Using Your Cell Phone in Germany
March 14th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
Is my cell phone Tri-Band? To find out if your phone is Tri-Band you need to contact your cell phone manufacturer, dealer or just refer to your user manual. Once you identify that your cell phone is Tri-Band you must find out if you need a separate SIM card. To find out if you need a separate SIM card for use in Germany once again you would need to speak with either the cell phone manufacturer or dealer. Most cell phones are able to send and receive text messages whether they are Tri-Band or not.
If you know that your phone will work in Germany you should find out how much you will have to pay to use it, it can be expensive if it is not a German phone. If you plan to stay in Germany for two weeks or more it may be in your best interest to just buy the cheapest cell-phone that runs off of pre-paid cards you can find. You should be able to find one for around 50 EUR at most phone shops, ie. Telekom, With a pre-paid phone you can use a normal long distance calling card by dialing 0800callatt and reach back home for a reasonable rate.
One good thing about cell-phone use in Germany is that you are not charged for incoming calls. If your friend back home has a good rate to call Germany, have him/her call you and you will not have to pay a penny.
In the very worse case scenario, if you have an emergency, you can contact the police at any time with any cell-phone, with or without a SIM card by just dialing 110. All phone service providers are configured to transmit the signal dialed from 110 even if your phone is not activated and/or does not have a card.
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How to Get Affordable Cell Phone Service for Italy
March 11th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
A traveler to Italy needs to be careful in choosing the cellular service to use, so as not to end up paying higher rates. In some cases, you as a traveler can stay connected at a fraction of what you may need to pay for conventional rented cell phones, or on roaming with your original country provider. As with a majority of countries in the world, Italy uses the GSM standard which offers quality digital services affording excellent phone reception and clear sound quality.
With the exception of GSM tri-band phones it will be difficult to use your current cell phone and you may have to make special arrangements with your current cellular carrier. They will provide you a handset with a SIM (Subscriber Information Module)chip inserted into the phone which contains such information as the cell phone number, voice mail and call logs. Getting set up in this manner with your current service provider will however, allow you to retain your original phone number and receive and make calls anywhere in the world. In this case, there is usually a monthly fee for being able to use the service internationally plus high roaming rates (call rates) and other applicable charges such as renting the handset and having it delivered to you.
Another alternative is to rent a cell phone. You can rent a cell phone for Italy at any international airport either prior to departing or upon arrival or through many other ways such as the yellow pages. Rates generally average $25-$50 per week for the handset rental plus per-minute charges for actually placing and receiving calls. There are usually minimum per day or per week usage rates, regardless of whether you have used the service or not.
The least expensive alternative is to use the same service that the Italians use: a local, Italian cellular solution. With this approach, you will be paying local rates which are inexpensive and furthermore, you can receive unlimited, free incoming calls from anywhere in the world, including the US or Canada. Calls are not routed through numerous foreign switches and therefore the possibility of dropped calls is close to nil. Furthermore, the calls are prepaid so you never receive a bill nor do you need to sign a contract or commit to lengthy periods of cellular service.
Calls to the US are cheap, costing only about $0.40 per minute, but whenever possible in order to save even further, you may ask people to call you back on your cellular number. Your incoming is free and you can afford to receive long calls. While the person calling you will be paying for an international call, rates to Italy can be very reasonable - especially if the person calling you chooses the right provider or uses a calling card.
In order to take advantage of paying local cellular rates you must ensure that your GSM cell phone is compatible with the Italian system at 900 GSM frequency, and is unlocked. GSM phones come from the manufacturer unlocked - it is the carrier that locks them in order to ensure that even if you do have an international cell phone from a US or Canadian retailer that works in Italy, it won’t work with anything other than the carrier’s SIM card.
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View - Increase in expenses: -Greater the number of cell phones in a home greater is the bill. Children don’t care about how much their parents will pay for their luxuries, they are careless and don’t most of them have sense of responsibility.
cell phone use overseas. View - Try not to drop your cell phone. When dropping your cell phone, especially on a hard surface, it can cause damage to your phone and cell phone battery.
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Why You Should Ignore Your Cell Phone and Laptop: Six Keys to a Great Vacation
March 8th, 2010 Subscribe To Our Feed
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It’s a gorgeous, warm day and you’re loading your black SUV with a beach blanket, cooler, sunscreen, a sun umbrella, your family and …your cell phone and laptop. As a small business owner and entrepreneur, you’ve worked hard all year and look forward to a vacation. Or do you?
Statistics show that over 25% of small business owners take their BlackBerrys, Palm Pilots, cell phones or laptops on vacation in the hopes of combining work and play.
While this may sound like a reasonable idea, this isn’t always the best solution to trying to ‘stay on top of things.’ In fact, many business people may be shortchanging themselves and their families when they engage in this behavior.
A vacation is meant to be a change of scenery from work - a time to connect with family, friends and hobbies and oneself. The importance of a vacation is often underrated in today’s busy society. People feel the urge to be productive all the time and many don’t even know how to slow down and relax.
When a busy person takes time to slow down, relax and take a vacation, they often discover innovative new business ideas or are able to see their company with a fresh perspective because they’re away from it. They also avoid burnout - a major pitfall for new or established business owners and entrepreneurs.
It’s important for business owners to vacation and turn off their cell phones and laptops for their holidays. Time away from something gives a person a new perspective and they may come up with new ideas.
Ever notice how your best ideas come to you while driving, showering, golfing, exercising or drifting off to sleep? It’s because we’re more relaxed and zoned out from stress. Our brain goes into a deeper, almost hypnotic state that allows for a free-flowing exchange of ideas while our analytical side of the brain is not involved. Therefore, we can’t dismiss some of our greatest innovations.
It’s a challenge to ‘escape’ when you’re the key player in a business. Sometimes you can’t just ‘take off’ because you’ve got staffing challenges, money problems and overwhelming projects that need to be completed.
The top business concern among business owners with vacation plans is that an important client or customer won’t receive proper service followed by worries over who will run the company while they’re away and missed opportunities for new business. Other concerns include: technological problems, security and sick staff.
Since time and money play a large role in the life of an entrepreneur or small business owner, you’ll need to plan your holidays and enlist help to be sure you have the best vacation. If you must bring projects with you, limit how much time you spend; get up earlier to complete your work so the rest of your day is dedicated to having fun and relaxing.
How to make a vacation better:
1. Plan a vacation well in advance.
Many business owners don’t think there’s ever a good time to vacation, but putting a date to vacation on the calendar early will enable you to prepare for it by having adequate staff, etc. when you’re gone.
2. Use a travel agent for longer trips.
If you’re planning a trip out of the country, consider working with a travel agent as they’ll help you save time and money so you can get to the business of enjoying your vacation.
3. Put a deposit down on a trip or cabin to commit yourself.
Sometimes it’s just too easy to cancel trips. Work piles up, staff quit, the computer dies… the list is endless. If you commit to a trip and put money down, set it up where you won’t cancel or you’ll be penalized. This way you will take that vacation.
4. Schedule escapes during business down times.
If you can’t take a trip of a week or longer, plan short weekend excursions or mid-week trips during your slowest business times.
5. Tackle major projects before the trip.
When you know how long your vacation will be, plan to complete major projects (if possible), write notes for staff and prepare for your trip with a clear head. It’s more pleasant to take a trip when you know your important work is done.
6. Limit your work on vacation (if you must work).
It’s ideal if you don’t take work with you on holidays, but working on a vacation is better than no vacation. If you must work, do a small portion early in the morning so you can enjoy the rest of your day.
If you follow these six key steps, you’ll be on your way to actually enjoying your vacation.
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© 2006 Lisa Rickwood, “The Stress Relief Queen” Lisa Rickwood is an accomplished visual artist, speaker/coach and author of: Escape The Pace. Learn secrets to relax, improve your business, health, and have fun! Get your FREE report and three-minute Escape Movie at: http://www.escapethepace.com/movie |
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