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As news of a weakened economy continues to saturate the media and bombard business owners with negative messages, one company has found a creative way of adapting its services to fit within the current economic conditions and help businesses succeed.    

Miles Technologies, a provider of business technology solutions, has created Monthly Budget Plans that allow customers to budget their technology-related expenses without having to commit to a long term contractual agreement. 

According to Chris Miles, Chief Executive Officer of Miles Technologies, the company’s Monthly Budget Plans integrate separate services into one managed services package.  In a single plan a customer can select business services that include IT Help Desk & Support, Business Software Support, Website Updates, and Online Marketing and Public Relations, as well as strategic consulting for all services. 

Miles says that the Monthly Budget Plans were developed as a way to help customers continue productive business operations within the unsteady economic conditions by making managed services more cost effective.

“The Monthly Budget Plans were specifically designed with flexibility in mind,” explains Miles.  “Most managed services providers require that customers sign a contract committing them to a certain monthly fee with a two to three year contract term.  They lock in the customer which lowers the need to provide exceptional service in order to retain the customer. We’re different in that we do not require any specified length to the contract and they can cancel at any time. This way, the customer is using our services because we add value and not because of a contract term. We also allow for month-to-month flexibility in the plans in terms of both the level of services provided and the costs for those services.”

To further ensure the practicality of its monthly budget plans, Miles Technologies offers a one hour guaranteed response time for all budget plan customers 24 hours a day and seven days a week.  In addition, customers may roll over any unused monthly budget time from month to month.  

“We customize each budget plan in order to empower our customers with the best technology available for their businesses,” says Miles.  “These plans are meant to provide a complete realm of services, from supporting a custom software application to identifying and resolving network issues before they result in downtime.” 

According to Miles, the costs of outsourced IT services are easily justified when compared with the costs of a full time IT staff or the costs of unnecessary system downtime.  He emphasizes that the predictability of the newly developed Monthly Budget Plans make the services especially realistic in the current economy. 

Miles reports that the Monthly Budget Plans have been met with significant enthusiasm from customers.  “Our main goal is to exhaust all possible options for helping our customers thrive in these conditions,” Miles says.  “We are looking out for their businesses and trying to help them understand technology’s full potential so that they can make the best business decisions possible.  In short, if our customers succeed, then we have succeeded.”

Up until recently, consumer wireless router technology was unable to keep up with the demand for wireless media streaming or high capacity long wireless network. While watching your favorite back-episode of Heroes, the video feed might periodically stop to buffer more data. In the middle of a relaxing Sunday afternoon, your wireless streaming music slows down and, eventually, drops out. And, sometimes the signal is completely unattainable, making it impossible to watch an interesting podcast or hold an important video conference.

Luckily, a new breed of wireless routers has appeared on the market. Using the new 802.11n platform, these long range routers exceed the performance standards of the older 802.11 a/b or g technologies. These models deliver transmissions up to 6x faster than even the newest of the g routers. Specifically, the 802.11n wireless routers are able to perform at a rate up to 300mbps (megabits per second) versus the previous 54mbps (megabits per second). Faster speed means faster buffering, and smoother wireless video streaming. In the nutshell, speed of wireless router is totally proportional to the wireless video streaming and buffering. People can also use long range wireless network within or outside of the home with EnGenius’ Long-Range’ products like smart antennas, range extenders etc.

Leading these new routers is the EnGenius long-range wireless multimedia router: ESR-9750G. Since 1999, EnGenius Technologies has been developing wireless communication products for the business market. Using their expertise in that high-volume digital environment, the engineers have created a consumer wireless router that can easily handle the demand for home wireless streaming media. These long range wireless routers promise high speed with flaw less flow of data to satisfy your ever surging demand for the speed and streaming media.

The EnGenius ESR-9750G uses the new 802.11n standard technology, which allows the device to operate at those remarkably faster speeds. And, like most of the new wireless routers, the EnGenius model can communicate on the 40 MHz bandwidth channel, which has the ability to carry double the data as the commonly used 20 MHz bandwidth. With the ESR-9750G, you can even set the router to auto select the bandwidth channel for optimal performance.

Aware of the poor reliability of home wireless routers, the engineers at EnGenius capitalized on their expertise by making a few powerful additions to the basic 802.11n technology.   Specifically, the ESR-9750G has three standard upgradeable Smart Antennas with MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) Technology, a Universal Repeater feature (also known as a wireless range extender) and QoS (Quality of Service).  This wireless range extender accepts the signals to throws them at the rapid fire rate using the access points.

To ensure uninterrupted communication, the ESR-9750G has three smart antennas using MIMO Technology. These smart antennas are able to mediate the transmissions between wireless devices and the ESR router. Even with multiple communications, the antennas are able to prioritize throughput to ensure smooth streaming results. The smart antennas are compatible and can ensure accurate streaming results.

If you are listening to wireless streaming music with Vista, and your roommate is playing World of Warcraft on his own wireless laptop, the smart antennas will act as digital “traffic cops” preventing one signal from interfering with the other. While the MIMO Technology is not unique to the ESR models, most routers in its class have only two antennas. More wireless antennas and wireless range extender result in a better streaming experience since more data can be handled at one time.

Also unique to the ESR models is something called the Universal Repeater Feature (also known as a wireless range extender); this feature increases the range of wireless communication by redistributing an existing wireless signal. The EnGenius’s Wireless Range Extender is the easy way to increase the effective coverage of your wireless network. Unlike adding a traditional access point to your network to expand wireless coverage, the EnGenius’s Wireless Range Extender does not need to be connected to the network by a data cable. Just put it within range of your main access point or wireless router, and it “bounces” the signals out to remote wireless devices. Dead spots are virtually eliminated since the device is able to send out a beacon to all corners of your home. So if the wireless router is in a home office in the basement, Mom can still watch home videos over YouTube on her laptop from the comfort of her bedroom.

And, if your home is particularly large, or you just want the added assurance of uninterrupted wireless streaming media, EnGenius has made their antennas detachable and upgradeable. Such antennas are router friendly also. You can purchase a more powerful set that further increases the range and sensitivity of your router.

In addition to efficient wireless communication, the new 802.11n routers improve performance for all your networked devices – including VoIP, network attached storage and, of course, wireless gaming systems. With QoS (Quality of Service) Technology, the wireless router is able to prioritize all forms of digital communication. As expected, the EnGenius models use QoS, making them a very friendly addition to homes with multiple networked devices and intensive use of digital streaming media.

While there are many limiting factors affecting the quality of your wireless streaming media experience, your router no longer needs to be one of them. No, you cannot change the speed or effectiveness of your service provider. And you cannot change the number of people downloading the same HD video at the same time. However, you can change the strength and performance of your home wireless network, simply by upgrading to an ESR-9750G wireless router or through wireless range extender. Eliminate the headaches and give yourself an optimal environment for all your wireless streaming media – from digital music and videos, to games and beyond.

Pool Billiards, also known as pool, is a popular game around the world. Are you a pool enthusiast? Do you want to invest in a new pool table? Then our buying guide will help you select from the wide varieties of tables available in the market. Make an informed purchase by acquainting yourself with the key issues of buying a new pool table.

What is your budget for buying a pool table?

Pool tables are available at various prices to suit your needs and budget. The quality and workmanship depends on the price of the table.

Least Expensive:

These tables are suitable for your kids. They are mere toys, and are not designed for serious pool players. Their playing surfaces are made of artificial materials like perma slate or honey comb. These tables usually offer very limited guarantees, as the materials used for manufacturing them are low in quality.

Economy:

If you are planning to buy a pool table for recreational purposes, then an economy level table is more than sufficient. It has a 3/4 playing surface, and in many cases, manufacturers use a one piece slate or a short slate to cut the cost of production. The cabinet material and top rails are usually made up of particle board covered in low-grade laminate or vinyl. These materials give the table an attractive appearance, but it is important to note that particle board has the tendency to decay or crumble over time and the low-grade laminate or vinyl surfaces can easily tear. The table/’s cushion and other hardware are also of inferior quality. Most economy level pool tables come with a one-year limited warranty. The average life expectancy of this model is five to seven years. You can expect a fair table performance at this level.

Mid Range:

Mid range level pool tables offer you a good playing experience and come in a wide variety of styles and designs. The slate playing surface is supported by cross and center beams. These beams provide strong support to the interior cabinet and ensure durability. The cabinet and rails are made of thick boards covered in oak veneer or kiln dried hardwood lumber. Mid range tables are constructed with premium materials. The cushion rubber typically has a K-66 blended gum rubber profile. Mid range level tables sports large foot-plants to better support the table/’s legs. These tables should be viewed as lifetime investments, which is why they usually include unconditional lifetime guarantees.

Custom:

Get the advantages of superior quality materials, intricate designs and quality workmanship by purchasing custom level pool tables. These tables feature exotic veneers and hardwoods. They have all the construction features of the mid range level table but are manufactured with premium grade materials. These pool tables are lifetime investments, as they can be used by many generations. Custom level tables offer greater durability when compared to other models. They are truly works of art. Custom level pool tables come with unconditional lifetime guarantees.

Which is the perfect pool table size for you?

The size of the pool table you buy should be directly related to your room/’s dimensions and your playing experience. Pool tables are available in three main sizes: 7, 8 and 9 feet. It is important to note that these dimensions do not take into account the size of the rail. The 7′ pool table is economical and fits perfectly into small rooms. The 8/’ pool table is popularly used in homes. It is recommended for recreational players. The 9/’ pool table is used by professional players. Usually, it is used for professional billiards tournaments. Choose from Murrey pool tables, Harvard pool tables and Mizerak pool tables, among others.

What are the major components of a pool table?

Rails:

Rails make up the top part of the pool table to which the cushions and pockets are attached. Solid wood rails are more suitable for busy billiard parlors while particle board rails are sufficient for recreational play at home. Each rail should have a track strip so that it can sit evenly on the slate and the cushions can have bounce.

Slate:

The most significant part of the pool table is the slate. There are two types of slate: 1 piece or 3 piece slate. The 3 piece slate is commonly used in pool table manufacturing. It allows for more precise leveling of your table. A 1 piece slate table is very rare. Slate sizes vary from 3/4/’, 7/8/’ and 1/’. The 3/4/’ slate is used on inexpensive tables while 1/’ slate is the standard used for tournaments. The slate is attached directly to the frame of the table with screws and comes with or without wood backing.

Legs:

The table/’s legs are placed under the frame cabinet and offer support to the entire playing area. A table is generally more durable if its legs are made of solid wood.

Frame Cabinet:

The frame is the part of the table that the legs attach to and the slate lies atop. A rigid frame cabinet prevents the slate from shifting and becoming unleveled. The frame cabinet is usually made from solid wood or MDF board. Good pool tables will have a center beam and also two cross beams to provide support to the slate. A few manufactures even offer double center beams for extra support.

Cushions:

A cushion is usually made of rubber and is attached to the top rail. Balls come into contact with cushions while playing pool. Molded gum rubber cushions offer the fastest rebound. K-66 style cushions are widely used in tournaments.

Pockets:

The pool table/’s pockets are attached to the rails and hold the ball when a shot is made. Pockets can be made of leather, plastic or rubber. Plastic pockets are of inferior quality and come with cheap pool tables while rubber pockets are used for commercial tables. Leather pockets are more expensive and have either a leather shield or a decorative fringe.