For an international company like us where employees are scattered across the globe in different time zones, it is still important to have an open line of communication for collaboration, which can increase productivity and improve service of the company.

Before, this is only possible with a face-to-face meeting, which can be costly especially if the employees have to travel just to attend the meeting or conference. But thanks to Web conferencing, regular communication among colleagues is now possible without the need for expensive travel cost. 

Web conference makes use of the power of the Internet and computer to allow meetings to take place even if the meeting participants are in different places. Just set up the time and as soon as all participants are logged in, the virtual meeting can start.

And this Web conference tool is so powerful that it even allows display and sharing of files among meeting participants in different format like Word, Excel and PowerPoint for a more effective meeting.

This tool is so effective that we in the IT team are able to hold regular meetings with our counterparts from other missions allowing us to share information and tips to better improve the service that we can give our clients.

After the hacking incident with my HSBC credit card which I posted here, I have been very vigilant in using my credit card especially when doing online transactions. Actually I haven’t used my credit card to purchase anything online ever since my credit card has been hacked. I am also thinking of getting RFID blocking as I also heard about e pickpocketing and how easy it is to obtain credit card information.

It has been 20 days since I learned about the hacking incident with my HSBC account. I was informed that I have to fax a dispute form before they can start with the investigation:

Jan 7 – I received a text from HSBC informing me about the suspicious transaction on my credit card. I called them and I was informed that around P47,000 has been charged to my account from an online insurance site in UK. I gave them a call to inform them that I did not authorize the transaction. They canceled my existing card for protection and they will send a replacement card.
Jan 9 – I called HSBC again and the payment has been posted already and it is from the website Swiftcover.com. I emailed the merchant to request for an investigation for the transaction charged to my credit card. I gave them my credit card details and informed them that I did not authorize the transaction.
Jan 10 – I faxed the dispute form together with the photocopy of the front and back image of my credit card.
Jan 11 – I got a reply from Swiftcover:

===
Dear Ms Ramos-Laguerta,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Unfortunately, we are unable to locate a payment from the details provided.

Please request your card issuer to chargeback the funds in question in order for you to obtain your funds again as quickly as possible.

If you have any further questions relating to this, The Policy Validation Team are available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday on 0871 231 1005. Calls will be charged at 10p per minute from BT landlines. Calls from other networks or from outside the UK may vary.

Yours sincerely

Christopher Porteous

Policy Validation Team
Swiftcover.com

===
So I faxed the dispute form again together with the print out of the email that I got from the merchant.

Jan 14 – I called the HSBC call center again to confirm if they receive the first two faxes that I sent as I was informed that I have to wait for three business days before they can confirm receipt of my fax. After faxing the documents and the form two times, I was surprised to learn that they still can’t confirm receipt of my fax and they requested me to fax it again to another number

Jan 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 – I called them everyday to check if they can confirm already that they receive my fax as the investigation is still not starting without my signed dispute form. Lo and behold, after 11 days, they still can’t confirm the receipt of my fax. I went to HSBC office to try if I can talk to somebody who can help me get my fax to the Dispute Services and I was surprised when the only thing that they offered me there was to fax my forms to Dispute Services again and I will have to follow it up with the Call Center after three banking days.

Jan 24, 25, 26 – I called the HSBC Call Center again and they were telling me that it is still within the allowed turn around time (which is 3 banking days) so they asked me to wait again. I was already irritated and I was really worried that my complain will not go anywhere as they can’t even confirm the receipt of a simple fax so how can I expect them that they will do something about my complain

Jan 27 - after almost three weeks, they finally confirmed that they got my fax and that the investigation will start already but it will take 45 – 120 days before I can get the result of the investigation.

Honestly, I am not hoping that this will get resolved soon or if this will get resolved at all. I am a good HSBC client. I pay all my dues in full and on time but there is no way that I will pay something that I did not authorize and I did not purchase. So I know this is like wishing for the impossible, but I hope they will reverse the transaction and credit the money back to my account even if it will take them 100 years.

Have you been wanting to create a website but have not had the resources or the know-how to do so? Well there is a hot application out there that can help you with all of your website designing dreams, and it’s free, too.

If you don’t have tons of money to spend on a professionally designed website, don’t despair. You can build a website on your own with an easy-to-use tool called Word Press. WordPress was originally a blogging tool, but you can use it for websites as well. Just buy a domain name, pick a hosting site and run the WordPress application.

WordPress is very simple to use. All you have to do is sign up for an account, choose a template and put in all of the information that you want to be displayed on your web page. Most WordPress templates are also highly customizable so you have a lot of choices as far as design. No matter what type of website you want to design, there is a WordPress template or theme that will suit your needs.

If you own a business, it has become basically essential to have a website. This is because the Internet is the first place people go for information when they have a question or want to buy a product, so you need to make sure that you are represented. People literally use the Internet for everything. You can pay bills, buy almost anything, social network with friends and more, so you can’t go without a website.

Think about it. When was the last time you were on the Internet? I bet it wasn’t too long ago. You were probably spending time on Facebook or checking for deals at www.offers.com.

You have decided to start an online business. Whether it is to sell products and services or to provide information on topics such as education or even payday loans, you will need to create a strong and memorable website.

Among the most important steps in creating your website are choosing a domain name and a website host. A good web host will offer numerous plans from which to choose. The host service should also provide reliable services as well as good customer support. You’ll need to do a bit of research to find the best host for your needs as well as your budget.

Many companies out there provide hosting services. Often, these hosting services come bundled, not only with domain registration, but design services as well. These one-stop options might be a good choice for some, but realize that these bundles are often more expensive than purchasing the services separately. You can even get different services from different companies. You are not required to purchase all the necessary services from a single source.

Different service plans and associated costs are based on the type of website that is to be hosted. This can include the content and size of the site, as well as the anticipated traffic. Smaller sites that will only have a few static graphics can choose plans with less space (approximately 50 megabytes). If your site will contain larger media files, such as video, you may need a plan that comes with more space, a gigabyte or more.

Some plans will charge the customer based on how much data is being transferred, the number of visitors, content and so on. Many companies charge a flat fee until a certain transfer amount is exceeded.

Examine what you want on your website and research several companies to ensure a good fit. These decisions will impact how successful your online business will be.

Aside from the Internet, we can’t deny that Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter to name just a few, has been a part of our daily lives already. Almost everybody I know (including my mom), either has a Facebook or Twitter account and even both to communicate and socialize with their group of networks.

That is why companies have realized that social media solutions can be a good tool also in doing their online marketing. I have seen air line companies send tweets in Twitter and they even communicate and interact with their followers, who are also their prospective clients, and I must say that it is really an effective marketing campaign.

So if you want to use social media networking to promote your company, you can check out the website of ThinkBIGsites. ThinkBIGsites offer social media marketing services where they assign a dedicated social media expert for your company who will study everything about your company, products, services, etc so they will know the best social media site to promote your products to and on how to interact and communicate better with your followers. This social media expert will also do research on the web to get the most useful content related to your product that they can use in their social networking to better promote your product.

Since ThinkBIGsites is an SEO company, they not only can help you in using the social networking sites for your online marketing but they can also implement SEO strategies too to help your website increase traffic.

Almost every home now has Internet connection and almost always, everybody searched for everything and anything on the Internet. Because of this, Internet has become the most powerful and effective marketing media. That is why it is really important for companies to establish their own websites to showcase their products and eventually attract new clients.

But it is not enough that a company has a website as it is still not a guarantee that it will attract clients. It is important that a website has a good positioning in the World Wide Web so that their website will always land in the first page of popular search engines such as Google.

Companies who own a website can get the help of ThinkBIGsites in increasing their web traffic to get better page rank and web positioning. ThinkBIGsites can employ search engine optimization techniques to your website to increase web traffic.

They also offer pay per click program which offers faster result than other SEO strategies. What is best with ThinkBIGsites’ ppc management program is that it offers targeted web traffic to your sites. ThinkBIGsites will help the advertiser in selecting the best keyword to bid on and once those keywords have been used by an individual to do a search, then the PPC service will work and the advertisement link will be shown to the person doing a search for better marketing of your company’s products.

Since there are thousands and thousands of sites in the World Wide Web, it is very important to have a strong web presence so your company’s website will always land in the top page of any search engine. But search engine optimization is a very complicated process and results can’t be seen and felt by companies overnight. That is why it is very important to get the services of search engine optimization company like ThinkBIGsites who really knows what they are doing.

ThinkBIGsites does not implement tricks like spamming techniques and use of shadow domains to increase website traffic. They only implement legitimate process like organic search engine optimization strategies that really works and show results. They first analyze the site to suggest the best SEO technique to implement. Then they have keyword and link building management which are just some of the techniques and strategies that they can use to increase website traffic and improve web presence.

ThinkBIGsites does not promise their clients result overnight as this is not how a successful SEO works. It takes a great deal of time and work as this is how an effective SEO should be. So if you don’t want to be tricked, contact ThinkBIGsites now so you can start seeing results for your website.

The internet nowadays has been the best marketing tool for any business. Imagine, with the Internet, you can reach a wider audience thus a business is not limited by distance or time as their clients can be anyone across the globe.

But in order for the Internet to be an effective tool, the company’s website should employ website optimization techniques so they will always land in the first page of Google search engine every time a prospective client does a search. Otherwise, if your site lands in the last page of a search engine result, then you will just end up being ignored by prospective clients.

That is why it is very important for companies to get the services of SEO companies like ThinkBIGsites so they can get help on how to increase traffic to their site and improve their web presence. ThinkBIGsites offers different SEO packages that promise results and will surely increase web traffic and improve the page ranking and web presence of your company’s site. Aside from these packages, ThinkBIGsites also offers tips on their site like organic search engine optimization, website design and content, link building and the like as their value added service to their clients.

In today’s modern world, it is not just enough that you have a website but it is also very important that your website have great web presence in order to reach your prospective clients.

If you own a website that gets numerous impressions per day, you might just be sitting on a goldmine. In addition, if you have a love for sports and have the capability to feel the pulse of ongoing games, earning money from sports may just be next big thing in your life. In order to earn unprecedented amounts of cash making use of your sports love and your website, you can rely on one of the affiliate programs that offer you an opportunity to receive huge payments.

It is no longer a secret for most of the webmasters that affiliate programs are an excellent way to turn your website into a money making machine. However, with increasing competition, lower commissions, and decreasing sales, it is not wise to go for just about any affiliate program. It is important to be watchful of which sector you are going to choose for signing up an affiliate program. The rapidly increasing popularity of online sports betting has made this task much easier.

Online sports betting, having become a multi-billion dollar industry, has reached into the daily lives of countless people from all over the world in recent years. Along with its exponential growth, money making opportunities for affiliates have grown hand in hand in the sports sector. You can easily choose a good online sports betting related affiliate program by reading affiliate program reviews written by experts. These affiliate program reviews are often the honest and genuine opinions of several people who have themselves tried and tested each one of the popular affiliate programs in this sector.

This sports betting industry is still growing and has a lot of potential for new marketers and webmasters to dive in and reap benefits. This is why it might be really worthwhile if you seriously consider this opportunity now before time flies away.

Yehey, I am so happy because finally Howell was able to find the time to buy a WiFi router and changed our existing wired connection at home. I have been requesting this to him for months now (before I give birth) because I find the cables lying around in our living room and bedroom really messy. Plus it will be more convenient if we are connected via WiFi as we can easily connect to the net to check our emails even by just using our iPhone.

So I was really happy when he bought a WiFi router over the weekend and immediately installed it as soon as we get home. He got it from Accent Micro in Mall of Asia. I forgot the brand name but the sales clerk who assisted us said that it is a US brand and it is their most saleable WiFi router.

So now I can check my mails just by using my iPhone and I can even do it while I am feeding Cobi which I cannot do if I am using my laptop. My mom is also happy because she owns an iPhone too so you can see her online regularly in facebook.

I have been blogging for almost five years now and my life has been kind of open as I post stories here on updates about our life for our friends and relatives to read. But if there is one information that I would keep private, then it will be my credit information. I don’t like other people, even my friends and my relatives, to gain access to my credit information as I believe that it is something personal.

But this kind of information has not been respected by TransUnion, a credit reporting company, when they illegally sold credit information to marketing companies in the United States. This happened between 1987 and 2000 so anyone who filed for a credit loan during the said period should really suspect that they are one of the victims of the wrong doings of TransUnion.

What TransUnion did was very unethical and is illegal so their victims really has the right to file TransUnion Class Action Lawsuit so they can claim monetary damages from TransUnion. This is a complex process which requires the help of experience professionals like O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath who has the expertise in dealing with this kinds of lawsuits.

So if you are one of the victims of TransUnion, contact O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath law firm now so they can start helping you on how to get your TransUnion claims.

A number of companies now have widened their scope to reach more clients by expanding their branches to other cities and even other countries. Working in this type of setup has posed a challenge for the employees to meet and collaborate since distance and time is a factor that they have to consider.

But employee collaboration and meeting is important for a business to grow and be successful that is why companies that have a global scope should consider the communication services such as audio, video and Web conferencing.

With the effects of global recession still affecting companies, businesses should find video, web and Audio conferencing solutions that is affordable and that is what Conference Group offers, they offer flexible and affordable communication solutions. And what’s best from Conference Group is that they will work with their clients to help them determine the type of communication solution that will work best for the company’s requirements. They even offer additional services to their clients like translation, transcription, operator support and CDs and playback services.

So weather the company needs Video conference solutions or just web and audio conference implementation, the Conference Group can really provide the best communication technology that will help the company succeed.

Online sports betting (gambling) has become popular in recent years, now that the Internet is so prolific. Thousands of onion bookmakers accept wagers (bets) on sporting events worldwide.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal?

The question of legality in regards to Internet gambling is a complex issue for United States residents.

Opponents of sports betting fear that this type of gambling threatens the integrity of professional and amateur sports because when wagers are made, the temptation to fix matches becomes a possibility. The United States government attempted to prevent illegal bookmaking with the Federal Wire Act of 1961, but this Act does not apply to online gambling because the Supreme Court has not ruled on whether the Federal Wire Act pertains to online gambling. However, in 2002 a lawsuit brought by two Internet gamblers was dismissed because the court ruled that the Wire Act was only applicable to sporting events.

Meanwhile, due to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, it is illegal in all but a few states in the United States. Some states have been threatened. European nations regulate bookmaking, but it is not criminalized.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 does not affect an individual who gambles online; rather, it addresses the financial transaction of gambling. It addresses how Internet gambling accounts are funded in order to restrict certain financial transactions. In other words, banks must identify and block transactions that come from internet gambling sites.

In 2009, Barney Frank submitted a bill to legalize online poker, but unfortunately this bill does not affect sports betting. Delaware's plan to offer legalized sports betting was shut down by the major sports leagues.

In summary, to be safe, Internet gambling should be considered illegal currently, although no arrests have been made in the United States just for placing bets online.

Free online games are a great way to try out a game before you purchase it. Most online games give you a free trial that varies depending on the game. This is great in a few ways. For one, you can find out if you like the game and not have to spend a dime if you do not. Another thing that is great is that free online games let you have the time to become involved in the game and its story. Lastly, free online games give you a chance to see how the skill level is and how the game controls work.

Like It or Not

Free online games allow you the chance to see exactly what you think of a game. Typically there is a set amount of time for you to take the game for a spin, so to speak. You can try out part of the story and complete a few levels before your time is up. This is an excellent way to be sure that you want to invest your money on the game.

Get Involved

During your free trial, you can be swept into a game and never want to stop playing. Some games have intricate plots, multiple levels, and visually pleasing graphics so that it becomes more than just a game. The time you get to play for free is pivotal in deciding on whether to purchase the game or not.

Controlling Your Game

Game controls are very important in online games. You may find a game you like but not like the controls and how the game plays. That is why free online games are so very important in your decision making on whether you intend to purchase a game.

The deciding factor in purchasing online games is most definitely the option of playing it first and making an educated decision.

A presence in cyberspace is de rigueur for any retailer today, even if he prefers to focus on a brick-and-mortar establishment. Affiliate programs have been good for merchants who want to make a mark online, but do not have the means to reach out entirely on their own.

Starting a program and enrolling affiliates is not the end of the story, though. A good affiliate program needs a lot of hard work to sustain the momentum that will make it a success. A good affiliate program will help you to use your affiliate's web presence to channel visitors to your own portal. A quick look at some of the hallmarks of successful affiliate programs will provide an insight into what makes them tick.

The first rule is to reach out to a relevant audience. Amazon did this very successfully by linking itself with websites that popularized books. This way, it could cover a huge audience ranging from students to auto enthusiasts to home remedy believers. Affiliates also prefer to pick merchants who are related to their site's content, as this translates into greater returns.

Be prepared to respond promptly to your affiliates and troubleshoot issues as they pop up. Consistency in this department reaps rich rewards later. Compensation scheme should be clear and easy to comprehend; you may get away with loopholes initially but affiliates wise up very quickly to such situations. Also, pay on time.

Of course, it goes without saying that a merchant should have a sound value proposition in place for the final customer as well; or else an affiliate's efforts will simply go down the drain. Site Built It! is just one example of excellent propositions for both affiliates and customers that built lasting loyalty.

Affiliate programs are a good idea for almost any field. A little persistence and patience should see you reaping huge benefits from a program of your own.

New players don't always have a really good sense of the value of their hole cards, which results in playing hands too frequently and pushing those hands down to the river when they should have been dropped. These costly mistakes are the result of many misconceptions, but one of the most common is assuming that suited cards are much better than non-suited cards. While suited cards are statistically better, the difference isn't that immense, so it's important to play these cards reasonably.

The primary area in which this is problematic is low suited cards. This will frequently be a pair up like the four of diamonds and eight of diamonds, where the cards themselves are of little or no value, but the chance at the flush is so enticing that some players jump in anyway. There are many reasons to avoid this.

The primary reason is that the simple math says that your flush only has about an 11 percent chance to be a flush by the final card. This is low in and of itself, but the reality is that it also puts you in a dangerous situation. If you were to flop two additional diamonds (in the scenario mentioned above), you may hold out for that final diamond, even through large betting that makes your pot odds terrible.

In addition, when working with low suited cards, there is still the possibility that an opponent also has suited cards in the same suit, but with a higher set of cards than yours. Thus, if the flush does come, you may well get beaten by a better flush.

Whether you're playing with friends at Caesars Online or in the Bellagio, remember to prioritize the value of the cards themselves over whether or not they are connected or suited. While these are valuable additions, they do not overwrite the need for solid cards in your hand.

Playing online games is a very popular way that many people around the world choose to spend their free time. And the games just keep getting better and better with the use of high-end technology in developing them. The newer online games also have phenomenal graphics in them. They are pretty simple to install and easy to use on your computer.

There are so many games available to match any age, any taste and any mood. One of the great benefits of online gaming is that there is such a wide variety of different types and different genres out there to choose from -- the opportunities are endless! Many of the online game websites let you try out a game before you choose to buy it. So, if you don't really like the game you are playing, then it's easy to quit and choose another one to try instead. Therefore, you are not trapped playing a game you don't like just because you paid a lot of money for it!

Different Types of Online Games Available

If you like the challenge of identifying priorities and reorganizing tasks, then check out some of the online time management games available. You can test your skills at fashion, farming, cake making, hotel management and many others that are great for both children and adults alike!

There are also online puzzle and hidden object games that have you solving mysteries, finding treasure or figuring out how something goes together. These games can help in developing your logic and reasoning skills. And if you like card games like Solitaire, Uno, Skip-Bo, or Poker, there are many of those to play online as well.

Go try out some online games today and see what you've been missing out on! There are new games being created all the time and you can always find something fun to play!

Have you seen my café lately?


I am now at Level 28 and since Facebook is one of my companions while I am at home taking my bed rest, I am continuously moving up my level in Café World.

I wanted to upgrade my floor to stainless steel tiles but I like to add more private rooms with TV set and so I am holding the floor upgrade for now so I can save up for an expansion.

That is one of the things that I love about Café World. There are a lot of things to look forward to so you won’t get tired playing it. I am aiming for a lot of upgrades and expansion that is why everyday, I have to log in to my café world account so I can cook and serve meals so I can earn more coins. LOL.

Do I really sound to be a Café World addict? LOL.

I don’t get to visit twitter these past few weeks as we are really busy in the office. I miss my twitter mates and all the stories that they share there. I get all the latest gossips, intrigues and tips about blogging from them that my day won’t be complete without a visit to the twitter site.

This morning I was able to get a chance to log in to twitter and read some of the updates from my twitter mates. It got my adrenalin going as their topic when I logged in was one of my favorite things in the whole world. Of course, what else but shopping.

They shared a lot of sites of multiply sellers where they usually order stuffs from diapers, to accessories, to shoes, to clothes, to unique baby gifts or just anything you can think of. I have bookmarked each one of them and I can’t wait to finally have the time and the budget to just sit down and do online shopping.

Oh well, hopefully I can save this month so I can get my hands on the computer and order a lot of things for me, hubby and Bela.

My Internet connection is still down until 12 AM today. I noticed ever since they restored our connection, we are always experiencing intermittent connection. Sometimes I will be able to access the Internet, sometimes I can’t. And if ever I was able to connect, I will be able to use it for just a few minutes then I will get disconnected again.

Hubby was able to talk to somebody on the phone who looks like he knows what he was saying and doing, when we called their call center again for the nth time. For two weeks now, we have been complaining of our intermittent connection and it was only today that this guy discovered the error. He asked their support group to change something without settings. So far, I have been online for two hours now and I haven’t been disconnected yet. I am crossing my fingers and hopefully it will stay this way as this Internet connection is already giving me so much stress and headache and I am so sick and tired of dealing with Smart’s call center agent.

And by the way, I did not apply for a DSL connection over the weekend as hubby is against to having a landline at home. LOL. He said that he is already used to our quite life where nobody can bother us on the phone (which is very likely to happen) and so he still wants to give Smart one more chance as he is really not up to the idea of having a landline at home.