As our site grows every day we want to share some information with you on the way we are operating the project. We call this section «Business Blog» as it is similar to doing a log book where data is recorded in a chronological order. «Blogging» is gaining popularity with more and more people picking up the habit of publishing their experiences and thoughts on the Internet. Our Blog covers various topics — from TOEFL, TOEIC, MBA, GMAT, ESL/EFL test preperation to cultural traditions and current political events.
There will also be some Internet marketing terminology and if you have any questions regarding the information simply let us know.

The Business Blog is written by Torsten Daerr and edited by Alan Townend.

2007 — April 21
If you are a professional or simply a modern person, the chances are you own a laptop computer or if not, you are considering buying one. It took me more than a year to finally decide to obtain a notebook but on April 24 this year a new era will start for me because that's when my new Dell Inspiron 6400 will be delivered. Now, what good is a laptop without a fast mobile Internet connection? Since I live and work in Germany I only have two mobile carriers I can choose between -- Vodafone and T-Mobile. Yes, there is also eplus, a company that has been offering the first "flat rate" for mobile data transfer via UMTS but the problem with eplus is that their coverage is very weak to put it mildly and what's more, their sparse UMTS network doesn't offer any HSDPA coverage. To put it in simple terms, HSDPA is a faster version of UMTS and it allows you to view websites at a rate which is similar to a 2000 DSL connection. At least, that's what I remember from the conversations I've had with people who know much more about it than me. I look at these things from a user's point of view: What I need is a fast and stable Internet connection where I travel in Germany. Maybe you are familiar with this situation. You have to go on a business trip for one or two days and of course you take your laptop computer with you. The question is, how do you access the Internet from your hotel or your temporary workplace? I was told that in major US cities you have WLAN connections almost everywhere but that's not the case in Germany. Also, what if you travel by car or train and you need to access the web? To cut a long story short, I've arranged with T-Mobile to test their broadband UMTS connection for one month to see if I'm comfortable with it and after that period I can decide whether or not I want to sign a contract. That's a very good deal, isn't it? What's even better, I will be sharing my experiences with you here on the web. I hope to be receiving my "T-Mobile Web'n Walk Minibox" early next week so I can get online and from any place in Germany. Sound exciting? Watch this space for more...

2007 — April 15
It's very likely that I'm finally going to live in the United States of America. At least for a while. It has been one of my goals for quite a number of years or maybe it was more of a wish than a goal, some type of dream. But now the situation has changed. Together with Alan Townend and Slava Gromov I have been able to establish a system that allows me to work from anywhere in the world. OK, let's say any country where I can get a broadband Internet connection. Ever since the Berlin wall came down and the East Germans got the freedom to travel around the world, I have been thinking of visiting the US. But I didn't want to go there as a tourist who books a trip and returns home when his holiday is over and/or he runs out of money. That was one of the reasons I started the Freedom_2007 project. I want to be able to live and work in the US whenever I want and as long as I want. Now that our daughter is going to spend a high school year in California and our online venture is up and running, it makes perfect sense to visit her and at the same time run english-test.net from there....

2007 — March 25
The March issue of our newsletter will be about the arrival of spring. If you sign up today, you will get this highly interesting essay delivered right into your email mailbox. At this point, there are close to 17.000 people from all over the world who enjoy reading one of the most popular English language newsletters available on the Internet today. I often think about how the newsletter came into being. It was early 2002 when I decided to send out weekly emails to a group of students I was teaching English at that time. Back then, english-test.net did not exist and my only subscribers were those people I had personal contact with. Today, 30 new readers subscribed to our newsletter every and I'm hoping you are one of them.

2007 — February 19
If you want to improve your English, you have to practice it on a regular basis. One thing you simply have to do is to read English texts as often as possible. There are many Internet resources you can use but one publication stands out: The English Language Newsletter by Alan Townend. It's high time you joined his current readership of more than 15.000 subscribers from all over the world. Alan might be the only person who writes unique pieces on the peculiarities of the English language. In each issue you will find a story that contains interesting and informative tidbits you will enjoy reading every month.