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July 2014 Newsletter

July 1, 2014 By Rob Marlowe

July is a delicious time of year and we hope you’re getting a taste of all it has to offer. Of course, the Internet is a little like a slice of watermelon – you have to deal with a few seeds while enjoying the good stuff. Speaking of which, be sure to check out our alert about the GameOver Zeus malware, including warning signs and a helpful resource. Another “seedy” online threat is the Remote Access Trojan, which is covered in This Month’s FAQ. To enhance your privacy, we share quick-and-easy instructions on how to adjust who sees your Facebook posts.

Also on the menu of this July issue are recipes featuring summer produce and a video showing an unusual apple-peeling method. Since so much of summer is spent outside, don’t miss the tips for protecting your skin against the sun, the inspiration of an amazing mountain climb without ropes, and a cool idea for a skateboard swing.
We think you’ll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience.

Here’s what’s inside our July 2014 Newsletter:

MALWARE ALERT – CYBER PANDEMIC KNOWN AS GAMEOVER ZEUS

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

GO PINTERSTING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHAT DOES THE ACRONYM RAT MEAN?

SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JULY

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

SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO ADJUST WHO SEES YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS
The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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MALWARE ALERT – CYBER PANDEMIC KNOWN AS GAMEOVER ZEUS

On June 2, 2014, the Department of Justice and the FBI announced a multinational effort to disrupt the dangerous cyber pandemic known as GameOver Zeus. The malware, which the FBI estimates has hit between 500,000 and one million computers worldwide, is believed to be responsible for the theft of millions of dollars from businesses and consumers.

GameOver Zeus is capable of evading antivirus software. It monitors and injects rogue code into Web browsing sessions when users access banking and other popular websites from infected computers, and can infect a user’s machine when they open a PDF or click on a link sent to them in an email. Once set up on the computer, GameOver Zeus will intercept all financial transactions and rewrite them, so that payments made by the user will be redirected into other accounts. The malware also has the power to disguise unapproved payments that are made, meaning that thefts might have occurred even if accounts appear normal.

Could your computer be infected with GameOver Zeus? Here are some warning signs:

~ Your computer system operates very slowly. ~ Your cursor moves erratically with no input from you.

~ You notice unauthorized logins to your bank accounts or unauthorized money transfers.

~ Text-based chat windows appear on your computer’s desktop unexpectedly.

~ Your computer files lock up and a ransom demand is made to unlock files.

If you notice one or more of these actions on your computer, you may have been infected with GameOver Zeus. The Department of Homeland Security’s Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) has posted information on its website including an overview of the malware and actions you can take to remove the infection from your computer. Visit http://www.us-cert.gov/gameoverzeus for details.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

With today’s arrival of the first tropical depression of the year, it is time to think about updating that old battery backup you’ve got, or replacing that cheap surge strip with a battery backup, to keep your computer running when the lights blink out during our summer storms. We keep battery backups in stock.

Looking for a new computer? Talk to us about a brand new Windows 7 system to replace your old clunker.

Come by the shop for the latest in computer accessories.

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GO PINTERSTING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850917965/
Get Cooking With An Easy Herb Display

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850918021/
How To Sweeten Your July 4th Celebration

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775851445336/
Kids Will Flip Over A Skateboard Swing

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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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHAT DOES THE ACRONYM RAT MEAN?

Question: I’ve seen the acronym RAT used in computer articles but am confused by its meaning. Does it stand for Remote Access Tool or Remote Access Trojan?

Answer: Actually, RAT can stand for either Remote Access Tool or Remote Access Trojan. What’s the difference? A Remote Access Tool is a piece of software used to remotely access or control a computer; it can be used legitimately by system administrators for accessing client computers. For example, the IT person at your company could use a Remote Access Tool to see what’s on your computer screen and help you troubleshoot a problem.

When a Remote Access Tool is used for malicious purposes by hackers, it’s known as a Remote Access Trojan. This type of RAT (aptly named) infects the victim’s machine to gain administrative access and allows hackers to perform unauthorized operations. To prevent unknowingly allowing a Remote Access Trojan to invade your computer, avoid unsolicited email attachments and links, run up-to-date security software, and don’t believe anyone who contacts you claiming to be tech support for a major company.

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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JULY

Learn To Be Safe In The Sun
http://www.foh.hhs.gov/calendar/july.html
July is UV Safety Month. How much do you know about the sun’s harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays and how to protect yourself from them? Take the Sun Safety Quiz here and find out. Be sure to review the tips provided on clothing, shade, sunscreen, and more.

Watch The World’s Wind
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic
Thanks to supercomputers and weather satellites, the Wind Map team has come up with a global map of the wind. Click and drag to rotate the globe or double click to zoom in. Click once to see what the wind is doing at any point in the world.

Discover Your Inner Artist
http://weavesilk.com/
This interactive site helps you create works of art using just your mouse or touchpad. Click on “Draw something” to begin the process, then let the spirit move you. Everything you draw will automatically be duplicated to make a symmetrical image.

Try New Recipes Featuring Summer Produce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/the-best-of-summer-produce.html
Summer fruits and vegetables are a rainbow of deliciousness. So whether you get them from your backyard, a farmers’ market, or the grocery store, make the most of them with this crop of Food Network recipes including Watermelon Cucumber Salad and Fresh Peach Cake.

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

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1407_VIDEO_A.htm

A Very A-Peeling Technique
Who knew how handy a power drill could be in the kitchen? This chef must be in a big hurry to make apple pies!

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1407_VIDEO_B.htm
Look Ma, No Ropes!
You’ll be mesmerized — and on the edge of your seat — when you watch this daring free-solo climb with no ropes.

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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO ADJUST WHO SEES YOUR FACEBOOK POSTS

If you have a large number of Facebook friends, it’s likely this list includes people who are actually distant acquaintances. Should you decide you don’t want these people seeing all of your Facebook posts, simply follow the steps below to adjust your default audience.

Locate Privacy Settings

~On your Facebook home page, click the down arrow on the top-right part of the screen.

~From the menu, choose Settings.

~You will be brought to a page titled General Account Settings.

~In the left column, click Privacy.

~You will be brought to a page titled Privacy Settings and Tools.

Adjust “Who Can See My Stuff”

~On the Privacy Settings and Tools page, under “Who Can See My Stuff,” next to “Who can see your future posts,” click Edit.

~You will see an image that looks like the status update box. Click the down arrow at the bottom of this image.

~Select who you want to be the default audience for your posts (remember, you can change this each time you post). Then click Close.

~Click the other links in this section and follow the instructions to adjust past posts.

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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.)

GEEKNOTE: Webinars

June 22, 2014 By Rob Marlowe

GEEKNOTE: I mentioned last week that I have a bunch of webinars coming up. Three of them were this past Tuesday and I supplemented them on Friday and Saturday with additional training courses.

Several of the courses were interesting, including a series on email archiving. Archiving is no big deal for most of our clients, but some of them have specific requirements because of the type of business they are in. I picked up some in-depth information on solutions that allow automatic archiving and indexing of email. The solutions vary in price, but if you are in a business (eg. securities) where archiving is the law, the solutions are important.

Another webinar introduced a new backup appliance and we’ve now got one on order for one of our client to try out with a 30 day free trial. If it performs, I’m sure the client will be thrilled. If not, we will ship it back.

Continuing education is an important part of any job. In my case, it is how I keep up with the latest solutions in the marketplace. It isn’t always easy to separate the self serving promotion by some of the vendors from the usable nuggets that may be of value for our clients down the road.

In addition to webinars and live training sessions, I also spend some time working with new gear. I built out a low cost system last week with a new motherboard and I’ve got a second test system I plan to build out as soon as I get a few more parts. Whether or not these two new systems will join our product mix will depend on how they perform here in the shop.

Stay cool and drop by the store and say “hello”.

Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek

GEEKNOTE: Quiet Week

June 15, 2014 By Rob Marlowe

GEEKNOTE: Some weeks are crazy busy with everyone just trying to keep up with the work coming in the door. Other weeks are like the past one where we all get the chance to catch our breath and learn some new tricks.

I’ve had some new web authoring tools to play with for several weeks now, but finally got the chance to spend some quality time with them. I have nothing earth shattering to show off yet, but I’m still working on a couple of project / demo sites.

I also had the opportunity to sit through a webinar on a new product that we were thinking about offering to our corporate customers. I wasn’t impressed, so we won’t pursue it. I have several more webinars scheduled over the next week or so. Most of them involve new products that we may find interesting enough to offer our customers. I’m particularly looking forward to learning more about Intel’s new Haswell processors and the new 9 series chipset.

I took delivery on a couple of new low power motherboards this past week. These boards are potential replacements for the Atom boards we first got a few years back. The beauty of these boards is that they don’t require any cooling fans for the CPUs. One of the boards has a dual core processor and the other has a quad core processor. If they live up to expectations, they might well be a good foundation for inexpensive custom systems for our customers who use their computers primarily for surfing and email. My goal is to have both test systems built out by this time next week.

I’m looking at what promises to be a very busy couple of weeks between now and the end of June. I have three separate webinars and a computer training class on Tuesday alone! Look for a report here on any of the really cool stuff you can expect to see in the near future.

Tim and George also spent some quality time last week honing their skills. This is an example of how we work hard to be the best at what we do and take advantage of what otherwise would be down time.

The summer t-storm cycle has started, so we can expect storms most afternoons. Make sure your computer is protected from power surges. We have UPS / battery backup systems in stock. We also carry the more common power supplies in case you lose one due to a surge. If your computer won’t turn on, more times than not it is the power supply. If we’ve got the right one in stock, we can frequently replace it while you wait.

As always, keep us in mind for all your computer needs.

Rob Marlowe, Senior Geek.

June 2014 Newsletter

June 1, 2014 By Rob Marlowe

The flower for June is the rose so be sure to take time to smell the roses this month. You’ll also want to take time to check out this issue,which is blooming with ideas to help you fully enjoy your summer.

If you’re considering a vacation rental, don’t miss our tips on how to avoid online scammers and end up with a great place to stay. Continuing in the vacation mode, we also share a website designed to spot the best airfare deals. Of course, you don’t have to travel to savor the joys of summer. Check out the resources for sprucing up your backyard, making a clever Father’s Day card, and whipping up yummy picnic food. To add smiles to your day, watch the amazing videos of dancers young and old — they’re sure to spin their way into your heart.

Keep moving through this June issue to learn why tech support tells you to unplug your devices for a certain number of seconds and how easy it is to bookmark your favorite sites. We think you’ll find the information contained in this newsletter to be a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience.

Here’s what’s inside our June 2014 Newsletter:

RIP-OFF ALERT – BEWARE OF VACATION RENTAL SCAMS

NEWS FROM THE SHOP

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

THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHY DO I NEED TO LEAVE MY DEVICE UNPLUGGED FOR 15-30 SECONDS?

SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JUNE

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

SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO BOOKMARK A WEBSITE

The Gulfcoast Networking Team

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RIP-OFF ALERT – BEWARE OF VACATION RENTAL SCAMS

Renting a private home — instead of staying at a hotel — is becoming an increasingly popular vacation option thanks to the convenience of web portals. While sophisticated channels like Airbnb and HomeAway try to protect renters (by providing secure payment, user comments, and star ratings), even they are not immune from scammers.

Vacation rental rip-offs come in many forms. One is the hijacked ad,where scammers hijack a real rental listing by changing the email address or other contact information and then put the modified ad on another site. Other rip-off artists create listings for places that aren’t for rent or don’t exist and try to lure you in with fabulous photos, low rent, and great amenities. The goal is to get your money, in the form of a security deposit or application fee, before you find out you’ve been deceived.

Here are some ways to avoid vacation rental scams:

1. Obtain full contact information for the person you are dealing with (including name, address, phone number, and email) and verify that information by using Google search. Be wary if they never answer the phone when you call and always have to call you back; many scammers use message services.

2. Ask to see the property live via technology like FaceTime or Skype. At the very least, use Google Earth and Google’s Street View feature to confirm that the property you’re renting actually exists at the address advertised.

3. Read the comments. The feedback from previous renters that appears on sites like Airbnb is invaluable. In some cases, you’re even allowed to pose questions to other users.

4. Beware of group think. If you’re vacationing with several other people,everybody tends to figure that somebody else is paying attention to the details and making sure the group isn’t getting ripped off. Make sure someone is thoroughly investigating that six-bedroom place you all want to rent.

5. Never wire money. Wiring money is the same as sending cash; once you send it, you have no way to get it back. Use a credit card instead since Visa, MasterCard, and American Express will allow you to recover money you lose to fraud. The bottom line is this: When renting a vacation home, you need to do your homework.

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NEWS FROM THE SHOP

We are pleased to welcome George Morgan as our newest geek. George has been helping Tim with some of our larger corporate projects and he has helped me with in-shop work as well, allowing me to concentrate on some of the more time consuming projects that I’ve taken on. The additional hands are allowing us to be more responsive to our corporate customers and turn around in-shop repairs faster than before.

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

Berry Delicious Greek Yogurt Smoothie Pops
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775850917986/

Make A “Shirt & Tie”Card Tailored For Dad
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775851177070/

Description Pin 3
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775851177096/

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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THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHY DO I NEED TO LEAVE MY DEVICE UNPLUGGED FOR 15-30 SECONDS?

Question: It seems like every time I call tech support with a problem,the first thing they advise is to unplug my computer or modem and leave it unplugged for 15-30 seconds. Why is that delay needed?

Answer: The reason for this delay is that most devices contain capacitors, which are little batteries that function like energy buckets.They fill up when you put a current through them and discharge otherwise. Capacitors will hold a charge for at least 10 seconds after the power is off, so you have to wait longer than that for your device’s Random Access Memory (RAM) to be fully inactive. To be on the safe side, tech support often advises users to wait 15-30 seconds to make sure the capacitors discharge completely. This is important because while there’s a charge,your device’s RAM is still active and whatever problem you’re trying to fix won’t be wiped out. If you plug your device back in right away, the problem just returns. So when it comes to troubleshooting, patience is a virtue!

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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JUNE

Blockbuster Or Bomb?
http://www.rottentomatoes.com
Summer is the blockbuster movie season and you’ll have plenty of choices at the movie theater. Before you turn over your hard-earned money for tickets, however, check and see what reviewers and audiences are saying at this site. It will help you pick better flicks.

Support During A Health Crisis
http://www.caringbridge.org
CaringBridge is a site that supports private pages dedicated to those in a health crisis. Instead of flooding Facebook with sensitive information,you can create a CaringBridge page and invite family and friends to visit. While there, they can get patient updates and share good wishes.

Find Best Airfare Bargains
http://www.airfarewatchdog.com
By using this site, you can take a vacation from the hard work of trying to find the best airfare deals. Just enter where you want to go, and its”Dealhounds” will watch for the lowest prices on flights to that city and alert you of them. It’s a doggone easy way to find a travel bargain.

Plan The Perfect Picnic
http://www.mrfood.com/Editors-Picks/Perfect-Picnic-Menu-53-Make-Ahead-Picnic-Recipes
International Picnic Day is June 18. To get ready for the celebration,check out these recipes. You’ll find all kinds of delicious foods to goin your picnic basket or cooler including Crisp Cucumber Salad, BLT Burritos, Iced Green Tea, and Lime Margarita Bars.

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

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1406_VIDEO_A.htm
Still Kicking At Age 79, Simon Cowell is humbled after rejecting a 79-year-old ballroom dancer right before she gives the performance of a lifetime. You’ll be as shocked as the audience was on Britain’s Got Talent.

http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2014/1406_VIDEO_B.htm
Oh Baby! Can They Dance! Check out this delightful commercial for Evian water. In it, people on a city sidewalk are surprised to see themselves as dancing babies in the reflection of a store window. Too cute!

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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO BOOKMARK A WEBSITE

Bookmarks are links to websites that make it easy to get back to your favorite places on a regular basis. By using bookmarks, you don’t have tokeep entering in the complete URL each time you want to visit. Here’s how to bookmark a website you’re viewing:

Using Keyboard Shortcuts
Simply press Ctrl + D on your keyboard. The page you’re on will be added to your browser’s bookmark folder automatically. This works in every major browser except Safari for Mac. The shortcut in Safari is Command +D.

Clicking the Star Icon
If you’d rather not use keyboard shortcuts, there’s an alternative. Every major browser uses a star to represent bookmarks. It might show up in the address bar, or somewhere to the left or right of the address bar.

In Firefox, Chrome, and Safari, clicking the star automatically adds the bookmark to your bookmarks folder. Clicking the star again lets you edit the bookmark name and choose its location in your bookmarks or delete it.

For Internet Explorer, clicking on the star icon opens the bookmarks menu. Then you click the “Add to favorites” button.

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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
727-232-1558

GEEKNOTE: XP Upgrade

May 12, 2014 By Rob Marlowe

GEEKNOTE: Now that Windows XP has been sunset by Microsoft, folks are getting a popup on their Windows XP systems suggesting that they upgrade to Windows 8. This is a VERY bad idea on multiple levels.

First off, a machine old enough to be running Windows XP is likely too old to run Windows 8 in anything approaching an acceptable fashion. Add to that the difficulty in finding Windows 8 drivers for older hardware and doing the upgrade promises to be an exercise in futility.

Secondly, Windows 8 / 8.1 is massively different in “look and feel” from an XP system and you’d have to completely relearn how to use your computer.

Finally, the cost of buying Windows 8.1 and having a shop save your data, install Windows 8.1, and copy all of your data back onto the computer is easily going to approach the cost of a brand new machine.

You can find a cheap Windows 8.1 system for under $400. We’ve got brand new Windows 7 Pro machines for under $500. Given the learning curve with Windows 8.1, we generally recommend Windows 7.

Save yourself the hassle. Put your old XP system out to pasture and buy a new system. You’ll want to do this sooner rather than later if your system connects to the Internet as Microsoft is issuing patches this week for new operating systems, but not XP.

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