April 2016 Newsletter

Here’s what’s inside our April 2016 Newsletter:

PHISHING ALERT – BEWARE OF SCAMS FROM DOWNLOADED APPS

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

GO PINTEREST-ING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

FREE FEATURED APPS – THESE THREE ARE WELL WORTH A LOOK

SITES OF THE MONTH GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN APRIL

TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

SHORT TUTORIAL/FAQ – ELIMINATING ANNOYING YOUTUBE ANNOTATIONS

The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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PHISHING ALERT – BEWARE OF SCAMS FROM DOWNLOADED APPS

Given how much information is stored on our mobile devices, it’s no surprise that scammers have chosen to target these devices in their ongoing efforts to steal money and data. The latest threat to Android devices is a phishing app called Acecard that gets downloaded with certain legitimate apps. It then gathers information from your banking apps, or other common programs like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, Skype, PayPal, and Gmail. This sneaky Trojan uses overlays, which are sign-in screens that look just like the ones you’d expect to see for the real apps. With overlays, the scammers capture your login or credit card information and use this data to steal from you directly or sell to others.

Acecard has been in use since 2014, but activity picked up in the second half of 2015, when experts noted 6,000 attacks in countries across the globe. Experts say different versions of the Trojan have been developed, becoming more of a threat over time.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid such attacks:

1. Note that Acecard is often disguised as a Flash Player, which is no longer used by Android. Don’t download anything that includes Flash as part of the package.

2. Avoid downloading anything from third-party sources.

3. Even on Google Store, only download apps from reputable sources, and avoid downloading any app you don’t really need.

4. Pay attention to the permissions each app asks for, and don’t agree to anything that seems suspicious.

5. Use a security app such as Kaspersky Internet Security, which offers free basic protection.

Remember, by being careful, you can outsmart the scammers.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

The Chasco Fiesta runs from April 1st – April 9th. Please drop by and see us when you come downtown. The Sertoma BBQ is not to be missed. Lots of other stuff will be available in the park and, if you want a sit-down meal, our downtown restaurants will be happy to oblige.

Looking for a new computer? Come see us. We have new computers starting at just $400.

We continue to see clients hit by malware. The nastiest of the current flock, called “ransomware” will encrypt your computer’s hard drive and then demand a ransom payment that exceeds the cost of a new computer. You can learn more from the US-CERT Website and their latest update, released yesterday.

The ONLY reasonable response is to reformat your hard drive and reinstall your computer’s operating system and restore your files. You need a recovery disk set for your computer and you need a recent backup.

You should have gotten a recovery disk set when you purchased your computer. If not, you need to create one. We can help you figure out how do create a recovery set, if you need one.

You should also take advantage of one of the online backup services for your files. We sell Carbonite subscriptions.

We continue to see folks who have been tricked by someone calling them and claiming to be Microsoft. Caught early enough, the damage can be limited. We offer our Safe Computing Packages so that our clients can have unlimited telephone support from someone they trust…us. Check out all the features of our Safe Computing Packages and pick the one that is right for you.

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GO PINTEREST-ING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

Pretty And Delicious
Flavored Ice Cubes
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775859393443/

Puzzle Pieces Make
Fun Kid Room Decor
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775859393430/

Simple Crock Pot
French Dip Sammies
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775859393309/

You haven’t started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started?
To sign up, go here https://pinterest.com/join/signup/

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FREE FEATURED APPS – THESE THREE ARE WELL WORTH A LOOK

Flixter

Flixter offers Rotten Tomatoes’ scores and descriptions for movies in theaters and on DVD and Netflix. Also, see what’s playing nearby.

Learn More Here: http://www.flixster.com/

Retail Me Not

Instead of clipping, download this app to get and use coupons from your favorite stores. Also, get alerts from local stores.

Learn More Here: http://www.retailmenot.com/mobile/

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SITES OF THE MONTH GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN APRIL

Keep America Beautiful
http://kab.org
April is Keep America Beautiful month, and this site will teach you how. The Keep America Beautiful organization has great ideas to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify communities. Find an affiliate in your area, make a donation, or find out how to volunteer.

Spring Weeknight Dinners
http://bit.ly/1Uh6Wqx
When the weather changes, so should your food. It’s time to eat lighter, do some grilling, and clean up faster to enjoy the extra daylight. This slide show offers great ideas for delicious spring fare. Try Roast Chicken With Spring Vegetables, Pasta Primavera, or Grilled Shrimp and Noodle Salad.

Take The Perfect Selfie
http://bit.ly/22A07VD
This fascinating site shares the “science of selfies” and guides you in presenting your preferred image to the online world. Just a few tricks include making sure your smile is real, learning confident body postures, and understanding what your image conveys when you’re photographed from certain angles.

Planning A Family Reunion
http://bit.ly/1q5WJR8
Want to see your family all together, but dread planning a reunion? Visit this site for helpful hints on everything from activities for kids, to creative decorations, to the perfect location. Discover who to invite, appropriate budgets, and even a list of family reunion jokes.

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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS

http://bit.ly/1604vidA
Flying Underwater
Take a dive under the beautiful waters of Belize and watch these swimmers skim along with help from boat-towed Subwings.

http://bit.ly/1604vidB
The Future Of Parking
This Chinese parking system gives a new meaning to the term “self-parking.” Drivers simply drop off their cars and let machines do the work.

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SHORT TUTORIAL/FAQ – ELIMINATING ANNOYING YOUTUBE ANNOTATIONS

Question: How can I get rid of those annoying pop-ups that sometimes appear during YouTube videos?

Answer: It’s more fun to watch videos without superfluous images and text (called “annotations”) getting in the way. Fortunately, getting rid of them is easy. You can eliminate annotations for one video using the following steps:

1. On the video you’re watching, click the gear icon.

2. Click the button next to “Annotations.” The checkmark should disappear, and you’ll no longer see annotations in that video.

To eliminate pop-ups for all videos, you must be signed in with a YouTube account. Here are the steps to follow:

1. In the upper-right corner of the screen, click the avatar icon. You’ll see your account information.

2. Within your account information, click the gear icon, which will take you to your Settings.

3. In the left-hand column, choose Playback, and you’ll see a new set of options. Under “Annotations and in-video notifications,” uncheck the box next to “Show annotations and in-video notifications.”

4. At the bottom of the screen, click Save.

Now you shouldn’t see annotations in any videos when logged into your account.

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We hope you found this newsletter to be informative. It’s our way of keeping you posted on the happenings at our shop.
Thanks for your business!

Best regards,
Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek
Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
6335 Grand Blvd
New Port Richey, FL 34652

727-847-2424

(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)

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