Start A Video Blog or Vlog

Do you think that you have the potential of Speilberg? Well, no harm in thinking so, as you have the right to think whatever you want! Anyway, why don’t you shoot some videos from your camcorder and start a video blog! A video blog? Yes, a video blog or vlog is when you make a video, link it to your blog and post it on the internet for the whole world to see. Then anyone subscribing to your RSS feed will get notified about your new video which they can then open up in their "feed reader" and view your video by clicking the link.

All you need to start a vlog are:

* A camcorder or a mobile phone or even a web cam (A web cam is fine, but a digital video camera will produce much better results )

* A computer with video editing software installed onto it.

* A blog

* An RSS feed to "syndicate" your content.

Extra tip - Use a separate microphone instead of the microphone built into your camcorder or web cam so that you will be able to produce a much better sound quality. Yes, That’s about all it needs to start a vlog!

What about the topic? You can make a vlog about anything and everything you want, but do pick a topic that you are passionate about ,so that you can continue to make episodes after episodes. Would you like to share your happiness, your talent, a humourous episode, or a product you want to market? Just ANYTHING as long as it holds the attention of your audience!

You can use a variety of video file types like Windows Media, Quicktime, Real Media and MPEG for your vlog. However, two file types stand above the rest if you want to get to a larger audience. They are the FLV (Flash Video) or SWF (Shockwave Flash) file formats so that both the Mac and PC users can view your video files.

After you are done shooting your video you can edit it in the Windows Movie Maker software that comes free with windows XP. Though you can't save it as an .FLV or .SWF, you can save as a Windows Media file (.wmv) and then convert it with converters like Pazera Free Video to Flash Converter 1.1 to any format you want.

Now that you are done and ready with your video, upload it to your blog! For your blog, you can use the free www.blogger.com service whereas to create a feed to syndicate your site, you can use the free service at www.feedburner.com.

Yes, Done! Voila! You have started your very own video blog!

A TINY TIP - With practice, you'll develop your own style.There’s no limit to creativity. Your video doesn't have to be great, just enough to hold the attention of your viewers! Happy shooting!

Next Post – How to use Windows Movie Maker to edit videos for vlog!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Additional Tips for Planning Vacation Online

Are you about to set off on your vacation? Stop! Before you venture out there are a few additional tips you should adhere to!

Nothing can be worse than falling sick while on vacation .Hence, check out International Society of Online Travel Medicine and Travel Health online, for a comprehensive listings of vaccines and travel clinics worldwide.

You should be aware of the local currency and to convert your currency and determine exchange rates, visit Oanda.com which is a multilingual currency converter for over 164 currencies and 3 metals. Do learn some local lingo or just study a few phrases to get yourself understood. For helpful phrases, visit travelang.com a site for Foreign Languages for Travelers covering 80 languages. You may enrol for a free online language course at parlo.com in case you want to master the language before you commence your vacation!

Where do you find a club or a bar? The pubclub.com is a worldwide nightlife guide to pubs, clubs, parties and events. It details the hotspots, hip places and cool hangouts in many countries.

You should carry some maps around for quick guidance. Take some printouts from online map sites.You will find maps online for free in Maps.com and Google Maps(maps.google.com). Furthermore, you can find wine maps, railway maps , hiking and nautical in omnimap.com

Be a smart traveller, apart from carrying your credit card and debit card , enlighten yourself with online banking like Western Union and Moneygram for an emergency. Another precaution to be taken, is to note down the numbers of your passport, your security card and other important documents and mail it to yourself. In case of theft, you can atleast access the numbers of the stolen documents.

See the guide to Planning a Vacation Online and Budget Travellers for more reference.

With all these great options available online , have an organised stress free relaxed holiday!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Budget Travellers

Planning a vacation? Do you prefer to travel on a budget? No problem! Many online websites offer you huge savings and discounts on your holiday packages. Check out these sites for bargain offers! CheapTickets.com , Travelzoo.com , Selloffvacations.com. There’s an amazing site, Hotwire, where you will be able to get last-minute airfares and hotels at rock bottom prices. Onetravel.com and Smartertravel.com are other discount sites that offer good packages for budget travelers.

Next, decide on the season of your travel ? Is it to be the ‘peak’ holiday vacation season or the ‘off-peak’ holiday time? Sometimes financial constraints may reckon that ‘off-peak’ travel is a far more viable option. Travelsupermarket.com lets you compare prices for flights and accommodation, and holiday packages.

Trying to find a good hostel can be daunting! Try hostelbooker.com, hostels.com, hostelworld.com, and hostelz.com. for good hostel accommodations. Another good option for budget travellers are the self catering holiday accommodations which comprise of holiday homes, cottages and apartments. Click4holidayhomes.com , directholidaylets.com holidayrentals.org. allow you to book these types of rental homes and apartments for your vacation.

Surely you would like to experience the various cuisines available while on vacation? What are the choice of eateries available within your budget? Try browsing through websites of local papers and search its archive for some good dining sections. You can try NewsDirectory.com to locate the newspapers. Are you a vegetarian? If so, sites like vegdining.com , and happycow.net supply you with names and locations of restaurants and health food stores around the world.

An important tip for planning a budget trip is to register with your favorite airline websites and other travel e-newsletters to receive e-mail alerts when bargain fares become available . Some airlines and hotels now offer discounted Internet-only fares ! It's worth hunting for these special deals.

Thus with careful planning you will be able to afford a wonderful holiday on a budget! Enjoy your holiday on a budget!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Plan Your Vacation Online

Planning a dream holiday? How about a beach vacation ? A Ski trip, perhaps ?A study tour? Or maybe go green with ecotourism? Whatever, it all needs careful planning! You no longer need to waste time going to the library to check out on destinations or make trips to travel agents to plan your itinerary. At the click of the mouse, you get a wealth of info about destinations, travel fares and accommodations. You can also customize your trips taking into account your needs and priorities. Thus you can plan and make reservations all by yourself with the help of your Internet travel guide!

First do a prior research to decide on your destination, next organize your itinerary, then, make your reservations.

The following websites lists information on international cities, towns , wellness,visas, security and appropriate clothing.

Expedia.com

Travelocity.com

Orbitz.com

Fodors.com

Lonelyplanet.com

Concierge.com

Etravel.org

These sites also allow you to make reservations and bookings right from planes tickets, vacation packages, cruises, accommodations to car rentals. All you have to do is to register with the site before you will be allowed to make reservations. Most major airlines and hotel chains have their own websites as well which you can look into from time to time!

Another excellent resource is TripAdvisor.com, which has reader reviews and recommendations from like-minded travelers of both popular and obscure destinations, eateries, accommodations and hidden adventures. For an all-in-one travel tips and advice, visit Wanderlust.co.uk and Igougo.com , two popular online travel journals.

For a good choice of liner cruises with a list of worldwide itineraries visit :Cruise Direct.comand Cruise2.com .

For Eurail passes and deals check out Eurotrip.com and TheBackpacker.Net.

There are deals for the last minute trip planners too. Try out these sites for the best last minute deals: selloffvacations.com , lastminutetravel.com ,

There are sites for Budget Travellers where you will be able to get holiday deals at rock bottom prices.

Also you need to be aware about Additional Tips for Planning Vacation Online while travelling, like road maps, money converters, local lingo and so on. Thus you can customize your trips taking into account your needs and priorities.

Enjoy your holiday! Bon Voyage!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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The Pros and Cons Of VoIP

The Advantages of VoIP

• You receive incoming calls to your VOIP phone no matter where you are in the world. The caller always dials the same number (that you are assigned, when you sign in with the provider) and you receive the calls in whichever part of the world you are in.

• Low cost. If you have a broadband Internet connection (DSL or cable), you can make PC-to-PC phone calls anywhere in the world for free. You can make PC-to-phone calls as well which is free of charge .

• Portability. Carry it wherever you go! While traveling, as long as you carry headset and use your laptop plugged into the Internet, or plug a VOIP phone directly into the Internet connection , can talk to whomever you want for almost absolutely nothing. If you don't have a VOIP phone, use an analog terminal adaptor (ATA) to connect a regular phone to the Internet. An Internet phone is also small and light and hence portable.

• Features. Usually VoIP comes with a horde of advanced features like call forwarding, call waiting, voice mail, caller ID and three-way calling .And unlike regular phone service these come at no extra charge. You can also send data such as pictures and documents at the same time you are talking on the phone.

The Disadvantages of VoIP

• There is no service during a power outage. The regular phone is kept in service by the current supplied through the phone line, whereas in VoIP phone, there is no service when the power goes out. But,you can compromise with the use of battery backups or power generators to provide electricity.

• You cannot make Emergency 911 calls. Traditional phone equipment can trace your location. However, because a voice-over-IP call is basically a transfer of data between two IP addresses and not physical addresses it is not possible to determine where your VoIP phone call is originating from.

• Because VOIP relies on an Internet connection, bad or unreliable internet connections can result in poor voice quality, such as clipping, voice delay, or dropped calls your VOIP service will be affected by the quality and reliability of your broadband Internet service.

• In some cases even the limitations of your PC can affect the quality of your VoIP service.

Well, its up to you now to make a decision!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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Internet Telephony or VoIP

Do you make umpteen long distance and international calls? Hate typing? Burdened with high telephone bills? Do not worry! You can solve this problem! You can come out of the mess!

Internet telephony is your answer! Internet telephony or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) practically eliminates long distances charges. It allows you to make local, long-distance and international telephone calls via the Internet for the cost of a local call. Moreover it allows you to commune verbally, rather than type messages. But then, the audio quality may not be as clear as the regular phone line, but then, you do save pots of money on phone bills.

What exactly is VoIP?

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, is basically telephony services over the Internet using IP (Internet Protocol) network. Instead of using traditional phone land lines to make voice calls , you use broadband Internet connection .Thus you by-pass the telephone company services and charges.

All that you need for VoIP are :

· Broad band internet connection.

· Equip your computer with a sound card and microphone.

· Equip your normal phone with a VoIP adapter called ATA(Analog Terminal Adaptor).

· Use a stand-alone VoIP phone (IP phones has built-in ATA function and connect directly to the broadband modem).

VOIP phone calls can be made three ways:-

1. Computer to computer.

For a computer-to-computer voice connection you need a computer with sound card, a headset consisting of earphones and microphone, and some VoIP software. There are many free software packages available which allow you to connect to any computer running the same software. These types of calls can be made to anywhere in the world free of charge!

2. Computer to Phone.

For a computer to phone connection, you also need a VOIP software, headset,earphones and microphone,whereas the recipient on the other end can use any regular traditional land-line phone or cell phone. These phones are not connected to the Internet.

3. Phone to Phone.

For a phone to phone connection there are two options:-

· Use a regular phone plugged into an ATA adaptor, which in turn is plugged into your broadband modem.

· Use an IP phone or V0IP phone that is plugged directly into your broadband connection. IP phones have built-in ATA function.

Wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.
The following are some of the popular free softphones(software telephones)

Skype – This is owned by the Internet auction giant eBay. Computer-to-computer calls are free, but it will cost you to use SkypeOut, a service that let's you call telephones
Gizmo Project- Lets you make free calls to other Gizmo users.
Google Talk - Free internet calls.

Yahoo with Voice — Make free PC-to-PC calls when you use Yahoo! Messenger, and worldwide calls for only a few cents per minute.

Vonage - Has taken Internet phone calling mainstream and offers a variety of flat-rate service plans for unlimited calling.

See the Pros and Cons of VoIP.

Well, there you are! Yes! You may now chatter away happily with whomever you want and wherever they are!

Copyright © 2008 Laila Rajaratnam. All Rights Reserved

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