Be Alert!
Bogus Holiday eCards May Bring Bad Tidings

Candlelight Christmas
Mark Your Calendars!

Hartelco Computers Has HOT Deals for Candlelight Christmas
Open Late on Nov 20th

Easy Holiday Shopping
Give a Gift That Lasts All Year

Preserve Your Files
A Great New Service

Another Great Gift Idea
Photophone - Find Out More

Get HBO or Cinemax
Free Installation

Class C-2 Playoffs
Creighton visits on Tuesday

Is it H1N1 or a Cold?
Check This Handy Chart

Ask the Help Desk?
How Can I Streamline My Online Searches?

Local Website of the Month
And this month's site is...

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In November

Short Tutorial
Placing Photos Into Message Pane Of Holiday E-mails

WEBSITE COMPASS ONLINE
Your Guide To Understanding The Internet

Hello Hartel.net Subscribers!

During this hectic time of year, racing through the week becomes common for many of us. So in our November issue, we try to help you make the most of every minute. One thing you don't want to race through is maintaining your computer security. We begin with a reminder of how to prevent becoming the victim of cyber criminals that send bogus, and potentially harmful, e-cards. You'll also get tips for speeding up online searches, and learn to quickly place a photo in the message pane of an e-mail. As always, check out the Great Sites links to go straight to valuable tools and information you may need this month.

The goal of each of our monthly eNewsletters is to keep our subscribers informed regarding their Internet connection and to improve their Internet experience. We think you'll find this information interesting. If, however, you'd prefer not to receive these bulletins on a monthly basis, click here.

To see what's inside this issue, simply scroll down the eNewsletter or click on the links within the index to the left. Thanks for reading!

- The Hartel.net Team
 

Cyber criminals take advantage of the increased number of legitimate e-cards sent during the holiday season to send out their own fraudulent, and potentially damaging, e-cards. These spammed messages may try to lure you into clicking on malicious links in order to compromise your PC with a Trojan horse or virus.

Be extra vigilant in the weeks ahead when you get an e-mail claiming, "You've received an e-card," unless you're certain it's from a trusted friend or family member. It only takes a moment to check out an e-card, and it could save you hours of headaches:

• Examine the e-card notification closely before clicking on any links contained within it. Are there typos in the message? Does it lack a personalized greeting that identifies you by name? Those are warning signs.
• Look at the link you're asked to click on in order to receive the e-card. If it ends in ".exe," it's an executable file—a file that automatically executes code to install and run programs and routines. A legitimate e-card will not have an executable file, so seeing one is evidence of a scam. Do not click on the link.
• Check the headers of the e-mail to see if the Web address is different from the one displayed in your Inbox. If it is, this is another warning sign.

Should you receive an e-card notification containing one or more of these "red flags," do not click on the link. Simply delete the e-mail from your Inbox. In addition, continue to follow these basic security precautions:

• Use a firewall.
• Use antivirus and antispyware software and keep it up to date.
• Never download or click on anything from any unknown source.
• Don't accept an end-user agreement without reading the fine print first; you might inadvertently agree to install spyware or something else you don't want.

Exchanging holiday e-cards can be a wonderful part of the season. Just make sure you keep your eyes open before you open those e-card links.

The Hartington Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the 9th annual Candlelight Christmas on Friday November 20th in downtown Hartington.

Events kickoff at 4:00 with a Courthouse Dedication including special guest Governor Dave Heineman. The courthouse will also host an Open House from 4:00 - 8:30pm.

The Hartington Library will also have an Open House from 5:30 till 8:00, and from 6-7pm are Living Christmas scenes in downtown store windows.

At 6:30pm is Christmas caroling on the steps of the auditorium, at 6:45 local clergy will speak on the "Reasons for the Season", and at 7:00pm the Lighted Vehicle Parade will begin. Please note that Santa always has a great float for the parade!

Other events include an Open House at the Senior Citizens Center with refreshments, Nissen Wines having wine tasting, a chili feed downtown, and much more.

Stores will remain open late, so mark your calendars get your Christmas shopping done early, and be sure to get your lighted float ready for November 20th parade!

If you're looking for a great deal on a new PC, Nov 20th is the day to visit us as we're slashing prices and having special prices throughout the day for Candlelight Christmas! See demonstrations of all these types of computers in our lobby on November 20th.

Please stop by in the evening of November 20th before or after the Lighted Vehicle Parade for some refreshments and cookies. We're located just a half block west of the courthouse at 103 West Centre Street.

Hartelco Computers - Getting It Right the First Time!

• Voice Mail for that friend that you can never get in touch with
• HBO or Cinemax for those long cold winter months
• Boost someone's DSL speed to a higher speed -- they'll love it
• Pay for basic Cable TV for someone you love
• Flash drives, laptops, plus many other items from Hartelco Computers
• Caller ID with a Caller ID box makes a great gift
• Buy a reliable landline corded phone in case power goes out during a winter storm
• Get Online Backup for protection from losing valuable family photos
• Give Call Screening to anyone who is annoyed by telemarketing calls

Stop by today at 103 W Centre and make quick work of your Christmas shopping.

• Your files are copied to data vaults outside the Hartington area.
• Your files are safe from fires, tornados, or other disasters.
• Your files are encrypted so hackers can't crack the security.
• Automatic scheduling for ease of use and no worries.
• Less expensive than tape-backup systems.
• Access 24/7 to restore your data.

A Photophone combines a 7" digital picture frame with a cordless phone. It's easy to use most types of memory cards to load hundreds of pictures into the picture display, plus you can "pair" pictures with Caller ID so that when your family, relatives, or friends call you, their picture pops up on the digital picture frame so you immediately know who's calling!

Photophones are priced at only $55.00 plus tax. Just stop by our office at 103 W Centre Street and demo the Photophone on our front desk today.

With HBO or Cinemax, there's never any late return fees, plus you get new release movies and original series programming!

Keep warm during those long winter months by getting HBO or Cinemax, and you won't need to venture out to return movie rentals.

Hartelco TV is clearly your best entertainment value around.

 

Kickoff is set for 6:00pm on Tuesday, November 10th at the Hartington Community Complex. Both teams are 8-2 on the year, with Creighton losing by one point in overtime to Ponca and also to Oakland-Craig 27-15. Ponca and Oakland-Craig were the only two teams Creighton played with winning records during the regular season, but Creighton knocked off #1 seed Elm Creek to advance to the quarterfinal game against the Trojans.

Hartelco will again bring you the live audio broadcast of the game. This game will be courtesy of KVTK radio in Yankton. Just go to www.hartel.net and click "Listen Live". A link will appear once the webstreaming begins, approximately 20-30 minutes prior to the kickoff, or 5:30.

Hartelco TV Channel 13 will also have audio of the game. Good luck Trojans!

Question: It seems like it takes too long for me to find exactly what I'm looking for when I Google a topic. Do you have any tips on how to speed up the search process and make it more efficient?

Answer: Amid the growing Web clutter, it has become increasingly more challenging to wade through pages of search results to find the specific information you're really after. If you typically use search queries of just one or two words, try expanding the number to include additional words that more clearly define your parameters. Google also suggests the following:

• Know what to eliminate. If you don't want a particular word to appear in your search results, use a minus sign right before that word. For example, if you want information on Paris, France, but you're not interested in Paris Hilton or Paris, Texas, use the query [Paris -Hilton -Texas].
• Get to definitions quickly. Type in “define” followed by a word, and Google gives definitions from a variety of sources.
• Narrow your sites. Let's say you want to read up on the economic stimulus but avoid news stories and commentary from bloggers. Search www.google.com/unclesam and your results will include content only from sites that end in .gov. Google also allows you to specify that your search results must come from a given website. For example, the query [iraq site:nytimes.com] will return pages about Iraq but only from nytimes.com.

For more search tips, you can visit http://google.com/support/websearch

Big Red Insurance / Cedar Security Insurance

Cedar Security Insurance Agency opened their doors in August, 1985, as an independent insurance agency. Next year we will celebrate 25 years in business. 

The main office is in Wynot, NE, across the street from Cedar Security Bank. In 2002, we purchased the Big Red Insurance Agency in Hartington, which is currently located within the Cedar Security Bank building. Last year we included Fordyce, with a new licensed health and life agent.

Cedar Security Insurance and Big Red Insurance are two agencies working as one for you, the insured. Our goal is to provide you with the best rates and coverage and the ease of having an agent near you.

Check out our link on www.cedarsecurity.com. Click on Cedar Security/Big Red Insurance (left hand side) and learn more about us.

Back to Top

Common Sense Media
http://commonsensemedia.org - Common Sense Media is an organization that recognizes how prevalent media is—enough to become "the other parent" in kids' lives. Their website addresses the situation by providing information and reviews about movies, games, websites, TV, books, and music. You can search by age (2-17) or by media, and there are special sections for parents and educators. Check out community discussions on topics like Internet safety, digital citizenship, and safe social networking.

The Blind Side
http://theblindsidemovie.com - Looking for a touching movie to share with family this holiday season? The Blind Side is a film based on the true story of a homeless African-American high school student taken in by a wealthy white family. As the student faces the challenges of studying in a new environment and participating on the school football team, the family supports him and moves through challenges of their own. The site features trailers and a synopsis of the movie.

Taste of Home
http://tasteofhome.com - Here's a site that features the recipes you love—those handed down over generations and shared with family and friends. These are practical recipes because they come from regular cooks, not gourmet chefs. You'll find familiar ingredients, clear instructions, and colorful photos. Search for recipes for the holidays, or by ingredient or course. And don't forget to check out the videos on how to make a pie crust, poached eggs, quick and easy chili, and more!

SMARxT Disposal
http://smarxtdisposal.net - It might surprise you to learn that improper disposal of medications can have harmful effects on humans, wildlife, and waterways. SMARxT Disposal is a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and two pharmaceutical associations. Their site describes the problems that can occur with traditional methods of medication disposal, and offers details about how to dispose of medications properly. Watch the informative video and check out the FAQs to learn more.

Personal Travel Assistant
http://yapta.com - Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant (YAPTA) is ready to help you find and track flight and hotel prices, and explore travel deals. The free service not only watches fare prices for you, but also continues to follow them after you buy a ticket. This means you'll always get the lowest fares possible, and may be able to claim a travel credit based on a little-known airline policy. Use the easy interface to enter your travel preferences and start tracking prices.

If you plan to send your holiday greetings via e-mail (rather than snail mail) this year, you'll probably want to include a favorite photo along with your famous "here's what we did this year" letter. Keep in mind that you're not limited to using an e-mail attachment to send a photo. You can paste a photo directly into the message pane of the e-mail so there's instant impact when your family and friends receive it. Simply follow these steps:

Placing Photos into Message Pane Using ...
- E-mail Program: Outlook Express 6
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP

1. With Outlook Express open, create a new message by clicking your cursor arrow on the "Create Mail" icon.
   
   
2. Begin composing the e-mail message (addressing, filling in the subject line, and writing a message), and then click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" located on the menu bar. Select "Picture..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
   
   
3. When the Picture window opens, click the "Browse..." button to locate the photo you want to place.
   
   
4. Select the photo's file location (example: MyDocuments/Pictures/Summer09) and click on the photo to select it. Then click on the "Open" button.
   
   
5. Next, you can describe the photo for "text only" e-mail programs by placing your cursor in the "Alternate Text" field, typing in a description of the photo, and then clicking the "OK" button. The photo should now appear in your e-mail message.
   
   
6. Finally, complete your e-mail message and click the "Send" button.

Placing Photos into Message Pane Using ...
- E-mail Program: Windows Mail
- Computer Operating System: Windows Vista

1. With Windows Mail open, create a new message by clicking your cursor arrow on the "Create Mail" icon.
   
   
2. Begin composing the e-mail message (addressing, filling in the subject line, and writing a message), and then click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" located on the menu bar. Select "Picture..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
   
   
3. When the Picture window opens, select the photo's file location (example: MyDocuments/Pictures/Summer09) and click on the photo to select it. Then click on the "Open" button. (Note: the photo description (File name:) will automatically be entered for "text only" e-mail programs.) The photo should now appear in your e-mail message.
   
   
4. Finally, complete your e-mail message and click the "Send" button.

Placing Photos into Message Pane Using ...
- E-mail Program: Mozilla Thunderbird 2.0
- Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X

1. With Thunderbird open, create a new message by clicking your cursor arrow on the "Write" icon.
   
   
2. Begin composing the e-mail message (addressing, filling in the subject line, and writing a message), and then click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on "Insert" located on the menu bar. Select "Image..." from the resulting drop-down menu.
   
   
3. When the Image Properties window opens, by default the "Location" tab should be selected. Next, click on the "Choose File..." button to locate the photo you want to place.
   
   
4. The Select Image File window will open. Select the photo's file location (example: MyDocuments/Pictures/Summer09) and click on the photo to select it. Then click on the "Open" button.
   
   
5. The Image Properties window will reappear and the "Image Location:" field will contain the photo file path. Here you can describe the photo for "text only" e-mail programs by clicking on the "Alternate text:" radio button, typing in a description of the photo in the field provided, and clicking the "OK" button. The photo should now appear in your e-mail message.
   
   
6. Finally, complete your e-mail message and click the "Send" button.

Placing Photos into Message Pane Using ...
- E-mail Program: Apple Mail
- Computer Operating System: Mac OS X

1. With Apple Mail open, create a new message by clicking your cursor arrow on the "New Message" button.
   
   
2. Begin composing the e-mail message (addressing, filling in the subject line, and writing a message), and then click your cursor arrow at the location where you'd like to place the photo within your message. Click on the "Attach" button located on the message toolbar.
   
   
3. When the drop-down menu appears, navigate to the picture you would like to attach and then click on the "Choose File" button. The picture will appear in the message where your cursor arrow was placed. If you don't like it there, you can click and hold the photo to drag it to a new location.
   
   
4. Finally, complete your e-mail message and click the "Send" button.

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,

The Hartel.net Team




Hartelco
103 W Centre
PO Box 157
Hartington, NE 68739

Ph 402-254-3901