ICT is an abbreviation that means "Information and Communications Technology" (or technologies). This is a blanket term that refers to many forms of communication. ICT in society might include television, cellular telephones, satellites, radio, computer software, computer hardware and many others.

Basically, any form of moving information from one place to another could be considered a kind of ICT, but it generally refers to systems that use electronics, computers or other forms of modern technology. It is a term heard more often outside the US, and often is used in reference to a particular area such as: "ICT's in education or healthcare."

In our modern world, we are using these technologies every day in so many ways and it is very easy to take them for granted. Like the light bulbs in our houses, we seldom stop to think about how amazing it is that we can walk into a dark room and flip on a light switch. However, like the complex system of power stations, wires and amazing devices that bring us electric power, the ability for us to communicate so quickly and effectively requires and amazing amount of knowledge, resources and time to implement.

We have a whole world of information at our fingertips through the power of the World Wide Web, television and radio, as well as the ability to reach out to another person nearly anywhere in the world through the amazing advances of telecommunications. These technologies are absolutely essential to the operation of our modern culture, illustrated by the fact that I am writing and you are reading this via the most profound of Information and Communication Technologies: the computer.

Not everyone is so lucky, however. These essential tools to our modern existence that we so take for granted are not present everywhere. There are entire nations that are still struggling socially, politically and financially, and these places lack the resources to make full use of these modern wonders. For nations looking to join modern society and thrive in the global community, these Information and Communication Technologies must be understood, implemented and used effectively. Development through ICTs is one of the most effective ways for nations to join the global community.

Of course as you can well imagine, that takes a lot of support from experts who are already doing this in other places. This is where organizations like the Global e-schools and Communities Initiative comes in.

GeSCI was established in 2004, founded by the UN ICT Task Force. The United Nations ICT task force approved a proposal for a UN affiliated organization to provide demand-driven assistance to developing countries seeking to utilize the tremendous potential ICT's have for improving the quality of teaching and learning in primary and secondary education.

These types of organizations are doing amazing things to bring these essential tools to our neighbors around the globe. Resources that are easily taken for granted are recognized by the founders of these kinds of task forces to be rare and crucial in other parts of the world. They are dedicated to helping everyone who wants to catch up, and join the global conversation.

If you are like us, you want to see the person you are talking to. You hunger to observe what you are forced to only imagine? You have a passion to see the bright smile and joy of that special someone as they open the gift you sent that you knew was 'just for them'. You ache to see your distant family and friends as they celebrate birthdays, Christmas or welcome in the New Year.

There is now a time unlimited, inexpensive, and simple solution to all of those aspirations. As communication technology leaps forward at an astonishing rate, until now, the wireless telephone-cell phone was the greatest innovation since March 10, 1876 when Bell spoke into his device, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you", and Watson heard each word distinctly. With the invention of the Internet and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) the latest in communication devices is the video phone.

Bell's success was the first rung on the communications ladder that future generations would climb to reach endless solutions for communication difficulties. The Iris 2000 Video Phone surfaces as one such product that is guaranteed to meet or exceed your greatest expectations. Using high speed Internet connections and the VoIP paradigm, communication is inexpensive, simple, and available to almost anyone be they a computer wizard or completely technologically illiterate. If you can use a telephone, you can use the Iris 2000 Video Phone.

The Video Phone plugs into an AC outlet with a nine volt adapter and into the internet via an Ethernet cable and within seconds you are able to use the device. Unlike other Internet web camera and computer software apparatus, the Iris 2000 is a fully functional telephone with optional video capability and no disruption to the Internet service on computers in the house. You can use your computer for business and talk with a client at same time.

One of the greatest advantages of the Video Phone is its portability; it can be taken with you on a business trip or travel and used anywhere in the world where there is a high speed Internet connection. The unit simply plugs into an Internet providers modem and a 110 volt power source and your good to go and all for one very affordable $28.99 monthly fee. This is incredibly one of those things that, albeit seems too good to be true, is.

Wish you could see in person the new addition to the family? Do you or your business partners have a need for 'video conferencing'? Would you like to speak with a missionary in a foreign land about their needs and the needs of the people they serve? Someone you know in need of comfort and face to face counsel? These and many more solutions are all within the grasp of the video phone.

Family is important to us and my wife and I enjoy seeing our children and grandchildren that reside in another state but time and the high cost of fuel or airline tickets made seeing them often impossible. We desperately wanted to remain an important influence in their lives so we searched for another means of communication; we found it in the Video Phone. I will often plug the Iris 2000 into our big screen television, make the call, and we get a life-size view of our growing off-spring. Our children have video cameras and use the Video Phone to send us the movies they record with their camera; either real-time, while they are recording, or when they are done. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a real-time video is priceless!

We are able to use our remote handsets, the wireless remotes that most people have around the house, with the Iris 2000. They just plug into the phone connection on the back of the phone and operate the same as on the old analog lines; we can have a phone in every room. Answering a call and making one are easy, just the way it has always been. Calls can easily be transferred from the Video Phone to the handset or from the handset to the video phone.

The Video Phone comes with 14 different options like voice mail, call waiting, caller ID, three-way calling, enhanced 911service, optional email notification when voice messages are left, and many other features that make life style communications as easy as dialing a telephone number. My wife and I use the call forwarding options to assure that we do not miss an important call while we are out. We can forward to as many as five different numbers either in sequence or all at once. This feature is a very important function for us since our mothers are getting up in age and have need of us often.

The Video Phone has a privacy button and mute that can be implemented at anytime so you can still answer the phone in your towel or drawers.

There are many reasons why people today are interested in researching strange phone numbers. Whether trying to stop annoying sales calls or checking up on the strange numbers that appear on the phone bill, many people have wanted to use the internet to look up a phone number. But how do you know what best resource to use? With many options, all of which can seem intimidating, it's hard to even know how to start. If you need to look up a phone number, one of the best solutions is to use a reverse phone lookup.

Reverse phone lookups are services that allow you to search for information about any unknown phone number. Simply type in the mysterious number and click search, and within a few minutes you can find out the name and number of almost any phone owner. Reverse phone searches have information not only for land lines but also for cell phones and unlisted numbers. This means you can find exactly what you're looking for, without having to spend along time searching through unrelated search results.

Of course, reverse phone lookups aren't the only way to learn more information about unknown numbers. If the number is a land line, you might find it on an internet white pages site. Of course there are no white page listings for cell phones or unlisted numbers, which means white pages sites can't help with these numbers. However, creative searchers have been able to find information in other ways, sometimes even for cell phones. These searchers utilize other methods, including internet people searches, social networking sites, and traditional search engines. Looking up phone numbers through these methods can be time consuming and ineffective, but it is often a great place to start.

If you've ever wanted to learn more about a strange phone number, you're not alone. Every day, lots of people search the internet to try and find more information about unknown phone numbers. But the internet is a vast place, and many would-be people searchers find themselves at a loss as to where to even start. If you want to learn the most effective possible way to about that mystery number, reverse phone lookups are a great place to start.

Reverse phone lookups, also called reverse phone searches, are websites that let you search for unknown phone numbers to learn valuable information about the phone owner. All you have to do is type in the strange number and click search, and you can learn the name and address of any phone number in just a few minutes time. Reverse phone lookups work by searching a large a number of records and databases, including phone owner information for most cell phones and unlisted numbers. While these sites do charge a fee, most users feel that this is more than made up for by the quickness and ease with which reverse phone searches provide the information they need.

Of course, reverse phone lookups aren't the only way to learn more about unknown numbers, only the most efficient. If you don't have much money but you do have some time on your hands, there are several alternative search methods that have proven successful for other users. Traditional search engines are a great place to start your research. While these sites may return many pages of extraneous results, they provide the bonus of allowing you to search at no charge. Other researchers have found the results they were looking for using free internet people searches and social networking sites. While all of these methods are inexpensive, none of them offer any guarantee. However, if your search isn't a top priority, or you're only mildly curious, these can be a great option, especially as you're just starting the process.

Just about everyone has wished they could stop prank calls, but for some people, these calls can become far more than annoying. Harassing calls come in a variety of forms from common teenage prank calls to actual threats. Sometimes annoyance callers remain silent, simply breathing into the phone. Whatever the form, you can help stop prank calls by using resources available to find out more information about the person or company that is calling.

The first thing to know about harassing callers is that they care about your reaction, and they usually are trying to get you to react in a certain way, such as fear or anger. If you receive such a call, it is important to speak in a calm and logical manner. If you don't react, the caller will more than likely get bored and quit bothering you. However, if using an even tone is not enough to stop prank calls, there are ways to find out more about the caller.

While the first and most obvious resource is Caller ID, it is easy for someone who knows how to block their number from being captured. For this reason, a lot of prank calls are from unknown or anonymous numbers, and in these cases, it is necessary to do a little more detective work to find out who is calling. Most people who want to stop prank calls are being repeatedly harassed; if this is the case, you can ask your phone company to place a trace or trap on your line, so that when the caller dials your number again, you will be able to get some basic information such as phone number and the name attached to that number. From here, internet resources like reverse phone lookups can provide a valuable service.

As technology and commerce have advanced, business minded individuals have demanded to have communication devices that can keep up with the times. Cellphones were a revolution in themselves, but smartphones and pda's are the next step in mobile communication evolution. Smartphones are drastically more versatile than any pc, infinitely smaller than laptops and are more feature-rich than most cellular phones.

Smartphones are in high demand because of the features included with these devices. With a single smartphone you could essentially replace your laptop, cellphone and blue tooth devices. Smartphones allow users to browse the internet, receive and send mail, download applications from the internet, listen to music and watch internet broadcasts.

Most smart phones now days are compact enough to fit into your pocket or purse easily. Smart phones can be very stylish as well. There are plenty of custom face plates and designs that can be added to your smartphone or pda. Another important feature of pda's and smartphones are the integrated keypads and stylus. There are a variety of keyboards that can be used with these devices.

There are so many companies putting out smartphones and pda devices that the prices are much lower now than a few years ago. Studies show that smartphone sales are due to increase about 50% in the next few years. With the great features like email, integrated cameras, games, mp3 players and multimedia messaging it is no surprise that smartphones and pda's are becoming the choice device for the business sector as well as for the average joe user. The two biggest sellers of smart phones and pda's at the moment are HTC, Palm and Samsung.

Imagine your phone registers a missed call from an unknown number. What are you going to do? Of course, most people just use their Caller ID to get the numberand return the call. While most of the time this is a harmless habit, the simple fact is that you don't always want to talk to whoever called you. Unknown numbers can be everything from your friend calling from a different phone to telemarketers and scam artists, and it is very difficult to tell which is which given only an unknown number. Luckily, by finding out a little more information about an unknown number before deciding whether to call it back, you can help protect yourself against unwanted and annoying callers.

Most people are naturally more suspicious of unknown numbers that come from strange area codes and are less likely to automatically call back such numbers, but even familiar area codes can disguise an unwanted caller. If you call back a number without doing a little research first, you might be playing yourself directly into the hands of telemarketers and other annoying or harassing callers. Given just an unknown number, you can find out an amazing amount about whoever dialed your number.

Internet resources like reverse phone lookups are one of the best ways to find out more information. Plus, using a reverse phone look up is simple and easy. Just type in the unknown number and click search, and within a few moments, you can find the name and address of almost any caller. Now, instead of having to blindly call back a potentially unscrupulous or dangerous person, you can find out important information about them before you decide on the best course of action.