Greetings
This August issue is filled with all kinds of tips to help you do all kinds of things, including outsmart scammers, save money, and make the most of your free time. It starts with a warning about a Windows Live ID scam that's circulating via e-mail, and a reminder to keep up your regular precautions against phishing. You'll also learn about the purpose of an IP address, and find out how to create compressed files and folders. We think you'll also enjoy the variety in our Great Sites section; these resources feature everything from caffeine counts in popular foods to 137 years of content from Popular Science.
Warning! – For Windows Live ID Users
If you receive an e-mail like the one pictured here that appears to be from Microsoft Customer Support, be careful. There are fraudulent e-mails now circulating that have a subject line about confirming your e-mail address for Windows Live ID. They are not from Microsoft as claimed, and are simply part of a phishing scam.
Ironically, the e-mail's message pretends to actually be concerned about the security of your personal information and recommends that you don't click on the links placed in the e-mail. Instead, it says to copy and paste the desired link into your browser's address bar.
Microsoft reminds users that it will never ask you to provide your username, password, date of birth, country, credit card information, or other personal information via e-mail. And you should never enter your password anywhere besides the official Windows Live ID sign-in page.
Here are additional tips to help you avoid phishing scams:
- Your first level of defense is to secure your computer. To do this, keep your firewall turned on and make sure all of your software (including antivirus and antispyware software) is up to date, along with your operating system.
- Do not click on links within an e-mail unless you're absolutely certain about the source, and don't reply to suspicious e-mails.
Scammers know that a small percentage of users will fall for their tricks. Armed with information, you don't need to be one of them.
Build A Website With The Simplicity And Value Of Building Blocks
Maybe your family is planning a reunion; maybe you are launching a new business; or maybe your fly fishing club could use a website. Golden West's Building Blocks out-of-the-box website builder offers an array of templates, colors, themes and add-on applications to make a sharp-looking website for any occasion.
LCM Enviro Solutions, a Custer company that sells environmentally friendly, industrial level cleaning equipment and products, used Building Blocks to create an easily navigated site that includes images, logos and information about their business.
Building Blocks takes the stress out of building a website to promote a special event, such as the Hot Springs Heritage Festival.
If you've ever thought about promoting your ranch with a website, check out the Frei Angus site as an example to follow.
Prices range from 95 cents to $12.95 per month, depending on the complexity of your website, along with potential hosting fees depending on your situation. With Building Blocks, you will enjoy these features:
- A site wizard that walks you through the creation of your website.
- A What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) editor that shows you what your site will look like as you build it.
- Hundreds of designs to choose from, with the ability to upload your own images.
- Analytics to keep track of who is visiting your site, when and for how long.
- A form wizard to help you design forms to communicate with your readers.
- A photo album to organize your pictures.
- For advanced sites, a payment integration system that's compatible with PayPal, Verisign, Authorize.net and 2checkout.
- Google AdSense system to allow you to accept paid advertising.
- The ability to offer maps and driving directions to your readers.
- The ability to allow readers to add their e-mail address to your mailing list.
- 24x7 help desk support.
To take a test drive or to set up your site, visit gwbuildingblocks.com.
This Month's FAQ – What Is An IP Address?
Question: What exactly is an IP address and what is its purpose?
Answer: An Internet Protocol (IP) address is an electronic serial number that takes the form of four numbers separated by dots; an example would be 10.50.50.50. Every machine connected to the Internet—computer or any other Web-enabled device—has a unique IP address. Wherever you browse online, send an e-mail or instant message, or download a file, your IP address functions like a vehicle license plate or a finger print to enforce accountability and traceability. IP addresses are used by routers to forward messages from one computer to another over the Internet.
Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In August
Curb Your Caffeine
www.mayoclinic.com – If you're like most adults, you probably drink some combination of coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks each day. While these beverages can give you a boost, too many of them can be harmful to your health. Mayo Clinic's "caffeine content" site recommends no more than 500 to 600 milligrams of caffeine per day. This helpful site also shows you the amount of caffeine in many popular brands, including foods and medications you might not have considered.
Get It Write
www.paperrater.com – High school and college students will appreciate this handy tool. PaperRater analyzes academic papers for plagiarism, spelling, grammar, style, word choice, and readability. This free service is maintained by linguistics professionals and graduate students, and allows you to correct many common mistakes before you turn in your papers. The site also includes a vocabulary builder and a blog with helpful writing tips. It's like having an English professor at your service 24/7!
137 Years of Popular Science
www.popsci.com – Rocket ships, dinosaurs, sports medicine, computers, and the future of technology—Popular Science has covered it all in its 137 years. Now, the magazine has partnered with Google to offer its entire archive for free browsing. Each issue appears just as it did at its original time of publication, complete with period advertisements. It's a fascinating trip down memory lane for science buffs.
Cool Summer Treats
allrecipes.com – There's nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cool, creamy treat. This site offers dozens of recipes that feature ice cream, including ice cream sandwiches, sherbet, sorbet, and ice cream pies and cakes. For each recipe, you can read reviews, write your own, save to a recipe box, or share with friends. You can also check out videos, and subscribe to the baking newsletter.
Dog-friendly Destinations
www.dogfriendly.com – Remember poor Snoopy being turned away by the sign that read "no dogs allowed"? Don't let this happen to your pooch! This travel site lists accommodations, parks, attractions, stores, and outdoor restaurants where dogs are welcome all over the world. You can search by location (country, city, state), or by destination, such as campgrounds, beaches, attractions, and dog parks. And don't forget to check out the site's blog for the latest dog news.
Short Tutorial – Creating Compressed Files And Folders
Compressing files and folders decreases their size so they take up less storage space and can be transferred to other computers more quickly than uncompressed files. (You might think of this process as the electronic version of using vacuum-compression storage bags for extra clothes or blankets.) It's particularly handy, for example, when you have a long list of files to e-mail to someone, since you'll be able to attach just one compressed (or zipped) folder with everything in it instead of attaching 10 or 12 files individually. To create compressed files and folders, follow the steps below:
Creating Compressed Files and Folders Using ...
Computer Operating System: Windows XP
- Using the "My Computer" method, click your cursor arrow on the "Start" menu and then click on "My Computer."
- When the My Computer window opens, locate the file or folder you would like to compress.
- With the file or folder selected, click on the "File" menu. Select "New" from the resulting drop-down menu and then select "Compressed (zipped) Folder" from the secondary drop-down menu.
- When the compression is complete, your new zipped file will appear; the icon for the file or folder will appear to have a zipper on it. Type a name for the new compressed file and press the "Enter" key.
- Alternately, you can right-click on the file or folder you would like to compress and select "Send To" and then "Compressed (zipped) Folder" from the resulting pop-up menu.
Creating Compressed Files and Folders Using ...
Computer Operating System: Windows Vista
- In Windows Explorer, right-click the file or folder you would like to compress.
- When the pop-up menu appears, select "Send to . . ." and click "Compressed (zipped) folder" from the submenu.
- A compressed file is created using the name of the folder or file you are compressing. The icon for the compressed file or folder looks like a bundle of books with a belt around it to indicate its compressed status. (Note: If you have a separate compression application installed, the icon may look different.)
- You can add files or a folder to an existing compressed folder. Simply drag and drop the files or folder on top of it and the new material is automatically added.
Creating Compressed Files and Folders Using ...
Computer Operating System: Windows 7
- In Windows Explorer, right-click the file or folder you would like to compress.
- Go to "Send to . . ." and click "Compressed (zipped) folder."
- A compressed file is created using the name of the folder or file you are compressing with the file extension ".zip" added to the end. The icon for the compressed file or folder has a zipper on it to indicate its compressed status. (Note: If you have a separate compression application installed, like WinZip, the icon may look different.)
- You can add files or a folder to an existing compressed folder. Simply drag and drop the files or folder on top of it and the new material is automatically added.
Alternate option:
- In Windows Explorer, click to go to the folder in which you would like to create a compressed file. This can be any folder on any drive.
- Right-click anywhere in the pane of Windows Explorer that lists the folders and files. Make sure you do not click on a sub-folder.
- From the pop-up menu, go to "New" and then click "Compressed (zipped) Folder." A compressed folder named "Compressed (zipped) Folder.zip" appears. The icon has the "zipper" image, indicating it is a compressed file. This is an empty compressed file, waiting for you to add material to it.
- Rename the file in some way that is meaningful to you.
- The file now can be treated like any normal folder; you can drag other folders or files into it or out of it. The folders or files you drag into it will be compressed.
Creating Compressed Files and Folders Using ...
Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5
- In the Finder window, click your cursor arrow on the file or folder you would like to compress.
- Click your cursor arrow on the "File" menu and select "Compress '[the name of your file or folder]'" from the resulting drop-down menu.
- When the compression is complete, your new zipped file will appear with the existing file or folder name and will now show the extension ".zip" added to the end of its name. The icon for the file or folder will appear to have a zipper on it.
- Alternately, you can right-click on the file or folder you would like to compress and select "Compress '[the name of your file or folder]'" from the resulting pop-up menu.
Alternate option:
- Click your cursor arrow on the file or folder you would like to compress.
- Right-click your cursor arrow on the selected file or folder and select "Compress '[the name of your file or folder]'" from the resulting drop-down menu.
- When the compression is complete, your new zipped file will appear with the existing file or folder name and will now show the extension ".zip" added to the end of its name. The icon for the file or folder will appear to have a zipper on it.
