We hope you’re ready to enjoy what makes September so special — things like classes beginning, leaves changing, and footballs flying.
To add to the fall fun, we’ve “raked up” some timely content for this issue. It starts with a warning about a Facebook promotion that says you can “Like” and “Share” your way to free Six Flags season tickets; pass on this one since the claims are false. However, don’t pass on checking out the cool Pinterest pins, videos, and sites we chose for you this month. We think they’ll make you smile, and in some cases, make you want to learn more.
Speaking of learning, this September issue includes a lesson on the “Other” Facebook inbox and tips for finding YouTube videos tailored to your interests.
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 September 2013 Newsletter:
FACEBOOK ALERT – BEWARE OF SIX FLAGS SEASON TICKETS GIVEAWAY
NEWS FROM THE SHOP
GO PINTERESTING! — COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
THIS MONTH’S FAQ – WHERE ARE MY MISSING FACEBOOK MESSAGES GOING?
SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN SEPTEMBER
TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND YOUTUBE VIDEOS TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS
The Gulfcoast Networking Team
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FACEBOOK ALERT – BEWARE OF SIX FLAGS SEASON TICKETS GIVEAWAY
You may have seen Facebook posts recently that claim Six Flags theme parks are giving away free season tickets to those who “Like” and “Share” a promotional image and click on a link to claim their prize. These claims are false. The promotion has no connection to Six Flags whatsoever and the theme parks are not giving away free season tickets. Instead, it’s an attempt by online scammers to get people to “Like” and “Share” bogus promotional material and participate in survey scams.
By posing as a well-known entity and offering attractive prizes as bait, the “Like Farmers” running the scheme hope to amass a large number of “Likes” for their fake Facebook Page in a short period of time. Pages with large numbers of “Likes” can later be sold on the black market to other scammers and unscrupulous Internet marketers. The pages can then be re-purposed and used to promote dubious products and services to a wide audience or to launch other scam campaigns. They may also be used to trick users into divulging personal information by informing them that they’ve won a (non-existent) prize. Be wary of any Facebook post or page that promises expensive prizes in exchange for simply clicking on “Like” or “Share” and don’t take action when you see them.
http://www.sixflags.com/national/tickets/free-six-flags-tickets.aspx
Go here to read the response from Six Flags to this questionable program that’s using their name.
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NEWS FROM THE SHOP
We continue to see quite a few malware infested computers, including the FBI-Moneypak variants. The FBI-Moneypak variants are particularly nasty to clean up and there is now a variant that will take a picture of you with your notebook’s camera. Not good. As I write this, I’ve got three machines on the bench with FBI-Moneypak.
Avoid going to questionable websites, you know, the ones Jack Rickard once described as being those with pictures of young women unadorned by the best efforts of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
Install McAfee’s free SiteAdvisor software that will let you know when you see a link to a bad site when you are searching for something.
Install a commercial grade Anti-Malware product, such as F-Secure’s Internet Security or Antivirus products. DO NOT trust your machine to free AV products (eg. Microsoft’s Security Essentials… it is free and worth exactly what you pay for it). We keep F-Secure products in stock.
Nothing is 100%, but you improve your odds by using a quality anti-malware product.
We have some great Windows 7 machines available, both custom built with three year warranties and brand name systems with full factory warranties. There is NO NEED to fight with Windows 8.
We are collecting canned goods in our store for the Volunteer Way. Bring a can if you happen down this way.
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GO PINTERESTING! — COOL STUFF TO PIN ON YOUR PINTEREST BOARDS
This Owl Makes A Wise School Lunch
http://pinterest.com/pin/273875221062285577/
Putting On The Spritz With Lemons Or Limes
http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775849040212/
Glitter Magnets Are A Fun Craft For Kids
http://pinterest.com/pin/291537775849040146/
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 – WHERE ARE MY MISSING FACEBOOK MESSAGES GOING?
Question: I use Facebook messages a lot and I’ve had friends tell me they’re sending me messages that I’m not getting. Is Facebook deleting or not sending some of my messages? Where are these messages going?
Answer: Not too long ago, Facebook introduced a “secret” inbox for profiles. It started as a way to separate event invites and group messages from messages your friends send. As you’ve noticed, messages you actually want sometimes end up in the wrong inbox.
You’ll probably find the missing message in this new inbox. Fortunately, it’s easy to locate. In the top bar of your Facebook profile, click the messages icon; it looks like two speech bubbles. That will take you to a window with “Inbox” and “Other” at the top. Click “Other” and you’ll see the “secret” inbox.
Simply reply to the messages in this “Other” inbox and future messages from that person will appear in your regular inbox. You may want to get in the habit of checking this “Other” inbox once a week or so to make sure you don’t miss more messages.
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SITES OF THE MONTH – GREAT SITES TO CHECK OUT IN SEPTEMBER
Food For Football Fans
http://www.myrecipes.com/menus/tailgating-dips-10000001621256/
Here’s the game plan: Rush to this site, check out the tailgating recipes for dips and appetizers, whip a few of them up in your kitchen, and score big points with your fellow football fans. Choose from Grilled Pepper Poppers, Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip, Barbeque Deviled Eggs, Cheddar Cheese Straws, and more!
Goodwill Hunting
This is the first Internet auction site created, owned, and operated by a nonprofit organization. Goodwill stories from across the country offer items for auction and revenues fund Goodwill’s education, training, and job placement programs for people with disabilities. Shop for jewelry, books, toys, and more.
Explore Hidden Wonders
This is not your run-of-the-mill site. Atlas Obscura, as the name suggests, features a collection of obscure places around the world. From the Winchester Mystery House with doors to nowhere and secret passages to Insectarium of Montreal, with both live and dead insect collections and over 160,000 specimens.
Watch And Learn
TED originally stood for Technology, Entertainment, and Design but has since broadened its subject matter. If back-to-school season has you thinking about learning something new, check out the wide range of talks on this site. You’ll benefit from the experiences of leading CEOs, scientists, and experts from many fields.
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TWO TO VIEW – A COUPLE OF AMAZING VIDEOS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1309_VIDEO_A.htm
See A Young Dustin Hoffman
This charmingly simple 1966 VW commercial uses the small stature of Dustin Hoffman to its advantage as he shows off the roominess of the fastback sedan. It offers lots of room in the interior. And lots of room in the trunks. (That’s right. There were two!)
http://www.eNewsletterHome.com/_eNewsletter/2013/1309_VIDEO_B.htm
Hair-Raising Hygiene In Space
Published on July 9, 2013, this video from astronaut Karen Nyberg on the International Space Station is a fascinating look at how a basic task changes when there’s no gravity. Nyberg, an Expedition 36 Crew Member, shows how she washes her hair in space.
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SHORT TUTORIAL – HOW TO FIND YOUTUBE VIDEOS TAILORED TO YOUR INTERESTS
With billions of hours of video available on YouTube, how do you go about finding quality content that suits your interests? Try these strategies:
Discover Disco
YouTube’s “Disco” tool is a good way to find high-quality music videos because YouTube curates the playlists. Just enter the name of the artist or band you want to see more of and you’ll be presented with an entire stream of relevant videos.
Try the Trends
http://www.youtube.com/trendsdashboard#feed=views
YouTube’s “Trends Dashboard” gives you a quick look at what’s hot by gender and across various regions and age ranges. Check it out regularly to stay up-to-speed with the latest viral videos and newsworthy footage.
Check Out Charts
http://www.youtube.com/charts?gl=US
Visit “YouTube Charts” to see the most popular content on the site. You can view the most-liked, most-viewed, top-favorited, and even most-discussed videos within certain timeframes. There’s also the ability to narrow down content by category, giving you a glimpse at the most-loved YouTube videos by subject.
Subscribe, Subscribe, Subscribe
Once you find YouTube channels you really like, click on the “Subscribe” button. You’ll then be notified whenever that person uploads a new video.
Also, pay attention to the “Channels for You” list on the sidebar to find other channels that relate to the one you like.
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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.)
©2013 Gulfcoast Networking, Inc.
Portions ©2013 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc., used with permission.