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Universal Service
Fund and YOU
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Warning!
Stay Alert For Cashier's Check Scams On Web Purchases
PRTC Announcements
Wireless Sale, F-Secure, & Universal Service
Ask The Help Desk
Can You View More Than One Browser Window At A Time?
Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In October!
Short Tutorial
Adjust Frequency Of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups
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October 2006
Just 4
PRTC Internet Subscribers
Autumn is a great time for exploration. In this spirit, we've filled
October's eNewsletter with new ideas. Find out the latest on cashier's
check scams. Double your efficiency by learning to open two browser
windows at once. And get help personalizing the frequency of your
incoming e-mail pickups. For even more exploration, check out the Great
Sites featured. You can update your view of Pluto, take a stab at
pumpkin carving, prepare to fly through airport security, or even join
the global treasure hunt of geocaching.
The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers
informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their
Internet experience. To meet this goal, each monthly newsletter will
usually contain information related to:
- Warnings on a recent virus, e-mail hoax or security issue that
may affect you
- An update on new services and other local interests
- An answer to a frequently asked Internet related question
- Some fun, seasonal websites to check out
- A short, step-by-step tutorial on an e-mail or browser related
task
We think you'll find the information contained in this newsletter to be
a valuable tool for enhancing your Internet experience. If, however,
you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click
HERE.
To see what's inside this issue, take a look at the index to the left
and thanks for reading!
- The Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative Team
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Warning!
- Stay Alert For Cashier's Check Scams On Web Purchases
Fake cashier's
checks have been used for years by crooks posing as Internet buyers, and new
variations of this scam are also stealing money from unsuspecting victims. If
you sell items online or receive any online requests involving cashier's checks,
pay close attention to this warning.
Here's how a typical cashier's check scam works: You are selling a valuable item
over the Internet such as a car or computer. You receive an e-mail offer through
a relay service with the buyer promising to pay by cashier's check. An
authentic-looking check arrives, but it is made out for several thousand dollars
more than the agreed upon price and the buyer asks you to wire the difference
back. Your bank accepts the check and credits your account for the money so you
wire the extra money back to the seller. But later, the cashier's check turns
out to be counterfeit so you're out both the sold item and the extra money you
sent to the buyer.
Another variation of this scam involves people who become friends through online
chat rooms and e-mail. For example, a man may chat with a woman for a couple of
months (to gain her trust) and then tell her he'd like to move to the country
where she resides. He asks her to get him an apartment, sends a cashier's check
for thousands of dollars, and tells her to wire him back the overpayment. The
check, of course, is counterfeit and any money she wires to him is lost. People
have also been scammed by fake cashier's checks sent to pay for work done at
home, or as an "advance" on a sweepstakes they've supposedly won.
We remind you to be extremely skeptical of a cashier's check from an unfamiliar
source. It may look so authentic that your bank cannot determine if it's fake
until several days or even weeks later. Under federal law, banks have to make
the funds you deposit available quickly — usually within one to five days,
depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money
doesn't mean the check is good — even if it's a cashier's check. It can take
weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.
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PRTC Announcements
- Wireless Sale, F-Secure, & Universal Service
Wireless Sale - Buy One Get One Free Motorola V323
Appalachian Wireless October Special: Purchase the Motorola V323 Camera Phone at
$29.99 and get the second one Free when you sign a 24 month agreement.
Activation fee and 24 month agreement applies. Stop by PRTC to sign up today!
F-Secure - Internet Security from PRTC
All in one solution for your PC. Only $3.99 per month on your PRTC bill!
F-Secure Internet Security with integrated antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall
functions provides your home and small office computer with the best protection
against hackers, viruses, spy-ware and even stealth threats that use special
rootkit-techniques.
Parental Control with a web surfing time lock enables parents to have full
control over Internet usage of their children. Download the all in one data
security solution for your PC!
Visit www.mikrotec.com/prtc to learn
more and to sign up!
Universal Service and You
Did you know that no matter where you live, one of your legally protected rights
as an American is access to affordable telecommunications services?
Our nation's telecommunications laws embrace the philosophy that all Americans,
both urban and rural, are entitled to quality telecommunications services that
are comparable in price and scope. A cornerstone of achieving this goal and
delivering on this promise to the American people is the Universal Service Fund.
Peoples Rural Telephone Cooperative uses universal service funds to build,
maintain and upgrade our telephone networks to provide you with the latest
technologies available at affordable rates. Supporting the principles of
universal service ensures that all communities can connect to the rest of the
world.
As Congress begins to rewrite the nation's telecommunications laws, our company
will advocate to ensure the goal of universal service is protected. You, our
subscribers, reap the benefits of universal service and have a voice in the
debate. For more information on how you can make your voice heard, visit
www.keepamericaconnected.org.
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Ask The Help Desk - Can
You View More Than One Browser Window At A Time?
Question: Is
it possible to view more than one window from my browser at the same time? If
so, how do you do it?
Answer: Yes. Two or more browser windows open on your desk top at the
same time can be helpful when you want to view a new web page without leaving
behind the current one you are viewing. It can be especially beneficial when
comparing information on two or more web pages, such as when you want to do
comparison shopping on multiple e-commerce websites during this holiday season.
To open an additional browser window in Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the
File menu, select "New," and then click "Window." As a shortcut, you can press
the Control (ctrl) key on your keyboard as well as the letter "N" (ctrl+N).
With Mozilla's Firefox Web browser, you can choose to either open a new browser
window or a new tab -- the latter provides a convenient way to access multiple
web pages within a single browser window.
To open a new window in Firefox, go to the File menu and select "New Window." As
in Internet Explorer, the shortcut is CTRL+N. To open a new tab, select "New
Tab" from the File menu or use the CTRL+T shortcut.
To open an additional browser window when using Macintosh’s Safari, select "New
Window" from the File menu. The shortcut is to press the "Command" key (the key
with the apple symbol on it) along with the letter "N" (command+N).
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Great Sites To Check Out This Month
Essential
Reading Before Flying
http://www.tsa.gov/index.shtm -
To check or not to check? We suggest you check out the site of the
Transportation Security Administration before you pack for your next plane trip.
Posted here is the most current and detailed information on airport screening
procedures and baggage contents restrictions. Take a few minutes to review the
rules and you can spare yourself some annoying surprises at the terminal.
Carve Out Time For Pumpkins
http://pumpkincarving101.com -
After you go to the pumpkin patch, make this "cutting edge" site your next stop.
It explains absolutely everything you need to know about pumpkin carving to get
ready for Halloween night. Learn how to select the right pumpkin, which tools to
use, and how to create masterpiece Jack O' Lanterns with the help of stencils.
You'll even get tips on extending the lifespan of your creations and
photographing them successfully.
Discover Geocaching
http://geocaching.com - Searching for
a new hobby? Explore Geocaching — the adventure game for GPS users which began
in 2000. Participants hunt for caches (boxes with a logbook and little
treasures) that have been placed all over the world in both remote locations and
cities. Location coordinates are posted online but the challenge is actually
getting there and finding the cache. When you do, you take an item from the box
and leave one of your own. This official site provides all the directions you'll
need to get started.
Poor Pluto Gets Demoted
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Pluto - On
August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) formally downgraded
Pluto from an official planet to a dwarf planet. Feeling a little sorry for
little Pluto? Find out more at this NASA site, including details on the New
Horizons mission that will reach Pluto in July 2015 - the first visit of its
kind. Scientists hope the long journey will finally answer questions about the
mysterious dwarf planet's surface properties, geology, and atmosphere.
For Fans of College Football
http://fanblogs.com - Forbes.com calls
this "…the best blog dedicated to a single sport." If you're crazy about college
football, you'll want to read the comments posted by other fans (and maybe add a
few of your own). Join the heated discussions, participate in polls, and sign up
for RSS feeds about your favorite college team. It's a site sure to score big
with football fans this fall.
Back to Top
Short Tutorial - Adjust
Frequency Of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups
Most e-mail
software programs are set as a default to check for incoming e-mail messages
every ten minutes. If a message has been received, an e-mail sound alert
notifies the computer user that a message is available for him/her to read. If
these alert notices are too frequent for your liking, the settings can easily be
adjusted. Follow the steps below to change the frequency that your e-mail
software checks for and advises you of new e-mail messages.
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Outlook Express When Using
Windows XP:
- With Outlook Express open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" located on
the menu bar and select "Options" from the drop-down menu.
- When the "Options" window appears, click on the "General" tab.
- Under "Send/Receive Messages," look for the check boxes next to "Play
sound when new messages arrive" and "Check for new messages every (# of
minutes) minute(s)." If you want to turn off the alert sound, uncheck its
check box. If you want to change the frequency of mail pick-ups, either
uncheck its check box or change the number of minutes between pick-ups to a
more suitable number.
- Click on the "Apply" button and click "OK" to close the window.
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Outlook When Using Windows
XP:
- With Outlook open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" located on the
menu bar. Drop down to "Send/Receive" from the drop-down menu and then
"Send/Receive Settings" from the resulting submenu. Then choose "Define
Send/Receive Groups" from the next submenu. Or, if that sounds too
complicated, press on the "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "S" keys.
- When the "Send/Receive Groups" window appears, select the groups you
want to modify in the "Group Name" field or just select "All Accounts" to
make your changes global.
- Look for settings for the group "All Accounts" or the name of the group
you selected and then look for the check box next to "Schedule an automatic
send/receive every (# of minutes) minutes." Change the time in the field to
whatever amount of time seems reasonable.
- Click on the "Close" button to close the "Send/Receive Groups" window.
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Thunderbird 1.0.7 When Using
Windows XP and Thunderbird 1.5 on Mac OS X:
- With Thunderbird open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" located on the
menu bar and drop down to "Account Settings" from the resulting drop-down
menu.
- When the "Account Settings" window opens, click on your account name in
the pane on the left side and, if it has a small "+" (plus sign) next to it,
expand it by clicking on it.
- Click on "Server Settings."
- Under "Server Settings," look for "Check for new messages every (# of
minutes) minutes." Adjust the number of minutes in the field to whatever
amount of time seems reasonable.
- Click "OK."
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Netscape 7.2 When Using
Windows XP and Mac OS X:
- With Netscape Mail open, click your cursor arrow on "Edit" located on
the menu bar and drop down to "Mail & Newsgroups Account Settings" from the
resulting drop-down menu.
- When the "Account Settings" window opens, click on your account name in
the pane on the left side. If the arrow next to the account name is pointing
to the right, click on it so that it points down and expands to show the
server settings.
- Click on "Server Settings."
- Under "Server Settings," look for "Check for new messages every (# of
minutes) minutes." Adjust the number of minutes in the field to whatever
amount of time seems reasonable.
- Click "OK."
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Mail.app 2.0 When Using
Macintosh OS X:
- With Mail.app open, click your cursor arrow on "Mail" located on the
menu bar and select "Preferences" from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the "General" button on the button bar at the top of the
window.
- Find the item labeled "Check for new mail:" and set the interval by
clicking on the menu to the right.
- Click the red dot in the upper left hand corner of the window to close
it.
Adjust Frequency of Incoming E-mail Pick-ups in Entourage 2004 When Using
Macintosh OS X:
- With Entourage open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" located on the
menu bar and select "Schedules" from the drop-down menu.
- Find the schedule named "Send and Receive all" and double click on it.
- When the "Edit Schedule" window opens, click on the button under the
heading "When" and select the time interval that seems best to you.
- Click "OK" to close the window.
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We hope you found
this newsletter to be informative. It's our way of keeping you posted on the
happenings here. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a
monthly basis, click HERE.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards,
Peoples Rural Telephone
Cooperative
Peoples Rural Telephone
Hwy 421 South
McKee, KY 40447
606-287-7101
(We have used our best efforts in collecting and preparing the information
published herein. However, we do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any and all
liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such
errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident, or other causes.)
©2006
Cornerstone Publishing Group Inc.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this eNewsletter are trade
names, service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
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