INews Newsletter - Aug 26, 2005
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* * * I N e w s * * *
A publication of Internet Nebraska, composed and distributed by
* * * manager@inebraska.com * * *
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Volume 8, Number 2 August 26, 2005
Welcome to another issue of INews. This newsletter communicates service
bulletins, announcements, and other useful information to our customers.
Please let us know what you think of it. Archives of INews are located
at http://www.inebraska.com/inews
In this issue: Keeping Your Child Safe Online
Google Tools
Downloading Music Legally
Online Reference Material
Mr. Internet
*** Safeguarding our Children on the Internet ***
As Internet access becomes more and more available to children, steps need
taken to protect children against the hazards of on-line life. While the
Internet offers a vast wealth of information and entertainment, some
dangers do exist the world's largest global network. These can include
viruses and spyware that invade your computer, phishing attempts to get
passwords and other personal information, and even people looking for a
chance to harm others. We need to know how we can safeguard our kids (and
our computers) from these dangers on the Internet. While there's no
cut-and-dry solution to this, here are a few suggestions.
For starters, it is a good idea to place your computer in a room that is
used by everybody in the house, such as the living or family room. Even if
Mom or Dad aren't in the room, the idea of someone looking over their
shoulder (or being tattled on by a sibling) can be a very strong
deterrent. Some people keep their computer in the kitchen so
they could watch what was going on while making dinner.
While many parental control programs are available to safeguard our
children on the Internet, few work as well as adult supervision. While
you shouldn't rule this type of software out completely, DON'T rely on it
alone. Kids grow up with computers these days, and many of them are
computer savvy enough to thwart the filters you try to put in place.
Being at your child's side, watching their activity, lets you prevent them
from accessing questionable content, or remove it from the screen if they
stumble upon something you don't want them to see. CTRL-F4 is your
keyboard friend in Windows, as is Apple+W on a Mac. This will instantly
close any window you have open on your screen. Make sure you explain why
you close a window, however, as curiosity can work even more effectively
against you when you're not around.
If you do consider using a parental filter program on your computer,
try it out first. Most of the better software out there will provide a
free trial of some sort. Just install the program on your computer,
and try accessing things you know you don't want your child having
access to. If you're able to pull up unwanted content, look for a
better program.
Virtually every program you use on the Internet keeps a history of
websites visited, or information sent and received. Make sure they
know to ask you before downloading or installing new software, and take
a few minutes getting to know the software your child will be using.
Practically every instant message program keeps a record of messages
sent AND received in a history or log file. Web browsers like Internet
Explorer keep track of each and every website visited, and even images
that have been viewed. You can find History in Internet Explorer and
Firefox by pressing CTRL+H. Note that some kids may know how to clear
this information so it can't be viewed later. This only emphasizes
that supervision is the best practice.
Remind your children that anyone they come into contact with over the
Internet is a stranger. There is simply no telling who is on the other
end of an e-mail, an instant message, or a chatroom. Set guidelines as
to what is appropriate to share over the Internet. "Nothing" is almost
always the best answer.
Kids should NEVER meet an Internet "friend" in person. There's no way
of proving who's on the other end, no matter what they tell you.
Another VERY important guideline for children is that personal information
such as their real name, age, gender, address or location, phone number,
passwords or pictures of themselves should NEVER be shared over the
Internet. This rule is a good one for everybody. Kids should avoid using
their real names in e-mail addresses, screen names and usernames for sites
they might log into.
*** The Capital Soccer Association - Advertisement ***
Capital Soccer Association specializes in
teaching soccer. However we recognize that
soccer, or any other youth sport is merely
one tool in the development of a young
child. Teamwork and sportsmanship through
knowledge and proficiency of the game are
our main goals.
-- http://www.capitalsoccer.com/
*** Google: Not Just a Search Engine Anymore ***
Google ( http://www.google.com ) has become the most popular and
successful search engine on the Internet. It has more web pages in its
database than any other search engine, and it yields results faster.
Google is more than just a simple search engine, however; there are
many other features which set it apart.
You can use Google as a calculator. Simply enter any mathematical
expression, such as 2+2, and Google will do the math for you. You can
also convert from one measurement or monetary unit to another. For
example, enter "5 gallons in liters" and Google will give you the
answer.
Google can be used as a dictionary. Not sure what the word "plethora"
means? Simply enter "define: plethora" and Google will give you the
definition.
You can search for more than just text with Google. Click "Images" on
Google's home page, and you can search for pictures of all types.
Google monitors various news services around the Internet. Click
"News" on Google's home page, and you can see up to the minute
headlines on various topics from around the world.
At http://maps.google.com you will find satellite images of nearly the
entire world. Google also has maps of the United States and much of
Canada. You can see close up views of streets, buildings, and
landmarks, some with great detail. Enter a phone number
or address in Google, and with that address you can see a map or
satellite image of the property,.
The Google toolbar, found at http://toolbar.google.com adds a toolbar
to Firefox or Internet Explorer, which allows you to search directly in
your web browser.
These are just a few of the many features of Google. Google is a
valuable resource which can enhance your daily Internet experience.
For more details on what Google offers, you can visit
http://www.google.com/help/features.html
*** Schaefer's TV & Appliance Center - Advertisement ***
Schaefer's is an independently owned and
operated television, appliance, and home
theater retailer in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Born out of a small corner drugstore four
decades ago, Schaefer's TV & Appliance is a
22,000 square-foot "superstore" today,
specializing in commercial/professional-grade
appliances, whole house sound systems, home
theater and central vacuum systems. The
success of Schaefer's is key to repeat
business. If a customer happens to have a
problem with a product, Schaefer's will bend
over backwards to get it solved. Our service
center is the largest in the city, and has been
voted Lincoln's #1 servicer for 10 years in a
row! A knowledgeable sales staff, express
delivery, easy financing, and our customer
service representatives are just a few of the
ways in which we at Schaefer's distinguish
ourselves from the rest. Stop by our showroom
at 48th and R in Lincoln, or call us at
and see for yourself.
-- http://www.schaeferstv.com/index2.htm
*** Legal Music Online ***
The last two years have seen a proliferation of legal online music stores,
each offering millions of songs by tens of thousands of artists.
However, these stores differ in both their prices and the restrictions
placed on what you can do with the music you download. All three of the
services listed below are fully legal ways of purchasing music online.
iTunes
http://www.apple.com/itunes/store
The most popular of the online music stores is Apple's iTunes music
store with over 500 million songs sold. iTunes is accessed through a
free download of Apple's music player, also available on the iTunes
website. iTunes Music Store offers songs for download at $.99 per
song, at which point they are yours to keep, and you can burn them to a
CD at no additional cost, or copy them to your iPod (Apple's music
store will not work with any other music player's besides the iPod.)
Album costs vary, but range from $8.99-$12.99.
The store also offers many extra features for discovering music, such as
sharable playlists, celebrity playlists, iTunes essentials, and
recommendations based on previously purchased music.
One of the few downsides of the iTunes music store is that music purchased
through it will not work with any MP3 player besides Apple's popular iPod.
iTunes is available for Macintosh (OS X and up) and Microsoft Windows
2000/XP.
Napster
http://www.napster.com
Napster has been turned into a legal music service as of last year,
offering unlimited music downloads for $9.95 per month. You can download
as much as you want however, once you stop paying the monthly fee you will
lose access to all your music. Also, music purchased from Napster will
not work on an iPod and will only work on select MP3 players. To purchase
your music permanently, or copy it to a CD, you will need to pay $.99 per
song. Napster offers similar music services as Apple's music store, with
suggested music, specials, and free downloads.
Rhapsody
http://www.listen.com/
Real's Rhapsody music service is similar to Napster in that it offers a
subscription based access to over 1 million songs. It differs,
however, in its pricing model which offers more options than Napster.
The pricing plan varies from free access, to a $14.95 per month
unlimited subscription that you can also use with a media player
supported by Rhapsody, which does not include Apple's iPod.
Like Napster, if you wish to buy a song permanantly, the cost varies from
$.79 to $.99 per song. Otherwise, like Napster, you will lose access to
all the music you have downloaded at the end of your subscription.
Rhapsody's music application is not as easy to use as Napster's or
iTunes, and uses a very cluttered interface that is not nearly as
intuitive as those of Napster or iTunes.
Napster and Rhapsody both offer plans that appeal to someone who wishes
to have a unlimited supply of music at their hands and does not mind
having to pay a monthly subscription fee. iTunes, however, does offer
a compelling feature set over both Napster and Rhapsody. Its player is
especially easy to use, and you can use its purchased music on the iPod.
*** Integrated Computer Systems - Advertisement ***
ICS, an A+ Authorized Service Center serving western
Nebraska for over 14 years, is ready with over 40 years
of combined experience to professionally and expertly meet
your computer needs. From large networks to stand alone
PC's, ICS proudly offers their knowledge and expertise to
work for you. Whether it be Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT, ME),
Novell or Unix, new installations, trouble shooting,
networking, print sharing or repair, ICS will be there to
assist you or your personnel on arriving at the best
possible solution to fulfill your needs.
Located in North Platte, Integrated Computer Systems serves
over a 100-mile radius reaching communities such as Kearney,
Valentine, Thedford, Mullen, Sidney, Ogallala, McCook, Grant,
Imperial, Gothenburg, Lexington, Chappell, Sutherland, and
Hershey, to just name a few. So give us a call at 534-1500,
toll free 800-400-1527, or stop in and see us at 101 South
Chestnut.
*** Online Reference Material ***
Are those dusty old encyclopedias just not cutting it anymore? Is your
dictionary holding up a broken leg on that old table? Have you ever
wondered what that webpage in a foreign language was actually saying?
There are plenty of online resource sites on the Internet to make your
research much easier. While you cannot trust everything you see on the
Internet as fact, there are lots of great websites that offer reliable
content completely free of charge.
Two of the most popular online resource sites are
http://www.dictionary.com and http://www.thesaurus.com . These websites
allow you to quickly look up the meaning of words, or find an alternate
word to use to spice up your report, email, resume, or cover letter.
Simply go to the website, enter the word you're looking for, and multiple
definitions, alternate spellings, and other useful information will be
displayed on your screen. These sites also offer fun content.
(I prefer the Merriam-Webster online dictionary and thesaurus at
http://www.m-w.com/ to Dictionary.com, whose ads are less obtrusive. -Ed)
Another popular website called Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.com) can
help you research anything from baseball to the hair metal band Winger.
The website has over 500,000 entries in multiple languages providing
useful (and maybe not so useful, but interesting) information on nearly
any topic. Sometimes humorous, the site can provide information too
obscure to be in that 1964 set of World Book Encyclopedias holding down
your shelf, allowing contributions from people all over the world. One
thing to keep in mind, however, is that since Wikipedia is maintained by
the public, you may occasionally run across misleading, biased, or just
plain incorrect information.
The Internet is also full of useful translation websites to help
translate anything you could possibly want to read from dozens of
languages into English, or the other way around. Two of the most
popular sites for online translation are
http://translate.dictionary.com and http://babelfish.altavista.com/
Simply enter the text that you wish to have translated, select the
language, and hit the translate button. Within seconds, you will
receive an approximate translation on your screen.
With the help of these popular resource sites, you can make sure that
you have accurate and up to date information on nearly any subject you
could wish to look up.
*** Advertise on Our Home Pages ***
What better way to advertise your business than on a Web page that is
seen tens of thousands of times every month? None, if you're paying as
little as we charge for it!
We are now offering banner advertising that rotates on all our pages
which is priced based on the number of impressions (viewings) per
month. Your banner can reach thousands of Nebraska residents, and this
is a unique way to advertise your Nebraska business to residents in the
area.
Prices for banner advertisement can be found at:
http://www.inebraska.com/ad.html
*** Mr Internet ***
Q: My dialup Internet is too slow and I can't get DSL or cable access.
Pages take so long to load that I sometimes don't even bother anymore.
Is there any way to speed up my dial-up connection?
A: There is! We offer a service called Speed Dial that works with your
existing dial-up connection on your PC or Macintosh computer. Speed Dial
makes webpages load several times faster, while blocking those annoying
pop-up windows at the same time.
Visit http://www.inebraska.com/speeddial/ to find out more about how
Speed Dial can help you improve your Internet experience. Note that a
two dollar monthly charge does apply.
Mr. Internet is a regular feature of the INews, and he welcomes questions
of any kind. Just mail them to mrinternet@inebraska.com, and he'll answer
one or two each issue. Those he doesn't use will not necessarily be
answered, and you should still use 'manager' and 'accounts' for regular
business.