Where you can enjoy an airboat ride?

"At Everglades."

And where is Everglades?

"Just a 45 minute drive from the major theme park in Florida."

"The drive opens up great vistas of countryside very similar to the UK, with rolling hills and oak trees. It is one of North America's lesser known wild places."

Oh! Great.I always thought only of the Disney Land and other theme parks when I think of Florida.

"That’s normal. Almost everyone has that impression."

"I will just give you some more tidbits on Florida and Orlando in particular, because I know you are planning to take your children there soon."

"I am sure you are aware that Orlando is the number one visited tourist destination in the world with nearly 44 million visitors each year."

"Do you know that Orlando area is home to over 100 lakes?

I will name a few here:

Lake Apopka, Eustis, Griffin, Harney, Harris, Jessup, Monroe, Saint Cloud, and Tohopakaliga, Lake Cherokee, and Lake Copeland."

"Some of the major attractions are Animal Kingdom, Sea World, and Universal Studios Florida, EPCOT Center."

Thanks for your interesting news.Does your database also contain information about places to stay? But I do not want to put up in a hotel, however cheap it may be.

"I can’t blame you about your decision not to stay in a hotel. I will tell you about my last year’s experience."

"Since the economic growth in Orlando is touching new heights, many entrepreneurs from all over the world have started investing in real estate in Orlando.

For a home away from home Vacation rentals are the most preferred because they are often better value than a typical hotel room.

For my stay, I chose Orlando Vacation Rental, and I will tell you I was not disappointed with my choice.

I was taken aback by a wide range of vacation homes to suit the life styles for all ages.

This includes real estate in upscale gated neighborhoods like golf course communities, old-fashioned towns, rural communities and areas with excellent schools.

For die hard urban lovers, downtown Orlando is a mixture of historic homes and luxury condominiums with great views of the city.

You can enjoy vintage homes in the historic neighborhoods of Thorton Park, Lake Eola Heights, Lake Lawsona, Lake Cherokee, and Lake Copeland.

Locate wide range of restaurants, retailers, discos, and bars all within walking distance.

The sports complex, theater, and opera are all located centrally,that makes your entertainment venues easily accessible.

Above all, don’t forget to enjoy the airboat ride I told you about.

And yes, I almost forgot, they are usually overbooked. So, ensure your choice of home today itself."

Orlando vacation rental

New device for Diabetics.

I am 47, a diabetic since 7 years. I only take tablets before and after meal twice a day.

I check my glucose at my home with a Glucometer periodically.

So, naturally this news story from yahoo news immediately caught my attention.

Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent reports for Yahoo news about a new product that monitors blood sugar live and warns instantly whenever sugar level goes beyond the stipulated norms.

Yahoo News

“The Medtronic Inc. device combines an insulin pump and a continuous blood-monitoring system. It sounds an alarm if blood sugar goes out of safe ranges.”
American Diabetes Association in Washington, D.C., says that a big rush is on from patients to test this device.

“The device, called the Minimed Paradigm Real Time Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, is approved for people over 18 with insulin-dependent diabetes.”

Read the full story at: Yahoo News

Freeze! Instructions to your DP account! Act now.

Like everybody, I too have been complacent about the safety of my demat account.
But not anymore. The latest news that appeared in Reader's Digest shook me from trance.

A few cases of demat fraud has been exposed.Dematted shares started disappearing from investors' demat account.

Who could do it?
Dishonest employees of DP ( depository participants) who have access to our accounts, can transfer our shares to other accounts. Once accomplished, it will be very difficult for us to reverse the process.

Can we prevent it?
*Yes! We can freeze our DP account against debit, by giving instructions in writing to our DP. Then, it is not possible to touch it till we defreeze it.

*Do not be gullible by over trusting your friendly broker and give them power of attorney.

*Keep a track of your monthly dp statements, don't just give a customary glance.

No! No time for such menial work? Then just keep off from investing in shares.

News source: Reader's Digest

Wrong reasons for insurance.

There are a few key points which may be hidden or not highlighted by insurance agents.

Presonalfn.com
suggests you to take note of the following.

1. If you are taking a life insurance policy, just stick exactly to its purpose that is risk cover. Unfortunately we have all been advised to consider it more on its tax benefits, than the risk coverage.

2. Money-back policies will always milk you of higher premiums.

3. Don't play favouritism while taking life insurance. Your main purpose of insuring is to safe guard you and your family against loss. So, strictly say "No", to your friends and realtives who are insurance agents, who continur to pester you.

4. Don't take insurance just for the rebate sake. You will be enticed with huge rebate offers by insurance agents which is illegal.Stay away from such agents.

5. Don't consider your insurance policy as an investment instrument to yield monthly returns. For that purpose explore shares and mutual funds.

If you agree with the above, please take it as your duty to warn your friends and relatives.

Story inspiration: Reader's Digest
insurance,life insurance,risk coverage

Lucrative opportunity in Jewellery Designing

Do you know, there is a gold mine is there for you to grab if you have a skill for drawing?

Do you know that Indians are the world’s biggest consumers of jewels?

Do you know that a big demand for jewellery designers?

Gemmological Institute of India, a reputed name in India and Abroad is offering excellent employment oriented courses in the following faculties:

Gemmology

Jewellery designing

Jewellery casting

Diamond

Pearl

Scientific training in Gemmology, Diamond Grading and Assorting is imparted through regular classes.

This institute also trains Students for the F.G.A. (London) examinations conducted by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.

Gemmological Institute of India is the recognized center for F.G.A. (London) Examination in Bombay

Students also enroll from countries like Switzerland, Spain, Mauritius, Malavi, Japan, Belgium, Bahrain, Kenya, Philippines, Tanzania, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Nepal.

They also offer courses as distance learning to enable foreign students to undertake their diploma.

There are many success stories from their alumni.

Information source: www.giionline.com/education.htm

How much did you make from online investments?

Since 1998, when I retired from active career, I have been surviving off the internet.
Mostly I invest in several HYIPs and LYIPs.

Made some money but lost more than I have earned. Why because I certainly lacked shrewdness in financial matters. Driven by greed and desire to make quick money, I ran amuck in almost all the offers.

But, if only had I diversified into precious metals like, US Silver Coins I would have been in a sound position by now. A great range of bullion coins like Maple Leaf, American Eagle, South African Gold Krugerrands are offered by one of the oldest bullion coins dealer in America.

I remember when gas was only 25-cents a gallon? You could take a dollar down to the gas station and buy four gallons for a buck, because dollar was securely backed by pure gold or silver.

These precious metals always retained their intrinsic value even after centuries, but not our paper money. As a matter of fact, we all have witnessed their slow but steady rise in their price.

We assume that the overall price of almost anything (food, groceries, gas, utility bills) have gone up multifold over the years-right?

Think hard, analyze the economy and you will conclude that actually none has gone up. Only the value of greenback has gone down.

I rue now that I had not heeded to investment experts’ long-recommend portfolio diversification which is 10% to 20% of an investor's assets be devoted to tangible assets such as gold, silver and platinum bullion coins.

Do you know how to protect your car from being stolen.

Nancy Pierce, regional vice president of GEICO's (Government Employees Insurance Companies)San Diego location, says,"A big part of our job at GEICO is providing safety measures to protect our consumers and prevent fraud. Now more than ever, we're spreading the word about what people can do to prevent their vehicles from being stolen here in California."

Do you know why California is home to six of the top 10 auto theft locations in the nation? Simply they do not follow these precautionary measures.

1) Never leave your keys in the car.

2) Leave your car in park or in gear with the wheels turned toward the curb or some other obstruction, so thieves won't be able to tow it easily.

3) If possible, park in busy, well-lit areas. Thieves prefer to work in the dark.

4) Avoid leaving valuables inside your vehicle where passersby can see them.

5) Install an anti-theft system in your vehicle if it doesn't have one. Ignition cut-off systems prevent a car from being started. One system emits a signal that can be tracked by the police. Thieves are reluctant to steal vehicles that can be tracked and recovered quickly. Many insurers offer discounts for these types of systems.

6) Beware of the "bump-and-rob" technique. Carjackers bump your car from the rear, and then steal it when you get out looking for damage.

7) When stopped at a traffic light, leave room to maneuver around the vehicle ahead if you need to. If another car bumps yours and you feel threatened, drive to a populated area. If you have a cell phone, call the police for assistance.

8) Do not leave your car papers in the car.

9) Avoid known high-crime areas even if the alternate route takes a little longer.

10) Have your car's vehicle identification number (VIN) etched on each of the windows. Car thieves want to get off cheap. They don't want to go to the expense of replacing all the glass

Be sure to write down all the above precautionary steps.
And now, let us come to the important aspect of insuring your car.

As you shop around for anything before deciding to buy, you must search for cheap car insurance quote, to save your hard earned money on car insurance.

Carinsurnace.com allows you to compare auto insurance rates, a definite indication about transparency.

Their auto insurance quotes are available for all 50 states! The added benefit to deal with them is to purchase online and complete the process and have your proof of insurance in 15 minutes! Good time saver you must agree.

You can also fall back on their professional call center to help you purchase car insurance. In some states you can approach one of their Esurance insurance (online trusted partners) for a rate in you area.

If you are stranded with your broken down vehicle….

Did you face such a helpless situation ever? “Sure”, you might say.
Did you have the right accessories to pull you out of despair?
Probably not!

Well, you somehow got back home safely with the help of somebody, who had the right hitches, am I right?

The Truck Accessories website, BuyAutoTruckAccessories.com,
sells quality equipment for SUV, Van and truck.

You can avail free shipping on all orders over $100 (for FedEx ground services within the Continental US - Excluding oversized items).

Moreover, you can shop really in a jiffy by just selecting your vehicle year, make and model and leave the rest to them.

With a neat and convenient category of exterior and interior accessories, contractor accessories, and Towing and Cargo, your search results will show exactly the right accessories that are compatible with your vehicle.

Make use of their great tips and safety suggestions throughout the site. For instance read below what they say about safe towing.

“Towing safely requires the right hitch, receiver, brake control, and trailer wiring, to ensure that trailer hitches and receivers are properly installed and working correctly”

While visiting their site, please bookmark it, for you may need their services one day either for self help or to help someone stranded on the road.

Podcast creation made easy!

I am one of the thousands of newbie in blogging media. But slowly I am making a progress.

Imagine my embarrassment yesterday, when my son who thinks big of me, queried me, ”Mom, why don’t you podcast your daily lecture?” I begged him to give me an hour or so, which I thought would be sufficient to search the ever friendly internet, compile some information to satisfy him.

He went away with a smirk in his face and I tapped my keyboard.


What's a podcast?
It is like sharing audio through internet.

Imagine setting up your own audio broadcast, where you can easily record voice messages, mix in your favorite music, and share it all for the world to hear.
You can also call it an audio journal.

Ok, now how will you exactly share it?
You can share it through RSS feed. This sharing or distributing through web feed is called podcasting.

Utility of Podcast:
Teachers can create podcast of lectures for their students.
Share your favourite music with the rest of the world.
You can also replay a radio broadcast to those who missed it live.

Podiobooks:
This a series of audiobooks presented through podcast feeds. They are available for free.

We know how difficult it is to tune into distant radio stations. Now if you go to
http://www.publicradiofan.com/podcasts.html , you can find program listings for hundreds of public radio stations around the world. Audio links are provided there, and all you have to do is just click on the link of your choice.
This site contain over 650 podcasts.

Can an unskilled person like me…?
Sure, this process of creating a podcast is made user friendly by http://evoca.com
They teach you how to:
*Post audio to your blog using your phone
*Add voice to your online profiles
*Search spoken words and meet new people
*Use Skype™ to record journal entries
*Form an Evoca group - share your cause
*Record family stories for posterity

If your PC has a microphone, Evoca facilitates direct audio recording from your browser.
You will have to sign up with the service first. You can start recording the content by pressing the 'Your computer microphone' button.

When completed, you can save it on to Evoca. While saving the audio content, you can tag it with an appropriate label and designate it public or private. The service allows you to access the public audio hosted by other members.

They also sign a web page with the URL: http://evoca.com/xxxx( xxxx is your username)
When someone visit your web page,they can access your "public'' content.
Besides the web URL, Evoca offers a web or podcast feed, which can be used by your clients for accessing the content made public, in their podcast client.

MP3 file:
One more podcast publishing service, is Podomatic.
This also allows you to record live from your browser and store it on its server as an MP3 file. It also provides an RSS feed for your recordings. When you sign up with the service, you get a web page (http://your-log-in-name.podomatic.com), from where anyone on the Net can listen/download your audio content. Podmail, the facility to send voice messages, is an additional feature of this service.

Today, I called up a techinical help to create my first podcast. I promise to blog here about my attempt.

Information source: "The Hindu"

Calling all students: Your Tutorial Resources!

The professional teacher in me was quite bemused by an article in our local daily " The Hindu",
which introduced to me several online tutorials site. In a bid to help my son, I also visited several sites cited in the article, and wrote this article. If my son and his friends are benefitted, so too can other students all over the world.

Poring over college books? Organising combine studies?

Do you still feel insufficiently prepared and want some more extra study materials?
Internet is an ocean of countless resources for learning materials.
You name the subject or topic, internet says “ Come! Devour it.”

I have stumbled onto the following very useful sites which either contain free tutorials or direct you to websites where you can find free online tutorials.

These sites not only offer text materials, but also audio and video teaching materials.

If you want help in web building tutorials HTML and XHTML to advanced XML, SQL, Database, Multimedia and WAP, then visit: http://www.w3schools.com

The ‘Technology Tutorials’ contains a huge collection of tutorials on different computing technology related subjects such as MS-Office, Internet and web page development is another of the same kind.

Another very popular site is Pixel2life
This site has a database of more than 15,000 tutorials on different computing related subjects such as JavaScript, Perl, Visual Basic, Visual C++ etc.

Help2go

I personally used this site to get help on spyware removal.
Quoting from the site: “Help2Go is a community committed to offering free computer help, technical support, tutorials, and spyware removal in a way that everyone can understand, not “geek-speak”.

For subjects on computing go to TutorGig which “ offers plenty of services to its users through advanced search technology. TutorGig.com lists thousands of courses. These courses include not only online courses, but also more traditional courses that are taught in person on or off campus. Users locate courses by searching on keywords of interest".

"TutorGig.com has a huge database of over a million tutorial sites categorized by more than 2000 subjects. This vast network of information allows users to instantaneously find tutorials by subjects and keyword searches. In addition, TutorGig.com offers access to open directory, lists of best selling books, discussion forums, and related links on the subject of interest. Users can confidently return to TutorGig.com knowing it is continuously updated, with its advanced search technology, to provide the newest tutorials. TutorGig.com can be a free way for anyone to maintain their skills in these rapidly changing times. “

‘FyberSearch Tutorial Search’ is a sort of directory for lessons. By just entering the name of the topic on its search box you can collect several links to tutorials on the subject.

Wannalearn
Browse over 350 categories of free, first-rate, family-safe online tutorials,guides and instructionally oriented Websites!

http://www.extropia.com/tutorials.html presents tutorials on web programming, Pearl, CGI script etc.

I welcome feedback from students and parents too.

Do you know DaVinci Technology?

A chip from TI that combines the hardware, software and design tools necessary to build next-generation digital video products.

Introduced in 2005 and based on TI's C64x DSP plus a general-purpose ARM processor, the DaVinci technology gives video equipment manufacturers thousands of available features in pre-existing menus.

The all-in-one chip will be used for products such as portable media players, video security systems, TV set-top boxes, and digital cameras. For more information, visit www.thedavincieffect.com.

Their DaVinci Technology CD includes:
*Introduction to DaVinci Technology
*Future Video Applications
*Customers and Partners Support DaVinci
*DaVinci White Paper
*Digital Video White Paper
*DaVinci Product White Paper
*DaVinci Fact Sheet
*Digital Product Bulletin
*DaVinci Website

Information source: http://answers.com and www.thedavincieffect.com

Have a question? Ask me!

Want to know what is meant by 'Spamdexing'?
Want to gain knowledge about latest in nutrition or culinary?

Are your kids got stuckup to find a solution in Trignomentry?
Looking for the latest technology in computer security?

Answers.com will provide authentic answers to all your questions.
I quote from their site:

"Answers.com contains only up-to-date, accurate definitions and explanations from authoritative sources like Houghton-Mifflin, Columbia University Press, MarketWatch, Thomson Gale Medical Dictionaries, Investopedia, All Media Guide, Who2".

We, as a blogger may get stranded on particular topic or a word while writing.
We may need to do some research before presenting accurate information.

Answers.com is your one-stop guide for all your information.
And they offer a fantastic free tool, 'One click answer', which you can download.
I just tried this tool and found it absolutely top class.

BTW, yahoo too has one such free service: http://answers.yahoo.com

For a trial purpose, I posted this question on yahoo answers:
Where can I get free images for my car research project?

Unlike answers.com, it took several steps to finalize my question on yahoo. Awaiting the answer.

Ford rolled out its first vehicle.

Do you know that on this day 4th June but a different year-1896, the world witnessed the first horseless carriage on the streets of Detroit?

Henry Ford made the first two cylinder engine whih he named 'Quadricycle' because
he mounted this engine on four bicycle wheels!

Do you know it had a maximum speed of 40 km/hr?

And it took nearly 12 more years before Detroit became the automobile capital of America when the Ford Motor Company pushed out its first Model T car.

Henry Ford was also famous for his quote:
"Quality means doing it right when no one is looking."

Facinating story really.
Courtesy: answers.com