If you're anything like us, just about everyone in your family has called you up this week to ask if you think they should get the iPhone 3G; it really doesn't help matters that there's just an absurd amount of (mis)information floating around about it right now, too. So this one's for you and your fam -- we're dishing out the straight dope on iPhone 3G, a to z, so feel free to pass it on.
Well, it's pretty much the same iPhone as before -- except now it's down to $200, and has way faster 3G data, A-GPS (which is even better than regular GPS), as well as a flush headphone jack (which is great for anyone who doesn't want to use Apple's bundled headphones). Oh, and it's also a little thinner around the edges, and a little thicker at the center. If you want to know what it was like to try out, check out our iPhone 3G hands-on.
How'd they get the price so low? The iPhone used to be crazy expensive.
Actually, depending on how you do the math it's not actually cheaper. Now, in some countries the iPhone is free when you sign up for service, and in the US you'll pay $200 for the 8GB model -- half what it was a month ago -- so you're definitely paying less up front. But the data plans cost more now, so you might wind up spending more money over the long run.
Um, ok.
Look, gadgets only get cheaper as time goes on, and Apple's sold enough iPhones to continue to lower their cost to manufacture each unit. But more importantly, Apple's re-arranged its business deals to get carrier subsidies. Basically, what that means for Apple is they've decided to stop asking their carrier-partners for a cut of your monthly service fees. In exchange, the carriers have agreed to pay a significant chunk of the cost of your new iPhone 3G in order to get you to sign up.
So everybody supposedly wins: Apple sells more devices and still makes good money, AT&T gets more subscribers, and you get a cheaper iPhone. But there is a financial toll to this: AT&T estimates that helping you pay for your new iPhone will actually cost them $600 million through 2010. But clearly the numbers indicate that the short term cost will be worth it for them the long run.
Does that mean Apple doesn't make as much money per phone?
For all we know Apple might actually be making more money per phone now. With the original iPhone 3G, you paid "full price" for an iPhone -- $600 at its high point. Now you'll be paying no more than $200 (and as little as nothing in some countries) for the 8GB model, so we don't really know exactly how much of Apple's price the carriers are knocking off. We think it's fair to assume it'd still be in the $400-450 retail range, though, if it wasn't subsidied. Which it is.
What's up with the data and SMS pricing?
Well, Apple will be in 70 countries (and counting) this year, so you'll get different plans from region to region. But in the US, users will have to sign up for a minute plan that includes an extra $30 rate for 3G data access (and has no bundled text messages). This is $10 more than the original iPhone's rate plan, which was $20 for data and 200 included SMSs. Matching voice plans start at $40 per month, so you'll basically be able to get started at $70 per month. (We've also got a bit more on AT&T's new plans here.)
I heard you can't activate the iPhone at home anymore, is that true?
This is still a little fuzzy. Here's the deal: with the first iPhone, Apple used to let you buy it in the store and take it home to activate. This process is unlike almost every other phone on the market, but since it's Apple, and because you were paying full price for the device, if you never activated it with AT&T or just unlocked it and sent it to your friend in China or whatever, it wasn't a big deal. Apple made their money on the device, and AT&T didn't lose anything.
But since now AT&T is basically picking up a huge portion of the cost of your iPhone 3G, they want to make damn sure you aren't going to unlock it or send it to a friend. From what we've heard, you'll likely have to start the activation process in-store (so Apple and AT&T knows exactly who's buying the device), and then you might be able to finish it off at home. It's definitely not ideal, but it's the only way they can prevent people from basically walking away with a few hundred dollars of AT&T's money. And at the end of the day, it probably won't be WORSE than buying any other kind of phone though -- anyone who's bought a phone from a US carrier in the last 10 years will be well acquainted with the process.
I heard you have to turn over your iPhone when you upgrade, is that true?
Naw, you bought it, it's yours to hang on to. But if you bought one within Apple's grace period, they'll let you upgrade it free. (More on that below.) But if you bought an original iPhone early on -- which means half of your two year contract is about up -- know that when you buy an iPhone 3G you'll be re-upping that two year contract from date of purchase. So if you buy an iPhone 3G on day one, your new contract will expire on July 11th, 2010.
So if I bought an original iPhone, I can trade it in for an iPhone 3G?
Yes, but only if you bought it AFTER May 27th, 2008. Anyone who bought theirs before that has to live with their purchase -- not that anyone can stop you from showing up to your local Apple store and raising a ruckus.
Can I continue using my original iPhone? Will they still update it?
Yes, and yes! Although the first gen iPhone is officially no longer being made, not even Apple would be so bold as to deactivate the 6m iPhones already out there. They intend to release their big 2.0 software release for iPhones and iPods touch on or around July 11th, which will be the same software running on the iPhone 3G.
What if I decide I don't like the iPhone 3G?
Apple and AT&T offer a 30-day money back guarantee (just in case you don't get coverage in the places you most often frequent). After that you pay a $175 early termination fee (ETF), which goes down each month over the course of your 24 month contract.
Is faster 802.11n WiFi supported?
Nope, it's still just 802.11b/g. Seriously though, you're a fringe case if you need more than 54Mbps to your cellphone.
Can I use voice and data at the same time?
Yes and no: unlike the original iPhone -- which did not support EDGE class A, and sent calls to voicemail while you were browsing the web -- the UMTS / HSDPA-based iPhone 3G should be able to handle data and calls at the same time when in 3G mode. So that means if you get coverage, you'll be fine. But if you're in a spot where there's only EDGE service, you likely won't be able to do voice and data at the same time.
I heard rumors that this thing can get up to 40Mbps over 3G, is that true?
Right now AT&T's HSDPA network is supposedly capped out at 1.4Mbps for phones, but we hear the iPhone is rated for HSDPA 3.6 (3.6Mbps), and AT&T claims its network speeds will go even faster than that by next year.
What did they mean by "greatly improved" audio quality?
Well, we heard about it two ways: Apple claims they've both improved the audio circuitry and quality of the signal to your headphones, but also cleaned up the in-call sound quality. We haven't tested this at length though, so we'll let you know if that's the case once it launches.
Can I use the iPhone on any carrier?
It's not unlocked, so no, you can't. While we're sure that iPhone hackers will figure out a way to unlock it for the betterment of all mankind, you're pretty much expected to use it with your designated domestic carrier, and pay the usual exorbitant roaming fees when you leave the country.
I hear that even though it has GPS I can't use it as a nav unit, what's up with that?
According to the SDK agreement, it looks like Apple doesn't want you using your iPhone to replace your Garmin. But it should still technically be feasible, and they demoed their Google Maps app doing geo-caching, so it's really a matter of intended use. Apple, apparently, doesn't want the device to be used that way -- but at the end of the day it may just be a contract mishap. We'll know soon!
Why doesn't it do video / MMS / A2DP / scrub my callouses / pick up my dry cleaning?
Clearly Apple has the technological prowess to make (most of) that stuff happen, but for whatever reason they've chosen not to support it. Maybe it's because of battery life issues, maybe it's because Steve just didn't see the need. Either way, it's a philosophical decision for them, so they may never change it. Bummer, right?
So what the hell do I do with my old iPhone?
The funny thing about a $200 3G iPhone is that it makes it pretty difficult to sell your original iPhone. Unless you know someone who doesn't need the 3G, we'd suggest keeping it as a backup, or even jailbreaking and unlocking for use when traveling overseas (in places have GSM networks).
All that's well and good, but I have a question you didn't answer.
42. Just kidding. Leave it in the comments below! If it's a good one (and something we have or can get the answer to) we'll add it in!
Reader followup questions
Chris asks: Can these devices be purchased and given as gifts?
No. You will need to walk out of the AT&T or Apple store with the device activated.
Greekjgg asks: What if I want to buy one for work which already uses AT&T for company account? I can't activate in store, obviously, so will it be possible to to buy without a contract?
We don't have details yet but iPhones for business use will likely be provisioned through your company's IT department.
Tons of people ask: If I purchase an original iPhone from a friend will I be able to get the old data plan pricing? Or will I need to sign up at the new, more expensive rate?
Yes. You can get the old data plan price if someone gives you a device and you establish service for yourself.
Chris and SeditioN VII ask: What's the no-commitment price?
We have not yet announced the unsubsidized price.
We follow up: So you WILL be able to buy it without the two year commitment?
We haven't announced whether or not that will be offered.
Vic asks: Will long-time customers who are otherwise eligible for a free or reduced-price handset upgrades be able to lower the price when buying the iPhone 3G?
No one will pay less than $199 for the 8GB or $299 for the 16GB models. As you know, those are subsidized prices.
Matt asks: Say I just recently signed up with AT&T, standard contract. Now I want to get an iPhone 3G -- will I have to pay more than $199 for the phone because it's subsidized? For example, if I were to upgrade to a Blackberry now, I can't get the advertised $99 price (because I am a new, existing subscriber); my price is $374.
It depends on whether or not you are eligible for an upgrade.
We ask: What is the penalty for not activating the phone in 30 days? How will that be enforced?
If back in September when we started playing with Google Adsense someone told me it would turn into a $1M a year business I would have laughed. A million bucks without a sales person? Give me a break!
However, yesterday we broke our $2,100 record with a $2,335 day. That’s an impressive number I know, because if we can take that number to $2,739.72 we’re atwait for it$1M a year.
For some perspective, take a look at some averages:
January we did $580 a day on average. March was a $737 a day average. May was a $1,585.57 average.
Now, before you get too excited let me tell you we’ve got 103 bloggers on the payroll and nine staffers here at Weblogs, Inc. We’re a big, little company so to speak. Plus I gotta pay for Peter Rojas’ gadget habit (let’s just say it ain’t pretty)!
However, if you follow those numbers we tripled the average in five months or so. Not sure we can triple every five months, but I think we can get this to a $3,000 to $5,000 per day average by the end of the year.
Another thing to keep in mind is that we can’t run Google Adsense in top positions on a lot of our blogs because they are sold out (Engadget, Autoblog, etc. are sold out up top). If we had those slots open we would be at much more per day right now.
The publishing world has totally changed, and as much as I like to think I’m up on things every day I figure out something new about this business. It’s crazy.
One more tip: the Google horizontal banners work well. You know, the ones where a user clicks and sees a group of ads and then you get paid if they make a *second* click (the first click to Google gets you nothing!). Even with this double-click issue it performs really well (I don’t think I can say how much better then a leaderboard without getting in trouble with the Google Adsense Terms of Service, but lets just say it’s significant). I think this is because the users who click on those ads are rabidthey want a ton of information and they probably visit more then one advertiser’s site.
Anyone else got Google Adsense tips? If so put them in the comments below for EVERYONE to share and benifit from.
Over half the men in the United States will develop some form of prostate problem making a prostate prevention a major topic for men of all ages. Because prostate cancer and disease are becoming increasingly more common, taking care of yourself now can help you avoid problems later.
Prostate cancer, while very curable if detected early enough, is incurable once it has metastasized outside the gland itself. What this means is that as long as the cancer is confined to the prostate it can be treated and in most cases cured. Once these cancerous cells break away from the malignant tumor and enter the blood stream or lymphatic system they will grow and multiply in other parts of the body. Prostate cancer cells normally metastasize to the skeletal system, which is extremely difficult to treat. This is why it is important that all men get regular checkups by their doctors once they hit 40 years of age.
Aside from regular doctors visits prostate prevention comes down to living a healthy lifestyle. This means cutting out bad health habits and starting to adhere to healthier lifestyle principles. In fact men who want to avoid prostate problems should actually forget about the prostate and look to improve their overall health, particularly their heart.
In healthy bodies, inflammation occurs acutely in response to threats such as infection. Prostatitis, and infection of the prostate, is one such inflammatory response. Inflammation is linked to oxidation, because unhealthy levels of inflammation feed the oxidation chain reaction and help push it to unhealthy levels, too. If we don't get sufficient antioxidants in our diet, or if we eat poorly, or expose ourselves to too much stress or certain oxidation-promoting pollutants, we get unhealthy levels of oxidation in our bodies.
Medical advances and further understanding of the human body has led to an increased awareness of how the prostate becomes damaged and more importantly, new ways of prostate prevention. One of the major breakthroughs in this area has been the development of the Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test that detects possible prostate cancer before it has a chance to grow.
Other research that focused on men who eat high quantities of vegetables verses men that don't have led researchers to believe that a high-vegetable diet is essential to prostate prevention. While the research is not concrete, it is reasonably safe to assume that maintaining a healthy diet, exercise, limiting junk food, alcohol and the consumption of red meat can help prostate prevention. Prostate cancer prevention strategies require changing patterns of the way men live to work toward prostate cancer prevention.
According to studies, if men in the age range of 30 to 40 would check for the early signs of prostate cancer, they would have a 90% chance of surviving cancer, if and when they would be found to be suffering from it, without any complications.
Because prostate nutrition and health are linked closely it only makes sense that if you are not eating a healthy diet your general health level will also decline along with your prostate health. If you have poor nutritional habits your chances of developing some form of prostate problem are increased. The thing to remember is that the key to good prostate health is eating a healthy diet.
Most men do not experience prostate problems, such as benign prostate hyperplasia or prostate cancer, until they reach the age of 50. Does this mean that you should wait until you are older before concerning yourself with the health of your prostate? The answer to that question is a resounding no! The earlier in life you take control of your health with diet and exercise the better your chances of fending off not only prostate problems but a whole range of other health problems as well.
When it comes to prostate health, prevention is the key and that begins early in life. The reason for the need to start early is the fact that many times diseases of the prostate develop slowly over time. In fact it is common for the prostate to enlarge slowly over the years until it becomes a problem later in life. The same is true of prostate cancer. It may grow slowly over many years with no signs or symptoms. It will remain undetected until that first prostate exam that most men do not have until they are well into their forties.
Researchers are currently devoting a lot of time analyzing the Eastern (Asian) diet and trying to find out what it contains that allows Asian men to have a much lower incidence of prostate related conditions then men of other ethnic origins. This is possibly because Asian men eat a much healthier diet than most Americans. It would only seem logical that the prostate diet needs to contain all of the ingredients that are commonly found in an Eastern diet while cutting out the unhealthy saturated fats and simple carbohydrates that are found in so many Westernized foods.
It is also true that genetics may play a role in prostate disease. This means that if you have a close male family member who has suffered from prostate disease your chances of having prostate problems are greatly increased. With the use of prostate nutrition therapy you may be more able to avoid these conditions even if you are more genetically predisposed to it.
While changing your diet and lifestyle once diagnosed with a prostate problem may well help slow down or even reverse the condition, doesn't it make sense to avoid any illness through prevention? This is where prostate nutrition is so vital. In fact nearly all nutritionists and many doctors support the idea of a proactive and preventative approach when it comes to prostate health. It is never too early to begin considering and implementing prostate nutrition.
Health insurance is a big ball of wax—so big, in fact, that many of us put it on the back burner rather than deal with it—but it's one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. Think about it: Your entire family's well-being depends on it.
There's a good reason why you're procrastinating. "Insurance has its own language and it's complicated to translate that into real language," says Kimberly Lankford, author of The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance and Still Get the Coverage You Need. To stay motivated, it helps to remember that insurance protects not only your health but your entire financial plan. Nothing is more devastating to your bank account than a stack of uncovered hospital and doctor bills.
And even if you have insurance, healthcare bills can pop up everywhere—from services that aren't covered to doctor and hospital co-pays to prescription drug fees. That's why it's so important for every woman to become a savvy health consumer.
Two vital things to keep in mind:
Don't be afraid to negotiate with your doctor when you're paying out-of-pocket. In a recent Harris Interactive poll, three out of five people who did so received a discount. With the cost of a single office visit often costing more than $200, it's definitely worth a try.
Shop for the best prescription prices. Even people with employer coverage have to be smart shoppers for prescription drugs, especially if they have a regular medication that is expensive, says Lankford. Keep your costs low by shopping around (prices can vary among pharmacies—your best bet is a discount store or price club), using less expensive mail-order services where possible, and asking for generics whenever available.
Use this Money Group guide to help you and members of your group get over healthcare inertia and get on with one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. In the following sections you'll learn how to narrow down the choices and choose the health insurance that is best for you and your family.
Three Tasks You Can Do Today
Here are three tasks you can do this month that will make the job of shopping for health insurance easier and more understandable.
Use the Web. Kick-off your shopping by heading to your state's insurance website. (Go to the National Association of Insurance Commissioner's website, www.naic.org, for a list of state sites.) Many will list companies available in your area, prices for both individual and family plans, any lower cost options your state offers if you meet certain income requirements, and tips on the latest scams and rip-offs to avoid.
Then, head to some privately run sites to get an idea of prices out there. For example, according to comparison from eHealth Insurance.com, the online market leader, a healthy family of four (30-something parents and school-age kids) can get a major medical plan—with a $1,000 annual deductible, $30 co-pay per doctor visit and $10 co-pay for generic drugs—for about $400 a month. (Note: Quoted rates are just a guide to help you shop. To actually get the rates you find, you'll have to answer several health questions and open up your medical records. Depending on your medical history, an insurer may want to charge a higher rate or exclude existing conditions.)
Then, take your Web information to a pro. An insurance broker can be a huge help. They can do the legwork to find a well-suited insurance company (some insurers aren't in online databases), help you shop and negotiate for the best rates, and explain the ins and outs of your plan. To find a reputable broker, check credentials with either the National Association of Insurance Underwriters (www.nahu.org) or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org). You also want to make sure your broker has a large "book," the industry term for the network of providers he or she works with. More options mean a better deal and a better fit.
Before signing up with any company, however, see for yourself whether its customers have lodged a lot of complaints at the Consumer Information Source section on www.naic.org. You can also check quality ratings at www.ncqa.org, the National Committee for Quality Assurance site.
Consider the alternatives. A health savings account is a great option for people who don't need much healthcare. It goes hand-in-hand with an insurance policy that has a high deductible ($1,100 for individuals; $2,200 for families), but low premiums. The money you save on premiums each month can be deposited into the HSA Account pre-tax, where it grows tax-deferred. You then use it to pay for any unexpected medical expenses. The bonus? Once you turn 65, you can withdraw any money you didn't use and spend it on anything you want, including funding your retirement.
If you're self-employed, be sure to check with professional groups, your alumni association and even your local chamber of commerce to find less expensive group coverage. Or you can check out the group purchasing alliances that business owners in several areas have created to purchase health insurance at more reasonable rates. To find one of these coalitions, visit your state department of insurance website.
Google just released a Newbie Central for their AdSense program, those ads webmasters can include on their site to earn money for every click on the ad from a visitor (if you're using the program, part of the advertiser budget will go to you, and the other part to Google). I wanted to add some tips from my own experience: 1. Ads can work well in-between other stuff. On a games site of mine, some of the games don't contain ads next to the game area; the AdSense ad will only be shown in-between game rounds. This is the time the visitor is not concentrating on performing a task but might take a small break, and be open to the option of visiting new sites. 2. Put too much emphasis on AdSense and your site may be linked to less. The more available space you dedicate to AdSense on your site, and the less you differentiate between ads and content in your design, the more money you earn with the program, right? Not quite. While pushing the AdSense may result in short-term gains, it might also convince some visitors that the site is too crowded to be worth visiting again. And some of those visitors may also be bloggers or other people who might otherwise help to promote your site with links to it. And the less your site gets linked to, the less traffic it gets, meaning AdSense revenues may go down in the long term. 3. Even if you get huge traffic, the AdSense income from the site is more dependent on the site type and audience. Google targets AdSense ads automatically to the site content. Or at least, it does so ideally – but some types of content fare better than others with this targeting. I noticed for instance that AdSense does better on a games site than on a technology blog. I also heard people say that AdSense does quite good on product oriented blogs; say, one post solely about the iPod; another post solely about Gadget XYZ, and so on. 4. Image ads can be relevant and work for you, but they might also apall some visitors. Google's AdSense program gives you the option to choose between a couple of different ad formats. Two main groups are text ads vs text & image ads. When you choose the latter, Google will deliver what they deem works best for your content (or so one would hope, and it would be in Google's best self-interest to serve you the best possible ad, it seems).
However, Google doesn't really know your layout preferences, and they don't really understand when your audience thinks ads are "too much"; and considering image ads include Flash animations (which you can't disable, once you go for image ads), Flash animations may well push some people away. One thing you can do is to only show image ads in areas where they don't disturb the content, e.g. at the end of posts. Also, you might want to listen to visitor feedback on the ads being served; I received emails before that the blinking ad on this or that site made a person want to leave the site, at which point I blocked the specific advertiser via the AdSense Setup -> Competitive Ad Filter option. 5. When it comes to context sensitive targeting, you can increase or lower the importance of certain parts of your page. To help Google find a matching ad for your content, you can use the HTML comment syntax by encapsulating more important parts with
... your important site content here ... . Or, to lower the importance of a section, use:
... your not so important site content here ...
(Google notes that it may take up to 2 weeks for this change to your site will be taken into account by the AdSense.)
What if your site doesn't have any good matchable content to begin with, though? Say, the page just includes an image. Well, for the reasons of search engine optimization but also ad optimization you might want to consider using at least a descriptive title, an explanatory footer containing the important keywords or keyphrases (the kind of footer that actually helps the human visitor by explaining what the page is about). In the case of image content, reasonable alt and title attribute texts should be used as well.*
*Whatever you do, don't resort to "keyword-stuffing" as it doesn't help your visitors and may get your page ranked lower in search engines. 6. Be aware of risks when you change ad layouts too much. I once had a system on the server to randomly differ between various AdSense layouts on the same page. Doing so I was hoping to add some good variety to keep the ads at least somewhat interesting and notable. Shortly after I stopped doing so and simply included a rather big static area for the AdSense to "do what it wants," the AdSense revenues for that site increased. Now, I don't know if this was a coincidence of some sorts, as revenues often go down or up even when you don't do anything, but it might well have been that there was a connection between adding too much homemade randomization, and lowered revenues.
At another time, during the redesign of this blog, I switched from one ad format to another for the end-of-posts AdSense ad space. This, combined with perhaps other layout changes, suddenly cut the ad revenues in half for the blog. It took me some time to realize that I had some ad channels* set up for the specific old layout size, and by changing this I must have kicked out all those advertisers who were pushing their ads through the channel.
*This setting can be found at AdSense Setup -> Channels. 7. Use competing ad systems when AdSense doesn't seem to work for a site. At CoverBrowser.com, which shows galleries of comic and book covers and so on, I tried including AdSense ads in "non-annoying" places in the layout (including trying to use AdSense affiliate links via AdSense Setup -> Referrals), but this didn't seem to work at all. However I then tried "affiliating" the "buy" link below individual covers, utilizing the eBay affiliate commission system offered by AuctionAds.com*. (Disclosure: Patrick Gavin, co-owner of AuctionAds, paid me for consulting before on other projects, like Sketchcast.com.) This worked a lot better, and as it was simply connected to an existing site feature, it also didn't add clutter.
A good start to find other ad programs is to search for adsense alternatives on Google... you will see a lot of lists which are dedicated to competitors. (Note that some of these competitors may be US-only.) You may also want to join an ad or blog network like The Deck, Federated Media (disclosure: I was part of Federated Media before), or 9 Rules. Before joining such a network – which might require you to show them your traffic stats and so on – check if their typical ads and campaigns fit with your site layout and your general ad type preferences.
*CommissionJunction also offers an eBay affiliate system but CommissionJunction has really low usability, in my opinion; setting it up is confusing. 8. Sometimes you may get a sudden increase in traffic, hence ad clicks, but you can't locate the source of the traffic. I'm using Google Analytics to track my sites, though AdSense is also a good first indicator of traffic explosions... because it will show the combined page views of all your sites (provided you include AdSense on all of them), as opposed to Google Analytics, where you need to check site by site individually.
However, sometimes even with Google Analytics, you won't be able to locate the source of your traffic because there's no specific new popular referrer being shown (a referrer is the site linking to your site, provided people click on that link). In these cases, it may well be that your site has been discussed in a TV show or similar, as the show won't "link" to you (but audiences will be entering your domain manually into the browser when they like what the saw on TV). When you feel that there has been a traffic explosion sometimes you may get additional email feedback in regards to your site, and it makes sense for you to ask your visitor: where did you first find out about the site? Maybe the can let you know about the name of the TV show, or magazine, or other "offline" source responsible for the peak. (I sometimes sent pointers to the BBC Click show for instance, with partly enormous effect.) 9. Consider using AdSense even when the page doesn't get any traffic yet. Who knows, some day the traffic suddenly explodes, and you might not realize fast enough and thus miss out on the action (as sometimes, traffic goes as fast as it comes).
On the other hand, reversely I would suggest to never do a site just to make ad money with it. That kind of motivation may lead to spammy sites that don't help anyone really. (If a project is great, it's great even if it doesn't make any money.) 10. Making money with AdSense takes time. In my experience, it may take many months to years for a site to gain enough traffic to make OK money through AdSense... if ever. I have almost never experienced any site making quick and easy money with AdSense (though you may be getting quicker results than me of course, as it depends on so many variables!). I think for any site getting a couple of thousands of visitors a day, you might want to start playing around with AdSense to see where it takes you (if you didn't already include AdSense anyway just to see what happens, and following up on tip #9). As you are paid in US-$, the actual benefit the ad revenue will bring depends on your local costs of living as well (you might even ponder moving or going on an extended holiday trip if your local costs of living are too high for your site revenues to cover).
Forums are a growing part of the online world and there is money to be made by participating in them. Paid forum posters don't make great sums of money, but they are paid for doing something they already enjoy. If you enjoy browsing through and participating in topics that interest you in various forums, perhaps its time you looked into paid forum posting.
There are two primary ways to be paid through forum posting, and sometimes they overlap.
Building up New Forums:Many webmasters start a forum and then need to make the forum appear active to attract more visitors. These webmasters seek out individuals with knowledge on their particular topic and pay for each post the individual makes. Paying for new threads and participation in discussions is an expense that webmasters are willing to endure because it brings enthusiastic individuals to the forum that then attract other enthusiasts.
Over time, the original paid posters may move on when the forum has become active, or they may stick around as respected "elders." Either way, the webmaster got the visitors he needed to get the forum launched successfully and the forum poster was paid for doing something he enjoyed and might have done for free.
Marketing through Forums:The other method of forum posting is to help promote and market websites in relevant forums. If you participate a great deal in particular forums, you can sell your services or a spot in your signature to those who are looking for extra publicity in that market. If you are already posting on topics of your own interest, a webmaster may be willing to pay quite a bit for an occasional mention in one of your posts.
There is also a bit of money to be made renting signature links and avatars. Custom avatars can be used much like banners or ads. Your avatar shows up when you post in a thread effectively putting up ad after ad for a particular website. The same is true of your signature. Many forums allow you to put links at the bottom of your posts. Linking to another site can bring in extra dollars each month.
Combined Forum Posting:Many forum posters already spend a great deal of time in discussions online. They often combine the two methods of paid forum posting to bring in as much money as possible. They sell signature links and avatars on forums they enjoy on their own time, and also spend time doing paid posting on other forums. In some cases, they might even sell a signature spot on a forum they are being paid to post on.
In most cases, forum pasting won't create a full-time income, but it can be a great source of extra money. Many of us spend hours online in forums sharing our own personal or professional experience. Forum posting is a simple way to make a bit of money doing something you already enjoy.
This article is intended to teach you step by step how to get started and more importantly, make money blogging. We will teach you how to start a home based blogging business. Please leave us comments, questions, or success stories so that we can improve this guide.
According to Wikipedia, "A weblog, which is usually shortened to blog, is a type of web site where entries are made (such as in a journal or diary)." (Wikipedia, March 2007) It was not until recently however, that people have been using blogging as a full time home based business and have been making enough money to make it worth while.
So, how do you start to make money blogging? Believe it or not, It's actually fairly easy to get started. If you have a access to a computer and internet it can even be completely free! If you do not have a computer at home, you can always go to your local library and blog from there. So, if you are serious about making money blogging, there should be no excuses stopping you.
Once you decide that blogging is right for you, you need to find a blogging platform. There are a number of web sites that will allow you to host your blog. Alternatively, you can create you own website and blog using wordpress. If you decide that making your own blog web site is a little beyond your technical skills, you can use any of the following companies.
Obviously there literally hundreds of other blogging sites that you can use. Feel free to do a search for "free blog" in your favorite search engine.
Once you have a platform from which to start blogging, you need to decide on your "niche" market. Think about the last time you searched on the internet for a topic that you wanted to learn more about? Perhaps you even found our site by doing such a search. The simple fact is, people go to the internet to find information. If you can supply that information, you will begin to accrue readers and profit from that web traffic.
By choosing a niche market, like make money blogging for example, you are funneling the search traffic into a select group of people who will actually be interested in what you have to say. So, rather than coming to your blog and hitting the back button, the reader will see that your blog is about their interests and will stay and read.
The next step is to blog every day. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes new bloggers make is thinking that they can post a blog and forget about it. This is NOT the case. In order to make it big, you have to keep readers interested and coming back to your blog again and again.
It's really not hard to do, especially if you chose a niche market that you are interested in. People really do want to know what you have to say, even if it is only opinions or your daily life story. Once you get someone interested, they will come back time and time again and that is where the money is made.
Next, you need to throw up some ads. You can choose from any number of ad companies but for beginners we suggest either Google Adsense, or Yahoo Marketing
Once you have your ads up and once you attract enough readers, sit back, continue blogging and watch the money come in. Each time someone views your blogs, there is a chance (usually around 2%) that they will click on an ad and you will get paid. Talk about an easy home business! The more readers you get, the more money you will rake in. Some blogs make well over 6 figures a year and the sky is the limit. So why not get started and begin making money by blogging?
When purchasing an individual health insurance plan, understanding the terminology is more important than the cost of the insurance so you know exactly what you are receiving.
Shopping for individual health coverage can definitely be a bit overwhelming because of all the options available, all the different companies and the confusing insurance terminology they use. To help get you through this here are a few of the most common health insurance terms you will run across when shopping for your individual health insurance so you know what's being offered:
* Benefit - This is the amount payable by the insurance company to the claimant of the service.
* Carrier - The insurance company who is offering a health plan.
* Claim - The request made by the person holding the insurance or their care provider to the insurance company for payment of services rendered.
* Co-Insurance - This is the money the individual is required to pay for services received after the deductible has been met. A normal payout ratio is 80/20 with the insurance company paying 80% of the bill and the individual paying 20%.
* COBRA - This is a bit of federal legislation, which allows you to keep the insurance you had with a previous employer for a certain amount of time and a specific price.
* Deductible - This is the amount of money the insured will have to pay before the insurance company will begin coverage and cover the costs.
* Denial Of Claim - This happens when an insurance company refuses to pay for the services rendered to the insured.
* Dependents - Someone who is the spouse or child of the insured.
* Out Of Pocket Maximum - This is the amount an insured must pay before the insurance will cover 100% of all costs.
* Maximum Dollar Limit - This is the total amount an insurance company will pay for all claims in a specified time period. Once this number is reached, the insured is responsible for all related costs.
Now, there are a lot more terms you will run across when shopping for individual health insurance but these are some of the most important you will want to know about. These terms will help you understand what you are looking at and how they will affect you in the long run.
A couple of things to point out:
If You Are In Good Health
You may want to look for policies having a lower premium since you will most likely be going to the doctor only a couple of times a year.
If you are in poor health
You may want to look into plans with the lowest out of pocket expenses per year since. This way your visit expenses will be lower and you will not have to spend as much per visit.
What's The Worst That Can Happen?
Let's say you do a lot of traveling or have a play a lot of sports. This places you at some risk to accidents, which can be very costly in a hospital. You want to think worst-case possibilities when shopping for your individual health insurance so that, if the worst happens, you are prepared for it.
BestHealthcareRates.com has helped thousands of individuals, families & businesses find affordable medical insurance plans. Offering free research tools & health insurance quotes from many top insurance companies, which help consumers find the medical insurance plans that best meets their needs. The Better Business Bureau's "Online Reliability Program" rates BestHealthcareRates.com A+. For more information visit, http://www.BestHealthcareRates.com
There will not be a single individual who would want to be accused of spending money lavishly due to the current economic conditions worldwide. Most individuals are becoming like misers and are even saving money when it comes to good health insurance so they can meet other expenses. We aim to through light on this issue today.
Most people who go to purchase health insurance policies think that the tag of saving money on a good health insurance is a big scam. There are many individuals who have experimented with methods given to them by finance specialists and have observed that spending on a good health insurance scheme is a great technique for a long term benefit. This can only be achieved when one changes their approach for purchasing a medical insurance policy as well as all the aspects related to it and not just taking a decision by looking at the price line of the insurance.
In addition to this if you do not do a thorough research on health insurance companies then you would spend more on the monthly premiums and waste your hard earned money when you can actually get a discount on the insurance premiums with adequate coverage.
Thus it makes sense to be a smart shopper rather than a hasty shopper and one should do a complete research of all the existing insurance agencies and see how financially strong they are, what plans they are offering, what are the kinds of discounts available and what category do you come under if you apply for a particular policy.
A specific budget must also be planned by you when you are purchasing a health insurance plan. You must concentrate on spending what you have so you can get adequate coverage at low costs. Don't be fascinated by banners as companies tie up with different health agencies so they can achieve higher profits. You must choose such a policy which comes within your budget enabling you to make regular payments on your premiums resulting in a satisfactory peace of mind as well.
Another technique is to spend your money wisely when purchasing a medical insurance policy is by looking around for a plan which comes under your budget. This involves some research which is essential for anything you do. It helps in saving hard earned money and mastering this art of spending wisely on health insurance and also guaranteeing that you get the best coverage at low costs. It is only when you have sufficient knowledge regarding this can you achieve this goal.
You can get your personal insurance guide online as well and the perfect budget to meet your health insurance. These are two main factors that can help an individual in getting the best insurance policy for his/her health and mastering the art of spending money wisely.
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Most of us know about individual and group health insurance plans. A few more of us have learned about indemnity plans. But in the words of Gomer Pyle who often exclaimed, "Surprise, Surprise, Surprise" other options exist in the health insurance market that are mostly unknown because they are non-traditional types of insurance. Now that healthcare costs are soaring, consumers are looking for ways to cut their health insurance costs without skimping on coverage. In this article we will take a look at two types of insurance products that may fit your healthcare needs.
Healthcare Cooperatives
Healthcare cooperatives are comprised of individuals, families and organizations seeking to find affordable healthcare through the act of cooperation with other such entities. While this seems like a new concept, cooperatives are actually based on the original premise of health insurance. Members are charged a participation fee to be in the cooperative and in turn, those funds are used to pay claims. Other groups are invited to participate in the same coop. The largest coop in existence right now is HealthPartners, Inc.
The benefits of cooperatives are many. First of all, premiums are anywhere from 20 - 50% less than comparable traditional health plans, with no deductibles. Secondly, cooperatives are a lifeline to the local business community by keeping the cost of prescription drugs reasonably priced and enabling community owned non-profit hospitals to remain independent. The larger the cooperative, the more negotiating power it has to parley prescription drug prices as well as medical products. And finally, coops are increasingly effective in improving the quality of home-based healthcare as well as assisted living alternatives by providing educational services as part of their negotiation process with the insurance companies.
Individuals, chambers of commerce and small to midsize businesses that choose cooperative healthcare are the ones most likely to benefit from this type of non-traditional health insurance policy because of the lower rates, comprehensive benefits available and no grouping regulations. Other groups that benefit include seniors, low-income residents and the uninsured that have conditions that are not covered by MediCare or MedicAid. Texas companies that quote and sell cooperative plans are Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Unicare, Humana and United Healthcare.
Association Plans
Individuals that are members of an existing association are eligible to participate in an association plan. But what constitutes an association? Legally, an association is "any group of people who have joined together for a particular purpose, ranging from social to business, and usually meant to be a continuing organization. However, it is important to be in compliance with your state's regulations for what qualifies as an association. Here in Texas, the definition of an association is listed in HIPAA 1996, section 2791: a bona fide association must meet the following characteristics:
It must be formed for a purpose other than insurance
The members' health status may not be a condition for membership
Insurance must be available for all members of the association and no coverage may be given to non-members, including affiliate members that may join an association for the purpose of obtaining health insurance
It must meet "any additional requirements that may be imposed under state law," including having existed for two full years as an association prior to applying for the plan.
Under this definition many organizations qualify as an association besides businesses. These entities may include labor and credit unions; professional, alumni, homeowners' and trade associations; and lodges. Individuals that benefit the most from this type of plan are those that have been denied coverage for a chronic medical condition, such as diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
Underwriters rate the members of the association individually on a per household membership. Those individuals that are a higher risk medically will pay a higher premium than individuals that have clean health histories. They differ from group policies in that way. But all members are guaranteed acceptance on the plan and guaranteed renewal each following year.
Las Vegas is a very famous city internationally for it is a resort city for gambling, shows, shopping, dinning and entertainment. Many people and families travel
to it every year for their holidays and vacations. You can travel to it by driving or taking a flight to its McCarran International Airport and other local smaller airports. There are convenient rental offices for renting a car to drive around in the city.
There are many resorts and hotels like Venetian, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Excalibur, Las Vegas Hilton, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, Riviera, Tropicana and other famous hotels for you to stay and dine. They also have places for the visitors to gamble, swim, and enjoy the shows. For most adults, they will play the slot machines and other gambling. You can shop around online or ask the travel agents for Las Vegas vacation packages and discount show tickets before going to the city. There are more tips for traveling at http://www.fidetips.com/travel for you to read.
There are free entertainments such as going to the Fremont Street and Las Vegas downtown for free live entertainment. Many family, all-you-can-eat buffet, and fancy restaurants are always ready to serve the visitor dining needs. You should also drive around or taking a taxi at the Las Vegas Strip to look at the beautiful night lights and neon signs. Many hotels have great restaurants inside and provide the complimentary continental or full breakfast in the mornings.
You can also visit the Hoover Dam, Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park or Las Vegas Zoo, and Las Vegas City Hall. If you have kids, there are many places like Floyd Lamb State Park, Frog Hopper, Game Works, The Aquarium at the Silverton, Las Vegas Cyber Speedway, Motion Rides at Circus Circus Adventure Dome, Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children Museum, Nevada State Museum, Planetarium and Observatory, Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, Springs Preserve, Mount Charleston, and Lake Mead will be fun for the whole family. There are many souvenir and gift shops all over Las Vegas for you to buy the souvenirs.
If you plan ahead like transportation, accommodation, and scheduling before taking the trip to Las Vegas, your experience will be a smoother and more enjoyable one. There are certain periods of the year that you can travel with great deals, like off-season travels tha will save the expenses on transportation like airfares, and accommodation like the resort and hotel rates.
First you must know well the place you are going to. You do this by reading about it in the internet or any placing guide. This will help you to take an idea about the place you are traveling to. You can also look at a map to take a look at the locations you are visiting and know it.
Second, you must know whether the country you are traveling to needs to have a visa If so, you must extract it first before to decide to travel. You must also have a passport. When you finished extracting it, you are preferred to have two copies of it. Leave one copy with a known person and the other with you. If the copy you are carrying is lost, you can call the other person to get information.
Third, consider taking more than one credit card to facilitate the purchase in you trip. If one credit card is stopped by the company due to an illegal situation, you will find another credit card to deal with you purchase. This will help you, of course.
Fourth, avoid carrying with you fruits and vegetables. This may be illegal in som countries. Also medicals can make problems while traveling. In general take only your necessary assets.
Fifth, deal well with your possessions. You must not put all your money in one place. Put it in distributed places. If one is lost, you will find another one. This will help you to ensure yourself against losing your assets.
Murcia is a city that is filled with architectural wonders and really is a treasure chest for those who wish to indulge in old architectural delights. They are beautifully constructed and painstakingly maintained buildings. You will be hard put to choose between them on a short trip, but every place you visit will be worth it.
You can start with The Murcia Cathedral - Murcia is a city of many churches and this can be considered to be the central amongst them. It dates back from the 14th to the 18th century. It is famous for the Puerta del Perdin, the gothic chapel, the Junterones chapel and most visibly - the ninety six meter tower that has twenty five bells!
You can then go to the casino, which is not a functioning casino but a beautifully made building. It was completed towards the end of the 19th century and is a fine piece of period architecture. It has a Moorish entrance hall, a Morrocan ballroom and a breathtaking patio that is located centrally and done up in Pompeian styles.
The nest stop on your tour can be the Murcia fountain. This is not just another big fountain; it is the big fountain that sits at probably the busiest junction in the city. It has beautiful water jets spouting up from all over the place across the huge area that is covered by the fountain. As you sit down in the middle of really busy traffic, it might feel like life has slowed down for you and whilst you can see everyone going about their work, you may be overcome by a pleasant and relaxing sensation.
There are plenty of transport options when it comes to exploring Murcia and its surrounding areas. Local trains and buses are affordable and regular while if arriving at the airport you may wish to avail of a Murcia Airport car hire service. This area of Spain is simply stunning and cruising the region by road at your own pace is really something to experience.
Onwards with the relaxing tour, you can next go to the Town hall square of Murcia. As the name suggests, it is right in front of the town hall in the city of Murcia and it is famous for its beautifully created and maintained gardens. The whole area is always dotted with tourists and other visitors. Since the setting is very picturesque, it is an ideal place to snap some nice pictures of the town hall square and the entire garden.
You can then head back to the cathedral square and cool off after a long day of travel and sightseeing. This square is the place to get a few drinks and take nice long break between the Cathedral and the Palacio Episcopal.
You can then head back to the cathedral square and cool off after a long day of travel
and sightseeing. This square is the place to get a few drinks and take nice long break between the Cathedral and the Palacio Episcopal.
Searching for weight loss or men's health product that is suitable for you might be hard. Everyone has a unique body and needs a particular amount of nourishment, every day activity, and perhaps even heighten from specific health products for you to achieve weight loss. What may work best for you may not work for others. Secure weight loss begins with searching the correct combination of exercise, natural supplements and food to fit the type of your body and way of life.
Rather than depending merely on health products like metabolism booster, nutritional supplements, diet products or super vitamins
, try mixing your efforts in losing weight. Make use of health products besides weight loss programs. Alter your eating practice to incorporate vegetable, lots of fruits, meat particularly fish and chicken and lessen your consumption of processed foods and sugary products. In addition, supplement about thirty minutes to one hour of workout to your everyday routine. You would be surprised on how everyday commitment to workout will help you achieve your objective to lose weight.
Beside the exercise and food diet, there are also some health products for men that are proven and tested to be safe and effective. Just look for high quality products for men's health, fitness, anti-aging, or weight loss. Products that help strengthen the joints, bones; heart and immune system are great too. Products for losing weight that comes in pre-measured boxes that can lessen the fats are also advisable for busy men. Vegetables and fruit supplements, rich in fiber products, and health drinks should be considered also.
The secret is to search for health products that will not put your body at risk while trying to lose weight. Most diet pills pledge to give you the impossible but will just put your body susceptible to health maladies than before. Also, diet pills are likely to encourage yo-yo dieting that is never good for any person's general wellness. Search for natural substitute to diet pills and nutritional supplements and natural metabolism. These give the energy and nutrients your body requires without having the need to harm yourself.
Starting a diet because of too much fat requires you to consult the advice of your doctor. He knows what diet plan is the best for your needs. After you attained your weight goal, it is necessary that you maintain it. Try to make a weight plan before starting. Do not return to your usual eating habit after you have reached your goal. Also, do not starve yourself to attain weight loss.
Make a Weight off Plan - To lose weight is one issue but maintaining it off is a different one. Make a plan to keep your weight before you start. If possible try to prevent the mindset of returning to your usual eating practice once you have reached your objective. You don't have to be as austere when it comes to your diet while trying to lose or maintaining weight. However, you must still have a plan on how to prevent gaining back pounds later on. You can go on with utilizing nutritional supplements and men's health products after the weight has vanished. Also, you must maintain a daily workout routine and check your food intake. Practicing these steps will aid you in staying your dream weight with a bit effort.
The shoulders in my opinion are more impressive aesthetically than say the chest. If you have a decent size waist (30-34) and big shoulders, you'll essentially have what they call in the body building world as the "V" shape; a very attractive and appealing look on a man.
These tips will help you build big shoulders:
1) Military shoulder presses - By using a barbell and lowering it to the back of your neck, you really work all three heads of the shoulders. This is basic mass builder when it comes to building big shoulders. Properly lowering the weight all the way down to the back of your neck is key. Like with all exercises, full maximum range ensures that the entire muscle(s) are being worked.
2) Overhead dumbell presses - This exercise is great for hitting the front deltoids. Unlike with the military presses, with the dumbells you can squeeze the deltoids by bringing the dumbells together at the top of the move. What this does is really isolate and focuse in on that one part of the shoulders. Tip: Make sure NOT to lock it out at the top of the exercise
3) Upright rows - Another great mass builder. But this one hits the side deltoids. Taking a close grip on the barbell, execute the lift with the elbows pointing straight up and leading the way. This really isolates and burns the side deltoids
4) Bent over lateral raises - This move works the head that's most neglected - the rear deltoid. Just by bending over at a 45 degree angle to do your lateral raises, you really hit the rear delts. The key with this one is not to worry too much about weight as much as your form.
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery to remove fat deposits under the skin irrespective of the gender of the person undergoing the procedure. It is a common myth that only women undergo Liposuction, whereas the fact is that it is quite a common procedure among men as well. Gynecomastia being the most common Liposuction procedure being performed on men.
In US alone around 4 hundred thousand surgeries of men liposuction were performed. It has acquired lot of significance in recent times. More and more people are opting for it as it’s a painless simple surgery and with modern technology the time taken to perform the procedure has considerably reduced and thus the down time and recovery after the procedure.
Liposuction for men is not just limited to the body however, these days progressively men are turning to liposuction to lose weight and regenerate their faces. Most common areas for male facial liposuction include the chin, neck, and jowls. The liposuction on these areas not only contours the face but gives a more rejuvenated look to men.
Liposuction for men varies in several ways from female liposuction. Men tend to accumulate fat in the chest and back, abdomen and love handles, while women's fat accumulates in the hips, buttocks, and thighs. The tissues of the back, flanks, and chest where men tend to retain fat are more fibrous than other areas of the body, and therefore are difficult to remove.
Liposuction for men is thus more far-reaching and consequently more expensive procedure than for women. There are three main reasons for the price discrepancy between liposuction for men and for women. First, the fat found on the male physique is generally more fibrous than that found on women’s bodies, so it is more difficult and time consuming for surgeons to remove. Second, men usually request liposuction to areas of their bodies that are naturally more fibrous to begin with, such as the chest, love handles, and abdomen. Third, men are typically larger than women, so male liposuction often involves the treatment of a larger area than female liposuction.
The best patient however for Liposuction is is someone who has made an effort to eliminate the fatty deposits through exercise and diet. The ideal liposuction patient is near their target body weight (within 10% to15%), exercises regularly, has a healthy diet, and has fairly elastic skin with either one or a few stubborn fat deposits that are resistant to diet and exercise. By removing fat cells, you will be slimmer and less tendency for fat to accumulate in that area again.
Cell phone is what people use to communicate from one country to another.
cell phone also helps in doing thing like browsing, camera, playing music that is carriable, watching films, video, football etc.
CELL PHONE AS A DAMAGE EQUIPMENT.
Cell phone cause damage to the body like raidowave which is include in phones to work, do you know radiowave can cause damage to the sperm of men.
below are the full details on how cell phone cause damages to the body.
RADIOWAVE FROM CELL PHONE
A. IT MAY CAUSE SPERM DAMAGES
Attention male cellphone users of reproductive age: Take that phone out of your pocket. Information published today suggests that the radio-frequency energy released by cellphones decreases sperm quality in men.
Last year, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic released a study showing that men who used their cellphones for more than four hours a day had significantly lower sperm quality than men who used their phones for less time. That study, however, did not reveal what might be causing this association. The new study by the same research group, published online today in Fertility & Sterility, took sperm samples from 32 men and divided the samples into two parts for a test group and a control group. The test group specimens were placed an inch from a 850 MHz cellphone that was in talk mode. Measurements taken after the one-hour exposure showed that the sperm exposed to the cellphone contained higher levels of harmful free radicals and a decreased amount of protective antioxidants compared with the unexposed sperm. These factors caused a decline in the sperm's function and motility and in the overall health of the sperm. However, there was no significant difference in damage to the DNA of the exposed cells.
For now, the amount of radio-frequency energy released from cellphones is considered safe. But there are looming questions about the long-term and heavy use of cellphones. Links between brain cancer and cellphones have been suggested, for example. And a recent study found a link between women who used a cellphone in pregnancy and later behavior problems in their children. See this recent L.A. Times Health section story on cell phone and the risk of disease.
Further studies are needed to determine if the results seen in the laboratory sperm samples hold true in men. Many men put their phones in a trouser pocket when using a hands-free device. In the lab, the sperm and cellphone were placed side-by-side. But in real life, the phone and the male reproductive organs are separated by several layers of tissue. Still, men who are planning a family may want to play it safe and keep the active phone a safe distance from their reproductive parts.
"Since many people are now using hands-free sets with their cellphones for various health and safety reasons, it's important that we continue studying this topic to gain a better understanding of the true impact these devices are having on every part of the body," said Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, director of the Center for Male Fertility for the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
B. IT MAY CAUSE HEARING LOSS AND DEAFNESS
Hearing Loss Study
Panda and his colleagues evaluated 100 people, aged 18 to 45, who had used mobile phones for at least a year, dividing them into three groups according to length of use. One group of 35 had used phones for one to two years; another group of 35 had used them for two to four years, and a group of 30 had used them for more than four years.
"We asked them if they had been using the phones less than 60 minutes or more than 60 minutes per day," Panda tells WebMD. They compared the phone users with 50 people who had never used cell phones and served as a control group. The study was conducted in India.
Those who used the mobile phones for more than four years had more hearing loss in high-frequency ranges in their right ear, the ear most held the phone to, than those who used the mobile phone for one to two years.
"When we compared high-frequency thresholds (the level at which the sound is first detected) between the one- to two-year [users] and more than four years; there was a significant difference in the thresholds between these two groups," he says.
One- to two-year users had a 16.48 decibel loss in the high-frequency range, he says, while those who used the phones more than four years had a 24.54 decibel loss.
That decrease in hearing over a relatively brief period may not be noticeable to mobile phone users but would be of concern to a hearing expert, says Andy Vermiglio, AuD, a research audiologist at House Ear Institute in Los Angeles.
Mobile phone users who had symptoms such as a warm sensation, fullness in the ears, or ringing were more likely to have the high-frequency hearing loss, Panda also says.
Long-term mobile phone use may result in inner ear damage, Panda speculates. And symptoms such as ear warmth or fullness could be early warning signs of that damage.
Second Opinion
The research is too preliminary to warrant alarm, says Chester Griffiths, MD, chairman of the surgery department at Santa Monica -- UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital and assistant clinical professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles. He was not involved in the study but reviewed the findings for WebMD.
"Based on this study, I would not advise any change at the point, but I would caution people if they have any symptoms to stop using a cell phone or to reduce use."
Cell Phone Industry Responds
Joe Farren, a spokesman for CTIA -- the Wireless Association, the industry organization for the cellular industry, tells WebMD he has not reviewed the new study closely so he can't comment directly on the findings.
But he tells WebMD that previous research has not found a link between cell phone use and harmful health effects.
"There have been numerous studies conducted around the globe that have been peer-reviewed and published in leading scientific journals that show no association between wireless usage and adverse health effects," Farren says.
The subjects in the Indian study used GSM mobile phones. Farren says U.S. mobile phone users have phones that use the GSM platform but also other platforms.
Panda plans to continue his research. Meanwhile, his advice to preserve hearing: "Use cell phones when absolutely necessary.
Sources SOURCES: Naresh K. Panda, MS, DNBE, chairman, department of ear, nose, and throat, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. Annual meeting of American Academy of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery, Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2007. Joe Farren, spokesman, CTIA -- The Wireless Association, Washington, D.C. Chester Griffiths, MD, chairman, surgery department, Santa Monica -- UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital; assistant clinical professor, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles. Andy Vermiglio, AuD, research audiologist, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles.
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If you're anything like us, just about everyone in your family has called you up this week to ask if you think they should get the iPhone 3G; it really doesn't help matters that there's just an absurd amount of (mis)information floating around about it right now, too. So this one's for you and your fam -- we're dishing out the straight dope on iPhone 3G, a to z, so feel free to pass it on.
