Orchid Telephone Systems

Orchid telephone systems play a key role in giving small businesses a cheap and easy to install method of making the most out of their telephones. Orchid's systems are some of our best selling products so I am going to take a look at what they actually do! 

To help me understand the systems i am going to look at certain model systems and at what features each of them offer. The first system i will look at is the Orchid PBX308+. This system can handle 3 different telephone lines which can then be controlled from up to 8 extensions. 

One of the key features on this system is not it has 99 programmable speed dial numbers. These speed dials can be set from any extension and then can be used all over the system, not just the phone they were entered on. These speed dials are used by putting ## before the assigned number, so ##1-##99. This is a key feature in saving time when needing to make a quick phone call. 

Another feature on the 308+ is the auto attendant. This means you can record an outgoing message (OGM) that tells customers what number to press on their keypad to get to the right extension they are looking for, 1 for sales and 2 for returns etc. When the system is in auto attendant mode the extensions will not ring for each incoming call, the 308+ will answer the call then the chosen extension will ring once the incoming caller has selected one. This is becoming increasingly popular for home offices when distinguishing between home and business calls. 

The 308+ is also caller display compatible. As long as your line has been set up for caller ID by BT and the extensions you are using have a caller ID function then then the number of the incoming phone call will appear on the display, and if the number has been saved then the corresponding name will appear also. This is great as you can identify who is calling you and no time is wasted in recognising who it is by voice or name. 

The Orchid 308+ also has an IP Access Code. Many people use IP calls or VOIP to make either free or low cost calls using the internet, but also use the traditional land line too. The 308 can be programmed so that the user presses 1 number before a BT line call, and another to use their IP gateway. This ensures the user maximises call cost savings. 

A very useful addition to the Orchid box is the music port. This allows you to plug in an mp3 player or other USB device to play music that incoming callers will listen to whilst they are on hold. This is good because default music is often boring for the customer whereas you can keep up to date with the latest music and essentially set the tone for the company! 

Most PBXs require you to Dial 9 to get a line, the Orchid PBXs can be programmed for Direct Dial. The User is then automatically given the next available line when they want to make a call without having to dial 9 in front of the number.

To find more details about the Orchid PBX 308+ please click here. 

Wireless connectivity in the home!

With various companies spending unthinkable amounts on development of technology for home appliances, I am going to take a look at what is happening and how development is going to affect our homes! 

Wireless technology has really evolved in the last 10-15 years and a crackling dial up internet connection seems a ridiculous idea now we have super fast broadband, that can be received anywhere in the range of you router! You can now walk round the home, surfing the internet without interruption on things like iPads and laptops. We are able to do this due to products such as the TP-Link Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router. This allows us to do such things as do a spot of internet shopping whilst in garden, which 15 years ago would have been unheard of! 

We can also walk round the home whilst mid conversation now thanks to the development of DECT cordless phones! Weather your in the garden enjoying nice weather or polishing the car in the garage you can now talk from anywhere within the range of your base station. You can then use your cordless phone, hands free by use of a cordless or Bluetooth headset! This means a wireless phone can be used wirelessly! 

The signal from a router or main phone base can then be extended so the range for broadband and DECT can be huge. This is done by repeaters such as the 4002 RTX DECT Generic Repeater. These are small devices that are programmed to extend the range of your cordless phone, essentially doubling the distance you can use it from your base in a chosen direction. 

There is plenty of wireless connections in your home that you use on a daily basis that you don't think about, or may not be as obvious as your phone or internet. This is things like your wireless controller for your games console, or the wireless remote for the garage door. Most of us take small things like this for granted and it is the small things like this that make day to day like run smoothly. 

So what can we expect in the future for wireless technology? Well various companies are trying to turn everyday appliances into user interfaces that use the internet to help make life easier. For example a fridge that recognises when you are running low on a certain food you like and automatically orders more for you. Or your regular dining table could have an interactive interface so you can customise its design for a dinner party, or have interactive games that guests can play with each other whilst waiting for their food. 

This is bound to keep advancing and i believe in a few decades time our home will be so advanced that daily tasks such as cooking will no longer be done manually, and instead by robots such as Honda's Asimo Humanoid. However as we all know, advances in technology unearth new problems of their own, the main one in this case being electricity demand. This problem will no doubt also be solved using advances in technology!

For now all we can do is sit back and think of our own ideas whilst companies spend millions to come up with cutting edge appliances! 

Classroom of the future, from abacus to iPad!

Technology is constantly evolving and changing everyday life rapidly! Gone are the days of a chalk board at the front of the classroom so I am going to try and look at the developments that may occur to bring around the classroom of the future! 

When I was at school, to display a document to everyone the teacher had to photocopy it onto a transparent film and then use a huge, noisy overhead projector, that they had spent half an hour focusing so we could read the text. This used up valuable time and money  in the school day and the quality was often poor! These have gradually been replaced, with the more expensive but effective option of a smart board. This meant that the white board was ran through a computer so there was no ink or paper involved, just a blank document that the teacher could digitally draw or write on. This was a huge improvement but it still proved difficult to effectively share a document or item. This has now been further developed by the introduction of document camera such as the Ipevo Ziggi USB Document Camera. 

The Ziggi is proving to be increasingly popular with school and colleges around the country. It is a very simple to use plug and play device that requires no effort at all to set up. You plug it into your USB port on the teachers laptop or computer and position the camera stand so what you are trying to show is in view and it will focus itself. This can be used with an interactive smart board so you can highlight and label things. You can take screen shot or even video with this HD camera. The list of uses for these camera are huge, from showcasing the class pet to showing something on a smart phone. 

This is happening now so what will be the developments in the future? I believe one major addition to the classroom will be the iPad. Due to its versatility and constant iOS updates it seems the ideal replacement for pen and paper. This does raise some issues like cost, and the fact like a young child known to be walking home from school with a £400 gadget in their bag is an ideal target for a mugging, but there are ways around this. It isn't unheard of for a sixth form college to spend upwards of £200k on paper per year, so would the cost be much more to buy each student a tablet for their 2 year spell? Its not just pen and paper that the iPad would replace, because of the thousands of apps on the device you would no longer need a lot of things such as calculators, textbooks, calenders or homework diaries. The amount of accessories that can be used with the iPad just adds to the appeal. Things like the the Ipevo Perch Desktop Stand means that the iPad can be used like a monitor! All work can be completed and submitted electronically, minimising the risk of damage or loss of work. It essence a school child's school bag can all be replaced by a smallish interactive tablet. 

Over the past couple of years heavy snow fall has often disrupted the opening of schools and colleges which brings the work in progress to a stand still. However it was widely reported that one private high school near our office hosted lessons over the school network using the internet. If each student had their own tablet, it would mean they all had a connection to the schools network and intranet. This would mean in cases like the one I just mentioned, where the school has been shut because of weather conditions then lessons can still go ahead. This can apply to if a student is ill also, and would be most valuable in the build up to exams. 

Why Turtle Beach gaming headsets are a cut above the rest!

We recently put a range of Turtle Beach gaming headsets on our website and i am going to look at what makes them special!

Turtle Beach headsets have been the choice of professional gamers recently and I am interested to know why. I feel the best way to do this is to review 1 headset from each end of the market. The 3 headsets I have chosen are:

• XC1 Xbox 360 Headset - £16.99
• PX3 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset - £99.99
• PX5 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset - £199.99

As you can see from the above list the price range is pretty drastic which says to me that they have a model to suit everyone, as well as the different platforms that are available. Turtle Beach make headsets for PlayStation, Xbox and PC but a lot of their headsets can also be used with smart phones and music players such as MP3 players and iPod's, which adds to their appeal. 

The first headset i will look at is the cheapest that Turtle Beach do, the XC1 Xbox 360 Headset.

Although this is the cheapest headset, it still have great comfort and excellent audio quality. The chatting microphone allows you to communicate with friends and other plays to discuss strategy and tactics. The innovative slotted ear cup design means that the speaker is lifted off of the ear to allow for background noises in the game! This means you can hear the sound effects of the game whilst still chatting and hearing your comrades! The XC1 uses a 40mm speaker which doesn't have surround sound but you can buy a device that gives it added quality called a DSS2.


The next headset i am going to look at is the PX3 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset, which is in the middle of the price range.

If you are serious about  gaming, and I mean it is a major part of your life then this is a model you should consider and I say consider because the price tag is pretty steep! To start one of the main plus' of this model is its versatility as it can be used on PS3, Xbox 360 and the PC, as well as smart phones and music players! The 50mm speakers fitted into the cup like designed of the ear pad means that no noise is missed and extra sounds are picked up that conventional speakers wont catch, giving you the edge on your opponents! The PX3 comes with programmable EQ pre-sets so you can adjust your audio to what ever the scenario in your game! It also has re-chargeable batteries which will give you 10 hours of game time in one charge but can be re-charged whilst in use! This is an excellent value for money headset if gaming is a huge part of your life!

The third headset and the most technologically advanced headset on the market is the PX5 PS3 & Xbox 360 Headset.

This headset is for the people who are lucky enough to be professional gamers out there! The simple matter of the fact is that there isn't a headset on the market that will outshine this one. Not only can it be used on all 3 platforms but the signals for chat, game and microphone can all be independently customised using the programmable digital signalling processor. This combined with the pre-set EQ settings stored in the headset means you can tailor the audio to fit any game scenario perfectly, from picking up footsteps to hearing the click of a reloading gun, giving you a noticeable edge on your opponents. You can even programme the headset to disguise your voice or highlight others within a game.

The headset incorporates a dual-radio system, one for chat and one for the Dolby digital surround sound audio. These are delivered using Bluetooth which also supports stereo audio streaming so you can listen to your own music whilst playing, but it also lets you answer a phone call in the middle of the game!

Although it has been developed for gaming, the PX5 is still more than suitable for listening to music or watching films. Comfort is never an issue as it has large, deep, fabric cushions combined a soft but sturdy headband. The ear cups also twist for when you are wearing it around your neck they sit on your shoulder comfortable. The PX5 truly is the secret weapon for professional on-line gamers!

VoIP and IP explained!

What is VoIP?

Well it stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and this just means it is a way of making cheap or even free phone calls using the internet. This can be free as you can make a call without using a phone set!

Advantages

There are many advantages to switching your phone over to VoIP but the main reason why people and businesses are doing it is the reduced cost. It is known as being the cheaper option but VoIP is often being used for free. All you need is a computer that has a camera, a microphone and a good broadband connection and you can make calls for nothing! In come cases you can also do this with home and mobile phones. It is said to be cheaper and not free though because if you turn to VoIP you have to replace your PSTN network and so depending on where and how often you are calling depends on how much you end up paying. This also depends on the service provider you are using. It will still be cheaper though especially when you using international phone calls, in fact I have heard cases of people saving up to 90% on their phone bill when using VoIP for international calls. 

Disadvantages

VoIP is a relatively new technology and despite its obvious pro's, it still has some downsides. 

• Voice quality
• bandwidth dependency
• power dependency
• emergency calls
• security

Although it isn't much it could be enough to put you off, and we feel if you know what problems to expect, you will be better prepared to use VoIP. 

The voice quality you get from this form of telephony has a number of different factors. These will include your hardware, broadband connection, location, software and service provided by your provider. These factors can also cause a delay in sound and mysterious sounds appear to be in the background that have just been picked up along the way. 

Overall

VoIP is a very good method and i do believe that technology will rapidly develop to make the quality of it just as good as a traditional phone line, but as we have seen a lower cost. I feel big businesses and companies will start adopting VoIP as to keep to down their costs and keep up with trending technology!

How will climate change effect Telecommunications?

So global warming is a huge subject in today’s society weather you believe in it or not. I think its safe to say that the majority of us think that it happening and that we do need to look at the implications but there is people who believe it is all a myth and something we have either caused or can help.

Weather you believe in global warming or not we can safely say that the climate is changing and I am going to look at how these changes will effect telecoms and telecommunications; an idea that is rarely talked about in the grand scale of the global warming theory.

What is climate change?

So what exactly is climate change? According to Wikipedia it is ‘Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average (e.g., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region or may occur across the whole Earth’. From reports I have read in various sources such as The Guardian and The Met Office that this means we should expect more extreme weathers and storms which is the major factor that will effect our telecoms products!

How will weather effect telecoms?!

How will the weather effect telecoms I can hear you saying already? Well although more heat may seem like a good thing at first it could have an adverse effect on our telecoms products. Well metal things such as large wires and pylons expand in the heat which can cause them to buckle and break, just like a train track. A sudden break in a system could be disastrous depending on where it is and would also to be costly to fix!  These lines can also be damaged in the extreme cold, except lines then shrink and break which would be just as pricey to fix!

Another extreme weather case in which telecoms can be effected, especially when it will be relied on is in flood cases or high winds. In the case of high winds such as a hurricane or major flood in which people are stuck at home and need to contact friends, family or emergency services communication telecoms will be relied on heavily. However if we do not adapt and expect these situations then we may be without communication when we vitally need it!

A third instance of weather conditions effecting our communication is electrical storms, such as thunder and lightening. These can knock out telecom pylons in a flash, literally! Not only can this cause damage and knock out telecoms systems but it can also cause injury and death! If this happened again it would be very expensive to fix.

How can we help prevent climate change?

Well you might be helping already without even realizing! When you host a conference using services like Skype, or phones that are VOIP or IP you are already reducing your carbon footprint! Instead of traveling, sometimes hundreds of miles for a half hour meeting, using a train or car, you are simply driving to the near by office or maybe even conferencing from home. This immediately cuts down your CO2 emissions almost completely as the amount of electricity used produces nowhere near the amount of harmful gases as traveling a long way.

Another way of helping with this huge issue is to use Eco friendly phones. Here at DST UK we sell eco friendly phones which you can have a look at here.

We would like to hear your views on this subject so feel free to leave a comment an we will get back to as soon as we can!

How to install your repeater and range extender!

A repeater is a fantastic addition to any DECT system. Essentially having one means that you can use your cordless DECT further away from the main  base that you usually could! 

A lot of people think that once their phone reaches its range limit that is it, well its actually not. Weather its just to reach the other side of the house, or to the garage or garden, a repeater is a great way to maximise usability of your DECT phone. 

NOTE: Not all DECT phones will be repeater compatible but most will. The simplest way to check is by going on your phones menu options and looking for the option to turn 'Repeater Mode', or any similar option, on or off. This will be suffice for most phones but is not a definite way and the manufacturer of the phone should be contacted if you are unsure. 

To use the repeater you have to install it, effectively just the same as adding an additional handset to the system. When going through this process, you need to have you repeater with you, with your main base close by. After you have set it up you can then unplug you repeater and move it to wherever it needs to be. When placing your device you should take into account that it will be more effective the higher up it is. 

1. You need to put your main base into registration mode. This is done by pressing the 'page' or 'find' button. On most Panasonic phones it is a button that has a circle and 3 semi circles on it. Hold this down for 3-5 seconds.  (More Info)
2. Plug in your repeater and hold down the registration button to put it into registration mode. (Please use your user guide for help with identifying what mode your device is in)
3. Once both devices are in registration mode it shouldn't be long until they connect with each other. This will be signified by some sort of flash or light on the repeater itself. 
4. Now you need to unplug the repeater and place it in the area where your handset starts to break up. 
5. You then need to turn on repeater mode in the settings on your cordless handset. If you have trouble finding this please refer to your user guide. You should now have the same range from the repeater as you did from the base station!

Although the repeater can extend the range of your main base, most of them cannot extend range from another repeater, this is known as daisy chaining. One repeater that can do this is the RTX 4002 Pro Link Repeater. 

I would just like to say that this is an approximate guide for installing repeaters. Some may differ but this will give you a good idea on the simplicity of setting up such a useful device. Please use the link below to see our range of repeaters. 

http://www.home-phones.co.uk/home-phones/range-extenders-and-repeaters/