Let’s hear it for the easy, breezy days of summer! To help you enjoy the season to its fullest, this June issue shares ideas to enhance your patio parties as well as tips to avoid getting burned — by cybercriminals, that is. Don’t miss our warning about phishing emails that claim to be from major national banks; you don’t want to fall prey to these schemes and have money stolen from your account. You’ll also learn what to do if you still use Windows XP and how to block third-party cookies from your browser.
On a lighter note, you’ll find plenty of inspiration for all kinds of summer fun. Both the Pinterest and Sites of the Month sections feature resources to update what you serve at outdoor gatherings as well as how you decorate your outdoor living spaces. We bet you’ll find at least a few recipes or projects to try in the coming months. And be sure to watch this month’s videos for high chair laughter and football field tears.
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 2013 Newsletter:
SCAM ALERT – PHISHING EMAILS THAT APPEAR TO BE FROM MAJOR BANKS
THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT MICROSOFT IS “KILLING” WINDOWS XP?
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 BLOCK THIRD-PARTY COOKIES FROM YOUR BROWSER
The Gulfcoast Networking Team
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SCAM ALERT – PHISHING EMAILS THAT APPEAR TO BE FROM MAJOR BANKS
Phishing emails purporting to be from major national banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America are on the rise, so please be extra vigilant when going through your inbox. These fraudulent emails may look remarkably like ones from your bank and contain alerts about frozen accounts or unusual activity – messages created to frighten you into clicking on a link in the email to correct the issue. Users who did click on such links have had money stolen from their bank accounts.
Don’t fall victim to these phishing scams. It’s safest to never click on a link in an email that claims to be from your bank. If you get a message that looks even vaguely real, it’s much better to open a browser window and type in the URL of your bank’s home page and log in as normal.
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NEWS FROM THE SHOP
It is hard to believe that summer is already here. We spent hours last month sitting in on a whole series of Intel webinars. There are some pretty exciting things coming down the pike this summer.
First up will likely be the i5 version of Intel’s exciting NUC computers. We have both the Celeron and i3 systems in stock and they are amazing. Everyone that sees them has the same reaction… WOW!!! Power on to desktop takes about 20 seconds! We can hardly wait for the i5 version to arrive in another week or so.
As small, light, and rugged as these computers are, it makes it convenient for us to serve a wider geographic area. If something goes awry that we can’t fix remotely, the customer can simply toss the computer in the mail to us!
Even our local customers will appreciate the ability to carry their computer in for service in their purse or wedged in the cup holder of their car. We are talking seriously small and light here.
We shut down our last dialup accounts at the end of May. With all of our customers now on high speed connections, it makes our remote support and Safe Computing options available to everyone we serve.
In addition to serving individuals, we provide IT support to businesses. We manage their networks, keep their computers running, and even handle their web hosting and email.
Please let your friends and businesses you visit know about us.
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Sizzling Cupcake
Ideas For BBQ Parties
http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775848533634/
Wow! Smart Bathtub
Cleans Itself And More
http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775848553979/
Plants To Keep Bugs
>From Bugging You
http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775848494836/
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 IT MEAN THAT MICROSOFT IS “KILLING” WINDOWS XP?
Question: I heard that Microsoft is “killing” Windows XP, which has me concerned since I still run it. What does all this mean exactly?
Answer: First of all, you’re certainly not alone in your preference for the tried-and-true Windows XP. There are an estimated 500 million people around the world who still rely on Windows XP to perform their daily computing chores.
What’s happening with Windows XP is this:
Support for Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 ends April 8, 2014. After that date, there will be no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options, or online technical content updates.
Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after Microsoft’s support ends may expose your computer to security risks.
Microsoft strongly recommends you get current with Windows and Office. For complete details including instructions for moving to Windows 7 or
Windows 8, visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/endofsupport.aspx
While Microsoft seems to suggest that you should simply upgrade your XP computer to Windows 7 or Windows 8, we believe that you should give serious consideration to replacing your old machine instead. Any machine running Windows XP is old enough to be living on borrowed time anyway.
We carry Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers in a wide variety of prices and configurations. Come by and chat with us and we’ll help you pick the right machine to replace your old XP computer.
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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN JUNE
Enter For A Chance To Win $20,085 From Gerber
http://www.facebook.com/Gerber/app_355429811243436
Oh baby! Gerber is celebrating its 85th birthday and is giving away cash prizes for 85 days to mark the occasion. Visit this Facebook page today to “blow out” the candle on the Gerber birthday cake and enter for your chance to win the $585 daily prize and $20,085 grand prize.
How Long Will You Live?
http://media.nmfn.com/tnetwork/lifespan
Granted, it’s difficult to answer that question with absolute certainty. But statistically speaking, certain key factors can help estimate a person’s lifespan. Answer the simple questions on this site’s Lifespan Calculator and instantly find out how many birthdays you might end up celebrating.
Budget-Friendly Patio Design Ideas
http://www.houzz.com/photos/patio/decorating-on-a-budget
If you’re like many people, your patio becomes a hotspot for entertaining during the summer. To make it look great and function well, check out this photo collection of creatively designed patios. You’ll find all kinds of outside ideas that will fit inside your budget.
Recipes for Summer Entertaining
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Holiday—Celebration-Recipes/Summer-Entertaining
When you’re planning a backyard party for family and friends, you’ll find lots of recipes here you’ll want to try. Get refreshed on hot days with a Watermelon Cooler or take advantage of your garden’s bounty with Fresh Summer Salsa or Caprese Salad Kabobs.
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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1306_VIDEO_A.htm
Baby Food Jar Leads to Laughter
Talk about doing double duty! This baby food jar not only provides lunch but laughter as well. Take a minute to enjoy this adorable baby’s giggles in reaction to the mother playing peek-a-boo with the Gerber Baby image on the label.
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1306_VIDEO_B.htm
Boy Scores Emotional Touchdown
You’ll probably have one of those “goose bumps” moments when you watch this touching video. Jack Hoffman, a boy fighting brain cancer, got the chance to score a 69-yard touchdown in the 2013 Nebraska Spring Game as the players assisted and the crowd roared.
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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO BLOCK THIRD-PARTY COOKIES FROM YOUR BROWSER
In the computer world, cookies are small files that carry information from one session on a site to another or between sessions on related sites. Some cookies are called third-party cookies because they come from a site other than the one you’re visiting — often from an advertiser that buys Google Ads.
Advertisers buy space on many sites so they can use cookies to see your traffic habits and learn your likes or dislikes. All of this happens independently of the site you’re actually visiting.
If this practice raises privacy concerns for you, you’ll be pleased to know that each browser has a way to block third-party cookies:
Internet Explore
Click the wrench in the top-right corner and then “Internet Options.” Go to the Privacy tab and click “Advanced.” Check the box that says “Override automatic cookie handling” and then click Block under third-party cookies.
Firefox
Click on Firefox on the menubar at the top left corner. Go to the Privacy tab and under History, select Use Custom Settings for History where it says “Firefox will.” Then, uncheck “Accept third-party cookies.”
Chrome
Click the three-lined icon in the top right corner of the window. Click “show advanced settings” and then Content settings in the Privacy menu. Choose to block third-party cookies and site data.
Safari
Go to Preferences in the drop-down menu, click on the “Privacy” icon, and select “From third parties and advertisers” in the “Block cookies”
section.
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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
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.)
©2013 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
Portions ©2013 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc., used with permission.