Community media is described by Ellie Rennie (2006), in a broad sense, as "community communication." Fundamentally, it is elusive to define the term in an absolute manner because it can take so many forms, be applied by so many different groups of people, and be directed at such a wide range of issues. The premise, however, that community media is a facilitative tool for discussion and engagement of the ordinary citizenry has some inherent implications. A major implication is that community media is for the most part independent of the market-driven commercial and mainstream media outlets. This, in turn, allows for different models of community media to offer either a wide open editorial policy or a more fine-tuned approach that is still loyal to the encouragement of community participation. The key characteristics of community media convey a more clear understanding of its definition as well as its depth and dimension in terms of how it takes shape in the civic landscape (Rennie, 2006: 208).

The South African definition is that community media are either a geographic community or a community of interest. Ideally then, community media are produced, managed and owned by, for and about the community they serve, which can either be a geographic community or one of interest. "Community media is a two-way process, in which the communities participate as planners, producers and performers and it is the means of expression of the community rather than for the community."

It appears easier to posit an ideal definition of community media than to extrapolate a definition from the actual community-based media initiatives existing on the ground (McQuail, 1994). The media used are different and, as is the case with video, sometimes the medium used itself poses challenges to the notion of community participation. The ownership and management patterns are diverse, even though they can be broadly defined as non-governmental and non-corporate. The levels of community participation are equally diverse. And the aims are quite specifically different, although again, in general the aims are all for some aspect of community development.

The concept of community media implies that for communities to be heard at national level, they have to be heard at grassroots level first. The potential to communicate and receive communication is a social good, which should be fairly, universally and strictly equal. Curran and Gurevitch (1991) state that the full concept of citizenship presupposes an informed participant body of citizens, most generally, if we suppose there to be a right to communicate then it implies an equal individual claim to hear and to be heard. Similarly, Freire (1990) observes that the less people are consulted, the less democracy a nation has.

Community broadcasting seeks to foster debate about, reach consensus on and build solidarity in promoting and protecting human rights and achieving sustainable development, including peace and reconciliation (McQuail, 1994). Community broadcasting is about both access to and dissemination of information. It acts as media for the flow of information to and from communities, on the one hand, and the national and international levels, on the other hand (McQuail, 1994). It provides access to needed external information as well as advocacy on issues of concern, with relevant policy making levels informed by experiences at the community level and solutions generated therein. In a broader sense, community broadcasting enables greater participation by communities in national and international affairs. It has a dual role - that of a mirror (reflecting the community back at itself) and that of a window (allowing the outside world to look in at its experiences).

Fraser, Colin and Sonica Restrepo Estrada (2001) argue that community media provide a vital alternative to the profit oriented agenda of corporate media. They are driven by social objectives rather than the private, profit motive. Community media empower people rather than treat them as passive consumers and they nurture local knowledge rather than replace it with standard solutions. Ownership and control of community media is rooted in and responsible to the communities they serve, and they are suitable approaches to development, (Buckley, 2000). The nature and purpose of community media initiatives should be the most important determinants. Resource shortcomings of any kind can be addressed through alternative strategies. Steve Buckley (2000) observes that democracy and communication are inextricably linked, so much so that the existence or otherwise of certain forms of communications can be a measure of the limits to which democracy itself has developed or is held back.

Curran & Gurevitch (1991) state that the nature of community media is participatory and its purpose is development, "processes of public and private dialogue through which people define who they are, what they want and how they can get it. Community participation is thus seen as both a means to an end and an end in itself. The processes of media production, management and ownership are in themselves empowering, imbuing critical analytic skills and confidence about interpretations reached and solutions found. The medium chosen must, therefore, be one that enables, enhances and sustains community participation.

From the above considerations, it follows that the choice of media to be used in a local community is necessarily specific to that community. What works in one community may not work in another (Lesame, 2005). For example, gender and age are factors to be taken into account when discussing sexuality, but the manner in which they are taken into account differs across communities. Literacy levels, access to radio receivers in the community at large, familiarity with symbolism and other visual devices used in audio-visual media are other considerations. The choice of theatre, local language newspapers, radio or video - or any combination thereof - is and should be dependent on both internal and external factors (Bessette, 2004).

Internally, the choice should address the development aims of the community concerned and build on what forms of communication already exist, especially where the community concerned has a history or tradition of educational music and dance. And externally, the choice should ensure ease and effectiveness of impact on the national and international actors the community wishes to speak to. For example, video is a powerful medium to raise awareness about human rights concerns, but it is also a medium which does not necessarily or typically allow for the complexities of a situation to be expounded on and can thus lead to simplistic interventions for resolution. Participatory community-based planning to make the choice of a medium should take these internal and external considerations into account.

There are two main types of sources. One is voice calling and another one is data services. Both are the part of Telecom. Recently the device named Blackberry is a blaster from the telecom sector. Another upgraded version is VOIP known as Voice on Internet Protocol. It means that the telecommunication services are provided over your internet. Separate internet connection or landline connection is not required. That means it is a huge savings to business also beneficial.

Now we are all aware of web conferencing and video conferencing. The most interesting thing in video conferencing is to see the person in front of us with whom you are interacting. Though the person or party is far away from your reach, they still are too close to you. There are different service providers with excellent offers in the market. If you are looking for a change, you can do the same. They will offer lower rates to improve your business. If we take Blackberry as an example then we can see the changes or improvement in communication.

Through this device, we are able to check our mails and reply directly within a short time. There is no need to start your PC and then log on to the website. Whatever mails are coming to your ID it is directly accessible through this device. It is a push mail service. There is another option to search the net named as Data Card. Data Card can be used both in laptops and in handsets but the set should support the card. Searching happens in a high-speed resolution.

If it is a call, the service providers simply multiplies the call tariff rate by number of minutes called. From this, they get the voice calling revenue. When it comes to data service, the number of data units used is multiplied by data tariff rates. In addition, the other way to communicate without voice is SMS or short message service. Calling cards are also a part of telecommunication services through which we can keep in touch at anytime from any where to the person or party whom we need to interact for any requirement. These cards are available in market or online with an affordable price range and calls can be made against cheap rates all over the world. No one can reveal your privacy and it will be a secret.

Introduction

People are nowadays are so constantly bombarded with phone calls, text messages, e-mail messages and other forms of technology-based communications, that they have very few moments to relax. All the communications from extraneous sources are making it harder for people to enjoy whatever little free time that they have.

iPriv to the Rescue

The developers of a new service labeled "iPriv" claim that they are going to give people what they deserve: free time and privacy - for a small monthly fee, of course.

This is how the iPriv service is designed to work. When a customer feels the need for privacy and some alone time, all he or she has to do is to push a button on their all-in-one communications and information device (CID). After the button is pushed, if anyone tries contact the person, iPriv will take over. All they have to do to be connected again with the world is push the same button again.

iPriv will send the person who is trying to reach its client an excuse for not responding. This excuse will be based on a list of excuses previously provided to iPriv by the client. However, what is unique about iPriv, according to its developers, is the fact that they use a state of the art artificial intelligence system to decide which excuse to use, based many factors, including the time of the call, the relationship to the client of the person who is calling, the location from where the call is coming, and a few other factors that the developers would not reveal since they do not want their trade secrets to be revealed.

Clients will get a list of people who called them, along with any messages that they may have received during their free time, as soon as they press the same button on their CID. It is as simple as that, claim the developers of iPriv.

Where the Idea Came from

One of the co-founders of iPriv said that he got the idea for such a service from his parents. On some occasions when the phone at home started ringing, either his father or mother has told him "I am not available in case the call is for me. Tell the person who is calling that I am busy or I am in the bathroom, or something." After complying with such requests from his parents for many years, the co-founder of the company realized that there may be a market for services that provide excuses on behalf of clients who do not wish to be contacted at any given point in time.

Is There a Market for Such a Service?

According to a computer analyst, there is a huge market that is waiting to be tapped. "Given an opportunity, who would not want to have some free time in this maddeningly fast-paced world?" asked the expert. She went on to explain that "Thousands of people have been waiting for such a service for at least three to five years, and I plan to be one of their numerous customers as soon as they take care of some bugs I the system." She added "I estimate that such a service will capture twenty five percent of the information and communications market by the year 2020."

Others also predict that major communications corporations will soon start marketing their own versions of the iPriv service. These variants of the iPriv service will provide additional streams of income to these corporations. But the co-founder of the iPriv service is not worried about such competition. He thinks that his company has a leg up on the competition and that the unique and continuously upgraded services that they provide will keep their happy customers coming back.

How Much Will You Pay for Such a Service?

Informal polls suggest that consumers are willing to pay about $15 to $25 a month for the iPriv service or something similar. How much would you pay for a service such as iPriv? Before you do sign up for such a service as iPriv, and I am sure that someone will start such a service if one does not already exist, here is my advice:

"Just turn your communication device off when you do not wish other people to contact you. You can always tell others that you needed some privacy or 'you time' and that is all the excuse you need for not responding to a phone call or a text message or other form of electronic communication directed at you."

If you decide to take my advice and choose not to subscribe to a service such as "iPriv," then please consider donating all or a part of the money that you save, to a charitable organization of your choice.

Digital TV

A new digital TV format called ATSC is being implemented in North America and will replace the analog NTSC one by 2009. This will allow high definition TV (HDTV) to be implemented on terrestrial television broadcasts. This digital tv switchover will allow homes currently without a satellite system to receive digital terrestrial television which will give a much improved picture quality.

Other new benefits of digital transmission are that more channels can be transmitted within the same bandwidth (portion of the radio frequency spectrum), this enables more channels to be broadcast using existing transmitters and antennae (though modifications will be necessary) and will allow some of the bandwidth to be used for other services if desired such as voice and data or government uses.

For the average user, the picture quality, whether using HDTV or not, will improve immensely.

In the UK this transformation has been under way for a few years with the result that many people have as large a choice of channels available through digital terrestrial television transmission as they would with a satellite system, and much improved picture quality.

For the consumer, it should be understood that it is not necessary to buy a completely new TV set in order to receive the new transmissions. A simple set top box (digital tuner) can be used, though more and more new TV's will have the capability of picking up digital transmissions without an extra box. These set top boxes retail very cheaply so it is not a huge investment, and the US government is taking steps to help people with coupons in order to ensure everyone upgrades to the new service before the analog transmissions stop. The only possible additional equipment may be an upgraded aerial.

In the US market a majority of people already use satellite or cable services and most of these will already receive digital signals, but as many as 20% may be receiving analog signals on terrestrial services so for these people a huge improvement in TV services is on the horizon.

Digital Radio

In the US digital radio has been embraced using satellite services primarily, though terrestrial broadcasters are interested in introducing services if the high costs of receiving equipment comes down. Satellite services have been popular for people travelling as they can receive the same channels they are used to wherever they are, and there are less censorship issues and advertising with the satellite services, though the downside is that they have to subscribe.

In the UK digital radio is through terrestrial services (called DAB radio and free apart from equipment costs) and the services are becoming very popular now that equipment costs have fallen to below $100 for most receivers. Many more channels and excellent quality mean that it will become the radio medium of choice for most people very quickly. DAB radio (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is becoming popular both in homes and cars with a wide choice of channels and crystal clear transmissions.

The improvements in signal quality and station choice as with the TV services are the main benefit to consumers. For service providers there will ultimately be many more services they can deliver to people over the same radio bandwidth, advertisers will have better targeting in the same way that they can over the internet, and for the government more radio spectrum is available whether for more channels or other uses.

You can use email address search to find a long lost friend or a contact with which you have lost contact. It is a simple and quite straight forward task to carry out and is used by many people today as a means of locating friends and family, even though it is also been abused by spammers.

To do this kind of search all you need to do is to enter your friend's name or whoever it is you are looking for in the box provided, and then enter the country where they are supposed to be living at. For searched that are centered in America you will have to enter a specific state during your search while for international search just the country will do. Most of the email address search services can find almost email from any country as long as it is listed. The results are also immediate and in the event that no result is returned you can simply change certain criteria and repeat your search again.

Using first name only during your search will obviously give you more results while using name and surname will provide fewer results and more chances of finding the person you are looking for straight away. If you do not find the person you are looking for what you can do, is to change the country to all the possible countries you think they might be and search again. The email search can be a very useful tool for finding friends and family if you are patient enough.

Some of the services are completely free while some others have one time payment for you to use their service for life. Some services also enable you to make contact with the person straight away by sending an email through them, but there is limit on the number of emails you can send to avoid spamming.

You can also do a reverse email search whereby you enter an email address and do a search to find out who owns the email. This is a good method of checking who has sent you an email and their location as well.