INews Newsletter - May 19, 2006
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* * * I N e w s * * *
A publication of Internet Nebraska, your homestate broadband provider
* * * by manager@inebraska.com * * *
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Volume 9, Number 6 May 19, 2006
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: Internet Nebraska Broadband
Mac Security Threat?
Summertime Promotions
Mr. Internet
*** Internet Nebraska Broadband ***
We at Internet Nebraska are in our twelfth year of providing high-speed
connectivity to businesses and individuals across the state. If you're
finding your Web pages come too slowly, or are maybe considering some
exciting new activity on the 'Net that will require faster access, we're
ready to help. We offer LOTS of broadband, and here are a few of the
kinds. With any of these faster access plans you get at least five free
e-mail addresses (excluding IN Speed Dial), a free personal Web site,
unlimited toll-free tech support, and free access to our hotspot network
(including access at the Lincoln Airport) for when you're on the go.
DSL
---
We offer DSL everywhere in Alltel or Qwest territories where the phone
company facilities make it possible. From a very affordable 256 kbps
download all the way to 3.0 Mbps and beyond, our DSL is competitively
priced and always offered at an introductory $9.95/month to new customers,
and to existing customers upgrading from dial-up. If you need static
addresses or other special features, we can do that, too. For more
information on our DSL, see http://www.inebraska.com/dsl/ .
Cable
-----
We also offer cable Internet access to individuals anywhere in the
Time-Warner Nebraska service area. Our introductory rate is only
$29.95/month, and our regular rate is great, too! For more information on
our cable Internet access, see http://www.inebraska.com/cable/ .
Wireless
--------
If you live in or near Valentine, O'Neill, Tilden, or Norfolk, we can offer
you wireless Internet access. We even have available a free basic
installation package with no equipment to buy! Take a look at
http://www.inebraska.com/wireless/ for a high-speed solution where DSL and
cable may not be available.
TLS / T1s / DS3s / Server Colocation / Web Site Hosting
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If your business needs a more direct, "broaderband" connection to the
Internet, we offer it. Our customer base includes health care
organizations, libraries, phone companies, and manufacturing plants across
the state. If you'd like to visit about what we can do for you, give us a
call at 434-8680 in Lincoln, or 800-438-4638 anywhere else. For
information on our standard Web hosting packages, see
http://www.inebraska.com/webhostpricing.html .
Dial-Up Acceleration
--------------------
Perhaps none of these ways to increase your speed looks right for you,
and dial-up is how you expect to continue connecting. For only $2/month,
our Internet Nebraska Speed Dial can make a great difference in how
quickly you surf the 'Net. It's easy to install, too. See
http://www.inebraska.com/speeddial/ for details.
We're proud of these services, but what makes us feel best is taking
friendly, reliable care of the other folks in our state. We're locally
owned and operated, so our business relationships are special to us.
*** Mac Security Threat? ***
My Mac is Safe. Or is it?
Apple was recently notified of potential security holes in their Mac OS X
operating system. These security holes could allow a Mac to be infected
with a virus or worm with one misguided click of the mouse. Apple
assures the world they are working very hard to develop a patch to
address the issue, but what can we do until that happens?
Many Mac users have come to take the security of their computer for
granted, as most viruses and worms to date have targeted Microsoft's
Windows operating systems. The same safeguards suggested to Windows
users can help keep your Mac safe. We've written several articles on
Internet safety and how to protect ourselves and our computers on the
Internet. For those Mac users out there who usually skip over those
articles, here are some important guidelines to follow.
When browsing websites on the Internet:
-Make sure you know what you're clicking
-Don't click on pop-ups or banner ads
-If it's free, there is probably a catch
-If asked to update something for any reason, be sure the window that
popped up indicates which program or company is providing that
window. If you can't tell, close the window.
Never open an e-mail attachment if:
-You don't know the person it's from
-You don't know what type of file it is
-It's from a company that has never e-mailed you in the past
-Anything doesn't seem right about the message itself
If there's any doubt about a message or e-mail you've received, you're
better off deleting the message or asking the sender about it first. In
the worst case scenario, they might have to send it to you again.
Aside from following these guidelines, make sure you keep Mac OS X as up
to date as possible. In addition to that, it might be time to look for
security software designed for Macs. Norton and McAfee already have Mac
versions of their software available. While no successful virus has been
released that attacks Mac OS X so far, it's only a matter of time,
according to experts.
*** Jeff's Collectibles & Sportswear -- Advertisement ***
Father's Day is just around the corner, and there's no better gift for a
Husker-lover than collectibles from Jeff's Collectibles & Sportswear.
While you're there, check out the new die-cast Husker GTO, Husker Camaro,
and Husker tractor trailer now available for pre-order.
-- http://www.jeftoys.com
*** Summertime Promotions ***
Internet Nebraska wants to give you a chance to try out our spam and
virus filtering software, at no cost to you.
We offer two services for reducing spam, and either is free for a trial
month. Simply visit http://www.inebraska.com/mailagent and
http://www.inebraska.com/postini to read more about them. Our MailAgent
uses a white-list approach that allows only verified people to mail you
directly, whereas our Postini uses an intelligent algorithm to keep spam
and viruses out of your mailbox.
Both of these methods are terrific, and we want you to have a free shot
at enjoying them. At either of the above links, you can sign up at no
cost to you. If you don't care for them, simply let us know within a
month, and no charge for them will appear on your account.
And don't forget: We also offer dial-up acceleration for a nominal fee,
if you're still downloading at basic speeds. We're so confident you'll
like this product, we're offering you a FREE trial month. If you don't
care for the program after a month, let us know. We'll cancel the Speed
Dial program free of charge. See more about that at
http://www.inebraska.com/speeddial .
*** Mr Internet ***
Q: I ran a speedtest and it gave me results measured in kilobits per
second. What does this mean?
A: Internet speeds are generally measured in kilobits per second
(abbreviated kbps, kbit, kb, or even just k) or megabits (mbps, mbit, or
M). A bit is the most basic measurement of data size in computer terms.
So, a kilobit is a unit of data equal to 1,000 bits (technically, a
kilobit is 2^10, or 1,024 bits.) A megabit is made up of 1,000 kilobits,
or one million bits (again, technically 2^20 bits.)
There is also a unit of computer data known as the byte. A byte is
8 bits, a kilobyte is 8 kilobits, etc. In abbreviations, it's a byte
if the "B" is capitalized. For example 1 MB equals 8 mb.
How does this relate to downloading files? If you have a 256k
connection, such as DSL Lite or our standard wireless plan, you can
download at 32 kilobytes per second. Since files are generally measured
in bytes, kilobytes, or megabytes, you can now figure out how long it
will take to download a file of a certain size. For example, if you are
downloading a 10 megabyte file at 256 kilobits per second, it should take
roughly 5 minutes to download:
10MB = 80mb = 80,000kb. 80,000kb/256kbps = 312 seconds, or about 5 minutes.
*** 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