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Why use golf training gloves? Thats a good question and I suppose it depends on a couple of factors. An old friend of mine is a golf pro in Hawaii and he has been touting golf training gloves for ever. If your main concern is to go out and get a little exercise on the golf course on a beautiful day, then golf training gloves may not be necessary. However, if you are like the millions of golfers who would like to improve their game, the twenty to fifty dollars spent on golf training gloves is well spent.

golf is like other sports in that there is a social function and a sporting function both operating at the same time. Peoples focus shifts from one to the other, rarely is there a balance that produces a quality performance. It hardly matters if the social aspects produce the desired effect of fun, relaxation and a chance to get in the game. Fitness and training are promoted over and over again. To be fit is to be strong enough to play the game, with breath sufficient to walk the distance and enough conscious will to make it through when the going gets a little rough. Theres also a role that luck plays in the process. But even with luck its been said that it is 80% receptivity and fitness. I think the idea is that when you are fit, you can be ready to capitalize on good opportunities as they arise.

If performance training is in your frame of reference, then golf training gloves should be considered along with all the other training aids on the market. Some have to do with a particular training philosophy while others deal with specific swing or stance elements. Some are just a marketing ploy. If you look at golf from with a wide view, it is easily discerned that the hands, arms and shoulders play a big role. golf training gloves deal with connective relationship between the hands and the wrists with the arms and shoulders. With most golf training gloves, you actually wear only one glove on the opposite hand (if youre right handed, you use a left hand glove). Through varied design means, the glove directs the wrist action, helping it to conform properly. golf training gloves promote an overall better swing, more direction control and improved game. The price for golf training gloves is initially steep, but when compared to shoes or clubs the cost in minimal. Give it a try and swing away!

Kerry Ng is a successful Webmaster and publisher of The golf training Blog. Click here for more helpful information on the golf training: http://www.mygolftrainingtips.com/golf-training-clubs

Best Power Yoga Dvd

Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder associated with eating and the best known and most dangerous eating disorder.

Anorexia is defined as a prolonged disorder of eating due to loss of appetite. It is an eating disorder identified by an "obsession" for thinness, generally sought through self-starvation and is found in all social groups and almost all cultural groups. The average age of onset of anorexia nervosa is 17 years and it is characterized by increased adiponectin plasma levels and reduced nonoxidative glucose metabolism.

Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous condition in which people can literally starve themselves to death. The death rate from anorexia nervosa is among the highest of any.

The history of anorexia nervosa is partly an effect of the culture we live in, and partly an effect of the social structure in our society. The cause of anorexia nervosa is not known.

Many physical and emotional symptoms appear if a person has the eating disorder anorexia. It is essential to know the facts about causes and symptoms of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating disorder.

Be aware of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, and the criteria for diagnosis. The symptoms of anorexia nervosa include loss of weight and changes in other physical features, together with changes in personality and behaviour. The first step to prevention is to recognize the symptoms.

A person with anorexia can be helped easily if the problem is identified and treated early. However, for treatment to be successful, he or she must be ready to get better.

Abdullah Grcan writes for the web site Anorexia in UK Anorexia

Gunner Petersons Yoga Ball

Want to hit farther and straighter?

To achieve that, a correct golf swing sequence will give you the power and control to a golf game.

When you improve the basic fundamentals of a correct golf swing sequence, you will hit the ball farther and straighter with very little effort.

Although there are no quick fixes to having a correct golf swing, here are some basic tips to a correct golf swing sequence-

1) grip - A grip that is too strong or too weak will not give you a correct golf swing first up. A balance of the grip is needed every time you address the ball. As well ,the angle the club lies in your hand is critical.

2) Balanced Posture - A Key requirement of a correct golf swing, but importantly protects your back and aligns your body into a good position.

- Bend from the hips whilst keeping your back straight;
- Your feet shoulder width apart;
- Legs are flexed at a minimum;
- Hands and arm should hang directly below the shoulder.

3) Ball position

4) Aim and Alignment - club face must be set perpendicular to the target line

3) Pivot - How you move your body will determine the golf swing sequence; the back swing, the down swing, impact and post impact.

- At address, left arm is straight, right arm is slightly bent and elbows close together. With a proper grip, posture and pivot, your Hands and arms will start the back swing, and swing the club.

Your body turns in a controlled manner to assist this golf swing, promoting arm leverage which will allow a full swing of the left hand and arm.

At the top of the back swing, left arm should be extended as far as possible whilst the right elbow is bent in, pointing towards the ground. During this back swing, the right leg must remained flexed, which allows a full body turn for a correct golf swing.

As you can see, the back swing is crucial to an entire golf swing sequence!

- A correct golf down swing will start from the legs and hips, not your hands and arms. Hold your shoulders in the fully turned position as the left hand and arm begins to swing down.

- Shoulders must be squared at impact for a powerful swing into and along the intended line of flight. Your left arm should be straight, and right arm almost straight.

4) Post impact, follow through with your stroke to complete a golf swing.

5) Like any other sport, you should warm up before a game of golf by stretching the muscles for optimal performance, and hence allow a full correct golf swing for power.

6) Use golf specific exercises for added strength and flexibility to your body muscles. At times, a poor golf swing can be attributed to muscle fatigue. A Correct golf swing requires endurance and adaptability of the body muscle over a long session of golf. With added strength and endurance, you will be ensuring correct golf swing techniques.

Without question, the more focus on the smaller fundamentals of a correct golf swing sequence will result in effortless power, and the more strokes shaved off a golf game.

For more information on unleashing a golf ball on a consistent basis with an effective golf swing sequence, visit this golfing website that offers helpful tips, advice and resources for golf enthusiast looking to shave off their handcap.

Yoga Or Pilates

Its big news when a favored medical treatment HRT for menopausal women is found to be harmful. But its no news to readers of Susun Weed. Shes been blowing the whistle on both scientific and alternative treatments of menopause for nearly two decades. As recently quoted in Newsweek Magazine, Susun maintains: Menopause is not a pathology, but a passage to power. Like puberty, menopause is a natural and healthy change. Wise women the world over herald menopause as a health-promoting event. They see hot flashes as power surges and menopause as an intense spiritual journey. Most treatments including ERT, HRT, isoflavone, and progesterone creams disrupt this process and can do severe damage to a womans health.

Susun Weed, wise woman, herbalist, author, and mother, has been at the forefront of the natural menopause revolution for the past fifteen years. She plays with the fairies and her goats at her 55-acre homestead in New Yorks Catskill mountains, where she coordinates events at the Wise Woman Center, including monthly moonlodge gatherings and a variety of healing workshops. She has dedicated her life to the reweaving of the cloak of the Ancients and to making the Wise Woman available to all women.

MENOPAUSE IS ENLIGHTENMENT

The energy aspects of menopause are of special interest to me.

As a long-time student of yoga, I was struck by the many similarities between menopausal symptoms and the well-known esoteric goal of "awakening of the kundalini." Though the ideas presented in this section may seem strange or difficult to comprehend, they contain powerful messages about menopause, which lie at the heart of the Wise Woman approach.

kundalini [is] the root [of] all spiritual experiences ... kundalini is a special kind of energy known in many cultures, including Tibetan, Indian, Sumerian, Chinese, Irish, Aztec, and Greek. kundalini is said to be hot, fast, powerful, and large. It exists within the earth, within all life, and within each person. Psychoanalyst Carl G. Jung called kundalini anima. kundalini is usually represented as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, but women's mystery stories locate it in the uterus - or the area where the uterus was, if a hysterectomy has occurred. During both puberty and menopause, a woman's kundalini is difficult to control and may cause a great number of symptoms.

East Indian yogis spend lifetimes learning to activate, or wake up, their kundalini. This is also called "achieving enlightenment". When they succeed, a surge of super-heated energy goes up the spine, throughout the nerves, dilating blood vessels, and fueling itself with hormones. As kundalini continues to travel up the spine, it changes the functioning of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Not just in yogis, but in any woman who allows herself to become aware of it. Menopause is a kind of enlightenment. Hot flashes are kundalini training sessions.

TAKING HORMONES? THESE HERBS ARE FOR YOU

More and more American women are using herbal remedies to help them with menopausal problems. Those who do take ERT (estrogen replacement) or HRT (hormone replacement) may be surprised to discover that herbal medicine has a lot to offer them as well.

Herbs for women on ERT/HRT include those that alleviate side-effects as well as those that counter problems caused by the hormones.

Herbal Helpers Counter Side-effects

Water retention is the symptom most often cited for dissatisfaction with hormone replacement. Herbal tinctures and tea, such as dandelion or cleavers, and ordinary foods can not only relieve the distress, they will go to the root of the problem and help prevent recurrences.

Dandelion root tincture (Taraxacum officinale) strengthens the liver and helps it process out the excess hormones you are taking. When the liver works well, the kidneys work better, and tissues no longer bloat. A dose is 10-20 drops in several ounces of water or juice 2-3 three times a day. If you have any digestion problems, take your dandelion before meals; otherwise, anytime is fine. You can safely take dandelion daily for months or years if you need or want to.

Cleavers herb tincture (Galium molluga) tells the lymphatic tissues to get moving. Relief from edema is usually rapid when 20-30 drops are taken in several ounces of water or juice. Repeat up to six times at hourly intervals if needed. Cleavers is especially helpful for easing swollen, sore breasts.

Foods that relieve water retention include (in order of effectiveness): asparagus, nettles, corn (and corn silk tea), grapes, cucumbers, watermelon (and watermelon seed tea), parsley, celery, black tea, and green tea.

Headaches are the second most common side-effect of hormone use. Unfortunately, they are common among menopausal women not taking hormones, too. Herbs that help relieve headache without a drug-like action - such as dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle, burdock, garden sage, skullcap, and St. John's/Joan's wort - are generally considered safe to take with hormones.

Chinese herbalists say headaches are caused by liver stress. My favorite liver-strengthening herbs are dandelion, yellow dock, milk thistle seed, and burdock. I use one at a time, a 15-25 drops of the tincture several times a day, for two weeks. If symptoms continue, I switch to a different herb.

A strong tea of garden sage leaves (Salvia officinalis) offers immediate relief from headaches and helps prevent future ones. It also reduces night sweats. Tinctures of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) and St. Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) ease pain and relieve muscle spasms. Use 5-20 drops of skullcap and a dropperful of St.J's at the very first sign - no, the very first thought - of a headache. Repeat the doses every five minutes until pain free. Skullcap can be quite sedative, especially in large doses.

Herbal Allies to Prevent Problems Caused by Taking Hormones

Breast cancer risk is increased 20% in women who use ERT for five or more years. Use of HRT for five or more years increases breast cancer risk by 40%. Each five years of continued use increases the risk. In addition, women who take ERT are far more likely to get uterine or endometrial cancers. All women on hormones increase their risks of lung and ovarian cancer, too. Nourishing herbs such as red clover, and foods such as beans and yogurt, offer easy ways to stay cancer-free.

Red clover blossoms (Trifolium pratense), when dried and brewed into a strong infusion (one ounce herb steeped an a quart of boiling water for at least four hours) prevent cancer by providing phytoestrogens that counter the cancer-promoting effects of oral hormones. Usual dose is 2-4 cups a day. The infusion tastes like black tea and can be flavored with mint if you like.

Since uncooked beans and unfermented soy contain anti-nutritional factors that may promote bone loss and dementia, soy "milk" and tofu are not recommended. Miso and tamari definitely help to prevent breast cancer but soy isoflavones may promote it.

Yogurt helps build powerful immunity. women who eat a quart of yogurt a week have 700% less cancer than women who eat no yogurt.

Dry eyes afflict more than 9% of women using ERT and over 7% of those on HRT. Risk increases by 70% for every year of continued use. And the longer a woman uses hormones, the greater her risk. Herbs such as oatstraw, chamomile, and chickweed can help relieve and prevent this problem.

Oatstraw infusion (Avena sativa) cools and moistens your eyes from the inside out, builds strong bones too. Use one ounce of dried herb in a quart jar; fill to the top with boiling water and cap tightly. Let steep four or more hours. Dose is 2-4 cups a day. Refrigerate after straining.

Cucumber slices ease dry eyes; so do chamomile tea bags.

The ultimate ally for women with dry eyes is fresh chickweed (Stellaria media), applied as a poultice to the closed eyes. Leave on for five minutes, or until the plant material feels warm (it will heat up). Repeat as needed.

Stroke and heart attack are actually increased by use of ERT/HRT, though modern medicine has long proclaimed the opposite. Every major double-blind study done to date has created a larger and larger gap between ERT/HRT's supposed ability to help cardiovascular health and its actual results. Protect your heart with nourishing and tonifying herbs and foods such as motherwort, hawthorn, and cherries.

Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) tincture helps the heart. The Japanese claim it is their secret of longevity. A dose is 5-15 drops, twice a day. Motherwort also relieves hot flashes, calms tachycardiia, and eases anxiety. It's an all-in-one remedy for menopausal women.

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha) flowers, leaves, and fruits are all used to maintain heart health and control fluid build-up in heart tissues. A dose is 20- 30 drops of tincture 2-4 times a day, or a cup of tea with meals. This widespread shrub is considered one of the finest heart tonics in the world.

Cherries are even better than apples at keeping the doctor away. Dried cherries and cherry juice, even tincture of cherries.

More than three-quarters of the women in America over the age of fifty have refused ERT/HRT. If you want to join them, taper off your dosage slowly, while continuing to use nourishing and tonifying herbs such as dandelion, motherwort, red clover, oatstraw, and seaweed.

THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF ESTROGENS

• Women make estrogens.
  
• Plants make estrogens and estrogen-like compounds.
  
• Chemicals, especially organochlorines, act like estrogens (xenoestrogens).

Pharmaceutical companies make estrogens from substances such as horse urine, wild yam roots, and petrochemicals. Tamoxifen, used to treat and prevent breast cancer, is a type of pharmaceutical estrogen.

Women make at least thirty types of estrogen, including estradiol, estrone, and estrace. Estradiol is the strongest; it is turned on at puberty and turned off at menopause. Estradiol is positively linked with breast cancer; other human estrogens are not. Anything that reduces the amount of estradiol a woman produces (such as pregnancy, lactation, early menopause, and late puberty) also decreases her risk of a breast cancer diagnosis.

Phytoestrogens counter the detrimental effects of estradiol by competing for the same receptor sites.

Estradiol is a strong estrogen and is metabolized by the long path. The other estrogens our bodies make are weak estrogens and are metabolized by the short path. Alcohol turns off the short path. Phytoestrogens are weak hormones and hormonal precursors. Phytoestrogens in foods are metabolized by the short path. Phytoestrogens appear to protect tissues from the cancer-causing effects of estradiol, xenoestrogens and pharmaceutical hormones. Phytoestrogens in foods prevent cancer and promote health; phytoestrogen supplements and processed soy fake-foods may do the opposite. Breast cancer occurs four times more often in women whose urinary output of phytoestrogen by-products is low compared to women whose urinary output is high.

Phytoestrogens are common in food. They are concentrated in seeds (grains, beans, nuts, berries) and roots. The exceptions to the rule that plants don't contain human hormones: French beans, rice, apple seeds, licorice, and pomegranate seeds contain the "weak" estrogen estrone.

To get the greatest benefit from phytoestrogenic foods and herbs remember:

1. Isolated phytoestrogens are not as safe as those "in matrix."
   
2. To make use of plant hormones, you need active, healthy gut flora.
   
3. Herbs and foods rich in phytoestrogens need to be used in different ways.
   
4. Phytoestrogens may have different effects on women who do not have their ovaries.

1. Plants contain many types of phytoestrogens; additionally, they contain minerals and other constituents which help our bodies modify the phytoestrogens and so we can use them safely. Red clover is mineral-rich and contains all four of the major types of phytoestrogens: lignans, coumestans, isoflavones, and resorcylic acid lactones. It is the world's best-known anti-cancer herb. In general, foods and herbs rich in phytoestrogens, with the possible exception of licorice, show anti-cancer abilities. Isoflavone, however, when isolated (usually from soy) has the opposite effect: in the lab it encourages the growth of breast cancer cells (endnote 32 in New Menopausal Years).

2. Plant hormones, including most phytoestrogens, can't be used by humans. But we can convert them into ones we can use - with the help of our gut bacteria. When women take antibiotics, their excretion of phytoestrogens plummets. Get your gut flora going by eating more yogurt, miso, unpasteurized sauerkraut, homemade beers and wines, picked-by-your-own-hands-and-unwashed fruits and salads, sourdough bread, and whey-fermented vegetables. (See Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for whey-fermented vegetable recipes.)

3. Plants which are exceptionally rich in phytoestrogens are regarded as powerful herbal medicines. Plants which are good sources of phytoestrogens are regarded as foods. While food can certainly be our medicine - a practice I advocate - it is also true that medicines are more dangerous than foods. Foods rich in phytoestrogens are different than medicinal herbs rich in phytoestrogens. They have different places in my life.

• I eat phytoestrogenic foods daily in quantity.
  
• I use phytoestrogenic food-like herbs regularly (not daily), in moderate quantity.
  
• I take phytoestrogenic herbs rarely, in small amounts, for a limited time.

Phytoestrogenic foods are the basis for a healthy diet and a long life. The first food listed is the highest in phytoestrogens. The best diet contains not just one but many choices from each list:

• Whole grains (rye, oats, barley, millet, rice, wheat, corn)
  
• Edible seeds (buckwheat, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, amaranth, quinoa)
  
• Beans (yellow split peas, black turtle beans, baby limas, Anasazi beans, red kidney beans, red lentils, soy beans)
  
• Leafy greens and seaweed (parsley, nettle, kelp, cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, lamb's quarter)
  
• Fruits (olives, cherries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, plums, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, salmon berries, apricots, crab apples, quinces, rosehips, blueberries)
  
• Olive oil and seed oils. Garlic, onions and their relatives leeks, chives, scallions, ramps, shallot

Phytoestrogenic food-like herbs are generally considered longevity tonics. For optimum effect, use only one from the list below and to stick with it for at least three months.

• Citrus peel, dandelion leaves and/or roots, fenugreek seeds, flax seeds, green tea, hops, red clover, red wine.

Phytoestrogenic herbs are usually too powerful for long- term use. From the list below (which is in alphabetical order), it is safest to use only one herb at a time, and use it only when needed, although that may mean daily use for several months. More information about these herbs, including specific dosages and cautions, is in NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.

• Agave root, black cohosh root, black currant, black haw, chasteberries, cramp bark, dong quai root, devil's club root, false unicorn root, ginseng root, groundsel herb, licorice, liferoot herb, motherwort herb, peony root, raspberry leaves, rose family plants (most parts), sage leaves, sarsaparilla root, saw palmetto berried, wild yam root, yarrow blossoms.

4. Most of the warnings about phytoestrogenic herbs center on their proven ability to thicken the uterine wall in animals who have had their ovaries removed. This could encourage cancer, just as taking ERT encourages cancer of the uterus by stimulating cell growth. Women without ovaries are probably safe eating phytoestrogenic foods, but may want to use phytoestrogenic herbs - especially ginseng, dong quai, licorice, red clover, and wild yam - in small amounts and only for short periods.

NEWS NOTES ON PHYTOESTROGENIC PLANTS (UPDATED JUNE 2002)

• Recent studies indicate black cohosh does not suppress luteinizing hormone, has no estrogenic effect, and contains no compounds related to estrogen. Red clover flower heads contain many hormone-like flavonoids, including isoflavone, daidzein, genistein, formononetin, biochanin, sitosterol, and coumestrol, a particularly strong phytoestrogen (six times more active than the one in soy). Red clover contains all four major estrogenic isoflavones; soy has only two of them. A cup of red clover infusion (not tea) contains ten times more phytoestrogens than a cup of soy beverage, is richer in calcium, has less calories, and contains no added sugars.

• Researchers in Australia report a million lambs a year are aborted after sheep eat clover on pasture. Yet red clover is renowned as a fertility enhancer. What's up? stephen Buhner, author of The Secret Language of Plants, says clover plants make blood-thinning compounds (which cause abortion) when overgrazed, but don't otherwise. Plants, it turns out, can fight back.

• When unfermented soy takes the place of animal protein (meat and milk), its anti-nutritional factors can create brittle bones, thyroid problems, memory loss, vision impairment, irregular heartbeat, depression, and vulnerability to infections. Unfermented soy is high in hemoglutin, which causes clumping of red blood cells and may increase risk of stroke. It is also impressively rich in aluminum (up to 100 times more than is found in the same amount of real milk). Eating tofu more than once a week doubled the risk of Alzheimer's in a small group of Japanese men studied for thirty years.

• Human gut bacteria can cleave a sugar molecule from wild yam's steroidal saponin, producing diosgenin. Labs make progesterone from diosgenin, but our bodies can't. Diosgenin itself has a weak estrogenic effect. According to Australian herbalist Ruth Trickey: "A more probable explanation [for the observed effects of wild yam] ... is that [diosgenin] interacts with hypothalamic and pituitary hormones and ... initiates ovulation."

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Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. learn more at http://www.susunweed.com

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If you have a computer, a headset, and an internet connection, you can make free PC to PC phone calls to anyone in the world! The only catch is that the person you are calling must also have an active account with the same VoIP service provider, and must be online to get the call. With any VoIP service, "in-network" calling (all callers subscribing to the same carrier) is always free, but most providers require that you pay a small monthly fee which allows you to make "out-of-network" calls as well. Since this article is about making totally FREE internet phone calls, only the VoIP providers that offer 100% free calling will be mentioned.

There are several internet phone service providers that offer PC based phone calling, but only a few do not require a monthly service fee when you register. Because the PC to PC calling service is free, you may have to put up with ads on your dial pad or be limited to a certain call length, but for a free long distance call this is probably acceptable to most people. If you want to make calls to a landline phone, you can do so by paying a low cost per minute (much less than traditional long distance).

So here's how to make free PC to PC phone calls:
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Choose a provider, then download and install their free software (the software is a "dial pad" that you use to make calls).

Register and get an account (you need to have a valid email address).

Make sure the people you want to call install the software and register with the same VoIP provider.

Enter your friends usernames into your contact list, and ask that they do the same (this allows you to see that they are online and able to accept calls).

Plug your headset (with microphone) into the appropriate in/out audio jacks on your computer (or USB port if applicable).

Click on your contact and make a call - that's all there is to it!

Since PC to PC calling uses a technology similar to instant messaging, most VoIP provider's software allows you to text message the person you are talking to. Conference calling is also possible - just click on another active user and they can join in the call!

As of this writing, here are some VoIP providers I found that offer free PC to PC internet phone calls with no monthly fees. Because services can change from time to time, make sure you agree with the terms and conditions before creating an account. Skype is the largest and most well known provider with over 190 million downloads to date.

* www.skype.com

* www.google.com/talk

* www.earthlink.net/software/nmfree/onlinecalling

* www.voipbuster.com

* www.inphonex.com

* www.pc-telephone.com/free-phone.htm

As with any software, your computer must meet certain requirements in order for the installation to succeed. As a general rule, your computer should have at minimum a 400 MHz processor, 10 MB of free disk space and 128 MB of RAM. You also need a sound card, and either a headset with microphone or speakers and a microphone. Of course, you need an internet connection as well. Software is available for PC, Mac and Linux platforms. Skype has software for Pocket PC as well.

PC based VoIP will work fine over a dial up connection of at least 33.6 Kbps, but be sure to close all email applications and don't do any web surfing while talking because these processes will degrade performance. For the absolute best internet phone calling experience, broadband is the way to go.

Free software-based PC to PC internet phone service is a great way to "test the waters" if you are interested in trying VoIP before jumping into a paid service. It's also perfect if you're on a tight budget and want to make some free long distance calls. Anyone in the world can use VoIP as long as they have an internet connection; just make sure all your friends and relatives use the same carrier if you want to keep the calls free.

This type of VoIP service is not compatible with 911, so it should not be used as your one and only phone. If you want save a lot of money on your phone bill and use VoIP as your primary phone, consider subscribing to a hardware-based VoIP carrier like Packet8, Vonage, Lingo or Voip.net.

Copyright 2005, Debbie Jacobsen. All rights reserved.

This article may be used without special permission as long as it remains intact, including live links.

For more information on VoIP, visit my blog: Internet Phone Service - The Future is Here!.

Kram Teacher Training Yoga