INews Newsletter - Mar 19, 2004
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* * * I N e w s * * *
A publication of Internet Nebraska, composed and distributed by
* * * manager@inebraska.com * * *
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Volume 7, Number 1 March 19, 2004
Welcome to another issue of INews. This newsletter communicates service
bulletins, announcements, and other useful information to our customers.
Please let us know what you think of it. Archives of INews are located
at http://www.inebraska.com/inews
In this issue: Get a Job!
Speed Up Your Connection
Wireless Wonders
Cleaning Up Windows XP
Keeping Your Computer Updated and Virus Free
Mr. Internet
*** Internet Nebraska is Hiring ***
Internet Nebraska is currently seeking applicants for a part-time position
in the Lincoln office as a helpdesk technician. Duties include answering
customer phone calls, providing technical support for customers, taking
some accounting questions, and various other daily tasks. Interested
parties should send their resume in plain-text format to
bmiller@inebraska.com
*** Speed, Speed And More Speed! ***
IN Speed Dial
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Internet Nebraska announces its new Speed Dial offering, featuring Propel
Accelerator, the fastest Web accelerator on the market!
If you surf the Internet using a dial-up connection, you are painfully
aware of how slowly Web pages load. Internet Nebraska Speed Dial featuring
Propel Accelerator works with any Internet Nebraska dial-up connection,
allowing you to increase your surfing speed up to 5 times! For more info
on IN Speed Dial, see our IN Speed Dial page at
http://www.inebraska.com/speeddial .
Qwest Increases DSL Circuit Speed
---------------------------------
Qwest has increased DSL speed on its $28-per-month circuit to 1536k down,
1024k up. You can make the switch to 1536k FREE of Qwest setup charge if
you do it by May 28. Internet Nebraska charges $19.95/month for this tier
of service, and we never charge a fee to move from one speed to another.
What a great time to go to *really broad* broadband! For more info on
Qwest prices and specials, see our DSL page for Qwest territory at
http://www.inebraska.com/dsl/qwest .
New DSL Speeds by Way of Alltel
-------------------------------
Good news! Alltel is increasing by TWO-FOLD the speed Tier-1 users get
for download. 768k is becoming 1536k; the upload speed remains 128k. If
you're already a Tier-1 subscriber by way of Alltel, you don't have to
do anything to make this change take effect. Just enjoy it! Your speed
should have been increased by March 1 without your having to take any
action. Neither your IN price nor your Alltel price will change.
If you're not a Tier-1 DSL subscriber by way of Alltel, this may be the
right time for you to consider moving to it. IN Tier-1 connectivity is
$19.95/month, and if you're a non-DSL customer, we always have a special
offer for those who still use dial-up or another ISP. If you're a
DSL-Lite customer, it may be time for you to give *1536k* a try. Visit
our DSL page for Alltel territory at http://www.inebraska.com/dsl/alltel
*** The Capital Soccer Association - Advertisement ***
Capital Soccer Association specializes in
teaching soccer. However we recognize that
soccer, or any other youth sport is merely
one tool in the development of a young
child. Teamwork and sportsmanship through
knowledge and proficiency of the game are
our main goals.
-- http://www.capitalsoccer.com/
*** Wireless World of Wonder ***
When you think of your day-to-day activities, do the words hectic, rushed
and crazy come to mind? To keep up with all that life dishes out, many of
us have become multitasking machines, juggling numerous employment,
parental, and household duties, in what seems all too little time. While
there are some who can handle these responsibilities without assistance, it
is clear that we could all benefit from a little help in performing our
daily balancing acts.
Fortunately, the technology of today is helping to do just that. With
the widespread deployment of cellular phones in the past 20 years, people
everywhere have been able to stay productive while on the go. Not only
has this technology grown in popularity, but it is constantly improving.
Currently, analog and digital technologies are merging to begin giving us
better phone services and performance than ever before.
Another lifesaver is the Internet. This large, sprawling highway of
endless information feeds us constant information 24-hours a day. From
radar images of South America to the latest rugby scores in England, the
Internet is truly a goldmine of information available at the touch of a
button.
The best part? The possibilities don't end there! Slowly, but surely, the
power of mobile communication, along with the information gathering power
of the Internet, are joining forces. Cellular phones now incorporate both
image capturing and emailing capabilities along with traditional phone
services, allowing memories to be made and shared anywhere in the world.
Many businesses are employing wireless hotspots which allow you to access
the Internet from your laptop while in your favorite coffee shop, or in
your hotel or at the airport while on a business trip. Internet Service
Providers, such as Internet Nebraska, are setting up Wireless Internet
connections which allow your home or business to be connected to the
Internet wirelessly, without having to worry about a separate bill from the
phone company or cable company.
Of course, the power of wireless communication extends beyond our daily
activities. TV and radio networks now utilize wireless technology to
communicate with satellites in space to bring us digital quality television
and music anytime, day or night. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are
utilized to navigate ships, map expeditions to the North Pole and even
track a pod of whales in the Atlantic Ocean.
Not only is wireless technology powerful for us the end users, it is now a
major factor in the World's economy. With over 60 million wireless
customers, and annual revenues of close to $30 billion*, the wireless
market of today is doing its part to create jobs and a bright future for
the engineers, administrators, designers and citizens everywhere.
* http://www.wirelessadvisor.com/cellular-phones-pcs.cfm
*** Schaefer's TV & Appliance Center - Advertisement ***
Schaefer's is an independently owned and
operated television, appliance, and home
theater retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Born out of a small corner drugstore four
decades ago, Schaefer's TV & Appliance is a
22,000 square-foot "superstore" today,
specializing in commercial/professional-grade
appliances, whole house sound systems, home
theater and central vacuum systems. The
success of Schaefer's is key to repeat
business. If a customer happens to have a
problem with a product, Schaefer's will bend
over backwards to get it solved. Our service
center is the largest in the city, and has been
voted Lincoln's #1 servicer for 10 years in a
row! A knowledgeable sales staff, express
delivery, easy financing, and our customer
service representatives are just a few of the
ways in which we at Schaefer's distinguish
ourselves from the rest. Stop by our showroom
at 48th and R in Lincoln, or call us at
and see for yourself.
-- http://www.schaeferstv.com/index2.htm
*** Windows XP Processes ***
Keep your computer running fast and safe by taking a look at the
processes running on it.
Not to be alarming, but there's a good chance are many of the programs
running behind the scenes on your computer spyware or useless software you
don't use. The programs eat up your computer's precious resources, slowing
you down or even causing system instability. It's easy to figure out which
of these programs your computer needs, and which are superfluous.
If you open the Windows Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and click on the
processes tab, you'll see a list of everything that is currently running on
your computer. Everything running under the user SYSTEM, LOCAL SERVICE and
NETWORK SERVICE is OK. As for the other processes, they will usually have
a descriptive name you can use to recognize the program if it is something
you installed yourself. For example, Norton Antivirus processes will
start with NAV.
You can use Google ( http://www.google.com ) to help you figure out what
the other processes are. Simply search for the name, and most of the time
you will find a detailed description of what it is within the first few
results. If it turns out to be something bad or something you just don't
want to be running, you now know what you need to uninstall it to get rid
of the program.
If it is a spyware process, you can get rid of it using Ad-Aware or Spybot:
Search and Destroy. These programs are available at http://www.lavasoft.nu
and http://download.com.com/3000-2144-10194058.html?tag=lst-0-1
respectively. You can try manually removing the software, but that is not
recommended unless you are familiar with registry editing in Windows.
You can also stop processes from running by using the msconfig utility
built into Windows. Launch msconfig by going to Start -> Run and
entering msconfig. Go to the Startup tab, and uncheck anything that you
don't want running when you first turn on your computer.
There is also a useful utility available called WinTasks. It replaces the
existing Windows task manager and provides descriptions of all processes
currently running. It also terminates and deletes spyware and adware when
those processes try to run, and contains many other features as well.
Check out http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/ if it seems like
something you would be interested in.
*** Integrated Computer Systems - Advertisement ***
ICS, an A+ Authorized Service Center serving western
Nebraska for over 14 years, is ready with over 40 years
of combined experience to professionally and expertly meet
your computer needs. From large networks to stand alone
PC's, ICS proudly offers their knowledge and expertise to
work for you. Whether it be Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT, ME),
Novell or Unix, new installations, trouble shooting,
networking, print sharing or repair, ICS will be there to
assist you or your personnel on arriving at the best
possible solution to fulfill your needs.
Located in North Platte, Integrated Computer Systems serves
over a 100-mile radius reaching communities such as Kearney,
Valentine, Thedford, Mullen, Sidney, Ogallala, McCook, Grant,
Imperial, Gothenburg, Lexington, Chappell, Sutherland, and
Hershey, to just name a few. So give us a call at 534-1500,
toll free 800-400-1527, or stop in and see us at 101 South
Chestnut.
*** Keeping you Computer Safe ***
1. Obtain anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
With potentially hundreds of viruses and worms being released weekly,
having current anti-virus software on your computer is vital. Currently,
the two most popular companies making antivirus software are Norton
AntiVirus made by Symantec ( http://www.symantec.com ) and McAfee
VirusScan made by Network Solutions ( http://www.mcafee.com ). These two
companies also have trial software you can download and install and use on
a limited basis for 15 days. You can pick up the fully functioning
software titles at your local software retail outlet, or download them
directly from the software manufacturer's website. If you are looking for
fully functioning trial software, you can also try Solo Antivirus made by
SRN Micro Systems ( http://www.soloantivirus.com ) and also F-Prot made by
FRISK Software International ( http://www.f-prot.com ). Both of these
companies offer their anti-virus software for a fully functioning 30-day
free trial. After the trial expires, you can opt to purchase the full
version of the software on the company's website.
For spyware, or software that aids in gathering information about a person
or organization without their knowledge and also the leading cause of
pop-up ads, the two most popular software titles to remove them are
Ad-aware made by Lavasoft ( http://www.lavasoftusa.com ) and Spybot Search
& Destroy made by PepiMK Software ( http://spybot.safer-networking.de ).
Both of these software titles are Freeware, meaning they have full
functionality without having to purchase a separate license. These two
popular anti-spyware titles can also be found at Download.com's website:
For Spybot Search and Destroy:
http://download.com.com/3000-8022-10194058.html?tag=lst-0-2
For Ad-aware:
http://download.com.com/3000-8022-10214379.html?tag=lst-0-2
2. Keep the software up-to-date.
As mentioned earlier, new viruses and worms are being released continually,
and keeping your anti-virus software up to date is key in keeping your
computer virus free. All the software titles listed above and many others
available have built-in update utilities to keep the scanning engine and
definition (DAT) files current. Norton AntiVirus, McAfee VirusScan, and
most other anti-virus software have free product updates for a year, as per
their license, after which you must upgrade to the newer version to take
full advantage of all future product updates.
Currently for Spybot and Ad-aware, the DAT files are free downloads and
are built-in options within the software itself.
3. Run periodic scans of your system.
Almost all the anti-virus software available has an option to schedule
scans of your system. Generally once a month is sufficient, but if you
find yourself on-line quite a bit and downloading files and emails, then
scheduling a weekly scan may be in order. Active anti-virus scanners
(i.e.: running in the Task Tray if you are using Microsoft Windows) will
catch nearly all viruses, but performing a complete scan regularly of your
system will help to ensure that no virus or worm gets past, especially if
it is a new one -- such as the recent W32.Beagle.K@mm worm.
Another good preventive measure is to be sure your operating system (OS)
is also up-to-date to ensure system bugs and vulnerabilities are fixed.
Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP with Internet Explorer 5.0 and above has a
built-in tool to aid in software updates. Simply click on 'Tools ->
Windows Update' while Internet Explorer is open, to be taken to
Microsoft's update site. You can also get to it by typing
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com into the Address bar of Internet
Explorer. Macintosh users also have built-in software updates with MacOS
9.0 and later. For MacOS 9.x users, simply click on the 'Apple Menu ->
Control Panel -> Software Update'. MacOS 10.x users can simply click on
the 'Apple Menu -> Software Update'.
In addition, you can keep your inbox clear of spam using the Postini
service from Internet Nebraska. This service, at just $1/month, not only
rids your email of nearly all junk mail, but it also includes a virus
scanner to block any emails that have viruses attached. For more
information, please visit http://www.inebraska.com/postini .
*** Mr. Internet ***
Q: My Start button used to be in the lower left hand corner but now it is
at the top of the screen. It moved itself to the top, but I want it back
at the bottom. How do I do this?
A: Move your mouse pointer to the middle of the taskbar. Hold down the
left mouse button, and pull the taskbar down to the bottom of the screen.
It's that easy! You can also put the taskbar on the right or left side of
the screen if you like, simply by dragging it there.
Mr. Internet is a regular feature of the INews, and he welcomes questions
of any kind. Just mail them to mrinternet@inebraska.com, and he'll answer
one or two each issue. Those he doesn't use will not necessarily be
answered, and you should still use 'manager' and 'accounts' for regular
business.
*** Advertise on Our Home Pages ***
What better way to advertise your business than on a Web page that is seen
tens of thousands of times every month? None, if you're paying as
little as we charge for it!
We are now offering banner advertising that rotates on all our pages
which is priced based on the number of impressions (viewings) per
month. Your banner can reach thousands of Nebraska residents, and this
is a unique way to advertise your Nebraska business to residents in the
area.
Prices for banner advertisement can be found at:
http://www.inebraska.com/ad.html