Convergys Lands $55 Contract Renewal for Top Telecom

A Fortune Top 10 telecom has reportedly renewed its contract with Convergys. The contract, pegged at $55 will cover tier one technical support to said telecom’s internet subscribers.
The contract is going to be supported by over a thousand full-time employees that are located in various offshore facilities under Convergys. Dedicated technical support representatives from the call center will be serving the telecom’s subscribers, providing them with quick problem resolution, managed hosting and troubleshooting assistance.

Convergys is also going to utilize a survey method that is aimed at gaining analytics and insights that motivate actions in order to improve customer experience. The company’s client will also use rich data that Convergys gathers in order to provide effective customer care and significantly enhance customer satisfaction levels.

According to Convergys president for Global Business Units Jim Boyce, the company’s client relies on Convergys to own customer experience as well as to provide quick and effective issue resolution. According to the call center’s research, it is quick and effective solutions that drive customer satisfaction. He adds that Convergys will also collect customer intelligence which will then be used as basis for a customer experience action plan. This will, in turn, allow the client to improve its ability to provide better technical customer support experience.

Convergys has also reportedly renewed its contract with the Department of Transportation in Utah. Under the forged agreement with the government agency, Convergys will be providing on-demand speech self service for the next ten years.
Utah’s DOT has been working with Convergys since 2004. During that period the partnership has given birth to a number of enhancements as far as Utah’s 511 system is concerned.

Amazing Link Collection

Can you believe the weather we had this year so far? I wonder if climate is really something we should worry about…seems like our summer season gets smaller every year in my neck of the woods.

It’s hard to find the right stuff these days on the Internet. So many fake places spouting spammy nonsense. Here are my favorite (and REAL) resources so far:

Planting

Your options for tillers are quite tremendous. Your cultivator choice can depend on the type of soil - and how much ground you need to till. If you’re going to buy one, look online first and save. I found reliable high quality rototiller from the Rototiller Store. Check it out. The Rototiller Store is very informative and easy to navigate. View the site in a new window - just right click on the link and click ‘new window’. Shopping at the tiller store is easy because you can see all of the good prices and specials in one place on the web. Too easy!

Energizing

Ok - this doesn’t look like it belongs, does it? Making more money today is more important than ever. Being energized for family and friends is just as important. Great chance. This energy drink was something I had to try before I would buy…and let me tell you, the experience was exhilerating. You won’t believe this - but the drink will energize you for quite some time. No crash. I wonder who is still reading this. Go get a healthy energy drink already! Don’t miss out and join one of the best efusjon teams out there. The ‘a’ team can be found at Startup4Less.com. Learn there, grow there. It’s not too late - in fact, this is a new company and organization. Lot’s of inherent opportunity here right now. Make money soon… Hooray!

Splitting Wood

Storing a big machine like a splitter can be tough. Store your outdoor machinery under a heavy duty tarp or in a shed. Check the oil before storing it. Want to purchase a solid log splitter at a decent cost? Try out the page listed earlier. I couldn’t find a better guide to buying log splitters than what I found at the site I linked to earlier. You should visit for that. Compare and review the guides on this site before buying a log splitter.

Alright! Ready set go.

Dual-Core Processor Wars: AMD X2 vs Intel Pentium D

There’s a war going on and the latest battle continues to offer the promise of good prices to consumers looking for the best stuff for their computer.

Since the inception of dual-core processors a little while back the race has been on to see who can get the better chip with this dual-core processor technology.

During the final days of the single-core battles, there was a stalemate between AMD and Intel. Intel’s clocked higher but were unable to match the speeds that the AMD managed at lower clock speeds.

The oldest difference between them has been their suitability for specific tasks. AMD have had the gaming sector in the bag, especially in terms of the value for money possible with their lower clocked chips, which could be overclocked to the same speeds as their top models. Intel has the crown for general performance. When it comes to office related tasks, Intel processors are able to outperform AMD chips in these areas.

As the ability to clock the chips any higher became more and more difficult technically, the next step was to just add another core, theoretically allowing twice as much number crunching in a dual-core processor. This is not exactly how it works however.

Modern operating systems and programs have not been designed with multiple-core or dual-core processors in mind. They were designed to make use of one core on one processor. The major expense that went with multiple processor computers was the circuitry needed to split tasks up amongst the processors and sharing cache.

Dual-core processors simply act like two places for tasks to go. Instead of single tasks getting split up and performed in two different places, as is the case with traditional single core processors, single threads get split up amongst the cores. This essentially means that each program gets assigned to a core.

Because of this there is absolutely no increase in speed for gaming from dual-core processor chips. Only once the games themselves have been programmed to take advantage of dual-core processors will there be a difference. This is due to the intensive nature of games and the number crunching needed for intense graphics, which for now cannot be split over multiple cores in dual-core processors.

So back to the battlefield.

AMD were the first to introduce their dual-core processor solution to a desktop computer. This gave them a slight lead over Intel. Despite this, AMD gave people a bit of a surprise with their new offering.

Always having been renowned for giving far more than expected for the price, these new dual-core processors were very expensive. Part of what managed to give AMD a hold in a market previously dominated by Intel was their good pricing. This shock did not go down well with consumers.

To add insult to injury, Intel’s dual-core processor offerings came in at remarkably good value. Both of their initial dual-core processors cost less than AMD’s lowest priced model. That’s right, AMD’s cheapest dual-core processor cost more than Intel’s most expensive. This definitely put the ball in Intel’s court and was downright disappointing for AMD fans.

AMD did manage to introduce a cheaper model to compete better with the Intel offerings. Despite this, Intel was still the forerunner in this area.

Performance remains an area that is sketchy.

With the relatively new technology involved it is hard to draw a clear conclusion on who is faster. With operating systems only recently oriented towards fully utilizing dual-core processor technology, it is still new territory. Both offer increased performance, but as to who will rule the roost, we’ll have to see.

For the meantime it would probably be advisable to just watch. Being a cautious buyer I prefer to buy into a sure thing, once things have settled down, prices will balance out and all the related technology will be in place. Then we will be able to get a true opinion on where to put your hard earned cash.

Get the most honest and useful reviews and Dual-core processor reviews at our Desktop Computer Hardware Reviews site or get practical computer buying tips at our Computer Buying Guide site

Building A Computer - Picking Components

Picking the parts for your computer is one of the most important things in building a computer, because you cant assemble a computer without the parts! Picking parts for computers has become much easier than before, because things have been standardized, however, you need to make sure everything will fit. The first thing to think about when choosing the components for your computer is what you are going to be using it for. If you are creating a computer for just checking your eMail and using word, you are going to need much diffrent parts than a computer that you are going to be using for gaming.

CPU
The first thing you should pick out about your computer is what CPU you are going to use, because it determines what motherboard you are going to get, which determines what other components you get. There are two main CPU manufactruers, Intel and AMD. Both have their Pros and Cons, but they are pretty similar. I would suggest using AMD, because they give you a little more bang for the buck.

Here is a brief overview of the diffrent Intel and AMD CPUs:
Budget: AMD: Sempron
Intel: Celeron D

Midrange: AMD: Athlon 64
Intel: Pentium 4

High End: AMD: Athlon64 X2
Intel: Pentium D

If you are spending below $500, I would suggest a budget proccesor, Between $500 and $1000, midrange and $1000 and above I would suggest a high end proccessor.

Motherboard
Choosing the right motherboard is vital to building your computer. First, make sure you find a motherboard that has the right socket type for your CPU. Then, check the diffrent features of the motherboards you are looking at. If you arent going to buy a video or sound card, make sure your motherboard has onboard video and/or sound. Other things to check for on your motherboard are the hard drive interface, graphics card interface, expansion slots, the memory size and speed. Also, check for the chipset. There are too many to talk about, but generally Intel and nVidia chipsets are better than the other ones. Now that you picked out your motherboard, you know what to look for in your other components.

RAM
Getting the right speed and amount of RAM is vital to the speed and stability of your system. If you are running XP, you will probably need at least 256 or 512Mb of RAM. If you are going to be doing anything memory intensive, gaming, rendering or just want a faster computer, you should get 1Gb. Make sure your motherboard has enough DIMMs and the right type of DIMMs for your RAM. Also, be sure to check the speed and CAS Latency.

Hard Drive
Now its time to pick your hard drive. There are few variables in picking a hard drive. The first, and most important is size, 120Gb is usually enough for most people unless, you are going to be storing alot of pictures and video. Also, make sure you get an HD with the right interace that fits your motherboard. Almost all motherboards have IDE, but some have SATA (Serial ATA) Which is a much faster hard drive interface and uses a thinner cable which helps with airflow in your case. There is even SATAII now, which is twice as fast. Also look at speed, almost all desktop HDs are 7200RPM and Cache, most are 8Mb, dont buy a HD below those standards. If you want to spend some money, you can get 2 HDs and run them in RAID which increases performance.

Video Cards
If you are going to be doing any gaming, be sure to buy a video card, if youre not, onboard video is fine. The first thing to check for is the interface, most are AGP or PCI-E. I personally like nVidia cards better. If you are going to be doing graphic intensive games, I would suggest at least a 6600. If you have alot to spend, go with a 7800.

Optical/Floppy drives
Another thing you are going to is a CD drive, most are IDE. Get a DVD Burner if you are going to use it. Also, you should get a floppy drive, they are only $10ish and you might need it to install drivers when building your computer.

Case and Power Supply
Make sure you have a sufficient power supply!! If you have a high end computer, you should get a 450W PSU. Otherwise, 350W should be fine for most people. Most cases are ATX, but make sure it is the same type as your motherboard (ATX, MicroATX, BTX, etc…).

Be sure to make sure all your components are compatible!

Chris Silop, owner and admin of
SysChat.Com Computer Forum
Go there for more articles and forums on computer hardware!

Computer Slow? Optimize It With The Right Tools

Why does it seem like every time you get a new computer it operates at lightning fast speeds for only a few months before becoming slow and laborious over its tasks? Is this just something that we have to live with or can we do something to keep our computers running at optimum speeds?

The truth is that computers do not get slower as they age, a slow computer is a sign that something is literally holding your PC back and affecting its performance. And the good news is that you can do something about it.

There are many things that can affect your computer’s performance, from low memory to a fragmented hard drive and everything in between. The things that can affect your computer’s performance are usually of your own doing. You see, each time we download a program or delete a program, we affect the way our computer operates. This change in operation can leave holes in our PCs operating procedures or may even leave behind programs that can affect our computer’s performance.

Here are just a few things that could be making your computer slow:

Running Background Programs - These programs are software applications that are running behind the scenes even when they are not in use. You may not even know that they are running, but they can zap precious memory and slow down your other tasks considerably. To see if you have programs running in the background, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time. The box that pops up will show you all applications that are running.

Full Hard Drive - If your hard drive is too full of data, it will not have enough space to perform chores. Your hard drive should have at lease 2MB to 3MB in free space.

Fragmented Hard Drive - When you download and delete programs, you create holes in your hard drive. These holes mean that your PC has to search for the files it needs over greater distance and not necessarily in the order that it needs them.

Left Over Parts - When you install and uninstall Windows programs, they leave behind parts or applications that can slow down your computer. You may even unknowingly delete a file needed for other software applications. (Note: Spyware and viruses can also slow down your PC’s performance, but for the purpose of this article we are assuming that the problem lies in application errors.)

Make Your PC Run Like New

While it’s not rocket science, making your computer lightning fast once again will take a little work from you. Sometimes, this is as easy as running your Windows System Tools program. You can find these programs by clicking “start,” “all programs,” “accessories,” and “system tools.” Here you will find several system optimizers to help you free up your disk space, defragment your PC, and detect and repair disk errors.

In addition to tools already installed on your PC, you can opt to download additional programs to optimize your computer’s performance. These optimizers can be purchased as a set with other software programs that can help you get the best out of your computer. Here are just a few of the extra optimization programs that you may want for your PC:

Memory Optimizer - When you are using your computer, it takes several programs and application to handle everything that you are doing. Each of these programs uses memory. When memory is short, computer response time is slow. Memory Optimizer helps to make the allotment of memory to each program more efficient. This can help you eliminate slow PC execution time, Windows hang up or crashing, loss of data and unwanted shutdowns.

Registry Deffrager and Optimizer - As mentioned before, a registry with holes results in slow response times as your PC searches for the data it needs. This program improves the system response time and saves memory by creating a smaller registry.

Windows Optimizer - We all use our computers differently. Some use their computer as a media and entertainment centerpiece while others use their PC for data storage and business purposes. Windows Optimizer allows you to tweak program settings so that they will perform in line with your needs.

Granted, a slow computer is a nuisance and it may leave you wanting to go out and purchase a new model. But before you give up on your current model, make sure that you have optimized it first. You may be surprised by how much life is still in your PC.

Brought to you by PC Power Suite The new PC Power Suite is an all in one utility suite for maintaining your Windows operating system. www.pcpowersuite.com

Cable Modem Reviews

Cable modem reviews provide customers the specifications, functions, weaknesses and strength of the product they bought. These reviews are available on TV, print and on the Internet. They normally compare one product line with the stating the disadvantages and advantages of using one over the other.

Until recently, most Internet users had limited options other than to utilize a 56K modem and the phone line to access the Internet. Prowling on unused bandwidth cable networks, cable Internet services are quickly becoming another popular choice. With approximately 80 million U.S. households wired with cable television, and cutting-edge technologies that permit Internet data transfer via cable wires; cable Internet access has gained wide-strides in the market share over dial-up and DSL connections. Cable Internet access and cable modems are relatively new technologies and issues such as speed consistency; security and data reliability are still being assessed.

The effects of cable modem reviews cannot be evaded since those who score well on a review usually come at a higher price. The main concerns of reviewing cable modems are to show which modem provides are the most efficiency. Check the manufacturer’s website to see what new drivers are available. They often have newer drivers than what comes with the modem. Do not use native Windows drivers; always install drivers from the manufacturer. You can also avail of the user manual to see what is the most user-friendly. Another option to make sure that your cable modem is properly is to monitor it using downloadable software. These monitors show you in real-time upload and download speeds performed by your cable modem.

Cable Modems provides detailed information on Cable Modems, Installilng Cable Modems, Cable Modem Reviews, Uncapping Cable Modems and more. Cable Modems is affiliated with Computer Cables.

Computer Parts Online

In today’s age, building computers on yourself is often chosen as the safest and choicest option by a sizeable part of the market for computers. There are various advantages and disadvantages for doing so.

When personal computers first entered the mass market, building a computer was an arduous and risky task. Getting the right computer parts was also difficult and without a guarantee. Putting the whole thing together was a risk because of the newness of the product as well as the absence of expert knowledge. But over the years, the market has understood the process of computer assembly and the heavy savings involved in making your own computer (you basically save on the branded company’s professional service charge for putting the computer together for you).

Customers are able to find everything needed to build a computer on the Internet. If you want to assemble the whole system at one go, you can get a barebone computer system and keep adding on later. Using quality but cheap computer parts is the key trick behind assembling computers.

There are thousands of cheap computer parts on the web today. A quick check list of the main components you need to build your computer is -

• CPUs (Processors)
• Hard Drives
• Graphics Card
• Monitors
• CD / CD-RW / DVD ROMs
• Mouse and Keyboards (other Input Devices)
• Batteries
• Cables & Adapters
• Communications and Connectivity tools
• Cooling Products
• Computer Bags & Cases
• Firewire Products

Accessories
o Digital Cameras
o Flash Memory
o Gaming Hardware
o Ink & Toner
o Cellular Accessories
o Cleaning Kits & Supplies
o Notebook Accessories
o Headsets
o Media Storage

You can find any of almost all of these computer parts in Internet individually. Cheap computer parts are easy to find and pay for securely over Internet. There are also many sites and services that help you build these types of computers on a professional basis and get you started. These sites help you step-by-step through the process of building a good quality computer using cheap and high quality computer parts - often with illustrated instruction guides to show you how to put your new computer together.

Building your own high-quality but cheap computer with computer parts that are genuine and cheap are often considered a safe bet.

Adrian Griffiths - Computer Hardware UK, Cheap Computer Parts

Selecting an Ink Jet printer-With Low Operating Cost

Printer technology has made tremendous advances in the past five years. Speeds are up and print quality is great. Meanwhile, printer costs have declined.

What has not improved is the cost of ink. Printer manufacturers expected to make their profit on replacement cartridges, and they do. But in charging high prices they created another industry that they have to compete with.

Now there are generic or compatible replacements; you can buy refilled cartridges and refill kits so you can refill them yourself. Worst of all there are counterfeits. And there’s a big market for all of them due to the sky-high price of OEM cartridges.

The manufacturers are full of tricks. Some of them use tiny cartridges that don’t hold much ink. Most of the standard cartridges are half full of ink. They sell high capacity cartridges at premium prices that are full of ink. They run promotions on printers that have sample cartridges that barely have enough ink to try out the new printer.

These are all factors you have to consider when you buy a printer. There are makers who have addressed the problem in another way. All printers have a separate black cartridge for obvious reasons, but a few use a separate cartridge for each color. If one of the colors runs out you can replace it individually. This way you aren’t throwing away good ink. One maker gives you the choice of a double size black unit that is more economical than two singles.

Most printers use a cartridge with a built- in print head, but at least one has the print head built into the machine. The cartridges are only ink containers, consequently very inexpensive and easy to refill. The downside of this arrangement is that the print head is a wear item and it’s quite expensive to replace.

The point is that these two style printers are more economical to operate than the conventional type. There are some printers that will operate with only the black cartridge installed, and this is a good choice for students and others that only print text. If you don’t need a fancy printing job, often you can set your printer on “draft” which saves a lot of ink.

Be careful when you are buying a printer especially, but not exclusively at auctions; they’re selling them without ink.
A diligent shopper can sometimes find printers with and without rebates that are below the cost of the ink. This is a good way to go. For more information about shopping visit my web site: http://www.caveatemptorus.com/

I’ve tried refilling and using refurbished units with mixed success. Refilling is risky business. Maker’s claim that it voids your warranty, this is debatable, but there is some validity to their concerns. There are different kinds of ink and using the wrong or an inferior ink can do damage. Many refurbs are poor quality so you end up returning them for replacement.

At the moment my choice is a printer with print heads in the cartridges and I buy good quality generics. Keep in mind this creates warranty problems. If you have a problem printing, you can’t get technical service unless you buy a set of OEMs.

Written by: George W. Cannata the publisher of the web site: http://www.caveatemptorus.com, July 8, 2005.

Cell Phone in Forests

We are putting cell phone towers in the forests for safety, tourists and Forest Service Workers. Sounds like a good idea alright. They will also help when fighting fires, as they add a net-centric component to the ever-increasing fire fighting technologies to extinguish the big ones. Of course some will complain as they are hiking thru paradise or fly fishing that someone’s phone rings? Yes, but if you get injured, lost or the weather gets you, well then you will be darn happy to see four or five bars on the signal strength won’t you?

Currently the National Park Service is taking solicitations from telecoms to build these cell towers in the parks. Some believe there will be safety concerns while people travel on the meandering wined barely two-lane roads, others see it as a way to get the public to come out and see the great attributes of our national parks and protect people who come to visit. Likewise more eyes and ears and cell phones means safer forests, quicker response times, less deaths and bad public relations.

Other things which have not been discussed in the possibility of migrating animals tripping sensors and those sensors calling into a central computer tracking the endangered species and alerting authorities of potential problems with chronic waste disease, auto accidents from deer strikes or wolves and bears getting too close to camping areas. Additionally the abundance of microwaves although very minimal power could have an effect on life in the forests and perhaps even stimulate the brains of larger predator mammals, which could make them smarter or allow them greater cognitive abilities. The waves might increase or decrease reproductive rates. The fact is we do not know what will happen. But being able to pinpoint accident victims, those caught in avalanches, stuck in weather, in the path of fires will be an absolute plus indeed. Being able to quickly quadrangulate the exact location using 3G wireless technologies can help us manage our forestlands better and prevent catastrophe. Think on this, as it appears no one else is.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Free Ringtones For Your Cell Phone

The internet is laden with free things and ringtones are not excluded from this list. You only need a browser to get tons of free ringtones for any make of phone you have.

Typically, you only need to visit one of the hundreds of sites offering ringtones and help yourself to dozens of download available. Though some sites may charge a token fee, many of them offer their services for free because most of the tunes they use are no longer under copyright. Even when tunes have been under copyright, rintgone crazy webmasters have managed to seek licenses to produce tones out of them free for fans.

If you locate a site, the next step is to get the ringtone into your phone memory so you can select it as a ringer. There are several ways to get the tones into your phone: You can use a data cable to transfer the files into your phone, transfer through the net by SMS or manually type the keys on your phone to get the sound.
A more sophicated technology is to use infra red technology like bluetooth to load the sound onto your phone.

Though SMS is supposed to carry text messages primarily, enhanced versions can carry ringtones or sound files to your phone.
Another method that involves a third party is to select a ringtone and the have it texted to you after offering your phone number.
A cell phone with melody composer will allow you to compose tones yourself by manually pressing the keys in sequence to the notes of the tone. In this case, the site will show you the notes equivalent on your keypad and you only have to keep pressing the sequence to generate the tone you want. After typing, you save onto your phone and make it available for use.

Of growing popularity in ringtones are mp3 rintgones which are actual music converted to ringtones. With this system, the voice recorder of the phone can be used to record any sound such as voice or actual music and then stored as a ringtone. Infact this method has enabled many exotic and sometimes latest pop music to be used as ringtones due to its ease of application.
Now some sites offering free ringtones.

http://www.ringtonesgalore.co.uk has a well-laid out site with tones in several formats including key press sequence. It Features pop music and classical tines.

http://www.ringtones4all.com has an overwhelming volume of free ringtones in WAP, midi and key press sequence formats. It has an easy to use interface which suits beginners.

Ringtones help individuals to express their personalities and uniqueness. With midi and mp3 formats available, any sound at all - including one;s own voice, can be easily converted to a ringtone in a matter of seconds.

For more more information about free cell phone ringtones please visit http://www.cell-phone-ringtone-search.com