This book outlines everything people need to make the move from a dial-up connection to an always-on DSL or cable Internet connection that is up to forty times faster than a standard modem connection Nielsen estimated there were thirty-nine million U.S. homes with broadband access in April 2003 Gaskin explains available broadband options, shows how to pick the right one, describes wireless alternatives inside and outside of buildings, details how to connect more than one computer to a home broadband connection, and provides information about securing your wireless network This new Desktop Edition format provides need-to-know coverage of all topics related to broadband home networking in an easy-to-use format that will appeal to novices and techies alike Offers a useful customer service FAQ and a Web directory appendix that lists Web sites for additional utilities, tools, games, and more

Revised and updated with new information on broadband options, instant messaging, e-commerce, security, connection sharing, gaming, and more, this "excellent resource and guide" (Sys Admin magazine) is truly the bible for anyone who wants to use the Internet more fully. Inside, discover Internet gospel truths: The lowdown on service providers and high-speed access How to customize and enhance browsers The Web's best software, audio, chat rooms, and more Design software that works for Windows, Macs, or Linux The CD-ROM features the Opera Web browser, antispam tools, and a directory with live links.

Religion has gone public; and the much-discussed political pendulum has been swinging widely in its effort to keep up with the eruptions of faith swelling the broadband. Private faith finds very public outlets through the media's appetite for voices and choices. Faith-based networks have become media-savvy, urging their members to send barrages of emails, faxes, telephone calls, letters of praise or outrage to politicians. Those same politicians return the volley, using the broadcast media with great skill, wooing the faithful, convincing the cynical that God is on their side. Only a deity could be on so many sides simultaneously. Alice Bach's new book reflects her long-time focus on the Bible, religion and culture. Popular religion is expressed within our culture in rock videos, televangelism, political rhetoric, children's books, films and animations. Every sort of media from print to electronic to broadband is imbued with subtle and blatant religious imagery. The media are new; the message is not. The tightly woven pattern of religion, politics and media has been part of the American fabric since the country was founded. When one examines this cultural cloth, threads of varying colours are revealed, threads whose twists reflect both media coverage of religion and religious views of the media.

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

"Today's seminary instructors are expected to design and redesign their courses more nimbly than in the past. At the same time, institutional rewards for time invested in course design are fewer than ever. Understanding Bible by Design introduces the reader to Understanding by Design: an approach to course design that is proven time-efficient and grounded in the instructor's most closely-held convictions about her subject matter's "big ideas and essential questions." Lester's synopsis of course design and suggested action is followed by a collaborative dialogue with Jane S. Webster and Christopher M. Jones"--Back cover.

This book considers the lessons learnt so far from the emergence of the Internet and the development of the field of Internet studies, whilst also considering possible directions for the future. Examining broad media theories and emerging theorisations around the Internet specifically, it explores the possibility of the development of an Internet theory in the future. A comprehensive overview of the field, Internet Studies considers key issues of social importance that the study of the Internet draws upon, such as the role of the Internet in civic participation and democratisation, the development of virtual communities, digital divides and social inequality, as well as Internet governance and policy control. At the same time, it examines the role of the Internet in social research and the development of highly interdisciplinary and rapidly developing Internet research. Hence, this volume maps key areas of certainty and uncertainty in the field of Internet studies and, as such, it will be of interest to scholars and students of media and communication, sociology and social research methods.

The new edition includes more than 4,800 resources available at more than 10,000 Internet sites that provide information on a range of biblical study topics including Bible translations in English and other languages, audio translations of the Bible in English and other languages, commentaries, dictionaries, and other resource materials including ones in Greek, Hebrew and other ancient languages. The author also has adopted a new method of referencing and cataloging the most widely used web pages to facilitate a major expansion of resources without increasing the physical length of the book itself. In cases when ten or more resources are listed on a single web page, the author has assigned the web page a three-digit code. The code is used to identify this web page as a major resource within the main text, while any needed instructions for use of the site are cross-referenced separately in the final chapter. In adopting this concise method, the author was able to add hundreds of additional or updated web resources, a surprising number of which can be downloaded onto a hard drive for immediate and continued use.

The electronic Bible is here to stay‒‒packaged in software on personal computers, available as apps on tablets and cell phones. Increasingly, students look at glowing screens to consult the Bible in class, and congregants do the same in Bible study and worship. Jeffrey S. Siker asks, what difference does it make to our experience of Scripture if we no longer hold a book in our hands, if we again “scroll” through Scripture? How does the “flow” of electronic Scripture change our perception of the Bible’s authority and significance? Siker discusses the difference made when early Christians adopted the codex rather than the scroll and Gutenberg began the mass production of printed Bibles. He also reviews the latest research on how the reading brain processes digital texts and how churches use digital Bibles, including American Bible Society research and his own surveys of church leaders. Siker asks, does the proliferation of electronic translations reduce the perceived seriousness of Scripture? Does it promote an individualistic response to the Bible? How does the change from a physical Bible affect liturgical practice? His synthesis of the advantages and risks of the digitized Bible merit serious reflection in classrooms and churches alike.

Children respond to intriguing facts about people, places, and events, complete word searches and crossword puzzles; and solve coded puzzles while learning about the Bible.

Fed up with the high tolls charged by your ordinary telephone service? If you're itching to cut the copper cord with your costly, traditional phone service, you need Talk is Cheap, the new, easy-to-understand guide to understanding and using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and other Internet telephone options.Technologies such as VoIP are gaining a great deal of attention these days as more people switch from standard telephone service to phone service via the Internet. But while the cost savings are outstanding, there are some issues with Internet telephony that you should know about. Are the connections reliable? Is the quality comparable? Will it include 911 services?James Gaskin's Talk is Cheap addresses these issues and many more by explaining how to make the switch and what the tradeoffs will be if you opt for Internet telephony over traditional phone services.Talk is Cheap focuses on the increasingly popular services from Vonage, which uses VoIP, and Skype--a free service that operates as a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with the ability to turn any PC, Mac, or Pocket PC into a telephone. The book explains your options; explores the background behind, the workings of, and differences between VoIP and P2P networks; and discusses the advantages and drawbacks of both technologies (including service offerings, quality, capabilities, completion rates, and more).Talk is Cheap then goes into detail on what you can expect in Internet service from traditional phone companies such as Verizon and AT&T. In addition, you will learn more advanced techniques, including how to turn your Palm or Pocket PC into an Internet phone and how to work with Wi-Fi phones and videophones.A straightforward, quick introduction to the ins and outs of using Internet telephone services, this book provides everything you need to make informed telephone decisions--whether you're thinking about the switch from traditional phone service or have already made it and want to get the most out of your new Internet telephone.