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Scam Alert – Don't Fall For Free Gift Card Scams
The Better Business
Bureau is the latest established brand to be used by scammers to promote fake
gift cards online. (Others have included Wal-Mart, Target, Starbucks, and
Best Buy.) As tempting as these offers appear, especially with the holiday
shopping season approaching, don't bother trying to redeem them. They're just
tricks to collect consumer data; you won't receive the free gift card
promised. 
It works like this: The recipient receives an email, claiming to be from the
established brand, stating that he/she has been issued a gift card worth a
certain dollar amount. To receive this gift card free of charge, the
recipient is told to immediately go to a website and provide information such
as age, street address, email address, and phone number. Don't fall for it.
You would be giving out personal information and receiving nothing but more
spam in return.
In addition, experts warn that used, counterfeit, and fraudulent gift cards
are frequently being sold on auction websites. For this reason, don't buy
gift cards from auction websites; it's not worth the risk of ending up with a
worthless piece of plastic. Only buy gift card directly from the store or
from a secure retailer's website.
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Understanding The Rural Call Completion Issue
 Are long-distance calls not getting through
to you? Many people in rural America are experiencing intermittent problems
receiving long-distance phone calls from across the country. You may have
encountered any of the following:
- Someone tells you he/she tried to call you but the
call didn't get through, or the caller heard ringing but you didn't.
- A call came through to you but the quality was poor.
- A call came through but the Caller ID was incorrect.
The problem starts
with the long-distance carrier used by the customer who makes the call, and
can only be resolved by this carrier. Local telecommunications providers,
such as Moapa Valley Telephone, are not
the cause of the problem. We strive to provide excellent service at all
times, and are as frustrated as you are by the illegal practices of some
long-distance carriers and their agents.
Action is currently being taken by the FCC and its Rural Call Completion Task
Force.
Most recently, the Wireline Competition Bureau issued a Declaratory Ruling to
clarify the FCC's stated prohibition on actions taken by companies that may
restrict telephone traffic in any way. This ruling reminds long-distance
carriers that it is illegal to block, choke or reduce long distance traffic
and that this prohibition also includes any practices that lead to call
termination or call quality problems as well. Click
on this link for more information on the call completion issue or to file
a complaint with the FCC. We'll continue to monitor this situation and keep
you updated. As always, please call us at 397-2601 or send an email to customerservice@mvtel.com if you
have concerns or questions.
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Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To
Miss
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Flash Mob Brings
Joy To Many
Oh, the joy of it all! To celebrate the 130th anniversary of the founding
of Banco Sabadell (a bank in Sabadell, Spain), this flash mob of 100
professional musicians and singers performed "Ode to Joy" to the
delight of the surprised crowd.
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Wheelchair Goes
Underwater
Wheelchair-bound since 1996, Sue Austin got help from dive experts to
modify her wheelchair so she could explore the wonders of the ocean while
seated. This dream-like video shows Austin piloting through the water past
colorful ocean life.
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This Month's FAQ – How Do I Make Sure My Firewall Is On?
 Question: When reading about computer security, I often see the advice
to "make sure your firewall is on." What exactly is a firewall and
how do I make sure mine is on?
Answer: A firewall is the primary method for keeping a computer secure
from intruders. It allows or blocks traffic into and out of a private network
or the user's computer. A personal firewall typically comes with, or is
installed in, computers.
To check the status of your firewall and turn it on if needed, follow these
steps:
For Windows
1. Open Windows Firewall by clicking the
"Start" button, clicking "Control Panel," clicking
"Security," and then clicking "Windows Firewall."
2. Click "Turn Windows Firewall on or
off." If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation,
type the password or provide confirmation.
3. Click "On," and then click
"OK."
If you want the
firewall to block everything, including the programs selected on the
Exceptions tab, select the "Block all incoming connections" check
box.
For Mac OS X 10.6 and later
1. From the Apple menu, select "System
Preferences..." When the System Preferences window appears, from the
View menu, select "Security & Privacy" (10.7 and later) or
"Security" (10.6).
2. Click the "Firewall" tab.
3. If the orange padlock icon in the lower-left
side of the window is closed, click it, and then authenticate with your Mac's
administrator username and password. This will allow you to make changes.
4. Click "Turn On Firewall" (10.7 and
later) or "Start" (10.6) to enable the firewall.
5. To configure the firewall, click
"Firewall Options..."(10.7 and later) or "Advanced..."
(10.6). In the sheet that appears, choose from the following options:
o For the strictest setting, check "Block
all incoming connections."
o Check "Automatically allow signed
software to receive incoming connections" to allow digitally signed
applications access to your network without prompting.
o Click "Enable stealth mode" to
have your computer ignore pings and similar software that attempts to
discover your computer.
o Use the plus and minus buttons to add and
remove applications from the firewall. When added, you can either allow or
block traffic to them.
6. Click "OK" to save your settings.
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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In October
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 What's On The Way?
onthewayapp.com – Visit this
site for help planning the stops on your next roadtrip. Simply enter the
city you're starting from and your final destination, and you'll see a
choice of routes. Pick one and up pops a map along with a list of stores,
restaurants, and tourist attractions for each leg along the way.
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 Boo-tiful Halloween Costumes
spoonful.com – If you
need some "scary good" ideas for Halloween costumes, check out
this resource. From Rapunzel to a Washing Machine, you're sure to find a
costume that fits your child's personality (and your crafting abilities).
There are even last-minute outfits that can be thrown together fast.
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 Fall Recipes You'll Fall For
simplyrecipes.com – The
leaves are changing and so should your recipes in order to take advantage
of foods that celebrate the fall season. Browse through this recipe
collection for dishes including Apple Cranberry Pie, Butternut Squash
Risotto, and Spicy Pumpkin Soup.
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 Free Credit Score And More
www.creditkarma.com – Credit
Karma provides truly free credit scores to consumers, along with related
tools. Learn how you measure up to national averages and get advice on how
to raise your credit score. You can also access offers that could save you
money on your credit cards, auto loan, and more.
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 Yesterday's Technology
retronaut.co – This
site's slogan is, "The past is a foreign country. This is your
passport." Take a trip back in time to see technological tidbits such
as a 1949 radio hat, a 1984 Macintosh computer ad, and a 1969 film
predicting what telecommunications would be like in the 1990s.
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Short Tutorial – Tips For Successfully Uploading A Video On
YouTube
Perhaps you're now a
pro at uploading photos on Facebook but haven't yet ventured into the realm
of posting videos on YouTube. It's pretty easy to do and well worth the
effort. After all, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a moving
video must be worth at least a million. So capture those precious moments at
the next family gathering and then review the basic tips below. You can get
more detailed
instructions on uploading by clicking here: 
- Use a modern browser. Users with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox,
and Internet Explorer with Silverlight have the most success.
- Use a supported file format. Only video files are accepted, while audio and image
files must be converted to video. Do not upload files types such as
.WOB, .IFO and .BUP, which are not actual video files.
- Do not use HTML tags, special characters, or
excessive text in the video title or any of
the other fields.
- Upload videos in their original resolution. Videos should be uploaded at the highest resolution
available. Videos uploaded with a 16:9 aspect ratio will fit the player
perfectly. Most 4:3 resolutions are supported, but the video will be
pillarboxed in order to fit the player.
- Upload videos in original quality whenever possible. If you do not need to edit your video, simply upload
the unaltered original recording for optimal quality.
- Upload videos with identical Audio/Video durations. Audio and Video tracks should begin and end at
exactly the same time.
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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,
click here.
Thanks for your business!
Best regards
Brad Lyon
Internet Manager
Moapa Valley Telephone Company
183 S Anderson St
Overton, NV 89040
702-397-2601
©2012 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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