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Have you ever received one of those timeshare "vacation offer" phone calls or e-mails? You know, the ones that promise lodging and park admission for a fraction of the regular cost if you attend a timeshare presentation. If so, you may have wondered about them and if they're worth pursuing. Well, I'm not embarrassed to stand up and say, "I did it!" My mother and I went on a vacation together, and for the first three days we took advantage of one of those too-good-to-be-true timeshare vacation offers. Here are my experiences:

Last spring, my grandma received an unsolicited phone call from an outfit offering cheap Orlando hotel rooms and Disney park tickets. My grandma had always wanted to go, so she phoned my mother and asked her to look into it. My mom learned that this company (Vacation Showroom, Inc.) was offering a $99/person "vacation package" for stays in any or all of several cities (Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Williamsburg, and Las Vegas). The Orlando stay promised 3 nights in a hotel only 5 minutes from the Disney parks plus one one-day park pass per person. She was also informed that she'd have to pay a $30 booking fee, that the Orlando location would cost an extra $29/person, and that she was required to attend a timeshare sales presentation breakfast. Thinking that this would be an affordable way to take my grandma on a vacation, she bought it. It cost her $228 to purchase the package. Alas, my grandmother passed away before this trip, and I went in her place.

The package promised "quality" lodging within 10 minutes of attractions, such as the AmeriHost, Ramada plaza 1000, or the Radisson Barcelo. We could not specify one of these hotels -- one would be selected for us based on availability at the time of reservation. As it turned out, we were booked into the Amerihost, which of the three hotels was the closest to walt Disney World. I did some research before the trip and confirmed that the Amerihost did offer free shuttles to walt Disney World. The reservation agent mentioned we'd need to confirm our late (8:00 p.m.) arrival on the morning of check-in day. Dutifully, my mother called before we left for the airport to confirm our arrival. So far, so good.

Our flight arrived in the early evening and we got a taxi to the Amerihost -- we did not rent a car, as the hotel had a shuttle to walt Disney World. Upon arriving at the hotel, we wandered around a bit trying to find the vacation package check-in desk, which turned out to be WAY in the back of the hotel. We wasted a good half hour on this. Finally, my mother checked-in with the vacation Showroom timeshare folks and received a hotel voucher. Voucher in hand, we went to the hotel's check-in desk to get our room and crash. Alas, this was not to be. When it came our turn to check-in, we were informed that even though we'd confirmed our stay just that morning, the hotel had overbooked and that we could stay at the Ramada plaza 1000 instead. We both said, in unison, "We don't have transportation!" But the hotel staff wouldn't budge. After a lot of complaining and haggling, they finally agreed to give us transportation over to and back from the Ramada. We were instructed to go back to the vacation Showroom office to book our timeshare presentation meeting (required to get the park tickets) and then go to the Ramada.

So we hauled our luggage back to the office, signed up for the timeshare presentation ($20 deposit required), and got a lift in a van from one of the employees ($5 tip). It was a good 20-25 minute drive over to the Ramada. When we checked in, we learned that not only was there no shuttle to Disney, but that the restaurant had just closed and there wasn't even an eatery within walking distance. So we trudged up to our room, ordered subs from a delivery place, and fell into exhausted sleep. Not an auspicious beginning to our trip.

The next morning we presented ourselves at the vacation Showroom office at opening time (8:00 am) to inquire about the return transportation we were promised. My mother got deflected, so I tried. After insisting strongly, the rep said she was getting us transportation. It turned out that she'd called a town car company, and upon depositing us back at the Amerihost, the driver insisted on $40 for the trip. No way! I marched in and spoke to an employee at the check-in desk and they paid the driver. We did give the driver a $5 tip, however.

Finally, we get to check-in to the Amerihost. A "smoking" oom was the only room available, but we took it so we could get on with our day. Unfortunately, by the time we'd hauled our luggage up to the room, the last morning shuttle had left. We asked at the concierge desk about transportation to animal Kingdom, and we were told that their driver could take us both for $20. Eager to get going, we agreed. The trip was fine, and we tipped another $5.

The timeshare presentation was the following day. While we were both dreading this, we knew it had to be done to get the park tickets. So we showed up in the hotel lobby at the appointed time and got a ride over to the Silver Lake Resort. There we waited for the timeshare presentation. As it turned out, individual sales reps came out and called out individual names -- one sales rep for each party. Yikes! We thought we'd be in a safe, group setting.

Our timeshare sales rep led us into a large meeting room where 40 small tables and chairs were arranged. A very meager "breakfast buffet" was set up along the side -- it was the usual continental breakfast fare, and not very appetizing. After chit-chatting about his family, and accidentally spilling his coffee on my Mom, he began talking in general about how valuable vacations are and the value of saving money on them. All of this we knew, but hey, whatever. After about an hour of this, he gave us a tour of the two- and three-bedroom condos at the Silver Lake Resort. They looked okay -- nothing to compare to the Disney vacation Club resorts, but still okay. Then it was time for the hard sell. He got out his calculator and told my Mom what her monthly payments would be when she bought the timeshare. My mother very politely asked questions and expressed genuine interest, but very firmly said she could not make a decision immediately. He pushed more, and more, and more. When my mother didn't budge, he got frustrated (he actually put his head in his hands and heave a huge sigh!). Eventually, after another hour, he got angry -- no kidding. He made it clear that we'd wasted his time. Ha! He'd kept us an hour longer than we'd been told the timeshare presentation would take. When he finally gave up and let us go, I smiled and thanked him for his time. He turned away gruffly. And because he'd run over his allotted time, we got back to the Amerihost late and missed the shuttle. We spent another $25 to get to Epcot.

The good news? We did get the two one-day park tickets after the presentation. Well, they were actually vouchers, but we had no problem exchanging them for actual tickets at guest Relations at the parks.

All in all, the experience cost us $346 when you add in the transportation costs. At regular rates, it would have cost $69/night to stay at the Amerihost, plus $53 x 2 for the tickets, for a total of $313. Plus, we wouldn't have had the overbooking hassle (regular customers were given rooms), the transportation mess, nor the wasted half-day and aggravation of the timeshare presentation.

Was it worth it? If we'd taken advantage of the lodging in the other cities (two nights each in Ft. Lauderdale, Williamsburg, and Las Vegas at no additional charge, if you don't count the timeshare presentation that comes with each visit) and had our own transportation, maybe -- but that's a big maybe. Otherwise? NO WAY! We hated the hassle, we hated the lack of control, and we hated the high-pressure timeshare sales presentation. This was no deal. And while I wouldn't call it a scam, I don't think "over-priced hype" is too far off the mark.

My advice? Stay clear of timeshare presentations unless you've got time and money to waste.

Copyright Jennifer Marx, PassPorter travel Press. All Rights Reserved.

About the Author: Jennifer Marx is the author of over 40 print books, including the award-winning, best-selling PassPorter Walt Disney World guidebook. She is married to author Dave Marx and mom to two kids who love Disney. Read more of Jennifer's articles on Disney and general travel at http://www.passporter.com and in the popular Disney discussion forums.

Most people don't realize it, almost all laptop's wireless cards are on mini-pci and are removable as a result. external wireless cards are available for purchase from online vendors, or from stores like best Buy and CompUSA. It's important to note that extended range wireless cards are often somewhat more expensive than low power wireless cards and that they can use more of your laptop's battery resources. Now that your wireless cards are providing physical and data link connectivity, they are ready to start.

driver

When you start the computer with the adapter installed, it will ask for a driver. download and install the most recent driver version 4 if one hasn't been installed. Be sure to get the US version of the driver. After installation of the drivers and adaptor connection manager you will need to use the adaptor connection manager to navigate.

Security

The final, and most important issue, is security. Once you have connectivity between the two systems, then you can worry about getting the security encryption to function properly. Once the security is properly enabled, it's time to get your wireless connection up and running. We also encourage you to observe standard security practices like not file sharing.

While not all PC's support wireless, several manufacturers have adopted wireless standards, and wireless cards are available. However, there is an increasing number of wireless cards are being released every day. Mini-PCI wireless cards are designed for laptops. So instead of hammering a round peg through a square whole which wireless cards are working for your unit. Look for what adapters and wireless cards are compatible with your network.

Fat loss 4 Idiots is one of the most popular and successful diets today. With tens of thousands of users from man countries around the world, Fat Loss 4 Idiots has proved to be a success story. But how does this diet really work?

Fat Loss 4 Idiots is based on the Shifting Calories method.

Shifting Calories is a way in which you can keep your metabolism running high and burning a lot of fat by constantly shifting what you eat. Of course, you can't do that with every kind of food, but the basic principle is the same: if your metabolism gets used to a routine, it will tend to adapt to that routine and slow down. If you eat the right kinds of food at the right hours of the day and make sure to shift them around, you'll be able to "fool" your metabolism and keep it running high at all times.

Fat Loss 4 Idiots provides its users with a unique menu generating software which creates a customized menu for each user. What is special is that before you begin with this diet, you type into the menu generator the kinds of food you like to eat and it takes that into account. Of course, you won't get any chocolate pies in your menu, but you will still have a lot of the food that you like.

When you follow the menu which has 4 meals each day, you are in fact following the shifting calories method. You don't have to do any thinking, just follow a menu. That's why it's called Fat Loss 4 Idiots, because even an idiot can do it. Because you get to eat 4 meals a day, you don't starve like in other diets.

You get a menu for 11 days after which you get 3 days in which you can eat basically anything you want and then you get a new 11 day menu and so on until you lose all your extra weight. The 3 days breaks between each menu make it easier to stick to Fat Loss 4 Idiots for a long time. And that's how it works so well.

To read how you can start to lose as much as 9 lbs. in 11 days in keep it off, visit this webpage:
How to lose 9 lbs. every 11 days with The Shifting Calories method.

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. To read more fast weight loss, click here: Fat Loss 4 Idiots Review - Scam Or The Real Thing?

Proper and safe home security doesn't have to involve hiring a professional to install the most up-to-date security system on the market. There are numerous diy home security options out there; you just need to be familiar with them and choose what precautions you should take to keep you, your home, and your family safe. diy home security involves everything from teaching your children what to do when at home alone to installing a state-of-the-art, diy home security alarm that allows the homeowner to perform the installation and set up.

diy Home Security Basics
Homeowners often overlook simple, yet effective, diy home security projects. If a home looks difficult to break into or a burglar believes there is a good chance of getting caught, he will usually bypass that home and move on to another. The most important aspect of home security is creating an atmosphere that isn't conducive to a burglar being able to enter your home. The following diy home security projects create this type of environment. Install exterior lights and include either a timer or a motion detector, Secure all exterior doors and windows with well-built, steadfast locks and Trim back trees and shrubs in your yard, especially around windows and doors. These do it yourself home security tasks are easy and fast projects, yet they offer you and your family paramount security.

diy Home Security Systems
Installing a diy home security system is a bit more difficult and time-consuming than replacing locks and adding a few lights. Before taking on this task, you need to be prepared to spend some time and money, but the advantages are well worth the costs. diy home security systems are usually wireless and can cost as little as $100 or as much as several thousand dollars. Installing a diy home security system in your home offers a wide range of benefits. diy Upgrades, Mobility, Ease of Use and No-Cost Installation. Just as hardwired, professionally installed home security systems can be fit with many different accessories to meet your individual security needs, so can diy home security systems. The majority of diy home security systems come with a basic keypad, control panel, and window/door contacts, but the list of accessories available for purchase is virtually endless. Some of the most commonly purchased.

Additions are: Sirens, Strobe Lights, motion Detectors, surveillance cameras, smoke Detectors and Glass Break Detectors.

Integrating these accessories into your diy home security system is an easy process, and tailoring your system to fit your needs is extremely important. diy home security systems also allow you to upgrade your system as needed; as technology advances and the needs of your family change, you can easily install the additional security accessories you feel necessary. From the most menial tasks such as trimming trees to the more advanced job of installing an entire home security system, Do it yourself home security is a great way to ensure your safety.

Ralph Winn writes about Home Security and other related topics. For more information visit http://www.home-security-systems.net

satellite phone systems are now getting popular because of the need for people to communicate even from the remote corner of the world. communication is taking new strides of its own and mere cable connections and radio lines are not able to satisfy the growing need for wider coverage.

satellite phone systems are now necessary, because the cable lines cannot be fixed to all the parts of the earth and the bandwidth of radio frequencies, which connected most of the parts on the surface of the earth, is exhausted. The satellite phone systems include Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites are preferred to geo stationary satellites because the latter introduces delay. This delay introduced by geo stationary satellite can vary with the distance at which it is placed. The least delay is about 0.5 seconds and this is a major disadvantage of geo stationary satellites so we go in for LEO satellites that have become a part and parcel of the satellite phone systems.

The system of satellite phones include not a single LEO satellite, but a constellation of LEO satellites, this is done because the LEO satellites are placed close to the earth and so they revolve faster than the earth making them invisible at times. So when one satellite is moving out of the horizon, another LEO satellite comes up close by to receive the calls.

The technology implemented by the satellite phones depends on the type of service providers like GlobalStar systems and Iridium systems. satellite phone systems also include the various techniques used for the transmission of data, be it audio or video signals.

Some companies like the Iridium uses time division multiple access scheme to increase the number of calls that can be attended. It has satellite-to-satellite connections as a part of the phone systems thus handsets work directly with the satellites. Another satellite phones system, the GlobalStar implements new digital technology called code division multiple access and satellites for attending the traffic of calls.

In this system, satellites are used only as relay stations that is, they receive and forward calls to the gateways on the earth and the call reaches the public switched telephone network. Regardless of the technology used, the main aim of the satellite phone systems and service providers is to keep their customers in contact wherever they go.

Satellite Phones provides detailed information on handheld Satellite phones, Satellite Phone Plans, Satellite Phone Rentals, Satellite Phone services and more. Satellite phones is affiliated with Satellite Radio Reviews.