INews Newsletter - Sep 13, 2004
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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 7, Number 2 September 13, 2004
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: Computers: No Longer A Pain in the Neck
IN Proudly Presents: Hotspots!
Good News for Alltel-Area DSL Customers
Kids Can Surf, Too!
Windows XP Service Pack 2
Referral Credits
Mr. Internet
*** Safe Computing Means More than just a Virus Scanner ***
In today's world, one cannot help but sit at a computer for many hours on
end at work, or home. As the world spends more and more time in front of a
computer monitor, health problems related to computer work are cropping up
with increasing frequency. These range from Repetitive Stress Injuries (or
RSIs, of which carpal tunnel syndrome is just one of many) to vision and
back problems. These injuries are avoidable, however, and by making sure
you do just a few simple things, many years of pain can be avoided.
The most important thing to remember for someone who works on computer for
extended periods is to use good posture. Your posture can only be as good
as the equipment allows it to be. Most office type desks and chairs today
are highly adjustable to be able to meet the needs of many different
individuals. However, many people do not know how to adjust their
furniture, and even if they do, they may not have it adjusted correctly.
By following a few simple guidelines, you can get your work area adjusted to
provide maximum comfort and support for those long hours in front of the
computer.
1. Get a chair with a seat that adjusts both vertically and tilts
fore-and-aft, a back height adjustment, and adjustable tilting tension.
Adjust this chair so that it is comfortable for you, sitting straight up
with your feet flat on the floor. Do not slouch in your chair, as this can
cause permanent and serious damage to your back if done for long periods of
time. Make sure you know how to adjust your chair, as a good chair
adjusted poorly does no good at all.
2. Adjust the height of your work area so that they keyboard and mouse
are at a comfortable height. You do not want your wrists resting on a
surface in front of the keyboard. The keyboard and mouse should be
easy to reach, not at an awkward height, and be directly in front of
your body. Many computer desks today have an adjustable keyboard/mouse
pull-out tray. These are highly recommend, as long as both keyboard
and mouse can fit together on the tray.
3. Adjust the height of your monitor so that your eyes are level with
the top of the display. This will ensure that your neck is not bending
in unnatural ways in order for you to see your screen.
4. If you are transcribing a document, keep it as close to the monitor as
possible so you do not have to move your head far when looking back and
forth from the document to the monitor.
Eye strain, headaches, and impaired vision are another concern when
dealing with long-term repetitive computer use. Once again, long term
health problems can be avoided by following some simple guidelines.
These problems are commonly caused by improper illumination of the work
area which results in glare. Both glare from direct sunlight and
lighting fixtures can cause problems.
Many offices are lit too brightly for computer use, which may be a legacy
of the days when paperwork required lots of light. An NIOSH (National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) study has shown that 200-500
lux is the preferred light range for typical office work. If the area is
too dark for reading documents and other paperwork, a desk light can
properly illuminate the rest of the work area. Not only will reducing
overhead lighting reduce the glare from computer screens, but it can also
significantly reduce energy bills.
Finally, frequent breaks and regular exercise can greatly reduce the
risk of computer related injury. Working in the same position for too
long can cause tension buildup and can increase the risk of repetitive
motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. To help with this
problem, change postures from time to time, but try to avoid
slouching. Perform other work away from the computer when you can.
Intersperse your computer work with other work, and if you need to be
at the computer for more than an hour at a time, try to take a 5-10
minute break every hour from the computer.
So, remember, adjust your work area so that you have proper working
posture, put the monitor at a height that is easy to see, make sure
that your work area is properly lit, and take frequent breaks from
computer work. By following these few simple suggestions, you could
save yourself years of pain and discomfort in front of your computer.
*** Internet Nebraska Hotspots Arrive ***
Internet Nebraska is now offering high-speed wireless access in select
public areas in the city of Lincoln! Our first hotspot provides service
throughout the Lincoln Airport, meeting the access needs for travelers
both to and from Lincoln.
If you have a wireless-capable laptop or handheld device running 802.11b or
802.11g, and any high-speed Internet Nebraska account, you can access the
Internet for free at any of our hotspot locations. That means if you have
a subscription to DSL, IN cable Internet access, wireless, or SpeedDial,
you're on the Net at no additional charge. Just launch your browser, log
in with your username and password, and you're ready to go.
Don't have an IN high speed connection? Hourly and daily service is
available by credit card.
If you have a regular IN dial-up account and want hotspot access, give our
desk a call at 434-8680, and try SpeedDial for only $2/month. Signing up
for SpeedDial will get you on the hotspot network, and when you get back
home, download the SpeedDial software for dial-up access up to 5 times
faster.
WEP is available at our hotspot networks for increased security, too.
For the key, just grab a setup instruction card from one of our displays.
We have several new hotspots coming soon, and we're excited about
partnering with proprietors of hotels, coffee houses, restaurants, and
bars. We have some attractive options available to qualified applicants
who want to offer wireless Internet access to their customers. Please let
us know if you or someone you know would be a good host candidate, and
encourage your favorite places to call with inquiries.
*** 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/
*** Alltel DSL Users Get Upload Speed Bump ***
Over the next few weeks, Alltel will be increasing the upload speeds on
two of its DSL offerings. DSL Lite speeds will increase from their
current 256k download / 64k upload to 256k download / 128k upload.
Tier-1 speeds will be increased to 1.5mb download / 384k upload from
their existing 1.5mb download / 128k upload.
These upload speed changes will greatly benefit those upload or e-mail
pictures, video, and large business documents such as databases and
presentations. On-line gamers will also benefit from the increased
upload bandwidth with lower ping times during intense play.
If you're still using dial-up, these new speeds combined with some
outstanding promotions make this the perfect time to switch to DSL. Alltel
is offering your first year of your DSL line for $14.95/mo (regularly
$29.95/mo), and Internet Nebraska is offering Internet access for just
$9.95 for the first 6 months (regularly $19.95). That's your first 6
months of DSL Internet access for a total of $24.90/mo, and your second 6
months for just $34.90.
Sign a one year contract and pay no activation fee (a $100 value) and get a
free DSL modem (a $99 value) for a total savings of $439 your first year!
(All promotions are for new DSL customers only.)
*** Kids Can Surf Too ***
The Internet holds countless sites devoted to an almost unlimited variety
of topics. Though most sites are geared toward an adult's interests,
children haven't been forgotten. With just a little bit of searching, a
tremendous amount of kid-friendly web pages are open for almost any child
of any age.
For the youngest net surfing kid, two sites lead the pack for fun,
friendliness, and easy navigation. PBS Kids at http://pbskids.org and
Noggin at http://www.noggin.com have plenty to do for your preschool-aged
kid. Filled with sights and sounds, with characters from their favorite
TV shows, these sites are both entertaining and educational, and won't
bombard your kid with advertising or material inappropriate for young
kids.
For school-aged kids, Discovery Kids at http://kids.discovery.com makes
science and learning fun. FirstGov for Kids at http://www.kids.gov is a
fantastic kids portal, which is sponsored by the US government. It has
a plethora of links to web pages, all organized into topics such as space,
geography, computers, and more.
All kids like to play games, and the Net has plenty of sites devoted to
games. Games Kids Play at http://www.gameskidsplay.net is a great site
which has rules for many different playground games, such as Freeze Tag
and Hide and Seek. PlayKidsGames at http://www.playkidsgames.com and
KidsDomain at http://www.kidsdomain.com/games have lots of online
activities for kids of varying ages. Note that many game sites require
Macromedia Flash to play their online games.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. No matter what your child's age or
interests, there's a web site for him or her that's kid-friendly and fun.
*** 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
*** Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Updates ***
After much anticipation, Microsoft has officially released Service Pack
2 (SP2 for short). Service packs generally offer larger bug fixes and
more enhancements than regular Windows updates. These service packs,
in turn, are also much larger in size than regular, individual updates,
as they fix or enhance multiple portions of Windows. But the download
is worth the time, as your computer will be better off than without the
updates, and you will have increased stability and better security.
The following is a brief overview of the enhancements of Windows XP SP2:
* Easier to use and more powerful security settings with the new Security
Center
* A more advanced and better Windows Firewall, now enabled by default
* Block pop-up ads in Internet Explorer and allow greater control as to what
add-on programs can be included
* Increased security and virus protection in Outlook Express
* Enhanced, user-friendlier wireless support
In addition to the above enhancements, Microsoft also includes many
driver and software updates as well as increasing overall security.
For full product details and other SP2 information, please feel free to
visit the official listing on Microsoft's website below.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx
To install SP2:
The easiest way is with Automatic Updates. Many of our customers will
have already gotten the notification that SP2 is available. One
simply needs to be sure SP2 is selected and then click the "Download"
button. If Automatic updates are not enabled you can do so by going to
the Control Panel (Start --> Control Panel) and selecting and opening
Automatic Updates. One can also use Internet Explorer to get SP2, and
any other Windows updates for that matter, by going to the Windows
Update site by clicking on Tools --> Windows Update. The Windows
Update site can also be typed manually into the Address bar:
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com . Just follow the prompts on the
screen to download and install.
DSL, wireless, and Cable customers should be able to download and install
SP2 in around an hour. For our dial-up customers, this process could
easily take several hours. If you are having difficulties getting SP2 or
want a faster option if you are on dial-up, you can order SP2 free of
charge directly from Microsoft at the following site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx
As always, if you have any questions at all, please feel free to give our
friendly help desk a call.
*** 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.
*** Referral Credit Program ***
Our Referral Credit Program has been immensely popular since we first
introduced it way back in 1999. Many additional services have been
added since then as well as the number of communities Internet Nebraska
reaches. We would like to take this opportunity to remind our old
customers and tell our newer customers about the benefits of this
program. Refer a new customer to us and you will receive a referral
credit worth a whopping $19.95 to the balance of your account!
As with all things, some restrictions apply. There are three
conditions for receiving a referral credit:
1) The referred account must be a new sign up.
2) The new account's first term must be valued at $19.95 or more.
3) The new account's first term must be paid within 90 days.
Referral Credits may not be combined with other offers/discounts. The
credit is non-transferable and may not be converted to cash. (Cable
modem customers please note the credit is applied towards IN provided
services and can not be used to credit your cable bill.)
If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to call
the help desk or email accounts@inebraska.com.
*** 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. Mr. Internet, I need virus protection but I don't want to pay
to keep my virus scanner up to date. Is there any other solution?
A. A company called AVG anti-virus has a virus scanner that is free
for personal use. It's available here:
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/2/
Norton also offers a free virus scan tool online at
http://www.sarc.com . Click on the "Check for Security Risks" link
about halfway down the page. Note that this just scans you computer
for virus but does not actually remove them.
Finally, McAfee distributes a tool called Stinger which scans for, and
removes, 50 of the most common viruses. It is available on Internet
Nebraska's website: http://www.inebraska.com/software/utils/stinger.exe
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.