From the Editor
September means fall is upon us, and this issue is right in step with the
season. Since we don't want you to "fall" for an online scam, we've included
a warning about fake pharmaceutical e-mails currently making the rounds.
We've also provided lessons on how to save time while at your computer by
skipping an unnecessary search engine step and by learning to efficiently
copy and paste text. You can use the time you save on more enjoyable
ventures, such as checking out the fun and games featured in this month's
Great Sites list.
Your Local Help Desk
Question: I've recently seen three friends type in the web address of a
website (for example, "www.microsoft.com") into the Google search field of
their Web browser, then scroll through the resulting list of sites, and
click on the link of the web address. The link takes them to the exact web
address they just typed into the search field. Am I missing something here?
Why don't these people save a step and simply type the web address into the
address field of their browser and hit the "enter" key? There's no need to
do a search for a site through a search engine like Google if you already
know the web address of the site you'd like to visit, right?
Answer: You are correct. Typing a web address into a search field is a
pretty common (but unnecessary) extra step made by even experienced Web
surfers. While it makes sense to use a search engine when you're looking for
a list of sites you'd like to visit, there's no need to start there when you
already know a specific web address. Simply go to the address bar found on
your browser, delete the current URL listed, type in the web address, and
press the "enter" key.
Email Scam: Fake Pharmaceutical Email is Prescription for Trouble
There's been a recent surge in fraudulent e-mails claiming to be from the
United States National Medical Association (US NMA). There is no such
organization and these messages are not from any United States Government
agency. (There is an association called the National Medical Association
that promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African
descent, and they have nothing to do with this spam.) The e-mails are part
of a scheme to lure you to one of more than a dozen phishing sites, such as"MyCanadianPharmacy," under the false pretense of providing consumer
information about buying pharmaceuticals online. If you click on the link
contained in the e-mail, up comes a website offering name-brand prescription
drugs such as Valium, Viagra, and Xanax at too-good-to-be-true prices.
According to reliable sources, including Forbes.com and the Better Business Bureau, this is one of the most notorious worldwide spam scams ever conducted. Crooks are blasting the e-mails around the globe by the billions, so if one hasn't hit your Inbox yet, it probably will soon. Go to this link to see what the e-mail looks like:
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (www.us-cert.gov) was established in 2003 to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure against cyber attacks. Their site contains a warning about the bogus US NMA e-mails, and encourages you to take the following steps to protect yourself from phishing attacks:
1. Do not follow unsolicited web links received in e-mail messages.
2. Verify the legitimacy of the e-mail by contacting the company or agency
directly through a trusted contact number.
Sites of the Month
Take the Tech Test
What's your relationship with communications technology? Are you an "Omnivore" that never met a gadget you didn't like? Or are you an "Inexperienced Experimenter" that's willing to try new technologies? Take this quick online quiz from the Pew Internet and Online Life Project to discover which of the 10 groups best describes you. The site also contains reports under "Family, Friends Community" about topics including yberbullying, social networking sites and teens, and the vulnerability of "wired seniors" to viruses and spyware.
David Beckham In Action
David Beckham made his MLS league debut for the LA Galaxy in August and fans around the world are keeping a close eye on him.
Here at the official David Beckham website you can catch the latest soccer news, read David's weekly blog, get a look at his fashion style, learn about
the David Beckham Academy for young athletes, and find out about his current ambassador/charity activities. If you're a big Beckham fan, you can also register to receive online newsletters.
Bright Ideas for Kids
Remember Lite-Brite? It's the classic toy that's been popular with kids and parents alike since Hasbro introduced it in 1967. Lite-Brite allows kids to create a "glowing" picture by placing multi-colored pegs into a battery-powered screen. Now budding artists can also create Lite-Brite designs online at this site, then print or e-mail them to share with family and friends. The fun continues with links to other popular games like Battleship and The Game of Life.
Keep an Eye on Safety
September is Eye Safety Month a reminder to protect yourself and your children from eye injuries at home and during sports. Accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year, and more than 40,000 people a year suffer eye injuries while playing sports. The Prevent Blindness America site offers a wide variety of important resources including tips on accident prevention at home, sports safety, sports eye protectors, and first aid for eye emergencies. You'll also find the latest headlines about eye health.
A Whole New Ballgame
Local stadiums won't be the only places with football action this month. Coming to theaters is The Game Plan from Walt Disney Pictures, the story of rugged superstar Joe Kingman (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) whose Boston-based football team is chasing a championship. Then Joe discovers he has a 7-year-old daughter, and has to tackle the biggest challenge of his life
In This Edition
>Your Local Help Desk
>Tech Tips & Tricks
>Sites of the Month
>National Temperature Comparision
>Feature of the Month
>E-Mail Scam
>Internet Classes
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National Temperature Comparison
60 above zero:
Arizonians turn on the heat. People in Alaska plant gardens.
50 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in Fairbanks sunbathe.
40 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start. People in Alaska drive with the windows down.
32 above zero:
Distilled water freezes. The water in Anchorage gets thicker.
20 above zero:
Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats. People in Alaska throw on a flannel shirt.
15 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Alaska have one last cookout before it gets cold.
Zero:
All the people in Miami die. People in Alaska close the windows.
10 below zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico. People in Alaska get out their winter coats.
25 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Alaska are selling cookies door to door.
100 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Alaskan drivers get upset because they can't start the Mini-Van.
460 below zero:
All atomic motion stops. Schools in Alaska will open 2 hours late.
Tech Tips and Tricks
The ability to copy and paste text saves a great deal of keyboarding time
while doing a variety of online activities. For example, you can copy and
paste text from one e-mail message to another. Or copy and paste URLs (web
addresses) from a document into the address bar of your browser. Here are
the steps to take:
Copying Text Using The Windows Operating System
Select the text you would like to copy by doing one of the following:
a) Double click on a single word.
b) Triple click on a line of text to select the whole line.
c) Click at the beginning of a block of text, and while holding down the
mouse button, drag to the end of the text block and release the mouse
button. NOTE: If you let go too soon, you can hold down the "shift" key and
click at the end of the block. This will add what you missed to the
selection.
d) Single click at the beginning of the text block, and while holding down
the "shift" key, click at the end of the text block.
The selected text will appear surrounded by a different color.
Copy the selected text by doing either one of the following:
a) Click on the "Edit" menu and drop down to and select "Copy."
b) Press the "Control" key and the "C" key simultaneously.
This copies the selected text to an invisible clipboard that is stored in
memory (called Random Access Memory or RAM).
Click your cursor arrow in the place you would like to have your copied
text appear.
Paste the copied text into your document by doing either one of the
following:
a) Go to the "Edit" menu and drop down to and select "Paste."
b) Press the "Control" key and the "V" key simultaneously. (Why the "V" key?
It's close to the "C" key.)
Copying Text Using The Macintosh Operating System
Select the text you would like to copy by doing one of the following:
a) Double click on a single word.
b) Triple click on a line of text to select the whole line.
c) Click at the beginning of a block of text, and while holding down the
mouse button, drag to the end of the text block and release the mouse
button. NOTE: If you let go too soon, you can hold down the "shift" key and
click at the end of the block. This will add what you missed to the
selection.
d) Single click at the beginning of the text block, and while holding down
the "shift" key, click at the end of the text block.
The selected text will appear surrounded by a different color.
Copy the selected text by doing either one of the following:
a) Click on the "Edit" menu and drop down to and select "Copy."
b) Press the "Command" key and the "C" key simultaneously
This copies the selected text to an invisible clipboard that is stored in
memory (called Random Access Memory or RAM).
Click your cursor arrow in the place you would like to paste your text.
Paste the copied text into your document by doing either one of the
following:
a) Go to the "Edit" menu and drop down to and select "Paste."
b) Press the "Command" key and the "V" key simultaneously. (Why the "V" key?
It's close to the "C" key.
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Disclaimer
We do not have financial interest in, or endorse, any of the sites, or products offered by the sites, listed in this customer newsletter. No opinions expressed on these sites should be considered to be the opinion of diversiCOM Melrose Telephone Company or it's employees. This is a free service of diversiCOM Melrose Telephone Company to enhance your Internet surfing experience. It is our policy to not share your e-mail address with any third party for any reason.
©2007 Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.