Here’s what’s inside our October 2015 Newsletter:
SCAM ALERT – FAKE FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY FOR FAMOUS THEME PARK
GO PINTEREST-ING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
FREE FEATURED APPS – THESE THREE ARE WELL WORTH A LOOK
TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW CAN I SEARCH MORE EFFICIENTLY FOR SOMETHING ON PINTEREST?
The Gulfcoast Networking Team
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SCAM ALERT – BEWARE OF FACEBOOK FRIEND REQUEST SCAM
There’s a Facebook scam making the rounds that you should know about. It works like this: You get a friend request from someone you thought you were already friends with on Facebook, perhaps a relative or casual acquaintance. You think that’s a little odd, but figure maybe this person had to create a new account or something, so you accept. Before long, you start to receive strange messages — urgent pleas for money due to an emergency or invitations to sign up for work-at-home jobs or free gift cards.
Clearly, this is no friend. It’s a scammer that has spoofed a Facebook account in order to steal money or distribute spam links. What should you do if you receive a friend request from someone you don’t know, or if your own account is spoofed? Here are a few tips:
*Always double-check friend requests: Don’t just automatically click “accept” for new requests. Take a few moments to look over the profile and verify that account is a real person, not a scam. If you receive a friend request from someone you are already friends with, don’t confirm the request until you verify it with your friend. Contact them by some other means — phone, email, text, etc.
*Don’t blindly trust friends’ recommendations: Just because a link, video, or other information is shared by a friend doesn’t mean that it’s safe to click. It could be a fake account, a hacker, or mean that your friend hasn’t done his or her research.
*Watch for poor grammar: Scam Facebook posts are often riddled with typos and poor English.
*Alert your friends: If your Facebook friend suddenly starts posting links to work-at-home schemes or scandalous celebrity videos, tell him or her directly about the suspicious activity. Otherwise, they may never know that their account has been impersonated.
Have fun on Facebook but watch out for fake friends!
NEWS FROM THE SHOP
As temperatures start to cool off, it is the perfect time to make sure that your computer is running cool as well. Bring your computer in for a full system multi-check to make sure that it is running at its best.
We are moving out some of our old inventory. Drop by and see what we’ve got on our “sale” table.
Some time back, I built a “mini-skeleton system as a display computer and I’d love to find a permanent home for it. Come by and check it out.
It has a 2.41ghz processor, 4gb of main memory and a 250gb hard drive. It is just as cute as can be and would look great on most any desk.
GO PINTEREST-ING! – COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
Have A Ball With A Pumpkin
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/165788830010472281/
Bowl Them Over With Fall Leaves
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775856670428/
Good-Looking Halloween Donuts
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/291537775857000201/
Santa Dollars
https://www.pinterest.com/junewatts1/santa-dollars-the-perfect-stocking-stuffer/
You haven’t started pinning on Pinterest yet and you want to get started?
To sign up, go here https://pinterest.com/join/signup/
FREE FEATURED APPS – THESE THREE ARE WELL WORTH A LOOK
Venmo
Need to split the check at a restaurant or pay your share of a group gift for a friend? Pay almost anyone instantly and securely with Venmo.
https://venmo.com/about/product/
Scrabble
It’s America’s favorite word game, and this app lets you play Scrabble with friends on Facebook or play solo against the computer.
http://www.ea.com/scrabble-free-ipad
Houzz
Planning a home improvement project? Here’s a handy way to get inspired, browse through photos, and connect with professionals.
http://www.houzz.com/mobileApps
SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN OCTOBER
Time To Study College Rankings
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
If someone in your family will be college bound in the coming year or two, be sure to study this annual ranking of colleges and universities from U.S. News & World Report. You’ll also find college advice for students and parents as well as tips on applications, loans, and more.
Fun And Flexible Photo Editing
https://www.picmonkey.com/
With PicMonkey, you can easily edit and touch up photos, or develop your own photo designs. Give your photos a makeover with Wrinkle Remover and Teeth Whitening, try fun special effects to create unique photo images, or use the collage tool for a cool new Facebook cover.
Winning Tailgating Recipes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/packages/tailgating/food-networks-top-50-tailgating-recipes.html
The chefs at Food Network have teamed up to bring you the Top 50 Tailgating Recipes. You’ll score big with friends and family on game days with dishes including Charleston Cheese Dip, Three Cheese and Artichoke Scones, and Charred Corn Guacamole with Corn Chips.
Set The Scene For Halloween
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/our-55-favorite-halloween-decorating-ideas-pictures
Don’t be spooked at the prospect of decorating your home for Halloween! The folks at HGTV have done the work for you with this gallery of ghoulish ideas for inside and out. From cleverly decorated pumpkins to ghostly curtains and slipcovers, you’re sure to scare up compliments.
Cotee River Bike Fest
http://www.coteeriverbikefest.org/
New Port Richey’s own motorcycle rally is coming up the weekend of October 9th-11th. Get all the details on the official event website.
TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2015/1510_VIDEO_A.htm
Music By Birds On The Wires
What would it sound like if birds on the wires were viewed as notes in a musical composition? Watch this to find out.
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2015/1510_VIDEO_B.htm
Toddler Plays With Gorilla
Apparently the peek-a-boo game is familiar to gorillas, as this little boy found out to his delight while visiting the zoo.
SHORT TUTORIAL/FAQ – WHAT DOES THE TERM “PING RATE” MEAN?
Question: I’ve seen the term “ping rate” mentioned in online video games but I’m not sure what it means? Can you fill me in?
Answer: Ping rate is simply the delay of messages sent between computers; in other words, how fast you get a response after you’ve sent out a request. Ping rates will vary based on the quality of your Internet connection and the distance between the server and your computer. Ping is measured in milliseconds, and you can check yours at sites including www.speedtest.net. A fast ping means a more responsive connection, which is especially important in applications where timing is critical such as online video games.
Ping rates can vary from 1-2ms (thousandths of a second) for local network connections to 800ms or more for satellite Internet connections. In the case of satellite Internet, the high ping times are a direct result of that pesky “speed of light” limit as there is roughly a 100,000 mile distance that the signals have to travel to complete the loop.
Typical ping rates for Internet connections should be in the low double digits. Some Internet hosts do NOT respond to ping requests.
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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.)
©2015 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
Portions ©2015 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc., used with permission.