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Scam Warning – Beware Of Tax-Related Emails
 Tax season can be frustrating enough; don't
make it worse by falling victim to a tax-related email scam. Each year
cybercriminals use a variety of ploys to try to convince nervous taxpayers to
reveal personal information. One currently circulating scam uses the name of
a legitimate tax preparation software company—Turbo Tax.
The phony email tells recipients they need to upgrade their software in order
to be in compliance with new tax laws. It also provides a link which leads to
a fake (but legitimate-looking) website. At this point, recipients may be
asked to enter personal information to confirm they're the software holder;
the cybercriminals then use this information to file tax returns and have
refunds sent to them.
To protect yourself:
- Always check on the legitimacy of the tax preparation
service you are going to use.
- If you receive an email from any tax preparation
software company, do not open it or click on any link. If you actually
need a software upgrade, go directly to the company's secure site.
On a related note,
keep in mind that the IRS does NOT send unsolicited email about tax
account matters to taxpayers. If you should receive an email claiming to be
from the IRS, DO NOT REPLY, CLICK ON ANY LINKS, OR PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION.
Visit
the IRS website for more about reporting and identifying IRS email scams.
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Visiting The SuperNAP Facility
Hi this is Brad from
MVT Internet. Every month I get to write this section of our Newsletter and
this month I want to write about my recent visit to Switch's SuperNAP
facility in Las Vegas.
A NAP is a Network Access Point or the place to be if you need to access the
Internet and want a lot of choices. It is called the SuperNAP because it is
big. It is in the top 10 in size in the world and you can fit ten football
fields inside it. To gain entrance, the first thing I needed to do was to get
past security. Since MVT Internet is a customer and has had equipment located
inside the NAP since early 2009, I have an access badge. I can't go into
details as to the process of gaining access, but it does require getting past
armed guards, a "man-trap," and bio scans. Once inside I'm allowed
to go to a sector that contains our equipment rack. From our equipment rack,
we have the option of gaining access to any of the major Internet providers—
think of it as the Internet's "Chicago O'Hare." This kind of access
gives our customers the best Internet experience.
So the next time you watch a Netflix movie, it is most likely being sourced
right from the SuperNAP. Perhaps you are playing a game over the Internet;
chances are it's on a direct flight right out of the SuperNAP. All this is
made possible because of MVT's fiber optic connection into Las Vegas.
Click
here to watch an Interesting video on the construction of the SuperNAP.
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Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos You Don't Want To
Miss
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Baby's First
Technology Lesson
A baby shows how, for her generation, technology is the rule rather than
the exception. After using an iPad, she expects a magazine to work the same
way. This "sign of the times" was picked by Mashable, a leading
digital news website, as one of the top videos of 2011.
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Cobra Weave Stick
Bomb
Looking for something to do at home on the next snowy day? This fun video
shows plain old popsicle sticks transformed into a cool, multicolored,
exploding "cobra weave stick bomb." The stick bomb shown uses
1,000 sticks; the world record, as of 2011, is over 5,000!
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This Month's FAQ – What Is A Meme?
Question: I've heard the term "meme" used
to describe photos and videos but I'm not sure what it means. What is a meme,
exactly?
 Answer:
In general terms, a meme (pronounced meem) is a cultural idea that is passed
from person to person. Just about any piece of information that gets passed
throughout the population or down through the generations (such as the ability
to start a fire, the invention of the phone, a welding process, a fashion
trend, a joke, or a catch phrase) is considered a meme. The collection of all
memes is the basis of culture.
An Internet meme is a particular kind—a meme that's transmitted online in the
form of videos, songs, photos, or Photoshop-enhanced images. Often times,
these memes are humorous in tone and created in response to something
happening in the news. Examples include the "Pepper Spraying Cop" and
"Tebowing."
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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In February
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 Mardi Gras Recipes
allrecipes.com – Get
ready for Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras by visiting this site. It's loaded with
recipes and videos for all your Cajun favorites including gumbo, dirty
rice, blackened catfish, and king cake. Many of these recipes are highly
rated by readers who have tried them. Check out the reviews, add recipes to
your recipe box, or share favorites with friends.
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 Watch Flights In Progress
flightaware.com – Next time
you’re picking someone up at the airport, visit this sophisticated flight
tracking site, which offers detailed information on the status of
commercial flights. Just enter the flight specifics and see a map that
shows the flight in progress. While you’re there, check out the home page
for at-a-glance delay news and the photo section for dazzling aircraft
shots.
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 Free Credit Tools
quizzle.com – Just like going to
the doctor periodically for a checkup, you need to track your credit to
understand your financial health. This site, recommended by CNN, The
Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, provides tools and
information to help you better understand your credit. Get a free credit
report, free credit score, credit improvement suggestions, and more.
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 Build Your Vocabulary
vocabulary.com – Quick, what
does “adumbrate” mean? Not sure? Then you’ll want to check out this website
to learn this word and more like it. The site offers a fun way to improve
your vocabulary by answering multiple-choice questions. If you sign up for
an account, the site will track your vocabulary and present new words you
probably don’t already know.
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 Panoramic Travel Views
tourwrist.com – This
innovative site lets you take a 360° look at all kinds of travel spots and
events worldwide. The 360° experience allows you to see these locations
like you’ve never seen them before. When you find something you like, the
site makes it easy to share through social media or email. You can even
create an account to shoot and post your own panoramic views.
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Short Tutorial – Setting Up Your Facebook Timeline
Timeline is Facebook's new way of presenting you to the world and is the most
radical change in the history of the site. Whether you're ready or not,
Facebook has begun the mandatory Timeline rollout. Here's what to do to learn
more about it and manage the content of your new timeline:
1. Log in to your Facebook account.
2. Go to www.facebook.com/about/timeline.
You'll learn the basics of Timeline and see examples of what this feature can
look like. At the bottom of this page, there may be a box showing which of
your Facebook friends has signed up for Timeline.
3. Click "Get Timeline." You'll have
seven days to preview your timeline before other people can see it. You can
use this time to add a cover, fill in life events, and star important
stories. Until your timeline goes live, people will see your old profile.
4. To add a cover image to your timeline, go to
your timeline and click "Add a Cover." Choose whether you want to
upload a new photo or pick a photo from one of your existing photo albums.
(Note: Your cover image has to be at least 720 pixels wide.) Once you choose
a photo, you can reposition it by clicking on the image and dragging it up or
down. When you're satisfied with your cover image, click "Save."
5. Scroll down on your timeline and edit or
remove any items you don't want shown. Do that by holding your cursor over
the upper right of the item you want to edit and then make your choice on the
drop-down list.
6. From that list, you can change the date of
the item, add a location, hide it from the timeline, delete the post
altogether, or report it/mark it as spam.
7. If you'd like to "feature" any of
the posts, click on the star icon to the left of the pencil icon and that
item will be expanded all the way across the page, made larger for all your
friends to see.
8. Once you're satisfied with all the edits
you've made, go back to the top of the Timeline and click "Publish
Now." After seven days, your timeline will be published automatically.
Be aware that once
you start the Timeline process, there's no going back. Since some users don't
like the change, scammers are preying on people desperate to get rid of
Timeline and revert back to the old Facebook Profile layout. Scammers are
creating Facebook Pages filled with deceptive instructions that promise users
the ability to go through such a rollback if they complete a series of
actions such as inviting friends to "Like" a page or watching
YouTube videos. Don't fall for these scams! They will not magically make you
more powerful than Facebook.
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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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