issues like Internet speed, availability, modem ratio, terms of service, cost and several other issues. If you are interested in finding out more, you can read the FCIC article on Internet Service Providers.

Want to transform from a renter to a homeowner? If you have never owned a home before, you might feel overwhelmed at the process of buying a home. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had the nervous prospective home buyer in mind when they created this Web site on buying a home. It details nine steps that every prospective home buyer should follow as they fulfill their dream of owning a home. You should check it out if you would like more information.

At the NCTA show on Tuesday, Cablevision COO Tom Rutledge reaffirmed the sentiment that I wrote about in an earlier post today, that telecom's IPTV offerings are not a current threat to cable television providers. Rutledge is quoted by Carol Wilson in the article NCTA: Cablevision exec says Verizon not competitive as saying Cablevision is actually taking customers away from Verizon in areas where Verizon's FiOS technology has been deployed. Rutledge said that "the volume of business we are taking from them is so much greater than what they are even projecting to take from us. It's an uneconomic proposition on their part."

If you are looking to buy any type of consumer electronic device in the near future, you should check out MyCEknowhow.com. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) partnered with CNET to create the Web site. Currently, they have interactive guides on digital imaging and MP3 players, but have plans to expand the Web site to include guides on for digital television, audio and wireless products. As they add more guides to the site, it will become an invaluable resource to consumers looking for information on "the hottest gadgets, features and services before you buy."

If you order Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) now through GasGeorgia.com, you will get a $35 Visa gift card. When you choose Georgia Natural Gas, not only do you get this great offer, but you also get top-ranked customer service, convenient ways to pay your bill, and the Georgia Natural Gas pricing plan that best suits your needs.

According to the article Looking in the Eye of the IPTV Threat, author Michael Gibb says the threat of IPTV is not significant currently. Although IPTV will eventually "shake up" the cable industry, cable executives still have time to figure out how to combat the threat. As it stands now, cable providers can offer all the same services IPTV can offer with just some simple changes to the cable providers' infrastructure. But as time goes by, writes Gibb, IPTV will evolve into a real threat if the telecommunication companies can successfully get through technical problems and franchising issues.

TiVo and DIRECTV announced Wednesday that they had extended the TiVo-DIRECTV commercial agreement by three years. Under the extension, existing DIRECTV TiVo subscribers will be able to continue getting TiVo service, maintenance and support. Also, the two companies have agreed not to assert patent rights against each other for the duration of the agreement. Additionally, the TiVo and DIRECTV will continue their current advertising relationship.

According to a TiVo press release, TiVo CEO Tom Rogers said that they "are pleased to have reached an agreement with DIRECTV that will allow [TiVo] to continue to provide our services to the more than 2 million DIRECTV TiVo households."

Consumers can get OPEX Internet Voice for as low as $14.99 a month through WhiteFence. OPEX Internet Voice provides access to unprecedented cost savings with unlimited service. All consumers have to do once they subscribe to OPEX is combine their current high speed internet access with OPEX's phone adapter to use OPEX VoIP service. Conveniently, WhiteFence offers high speed Internet from several well-known, trusted Internet providers, such as AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner, EarthLink, BellSouth, Charter, Cox and Qwest.

Though Blu-ray disc players will not be available for sale until the end of this year, blank Blu-ray discs began shipping recently, says Michael Kanellos in the article Blank Blu-ray discs start shipping. Just in case you have not heard of this new format, Blu-ray discs are positioned to become the new standard format for media, that is, if they successfully beat out the other new format, HD DVD.

Amazingly, just one Blu-ray disc can hold up to 25 GB, and that is just a one-sided disc. A double-sided Blu-ray disc that will be manufactured by TDK later this year will be able to hold 50 GB. Though the price tags for this format are high now, prices will decline as more manufacturers produce the Blu-ray format.

Soon, you might not need that set top box to watch digital TV. Last week, TiVo was verified as the first digital cable-ready (DCR) product by CableLabs. Because CableLabs found the TiVo compliant, they will allow TiVo to build and deploy CableCARD™-enabled DCR digital video recorders (DVR), enabling "consumers to enjoy unidirectional digital and high-definition (HD) cable programming without the need for a set-top box."

The most important information for a resident to have when they contact WhiteFence is their name and address. Make sure that you give the WhiteFence customer service representative the exact name that is on your order. If you are having an issue with a service provider, then you will need to provide the customer service representative with the provider's name. In general, the more details that you are able to communicate with the customer service representative, the better he/she will be able to help you.

The U.S. National Science Foundation recently gave the University of North Texas $600,000 to research VoIP security. The research will involve multiple universities, including Columbia University, Purdue University and the University of California-Davis. The research project will span three years, and will involve research into multiple security issues that are currently a problem with VoIP, including denials of service, 911 services, VoIP spam and quality of service. Research like this will hopefully end problems like the one I wrote about yesterday in the post VoIP Security Problems.

Did you get an error message when you were trying to hook up your HDTV? It might be because of antipiracy safeguards embedded in your high definition television set. Even technology savvy experts, like BusinessWeek's Technology and You columnist Stephen H. Wildstrom, are getting stymied by the antipiracy safeguards while trying to hook up their perfectly legal HDTV systems.

If you are getting the message that your cable has "failed HDCP authentication" when you attempt to plug your HDTV set into your cable box, then you are probably experiencing a problem caused by the antipiracy safeguards. To find out how Wildstrom fixed his problem with his HDTV set, you can check out the article HDTV's Digital Disconnect.

If you always wanted to move to New York City, but were afraid to make the leap because you are unsure what salary you would have to make in order to maintain your lifestyle - I have found the perfect tool for you. If you use the Salary Calculator, you can enter in your current city and salary, and it will calculate how much you would have to make in the city of your dreams.

Now, when you get offered that job in NYC or any other city, you will know if you should accept it or pass.

An unscientific survey conducted by CableWorld should perhaps serve as a wake-up call to cable providers who don't believe Verizon's FiOS TV service is a threat. In the article A Wake-up Call from Verizon, author Catherine Applefeld Olson finds out that at least among those FiOS customer she spoke to, all the good news about FiOS TV is not just hype.

Specifically, customers loved easy-to-use program guide, DVR and, of course, the price. Olson suggests that cable providers should take note of these rave reviews. Cable providers are beginning to make some changes to their service in response to the threat from Verizon and AT&T, as can be seen be my post from yesterday: Cable providers discuss IPTV.

Although a great deal of progess has been made to correct security problems with VoIP and digital phone service, some of the issues still remain. Case in point, a women in Durham, North Carolina, who called 911 recently to report gun shots fired near her home was routed to a 911 dispatcher in another city. Thankfully, the woman was not hurt due to the mistake; nevertheless, the woman chose to pursue the problem to see why it had occurred.

She discovered that her digital phone carrier, Time Warner Cable, had entered her address incorrectly. According to the article Digital phone service cited in 911 mix-up, author Rachael Bernstein said that Brad Phillips from Time Warner Durham apologized for the mistake and said it was an isolated incident. Phillips acknowledged that this was a very serious issue and that they are "just glad the situation wasn't more serious than it was."

Due to BellSouth's management job cuts in the first quarter, BellSouth took a charge of $30 million. According to the article BellSouth to take job cuts charge, BellSouth expects to be charged a total of $100 million in 2006 or planned job cuts. BellSouth actually reduced the number of job cuts planned from 1500 to 1300 after BellSouth's merger with AT&T was announced last month.

Interested whose going to merger next among telecom companies? Several industry insiders definitely are, and they are trying their best to guess who will be next.

According to the article Telecom's Merger Fever in BusinessWeek, Todd Rosenbluth, with Standard & Poor's Equity Research, said that they "believe the next wave of consolidation is likely to be focused more on the smaller rural properties and see the large independent rural providers such as CenturyTel as being among the acquirers."

Thought digital cable was a relatively new invention? Amazingly, digital cable has been around longer than you might think. In the town of Hunter's Creek near Orlando, Fl., BellSouth installed a fiber to the home (FTTH) digital transport system to transfer cable TV back in 1986.

Knowing this, it is obvious that the aquisition of BellSouth works well with AT&T's IPTV plans. To read more about Hunter Creek Cablevision and their early venture in digital television, you can read BellSouth'?s Pioneering Fiber Cable TV System Revisited.

At the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) National Show in Atlanta, Georgia this week, cable executives plan to spend a good bit of their time discussing the threat of IPTV. In the article Cable takes aim at phone companies, author Kenneth Li writes that John Alchin, CFO of Comcast Corp.,  told Reuters that "a central focal point of the show will be where does the competition stand."

Much of the conference will involve discussing the ways that the cable industry is fighting back against the phone companies. They will discuss the cable industry's plan to soon sell wireless services along with cable services to entice consumers. Also, they will discuss their plans to increase the efficiency of their broadcast capacity and get more business customers, according to Li. In order to increase their efficiency, some cable companies plan to employ "switched broadcast video," which will allow cable companies to deliver only the channels their customers select.

As more and more video download sites pop up, don't expect the videos to be in high definition any time soon. HD videos can require up to twice as much broadband space as traditional videos, meaning that there just isn't enough room in the Net's pipes just yet for HD video. So, until a solution is reached for the "clogged pipe" situation, videos you watch from sites like YouTube.com will retain the grainy quality of traditional video.

However, representatives from MLB.com are hopeful that the situation will be resolved soon. MLB.com has a vested interest in the situation, as the site currently has over 800,000 viewers that regularly watch baseball games over the Internet. You can read High-def TV not ready for Net's prime time to find out more about the possibility of HD over the Internet.

On Tuesday of last week, Netflix filed a suit against Blockbuster, accusing Blockbuster of infringing on two patents owned by Netflix. Blockbuster has commented that the suit is without merit and will fight the suit. According to the article Blockbuster says Netflix suit without merit, Blockbuster officials say that Netflix did not invent the concept of renting movies over the Internet and that a rental service having a queue system is "common practice."

On Thursday, Time Warner Cable announced that they will be dropping the Road Runner name for their business and government class communications brand. Road Runner Business Class will be rebranded as Time Warner Cable Business Class. Time Warner Cable has chosen to opt for the more professional name to capitalize on the strength of the Time Warner Cable brand, according to the article Time Warner rebrands business service in the Houston Business Journal.

If you are looking for a cheap local phone deal, you should look at the current offers on WhiteFence from OPEX Internet Voice. OPEX Internet Voice offers VoIP phone service for as low as $14.99 a month. OPEX Internet Voice provides access to unprecedented cost savings and unlimited service with their cheap local telephone service rates. OPEX Internet Voice includes unlimited local calls, voicemail, call waiting, caller ID, caller ID block, call transfer and three-way conference calling.

Once you subscribe to OPEX, you will have to combine your current high speed Internet access with OPEX's phone adapter to use OPEX VoIP service. If you don't currently have high speed Internet and are still interested in getting OPEX, you can look at offers from high speed Internet providers available through WhiteFence. Conveniently, along with cheap local telephone rates, WhiteFence offers high speed Internet from several providers, including AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, EarthLink, BellSouth, Charter, Cox and Qwest.

According to the article US lawmakers worry about sports in Adelphia deal, two senators sent a letter to Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to outline their concern over Comcast Corp. and Time Warner Inc.'s buyout of Adelphia. In the letter, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens and Senator Byron Dorgan wrote that they are worried about the exclusive sports contracts that may result because of the deal. Exclusive sports contracts could prevent competition.

Both DIRECTV and DISH Network have already voiced their displeasure about the deal and how it may adversly affect competion. The senators urged the FCC to look into allegations of possible anti-competitive behavior and to take action if the allegations proved true. Representatives from Comcast and Time Warner continue to stand behind the deal, saying that the Adelphia buyout will actually increase competition in areas like phone service.

IOGEAR recently introduced a new product meant to enhance Skype: the USB Voice Skype Calling Kit. The kit includes a microphone, dial pad, headset and two audio ports, creating a landline calling environment.

The dial pad can be plugged into any USB port and it incorporates the functionality of a landline phone, including mute and volume control capability. According to an IOGEAR press release, the USB Voice Skype Calling Kit's "audio ports enable audio switching, allowing users to direct the sound that is coming from the computer to either the headphones or external speakers, creating a robust conference call environment."

On Wednesday, San Francisco's TeleConnect Committee accepted Google and EarthLink's wi-fi plan for the city. The companies had submitted a joint wi-fi plan, whereby Google would provide a slower free service, while EarthLink would provide a faster fee-based service. According to the accepted proposal, Google and EarthLink will provide 95 percent coverage outside as well as 90 percent indoors.

Cox and Verizon got top marks in J.D. Power and Associates recently released "2006 Major Provider Business  Telecommunications Data Services Study." Cox rated number one among providers for small and mid-size businesses, while Verizon got top honors in the large enterprise business category.

The study was created to measure customer satisfaction of data services, which include services such as T1, cable modems and DSL. To read more about the study, you can check out the article Cox, Verizon Tops in J.D. Power Biz Survey.

When you start college, the last thing you want to be worrying about moving. If you plan well and only take what you need, you will be done with your unpacking quickly. The summer before college starts, you should start planning exactly what you should take with you when you move. I found an article that was written with a college student in mind, College Life: Student Tips and Tricks for an Organized Move, to help you plan your move easily.

Attics are always hot in the summer, right? Not necessarily. As the weather begins to heat up, homeowners should consider how much hot air builds up in their attic. A well-ventilated attic is about 30° F cooler than unventilated attics. By ventilating your attic, you can greatly reduce the amount of the heat that builds up in your house. A cooler attic leads to less energy being used to cool your home.

You should consult Cooling Your Home Naturally, a report prepared by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse, if you are interested in finding out more ways to save money on electricity.

Lucent and Alcatel announced on Sunday that they plan to merge the two telecommunications companies within the next year. Alcatel is buying out Lucent for $13.4 billion. According to Alcatel's Web site on the merger, the Alcatel/Lucent merger "creates [a] global convergence leader with most comprehensive wireless, wireline and services portfolio in the industry."

The new company will be headquartered in Paris, which will leave a whole in New Jersey, where Lucent is currently located. You can read more about the merger in the article, Alcatel stock up on Lucent agreement, to find out more details about how the merger might affect the telecommunications industry.

If you discover a mistake on your change of address form once you've already submitted the form, you will need to contact your local post office to correct the problem. At your post office, you will need to request a cancel forwarding order and replace your order. To find out where the closest post office is to your home, you can call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).

In a recent article published by CNET, communications attorney Mark Del Bianco writes that there might be some trouble ahead for the AT&T/BellSouth merger. You can read Perspective:Bumps in the road for AT&T-BellSouth merger? to find out more on why Del Bianco thinks the AT&T/BellSouth merger may be a bad idea for the telecommunications industry.

For an international move, you will have to do all that you would normally do for any other move, plus more. But don't let this thought overwhelm you. As with all moves, if you plan well, you will save yourself a lot of headaches. Some special considerations to make when you are planning an international move:

• Make sure to finalize any immigration legalities, such as you Visa and work permits.
• Check that your appliances, electronics and any other electrical equipment that you are packing is compatible with the electrical outlets available where you are moving. You may need to get adapters depending on where you are moving.

Also, there are some things that you should do with any move, but are especially important to do when you are moving internationally. You should:

• Check with your moving company about what types of products they can move internationally. You will not be able to move anything flammable.
• Make sure to get moving insurance and conduct a thorough inventory of all of your belongings before and after the move.
• Pack all personal documents that you may need, like your passport, birth certificate and health records, with you so you can easily access them.

On Friday, April 7, the House Judiciary Committee's Task Force on Telecom and Antitrust will conduct a hearing on net neutrality. Although the witness list is not available currently, it should eventually be published on the House Judiciary Committee's Web site. Several telecom execs are expected to testify. You can find out more information on the hearings on net neutrality at Telco Media News.

Have you ever received an email from a company in which the sender claimed to need your personal information, including social security numbers and credit card numbers? If you have, you have probably been a victim of 'phishing.' Hopefully, you were able to evaluate the email and realize that it was not a legitimate request of your information. Several people, however, do not realize the dangers of trusting their emails and fall prey to phishers.

Recently, Rachna Dhamija of Harvard University and Marti Hearst and J.D. Tygar of the University of California at Berkeley conducted a study on why phishing works. Even after years of warning about phishing, they found that a majority of their sample, more than 91 percent, fell victim to a carefully made phishing Web site. To read more about their study, you can read this article about why phishing works on CNET.

Did you know that about a third of the unwanted heat that builds up in a home enters your home through your roof? Simple improvements to your roof can minimize the amount of heat that builds up through your roof, lowering your electricity bills substantially. To lower the amount of heat that enters your home through your roof, you can:

• Apply a reflective coating to your existing roof. You can choose from two standard reflective roof coatings, a white latex coating or an asphalt-based coating that contains aluminum and glass particles. Both can be found at your local hardware shop.
• Install a radiant barrier on the underside of your roof. If installed correctly, a radiant barrier can reduce heat through the ceiling by 25 percent.

If you are interested in finding out more ways to save money on electricity, you should consult Cooling Your Home Naturally, a report prepared by the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse.

According to the article Slim buys Verizon's Latin America assets for $3.7bn, Verizon is selling all of its Latin American properties, including 100 percent of Verizon Dominica, 52 percent  in Telecomunicaciones de Puerto Rico, and 28.5 percent in Compania Anonima Nacional Telefonos de Venezuela, to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu. This follows Verizon's plan to shed non-core markets so that Verizon can focus on growing areas of the telecommunications industry, like building out their fiber-optic network for Verizon's FiOS TV.

Have you noticed you electricity bill getting steadily higher? You might be wasting energy you are not even aware that you are using. By conducting an energy audit, you will be able to evaluate what problems may exist in your home. A do-it-yourself energy audit consists of:

• Locating air leaks. You should check for leaks around electrical outlets, switch plates, window frames, baseboards, weather stripping around doors, fireplace dampers, attic hatches and wall- and window-mounted air conditioners.
• Checking your insulation in your walls, attic and basement.
• Inspecting your heating and cooling equipment, which should be done at least once a year.
• Check your lighting equipment. Make sure you aren't spending extra money on higher wattage lightbulbs than would be adequate.

You can find a more detailed description on energy audits on the U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Web site. Once you follow all the steps in the do-it-yourself energy audit, you should save bundles on your electricity bill.

Cablevision is planning an innovation in digital recording: a remote DVR service. Through this service, Cablevision customers will no longer need DVR boxes; instead, recorded television programs will be stored in Cablevision's network servers. Other cable companies Comcast and Time Warner are supporting Cablevision's plan as a  great idea. To read more about Cablevision's plan, you can read Comcast, Time Warner: Cablevision's Remote DVR a Great Idea.

EarthLink is bringing back the MindSpring brand as a PC VoIP and instant messaging program. MindSpring was bought out by EarthLink in 2000 for $4 billion. With the new MindSpring, consumers will be able to have the same identity for VoIP, e-mail and instant messaging. PC-to-PC calls are free, while calling to a telephone number costs only 2 cents a minute. You can read the article, MindSpring returns as a free VoIP product, for more information.

By adding 568,000 net new subscribers, XM Radio has made it to 6.5 million total subscribers in the first quarter of 2006. XM Radio's goal is to get nine million subscribers by the end of 2006. XM Radio President and CEO Hugh Panero said that reaching 6.5 million total subscribers this quarter is consistent with their goal. You can read more about XM Radio's growth in their press release.

On Friday, March 31, AT&T and BellSouth filed paperwork with Justice Department and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking permission to go ahead with their proposed merger.

The companies cited the fact that if the merger was allowed to go through, the new company would be able to manage Cingular Wireless, currently owned by both AT&T and BellSouth, much more efficiently. The companies hope to complete the proposed merger by March 2007. You can read more about the BellSouth/AT&T merger approval process by reading AT&T, BellSouth Seek U.S. Approval on Deal.

As we approach a hurricane season purported to possibly be worst than the last, homeowners not just in the gulf coast might need to worry about their insurance.

In the article Homeowners Face Rising Insurance Rates in the Wall Street Journal, author M.P. McQueen says that "major insurers are dropping policies or not writing new ones in coastal areas from Texas to Florida and up the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Massachusetts."

But the impact on insurance rates is spreading beyond the states in the gulf coast. Allstate, the second largest home insurer, plans to increase premiums in all 49 states in which it does business. Allstate says it is charging higher premiums to try to recoup the sharp increase in reinsurance costs. According to the article, "reinsurance companies, whose business it is to insure the insurer, have begun charging sharply higher prices in anticipation that the hurricanes will become more frequent and more intense."

To avoid being dropped by an insurer, McQueen suggests that a consumer should never file petty claims, as just one such claim could cause a consumer to be dropped by their insurance company. Also, when buying home insurance, buy from a company that has high financial rating from a well-respected rating firm, such as A.M. Best Co. or Weiss Group Inc. Companies that have high financial rating are less likely to drop you or fail to pay a claim because of their own financial woes.

As of March 31, 70 percent of Vonage customers have access to E911 features through the Vonage service. Vonage E911 service automatically associates a physical address with a Vonage number, which allows  emergency personnel to know where there is an emergency even if the person calling is for some reason unable to speak.

According to a press release from Vonage, Vonage president Jeffrey A. Citron said that "Vonage is leading the fastest nomadic E911 deployment in telecommunications history. Our goal is to get every Vonage customer help when they need it and we will not stop working with the FCC, regulators, Congress and PSAPs until there is equal access to E911 for Vonage's customers."

According to Javelin Strategy and Research's 2006 Identity Fraud Survey, young adults, ages 25-34, are more vulnerable to identity theft than any other age group. Javelin suggests some reasons for this are that most young adults lead a mobile lifestyle and that young adults are less likely to protect their personal information.

In the article Young adults most at risk for ID theft in the Chicago Tribune, author Carolyn Bigda suggests ways to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, including:

• Protect your wallet from theft. If it does get stolen, make sure you have numbers to all of your banking companies in a place other than your wallet, so that you can quickly cancel the accounts.
• Do not carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Also, give out your Social Security number as little as possible. Before giving it to anyone, even a reputable company, make sure to ask if any other form of ID would be acceptable.
• Shred all trash with personal information on it. You can call 888-5-OPTOUT to stop getting pre-approved credit cards to minimize the amount of paper out there with your personal information on it. Also, you can request to get electronic statements to cut down on your paper trail.
• Secure your computer with a firewall and antivirus and anti-spyware software. Make sure your firewall is turned on and run your antivirus and anti-spyware software frequently.
• Ignore any emails asking for personal information. If you are worried that the email may be legitimate, call the company directly (do not call using a number found in the email). Most times, emails asking for personal information are "phishing" attempts.
• Check your credit regularly. You can get your credit report for free once a year from all three credit reporting agencies by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.

To see more advice on Computer Safety, check out these previous posts: Protect your wireless home network and Avoiding identity theft.

New Starz channels RetroPlex ^SM and IndiePlex ^SM will be premiering tonight at midnight on Comcast. RetroPlex will air movies focuses on memorable movies from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, such as The French Connection, West Side Story and Rear Window. IndiePlex will showcase independent films from several genres, including such well-known independent films as Clerks, Trainspotting and The Piano. RetroPlex and IndiePlex were announced on February 13 by Starz. You can read more about the channels in this Starz press release.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Howard Stern let loose on fans who didn't make the change with him to Sirius radio. According to the article Stern curses out fans who aren't on Sirius, Stern said the show is better than ever now that it is on Sirius and that Stern is insulted that not more of his previous audience has made the move to Sirius satellite radio. Stern recently moved his radio program from CBS radio to Sirius this January.