Popfax replaces your old fax machine with a cool online app. Coffee not included.

Toner low? Paper out? Line busy? Machine jammed? Few pieces of office equipment are as frustrating as the fax machine. Yet, most businesses still use them. Popfax replaces your desktop fax machine (and the extra phone line) with a web-based app for sending and receiving faxes and voice-mail. You can even choose phone numbers in other countries to receive faxes on – and they’re all delivered right into your email.

The French company has a truly worldwide presence, with numbers available in over 50 cities worldwide. They offer a free trial for those who are still unsure if they want to keep their old fax machine a while before making the move to paperless online faxing.

How it works

When you sign up with Popfax, you buy credit in your account that you use up as you send faxes. You’ll also buy a subscription for your fax number, from a month up to several years.

We checked their pricing against J2 and Myfax, and found Popfax was consistently less expensive for both occasional and power users. A typical business sending a few faxes a week can expect to pay about five dollars a month. And incoming faxes are free. That’s a huge plus!

International rates are significantly cheaper than other companies, and far cheaper than what you’d pay through the phone company for long-distance faxes. For example, to Jamaica our phone company charges 50 cents a minute, so a two-minute fax (one page) costs a dollar. With Popfax it costs thirteen cents. You can check their worldwide pricing under the “tariffs” tab on their home page.

Cool features – the “option pack”

The Option Pack gives you some really useful extra features, including 1GB of storage over an unlimited time, to store all your sent and received faxes (a page is about 30kb, so 1GB will hold thousands of pages). You’ll also get access to email-to-fax, SMS (text message) sending to mobile phones, plus access to the “registered fax” service, which lets you receive legal confirmation that a fax was received and read, by making the receiver confirm with a code before they can read the fax. It’s a patented technology Popfax invented. The option pack is an additional $2.50 per month.

Pros: Cheaper and easier than your old fax machine, numbers available worldwide

Cons: Website could stand to be easier to navigate

Rating 10/10

Want to save 20%? Here’s a promo code: 4733 3368 7167 6579

Western Union, pioneer of the telegraph

Western Union, who started buying up smaller telegraph companies in the mid 1800s, became the only US telegraph company by 1950. The old telegraph lines were replaced by more modern teletypewriter systems, and later, dedicated fax networks over private phone lines. The modernized Western Union even pioneered computer networking and time-sharing services.

Even when long-distance phone calling got cheaper, in the 1960s, telegrams still ruled as the preferred way to send something urgent. They argued that while phone calls could be ignored, and mail could be left unopened, the urgency of a telegram gave it special status in the mind of the recipient. If someone was willing to pay Western Union to send a message, it must be important.

Do telegrams still exist?

Today Western Union is a financial services company. They gradually got out of the messaging business, and in 2006 the remaining telegram business, which still handled about 20,000 overnight telegrams a year, became part of International Telegram.

Surprisingly, people still use telegrams today. The now-uncommon experience of getting a telegram delivered makes a telegram stand out even more when it’s used to get attention. Telegrams also have special status as legally valid for certain types of legal messages, such as canceling contracts. Like the postal service, telegram companies are federally regulated and have to be registered with the FCC.

The future of telegrams

Although the technology behind telegrams has changed from Morse-code telegraphs to teletype to IP switching, the uniqueness of a telegram hasn’t changed. A telegram is something physical that a person can hold, read, and keep. It’s likely that telegrams will be around for quite a while.

Cash for the hard goods,
Cash for the fancy goods,
Cash for the soft goods,
Cash for the noggins and the piggins and the firkins,
Cash for the hogshead, cask and demijohn,
Cash for the crackers and the pickles and the flypaper.

(From “Rock Island”, in “The Music Man”, by Meredith Willson.

When a virus broke out in a popular role-playing game, researchers used it as a model for studying a real-world pandemic.

Video games aren’t just a way to kill time; they may well help kill a real-world virus one day. In 2007, researchers studied the spread and containment of a deadly virus in the multi-player role playing game World of Warcraft.

The researchers studied the spread of a virus introduced into the game by design, to limit the power of very advanced characters (perhaps the Sword of a Thousand Truths was unavailable at the time?). Eventually, the virus spread out of control, infecting high- and low-level characters alike.

The game designers tried to quarantine infected players, but many characters broke the quarantine, eventually leading to the “death” of millions.

The virtual virus caused many realistic effects. “Some virtual characters spontaneously developed immunity but were still carriers — just as would happen in the real world. Some characters’ virtual pets became carriers, just as could happen in the real world.”

The researchers believe they can apply what they learned from the study to the organization of actual quarantines in the event of a pandemic. However, it seems their discoveries about the immune systems of flying unicorns may be of less help with swine flu.

AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless and BellSouth, is one of the biggest and best cellular companies in the USA. They offer their customers more than just wireless – you can get residential and business telephone service, video and cable entertainment offerings, and a full line of Internet plans. They are headquartered in Atlanta.

Pros: The BlackBerry plans are pretty straightforward across the board – they offer a lot of features and often those features have no limit. There are a number of different plans, depending on your needs, including eight personal plans at relatively reasonable prices. As well, if you don’t have a BlackBerry, there are ten plans that deal with other handheld devices.

Cons: The prices are a little expensive, and many additional features will cost you extra. Additional fees may apply, depending on what state you live in, and AT&T includes a charge of up to $1.25 to comply with state and federal regulations. A credit check is required for all plans, cellular or data. There is also a hidden activation fee of $36 for each new line. As well, you cannot use personal BlackBerry plans with BlackBerry Enterprise plans to access corporate email.

Detailed Provider Information:

Voice Plan Options: AT&T has a number of individual voice plans, starting at $39.99 per month for 450 anytime minutes, and ranging up to unlimited calling for $99.99 per month. They also have family plans, which start at $79.99 per month for the first two lines ($9.99 per additional line), through $199.99 for unlimited calling on two lines ($99.99 per additional line).

Data Options: There are two options for BlackBerry data with AT&T. First is 35 dollars per month, and includes unlimited data. This is reduced to 30 dollars per month with the purchase of an individual or family voice plan. The personal data plus tethering option costs 65 dollars per month, 60 with an accompanying voice plan. This comes with a 5 GB cap.

Messaging Options: All plans include text, IM or video messaging, unlimited M2M messaging or tethering options (which means you can connect your device to your laptop with Bluetooth or a connection cable).

Customer Service: AT&T provides support online in the form of an answer center and forums. As well, you can call their number or email them if you have a problem with your service or phone.

Contract: There is a contract for these plans – if you want to terminate early, you’ll be subject to a charge of $175. Contract lengths vary from plan to plan in different states and depend on the phone that you choose.

Messaging: Depending on the plan that you get, you can have up to 1500 messages a month, either with unlimited M2M messaging or tethering. Prices vary from state to state, but are normally in the range of $44.99 to $94.99 for the data plans.

International Calling and Messaging: att.com/wirelessinternational allows you to determine if your wireless device will work in other countries. If it does, you’ll have to activate international roaming at an AT&T store to be able to use this feature. International calls and messages can be sent if your plan allows this. If you only call occasionally, the website offers you a table that will help you determine how much your calls will cost per minute. For BlackBerries, there is an International Long Distance Text Messaging package for $9.99 a month. This includes 100 messages and 20 cents for additional messages sent overseas.

Roaming Charges: Roaming charges may apply to some plans, but AT&T may not add them to your bill for three billing cycles. Default roaming charges are 69 cents a minute for domestic roaming charges off the network.

Activation Fee: You may be charged an activation fee of up to $36 for a new line.

The Blackberry Curve 9670 Style

Additional Features: The phones include additional data options, voice options, messaging, voice dial, GPS navigators, push to talk features, roadside assistance and enhanced voice mail. You can also join the AT&T Sounds Tone club, which will give you a subscription to receive text messages on music trivia, news and more. All prices for additional features vary from state to state.

Insurance: There is a one-year warranty on new phones and accessories and a 90 day warranty on refurbished phones.

Phones: You can buy both refurbished and new devices from AT&T, including the BlackBerry Bold 9000.

Some Additional BlackBerry Models Available:
BlackBerry Style 9670
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9330
BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
BlackBerry Pearl 9105

Coverage Map: The AT&T coverage map can be found here.

AT&T Wireless current specials and clearance phones are available here.

So heavier sauces can also handle reds – especially if they include fats, cured meats or tomatoes (tomatoes are another tricky ingredient, since these fruits are fairly high in acid).

Fish (and especially shell fish – like shrimp or lobster and bivalves) can make red wines taste of metal (hold a fork or a metal spoon in your mouth for a few minutes – without any food on it – and you’ll get the idea). Luckily, these do very well with bright, high acid white wines. If you must drink red (and I particularly like pinot noir or Villages level Beaujolais with salmon), choose carefully. Heavier or fattier fish, can also do well with a wider variety of reds. Again think about the sauce, if any, and the method of cooking (red for fire roasted or fried fish as opposed to poached for instance – unless you poach with a red wine based marinade).

Pork is an unusual exception. It can make very heavy wines taste metallic as well and is also frequently prepared with a larger amount of salt. It needs the brighter fruit acid in lighter reds and whites, the tannic acid in heavier reds can again taste bitter or metallic (especially Syrah). Of course, again consider your sauce.

Duck, goose, turkey, and game birds also are fatty enough and heavy enough to pair with even cabernet sauvignon and are classically paired with pinot noir. If you haven’t had duck, then find a restaurant that is recommended for their duck (get several opinions from people that know food and wine) and try it. If you get bad or greasy duck then do a little more research. Duck is very fatty, but can be prepared so that it isn’t swimming in grease. It is often served fairly close to rare – don’t be scared of it if it is red inside it doesn’t usually suffer from the same problems of battery farmed chickens. Take the chef’s or staff’s (they should be quite knowledgeable about their list if they serve good duck) suggestion for wine (or ask for one in your price range if the recommendation is too steep). Enjoy!

Many Italian red wines are fairly high in fruit acidity and consequently seem to “break the rules”, but those are dishes and wines that have been developed together over many years, sometimes centuries. If you are interested, then you should get yourself a book on the wines of Oenotria (“land of vines” – the ancient Greek name for Italy). It can take a lifetime to learn everything about them.

Speaking generally, Asian dishes frequently break the “western rules” of cooking (mixing citrus with beef, high in salt and often strongly flavored with soy sauce). This is one reason (the Asian “fusion” or infusion into western cuisine) that reds are often looked to for non-traditional pairings. Generally though, traditional Chinese-American fare, can be very difficult to pair with wine, traditional *Chinese*, however is a different story (although some ingredients and spices can be a problem).

South Asian cuisine can pair well with wine, but it is often very flavorful (not necessarily spicy) and requires some of the very ripe, very intense wines of Australia, California, and often does well with South African wines (where they have been pairing them with South Asian cuisine for some time). Find someone who is familiar with South Asian cuisine and knows wine. In some of the spicier styles, you may find some difficulties (the heat will “steal” your palate). A gentleman who worked as a tea-taster in India told me that they were not allowed to eat curry for two days before they tasted the tea.

Now, not all white wines are created equal. There are many whites that are heavy and sometimes “fat” (lower in fruit acid, from ripeness or the bacterial transformation of fruit [malic] acid to lactic acid [the creamy or buttery flavor] called malolactic fermentation). They are often treated with oak (whether in barrel, stave-lined vat or “tea-bagged” – where toasted oak shavings or even sawdust are placed in a permeable bag and steeped in the wine). These components help build a white wine profile that is suitable to heavier meats. Of course chardonnay is often treated this way (as it sometimes is in Burgundy as “white Burgundy” – often the higher end wines). I have heard that prime rib and filet are particularly well served with Corton-Charlemagne, but I haven’t had the opportunity to explore that particular pairing (the Corton-Charlemagne usually starts at about 100 USD a bottle – I just can’t afford that).

Again, I’m not telling anyone how to enjoy their wine, I’m just saying experiment with the above and make up your own mind.

You only need a mere 15 minutes to make this soup that serves 3. Try it!

What you’ll need:

• 20 ounce package refrigerated mashed potatoes
• 14 ounce can chicken broth
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 ounces Swiss, cheddar, or smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
• Dairy sour cream (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the mashed potatoes, chicken broth and green onions.
2. Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture boils.
3. Whisk it to make it nearly smooth.
4. Add the cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted.
5. If desired, serve with sour cream.

What you’ll need:

16 large shrimp, uncooked
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white truffle oil
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat barbecue grill (oil hot grill to help prevent sticking).

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving tails on. Using a sharp knife, butterfly shrimp by cutting along the inner curve or underbelly about halfway (almost completely through), leaving the tails firmly attached. Press the shrimp down flat like a butterfly. Place prepared shrimp in a shallow dish and sprinkle with olive oil; refrigerate, covered, until ready to cook.

In a medium bowl, combine white truffle oil, lemon juice, onion, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

When ready to cook, season the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper. Place shrimp onto hot grill and cook approximately 2 minutes on one side; turn and cook another 1 minute or until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test). Remove from grill.

To serve, arrange shrimp (split sides up) on a serving plate. Drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette. Place remaining vinaigrette in a small bowl and place on plate for dipping.

Makes 4 servings.

2. No local address or phone number
You have a toll-free number? That’s good. But without a local phone number, you won’t see any business from overseas, because toll-free numbers only work in North America. That customer in Scotland can’t call you. Okay, so maybe you don’t care about customers in Scotland. But even your domestic customers want to see a local phone number and address. Nothing says fly-by-night like a toll-free (Skype?) number and no address.

3. Your web site is past its expiry date
Copyright 2009? All that says is no one has touched your web site in a long time. If you put copyright dates on your site, keep them current. Otherwise it looks like you might have died but the web site is still up.

4. Broken links
Check your internal and external links. Especially the external ones. Web sites move around all the time. Sometimes it’s better to say “check out our review on coolreviews.com” rather than pointing to the exact URL. That way, you don’t have to fidget with stuff every time coolreviews changes their structure around.

5. Haven’t I seen you before somewhere?
That template or stock photo looks great. That’s why I’ve seen it on a hundred different web sites. If you see your stock photos somewhere else, it’s time for new ones. Everyone knows that group of smartly dressed smiling models are not your staff.