Free Top Level Domains from Dot TK

One of the readers asked to give overview of the free top level domains provided by Dot TK. I am using several of them for many years, and they serve as an additional traffic source for my Blogger blogs. However, I would not say that these domains fit everybody’s needs. If you register the attractive domain just to forget about it, you will not get any advantages, as it will disappear soon without traffic, no matter how low the requirements are. However, if you are serious to use it actively and promote your sites and business, that might be a good help since you can find excellent short domains for free, which are already costs millions on COM, NET, or ORG.

Dot TK is the country code top level domain registry that offers free domain name registration services.

Dot TK is the leading provider of free domain names - domain names that used to have mandatory commercial advertisements included on their site. From 2008, these mandatory advertisements have been removed from all the websites that bear a .TK domain name.

Dot TK domains are often used to rename long and hard-to-remember URLs into easy and memorable domain names with the .TK extensions. To prevent dormant (but desirable) domains and domain hijacking, all free domain names registered should have at least 25 hits every 90 days to stay active. This is a serious limitation to the users who plan to capture free domains forever and do not have any plans for their promotion and development.

This restriction does not apply to paid domain name registrants, who not only receive the user-rights but also get the licence-rights for the domains - a reason why medium and large-size companies buy their .TK domains.

Dot TK is a joint venture of the Government of Tokelau, its communication company Teletok and BV Dot TK, a privately held company.

Why you need Top Level Domain Name?

Your business website should definitely have its own top level domain (TLD) name. This means a name like yourcompany.com. It doesn’t mean a subdomain of someone else’s domain name, such as yourcompany.someisp.net.

Sometimes persons hesitate to register a proper domain name because of cost, lack of knowledge, or indecision. However, paying the nominal fee charged by the domain registrar for your own domain name can reap rich dividends.

A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Internet address like (ignoring the http part) someisp.net/hosting-accounts/yourco/, or yourcompany.someisp.net, just doesn’t look as professional as yourcompany.com. It might be free (as in included with your web space) but it just doesn’t cut it.

Consider: If you put your URL on your letterheads, business cards, signs, et cetera, which Internet address looks more professional?

If you mention your URL on your radio advertising or to a customer over the phone, which one will be easier to remember?

As well, what if your web host goes out of business or you decide that you want to change to another provider. Now, you need to notify everyone that you have now changed to yourcompany.someotherisp.net. You will also need to change all your stationery, signs, and advertising to reflect the change.

On the other hand, the domain name yourcompany.com, could be transferred from one web host to another simply by informing your domain name registrar of the change.

So, to avoid losing business and incurring unnecessary additional costs, be sure you have your own top level domain name.

Limitations and Disadvantages

Here are some of the restrictions noted on the Dot TK website.

• You may register no more than three free domain names.
• The ownership of the free domain remains with Dot TK. This means that you can’t sell it. (Of course, if you pay for the domain you do own it and can transfer it to a new owner.)
• Also, if you don’t have 25 visitors come to your home page within a ninety day period, your free domain name registration is cancelled.
• You need to have existing web content somewhere so that your dot tk name can be forwarded to it.

Website: http://www.dot.tk/en/index.html?lang=en

Free Phone Calls for Twitter

Join forces of Twitter and JAJAH offer short messages exchange to be performed in a form of regular phone conversation. With the new JAJAH application, Twitter users can make free phone calls their account on this microblogging service.

Now in Beta, JAJAH@Call allows you to make a free two minute call (as the verbal equivalent of a tweet) to other JAJAH@Call users. It’s free; it’s easy and works no matter how you use Twitter, whether it’s on your mobile phone, via Seesmic, TweetDeck, or any other way.

The Beta is available to selected users. To check if you’re one of them, log in to your account. Under "My Services" in "My Account" page you will see “Twitter Calls.” If this doesn’t appear, and you would like an invitation, send an email to twitter@jajah.com.

Note that the length of the call is limited to two minutes only during the beta period, but the company will evaluate that call length during beta, and may change the timing per evaluation outcomes.

How to use JAJAH@Call

To make a call, simply send a tweet with “@call @twittername” where "twittername" is the username of the person you wish to call. Your phone will then ring and the call will be connected. All contact details will be kept private, so you can use JAJAH@call without giving your phone number away. For the call to be successful, both you and the person you wish to call must be JAJAH members.

Let other people know they can @call you: send a tweet "call me free - reply with @call". Or add "JAJAH@Call" to your account info so people will know you are part of the beta. To protect privacy, calls can only be made to people who follow you.

No headset, no download, no software, no hidden costs. Use the phone you already have.

Sources and Additional Information:

http://www.jajah.com/products/twitter/

http://twitter.com/Call

http://www.blogsolute.com/jajah-twitter-call-make-free-phone-calls-via-twitter/3441/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-10355319-52.html

Send large files to anyone with TransferBIGFiles

When you need to transfer really big files to your friends or to yourself, you know, that might be a big headache. The big file of more than 10MB cannot be attached to email (for some providers, this limitation is even at the lower file attachment size), and if you are sending it somebody hidden behind the professional business firewall, your attachment might be stripped due to the corporate security regulations. Definitely, you can use FTP, but here you need available FTP server and special software for uploading.

So, there is a gap, when users needs do not have straightforward solution built in the regular OS software package. As usual, when there is a gap, you can find solution on the Web. There are multiple sites, offering free files storage and distribution. But, in spite of the huge list of providers, it might be challenging to find a right one, which will match your particular needs. In this post, we are going to present solution, offered by Website http://www.transferbigfiles.com/.

Service Advantages:

• Service is simple and straightforward. There's no registration required to use the website. You can just go to the home page and start uploading your files. Next, select the files you want to send and TransferBigFiles will email the recipient with a link to the download page.
• TransferBigFiles does not limit the amount of space your account can use on our servers.
• You can add message to the email recipient.
• You can protect the data, if you wish, with password for better security.

Service Disadvantages:

• Your files may not be larger than one (1) GB.
• Files are stored for a limited time – for up to 5 days or
• There is maximum amount of file downloads permitted – file is removed when limit of 20 downloads is reached.

Summary: The service will not fit to any purposes. If you need to store your data for a longer period, or if you need to broadcast your files with a big amount of recipients, that is not for you. Otherwise, give this service a try.

Website access: http://www.transferbigfiles.com/

Bike Directions: New Option on Google Maps

After multiple appeals of the bikers, Google has just added intelligent biking directions for multiple U.S. bike trails as a new option inside Google Maps. The option has been developed in Google partnership with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, processing of more than 12,000 miles of trails included in biking directions and outlining them directly on the map. Data also included on bike lanes and recommended streets for 150 cities across the country. This can help you get a better sense of your route, or let you find trails nearby for a recreational ride. When you're zoomed into a city, click on the "More" button at the top of the map to turn on the "Bicycling” layer.


You'll see three types of lines appear on the map:

• Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
• Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
• Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for bicycling, but without dedicated lanes.

On official Google blog, Shannon Guymon, Product Manager, assures that the new biking features will “include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map for cycling to encourage folks to hop on their bikes.”

The new option now sits next to the current Google  Maps standbys — car, public transit and walking — for online routing options, so users can select the new option from the dropdown menu to uncover a Google-recommended bike routes.

Note, that as of right now, biking is not an option in mobile apps, so make sure to plan ahead before you hit the pavement.

Video Presentation:

Dirty Cheap and Free International Phone Calls with Rebtel

The economic crisis is the reality that strikes the countries and regions. However, many families do not feel the personal pain before they are directly affected. Now, that is our turn – my wife lost her job. And I had to review our budgets to save as much as possible on the unneeded charges. One of the areas of consideration is international phone bills. As result of detailed investigation, I have found very attractive offering from Rebtel, which I would like to share with you. Technically, Rebtel review has all rights to get posted on the Web Freebies blog, because company gives you several ways to make free calls, including first trial 5-minutes call as soon as you sign for the account, even before you charge it with any funds.

But that is not much as you understand, and you can find better deals all around. What makes the service special is its cheap pricing, which I found more attractive than other services and calling cards.

The concept is not absolutely new, but is still quite fresh. With Rebtel you post the phone number of a friend in another country, and you are given a local number, which can be assigned permanently for the same person. You then save this number on your mobile (I do not have mobile 2 section, so I saved all Rebtel numbers under pager – nobody has pagers anymore anyway) so you can call your friend whenever you want, for a fraction of your normal international rate. Now, if your friend also has Rebtel, you can call each other for absolutely free. First, call your friend on their Rebtel number. Then, ask your friend to call you back. Tell them to use the number shown on their phone screen. From there, stay on the line. In a few seconds your friend will join you back on the call.

Note that you can use Rebtel from any cellular, VoIP or land-line telephone. Quality is impressive; I could not make any difference from the regular phone call in terms of voice perception or background noise.

There is one more way to make free international calls, and the related savings might be already big. Call your friend on your local number. When your friend answers, ask them to hang up within 10 seconds, and call you back while you stay on the line. You'll be connected after you hear a short sound. The international part of the call will be free. It sounds weird but it works. Don’t forget that you and your friend also pay your operator for local calls. (If you and your friend both have inclusive minutes with your contracts, then these calls will be free.) You and your friend must both live in one of the 51 Rebtel countries. To enjoy this freebie, your friend may not necessary be a Rebtel subscriber at all.

Now, I plan vacation. Rebtel can help me there as well.  I will carry with me a GSM phone with a SIM card in the country I am visiting, and I am going to set it up as your preferred number for the service to work as it is intended.  Now, all the USA numbers I need to call will be converted to local numbers in the country I am traveling in.  When I get home, I’ll simply change my preferred phone again and my numbers will change back to local numbers in USA again. 

Some examples of Rebtel Rates:

• ·         USA to China: $0.019/minute for landline or mobile.
• ·         USA to India: $0.039/minute for landline or mobile.
• ·         USA to Russia: $0.019/minute for landline and $0.069/minute for mobile.

Sign up on the webpage: http://www.rebtel.com/u/nesher

Spread a word about the Rebtel services, and you can even get free phone calls yourselves if your contact signs up through your referral link - you get $10 worth phone calls for each new subscriber.