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The Motorola Rokr E8: Cell Phone Review by Vicki Nolan

The Motorola Rokr is one of those phones that has successfully brought back the single body design. It’s thicker than the RAZR V3, and at 4.5 inches tall and 2 inches wide, it has a reasonably tall, thin design that fits in the hand like a chocolate bar. Its keyboard design is a welcome departure from Motorola’s boilerplate grid design with small gray icons set against a slightly “smoked” black background. The scroll wheel enables easy menu and feature navigation. There is a small caveat, though, as the scroll wheel is a bit too sensitive. Some practice is needed to get the light touch needed not to breeze past your desired menu selections. Since there are no physical keys, Motorola has loaded haptic feedback onto the ROKR E8; it vibrates whenever a virtual button is pressed.

The 2 inch screen sports a great graphic display where you can adjust the backlighting and brightness. And the “Modeshift” keypad is a great little feature that tells you what menu mode you’re in. If you’re in music mode, the phone key pad disappears and is replaced by the “play” and “rewind” music controls. Camera mode is highlighted the same way, and it makes the interface so easy that it reduces the risk of “feature fatigue” a potential problem for all multi-featured mobile phones where users get overloaded with too many visual options. With Motorola’s Rokr, you don’t have to deal with more controls than you need to, at any one time. That said, there is a sluggishness in the menu responsiveness that seems to be due to T-mobile’s software. This shortcoming may well resolve itself with software upgrades.

Motorola also provides a 3.5 mm jack that enables use of a headset for its music player. The phone definitely substantiates Motorola’s claim that the Rockr is a “music phone” with a music interface that’s easy to use. It has 2GB of internal memory which claims to store approximately 3000 songs. It synchs easily with Windows Media Player but Mac users have to transfer files via Micro SD.

The phone also has Bluetooth, a full HTML browser, and a 2.0 Mega pixel camera with an 8X zoom. And last but not least, let’s get to the heart of mobile phone functionality : call signal integrity. Rokr’s Crystal Talk technology claims to markedly reduce background noise during calls. This reviewer did notice a perceptibly better-than-average transmission quality, where I didn’t have to do the classic clamp my free ear down to hear my friend as a subway train was passing overhead. Crystal Talk does in fact seem to be more than just marketing speak. Motorola has patented a series of algorithms that help differentiate a caller’s voice from background noise.

Voices sounded very clear in conversations in the office building as well as on the street. Friends on the other line reported unusually good quality as well. Reception was a bit unusual at times. The phone would dip into “Emergency Calls Only” territory, then bounce back to four bars while I was standing in place. Regardless, when I had enough reception to complete a call, it always sounded great. For battery life, I got just over 6 hours of talk time in a single call, which is pretty good.

All in all, the lean and mean design and functionality of the Rokr will become better once T-mobile’s software upgrades catch up with Motorola’s ingenuity.

Article written by Vicki Nolan. Vicki researched new Motorola Cell Phones to help inform others. Vicki’s favorite online shop for GSM as well as Verizon Wireless Phones is Cellkraze.com.

Article Source: Just Enjoy Life

Panasonic Offers New Definition of Plasma TV by David Shaffer

Portraying The Piture Quality of high definition plasma television on a regular ol’ TV set is pretty tough. That’s why Panasonic’s new plasma TV campaign, breaking this week, will be less about the image on the TV and more about what consumers can do with their HD displays.

Panasonic has a good deal riding on this work, its first from lead agency Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, New York, as it fights to protect its top spot among U.S. plasma TV makers.

Samsung and others are aggressively attacking Panasonic in the plasma market. Samsung, in conjunction with Sony, is also successfully luring consumers to other HDTV technologies like LCD (liquid crystal display), according to Ross Rubin, director of analysis at The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y.

“LCD technology is becoming more and affordable at larger sizes,” said Rubin. The average prices of 42-inch plasma and LCD TVs are now $2,100 and $2,700, respectively The latter is down from $4,200. “LCD offers a few advantages,” said Rubin. “It’s lighter, thinner and there are no burn-in issues which has been a problem with plasma, although it’s getting better.”

Panasonic will increase its $80 mil-lion-plus 2005 domestic media budget to support its brand-building efforts, per the company. Once known for an array of products, Panasonic is now concentrating on a few key growth items. Plasma is perhaps its biggest focus. Digital still cameras, where Panasonic ninth in the category, also get a new campaign during the spring “moms, dads and grads” window. Panasonic unveils its Blu-ray DVD players June 22, with marketing support to follow,

The plasma effort, “Flip,” shows people viewing a 58-inch TV from different angles. A couple looks at piece of art from the side of the screen, snowboarders watch stunts upside down and so forth.

A voiceover by Christian Slater offers: “Your favorite artwork. Your videos. Your photos. And your favorite high definition TV shows. Your life now showing on our best picture ever. Panasonic is changing your perspective on television.” The tag continues: “Panasonic. Ideas for life.”

“How do I convince you our picture is better? It’s the ultimate conundrum, like do I truly understand how a BMW drives if I haven’t driven one?” said Rob Feakins, executive creative director/vice chairman at KB+P. “We’re using an analogy versus saying look how great this picture is on your crappy TV.”

Fifteen-second teaser ads begin this week, leading up to the full execution. “People are very interested in flat pangel HDTV,” said Gene Kelsey, vp-brand strategy group at Panasonic Consumer Electronics, Secaucus, N.J. “More content is available. More sets are getting out there. People are experiencing it. Once they do they realize it’s something they want to have.”

Panasonic’s digital still cameras with optical image stabilization will also share the spotlight. The digital camera market presents greater challenges for Panasonic, said NPD’s Rubin: “It’s a very tough category to compete in with Sony, Kodak and Canon at the top of the marketshare standing for some time.”

Sony, Canon and others are working to develop image stabilization technology similar to Panasonic’s. Also, demand for point-and-shoot digital cameras is leveling off. According to Rubin, “In the next year or two, we’ll see a decline in [sales] for the first time.”

TV spots breaking this week tell consumers they don’t have to be immobile to take great shots: “Who says you have to stand still to take a still-life?” and “Capture spontaneity, not blurriness.” About 35% of digital pictures are deleted because they’re blurry, per KB+P.

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Article Source: Just Enjoy Life

How to Write a Letter of Complaint by Jane Sumerset

Letters of complaint can be a sensitive piece of writing. Done with little regard for professional presentation, they are likely to elicit nothing but a defensive or dismissive response. Instead of spurring positive action on the part of those receiving the letter, it is more likely that the complaint will be ignored or even resented.

Calm is the operative word when writing a letter of complaint. Whether you’re writing it to your cable provider, office supervisor or neighborhood association, an angry letter is less effective for getting what you want than one written clearly, concisely and with valid points.

Start Positively

Keep in mind that businesses and most people, in general, would prefer to co-exist peacefully instead of being involved in arguments and disputes. Know that the other party would probably like nothing more than to clear up the issues just as much as you do.

Write Clearly

Instead of writing while you are hot under the collar, let the emotions pass before composing your letter. When you do, make your points clearly. Outline your grievances in a list if you can to make it as unambiguous as possible. Use an English grammar software to ensure that your words are expressed correctly to avoid any misunderstanding.

Stick To The Subject At Hand

Many people make the mistake of rambling on about unrelated topics when writing complaint letters. The narrower the focus of your grievances, the sooner the other party can identify the problem on their part and foster a solution for it.

Follow-Up

Be patient. If you’re dealing with a problematic company, chances are good that they are receiving dozens of the same complaints daily. Wait a week (if the problem can wait that long) for a response and follow-up with another letter if you don’t receive any.

Written communication is important

For one, written documents are easier to understand than verbal instructions which can lead to some amount of miscommunication. Second, written documents and letters give you something to refer back to in case there are things you want to clarify. Lastly, it allows you to have a documented record of the communication, which you can look up anytime someone needs to be made accountable for when things go awry.

Don’t forget to provide enough information to allow the other person to make a picture of the situation or carry out the action needed. A simple instruction like “Can you schedule a meeting for me” is seldom sufficient. Who will be in the meeting? When do you want to hold it? What will the meeting be about?

If you want your letter to be sufficient for your contractors to complete the orders or understand your message, you’ll need to include all pertinent information. Anticipating what kinds of things they’ll need to know to carry the task out will have to be part of your job. Otherwise, they’ll just come back with an email asking for clarification, which really saves you no time in the end.

Additionally, make sure your instructions are clear. Put it through a grammar and spell check to ensure that your sentences are neither confusing nor do they contain incomplete thoughts. Imagine yourself in your contractors place. Would you understand the information and instructions based on what you have written so far?

See how innovative English Writing Software and the over 600 included Writing Templates can can help you write perfect argument pieces and outlines, right now. Read more 1 Read more 2

Article Source: Just Enjoy Life

Do You Really Need Peer Reviews of Your Book Manuscript? by Barbara G. McNichol

You’ve noodled through your book concept, created an outline to make your ideas flow, and filled in your outline with detail. You’ve accomplished a lot. Pat yourself on the back and dance the snoopy dance! But don’t rest on your laurels just yet. You won’t be ready to launch your project until you’ve allowed others with a more objective eye to give you the thumbs up.

Put your magnum opus aside for a few days and rest. Then give the manuscript one more critical look. Are you sure you’ve said everything you want to say? Once you’re satisfied, you’re ready for the next crucial step to making your manuscript the best it can be—a peer review.

A Necessary “Evil”?

A peer review involves sending your manuscript to fellow writers, other experts in your field or genre, and readers in your target audience for their feedback. As those who’ve been through the process know, a peer review can be frustrating and nerve-wracking. The reviewers’ role is to help you “see” what you’ve written, and you may get feedback you don’t want to hear. But you also garner valuable information to make your book better.

Reviewers point out what’s working in the text or storyline and what isn’t. They may nitpick on the wrong things and take you on tangents, offering suggestions that don’t advance your ideas. Still, feedback from reviewers is essential because they bring a variety of perspectives to the book—as your buyers will. Be prepared for ideas that could be so far off you wish you could take back your manuscript and say “never mind.” But also be ready for dynamic and brilliant suggestions.

Keep Reviewers on Track

To ensure reviewers’ comments are valuable as opposed to distracting, guide the process the best you can. How? Consider these suggestions:

• Be specific about what you want peer reviewers to look for.

• Ask them if the content seems complete or if you’ve overlooked something important.

• Also ask them to forgive typos, punctuation glitches, and the like, as those issues are addressed in the editing process. You want them to focus on content.

Be Grateful for Valuable Feedback

Resist the temptation to skip the peer review. Reviewers’ questions often reveal muddy spots that need to be cleared up. Thank them! It’s easy to get your nose too pressed to the computer screen to see the overall picture. Peers may notice places where you need to expand on your message or where you haven’t used words correctly. These problems you can fix with a little more thought and a good word or language reference. But don’t rely on reviewers for nitty gritty editorial glitches, or you could receive a confusing patchwork of opinions. Best to let your editor ensure consistency and precision when it comes to details. You can’t expect that from peer reviewers.

When you instigate this review process, you’ll find that people appreciate being asked. What’s more, you’ll have ambassadors out there when your book finally launches.

Barbara McNichol helps nonfiction authors through expert editing and her searchable e-guide, Word Trippers: The Ultimate Source for Choosing the Perfect Word When It Really Matters, available at http://www.BarbaraMcNichol.com.

Article Source: Just Enjoy Life

Playroom Decorating Ideas by Emily Watson

Children love to have a space to call their own; a place to be a kid, to play, to relax, and to have a place to let their imagination run wild! It seems more and more parents these days are opting for allocating one room of their home as a playroom for their children. Not only do kids love to have their own play space, but parents love to have their childrens toys in one spot to make tidying up quicker and easier.

Planning and designing a playroom is fun for both parents and kids alike. As adults, it’s fun to think back to when we were kids and design a fun and functional ultimate playroom. It seems that in recent years, manufacturers have begun to really up their game in designing functional and fabulous playroom equipment to help keep our playrooms organized, tidy, and fun. And the better news? You don’t have to spend a fortune; good news for us parents, eh?

Are you looking for some fun playroom decorating ideas? Read below for some great ideas to make your childrens play space fun, organized, functional, and looking great!

Playroom Decorating Ideas #1: Get input from your kids

Think about your children and their interests. What kinds of themes do they like? Do they enjoy animals, cars, circus themes, safari themes, bugs, fairy tales? Think of the books they enjoy and start there. You can even take a favorite story and build a playroom out of ideas from that book!

Another idea is to sit down with your children and ask them directly what they would like to see in their playroom. This can be fun and will include your children in the process. With the feeling of ownership, your children will be more apt to take care of their playroom and keep it looking nice.

Playroom Decorating Ideas #2 Choose versatile pieces to save money

Children grow and evolve and so should your pieces. You can waste a lot of money on items that will only stay with your child for a year or two. Instead, think of your playroom as staying around for the long haul! If you’re starting while your child is young, avoid a lot of baby-themed items and go with pieces that will compliment your child for year’s to come.

Playroom Decorating Ideas #3: Create a storybook “nook”

Reading is so important to our childrens development, not to mention it’s a fun activity for kids! Create a fun little part of your room dedicated entirely to snuggling up with a book and getting lost in their imagination. Try a comfortable cushion, a tent, cute bookshelf, cuddly stuffed animals; anything that will draw your child into the world of reading.

Playroom Decorating Ideas #4: A Dress-up nook is fun, too!

Children love to dress up. I remember enjoying this activity dozens of times when I myself with a child. Go to your local thrift store and find a cute trunk to hold clothes, hats, jewelry, and any other clothing item that your child would love to play in. Thrift stores are fabulous places to find fun clothing and jewelry to aid in your child’s dress-up time!

Playroom Decorating Ideas #5: Choose storage that works for your space

Simply tossing all your toys into a toy box is many times not the answer. I personally like toy storage items that will help my child learn to sort and organize. Look for inexpensive bookshelves and purchase baskets to organize items such as Legos, dolls, blocks, cars, and any other toy your child enjoys.

Playroom Decorating Ideas #6: Add some music!

Every fun playroom needs some fun music! You can purchase an inexpensive CD player and start your collection of fun music your child will enjoy listening to while playing.

Playroom Decorating Ideas #7: Above all, make your area safe!

Child safety is the number one most important thing to consider when planning your child’s play room. Make sure electrical outlets are covered with a secure outlet cover, cords are out of reach, and furniture is bolted to the walls. Really do your research and make sure you are remembering all the child safety considerations that are necessary in making your playroom safe and secure.

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Article Source: Just Enjoy Life