Link to NCKCN.COM

Facebook Alert
Watch Out For Survey Scams

Two To View
A Couple Of Amazing Videos Of The Japan Disaster

This Month's FAQ
Is The Internet Running Out Of IP Addresses?

Sites Of The Month
Great Sites To Check Out In April

Short Tutorial
Adjusting The Cookie Settings On Your Browser


Hello NCKCN internet members

Like spring weather, the content of this April issue is a mixture of "rain clouds and sunshine." We share videos of the very dark days in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami, and also warn you about the growing number of Facebook survey scams. But on a brighter note, you'll find reassurance about the upcoming Internet transition from IPv4 to IPv6 as well as websites featuring fun diversions such as popping virtual Bubble Wrap, touring famous art museums, and trying your hand at word search puzzles.

The goal of each of our 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.

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 NCKCN Team
 

 

Facebook Alert – Watch Out For Survey Scams

Scammers have identified Facebook as an easy place to make money through survey scams. These scams are now rampant and there are too many variations to describe here in detail. However, we'll share the elements of survey scams so it will be easier for you and your Facebook friends to spot them.

It starts with the bait, which is typically one of these types:
    Really Cool Graphic
  • Sensational or extreme headlines – If you see a status update that starts off with "OMG...," "SHOCKING..." or "You have to see this...," there's a good chance it's a survey scam.

  • "Too good to be true" offers – Have you seen status updates from your friends or received Facebook messages promising you a free or drastically reduced priced iPhone or iPad? This is a common ploy of a survey scam.

  • Additional Facebook features or functionality – Some of these Facebook scams claim to offer you the ability to see who has viewed your profile or see who has deleted you as a friend. They're all fake. Facebook doesn't provide developers the access to the information required to create such applications.
Anyone curious enough to click on the link is taken to a page that looks like Facebook but isn't Facebook. Then you're asked to "Like" the page, which adds the scam to your own Facebook wall. This is how the scam spreads. You're also asked to fill in a survey. This is how the scammer makes money; they're paid by a marketing company to complete surveys.

Remember, if a Facebook page or any site insists that you share a piece of content or do a survey before reaching the promised destination, it's likely a scam. If you've fallen for these (or similar) scams, remove the message from your status, newsfeed, and your Likes and Interests in Facebook's "Edit my Profile" menu.

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Two To View – A Couple Of Amazing Videos Of The Japan Disaster

The devastation in Japan caused by the earthquake and tsunami is almost too horrific to believe, as evidenced by these two videos. If you'd like to help, you can visit www.redcross.org.
 
Download Graphics to View   Download Graphics to View
     
This video shows the destruction in Japan from several different perspectives including scenes inside buildings as the earthquake hit, vehicles floating away, fires at an oil refinery, and evacuation and rescue efforts. If you'd like to help, you can visit www.redcross.org.   You can't help but be moved by these sweeping, birds-eye views of Japan as whole communities are swept away by the raging waters caused by the tsunami. What is left behind is nothing but piles of rubble. If you'd like to help, you can visit www.redcross.org.

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This Month's FAQ – Is The Internet Running Out Of IP Addresses?

Another Cool Graphic Question: I heard something on the news about the Internet running out of IP addresses. As a consumer, should I be concerned?

Answer: No, you don't need to worry. A transition is taking place to a new Internet Protocol called IPv6. But if everything goes according to plan behind the scenes, you won't even notice.

Here's the background on the transition: Every device that connects to the Internet needs a unique IP address to identify it; websites need them as well. An IP address is actually a set of binary numbers but to make them easier for us to remember, they're usually displayed in decimal format. For example, in Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), the 32-bit binary number 11011000.00011011.00111101.10001001 would appear as 216.27.61.137.

Since 1981, IP addresses have used IPv4, which allows for roughly 4.3 billion 32-bit addresses. After years of rapid Internet expansion, however, the pool of available unallocated addresses for IPv4 will soon be depleted. The solution is for the Internet to upgrade to IPv6, which uses 128-bit addresses and therefore allows trillions of unique numbers.

Once again, this change from IPv4 to IPv6 will be primarily managed by commercial websites and Internet service providers. Action on the part of consumers is not expected to be required.

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Sites Of The Month – Great Sites To Check Out In April

Word Search Puzzles
onlinewordsearch.org – Get your brain working with fun word search puzzles in dozens of categories such as fitness, garden, space, animals, music, holidays, seasons, and sports. Puzzles with wedding and baby themes are also included so this is a great place to look for games to play at showers this spring.

Virtual Art Tours
googleartproject.com – Can't get to Paris or Florence to view famous works of art? This site is the next best thing. It lets you wander from room to room at world-renowned art museums as if you're walking through them. You can even zoom in on the paintings for a closer look at colors and brushstrokes.

Play With Bubble Wrap®
bubblewrapfun.com – There's something about Bubble Wrap that people of all ages find appealing and this site caters to that fascination. The Bubble Machine allows you to pop Bubble Wrap with your mouse pointer —almost as much fun as doing it for real. Other activities include Bubble Paint and Bubble Quizzes. Check out the Pop Pix section to see whimsical photos of people using Bubble Wrap in different ways.

Social Networking for Kids
togetherville.com – If you're tired of your younger kids asking why they can't join Facebook, you'll love this site. It's a social networking site especially for children. Recently purchased by Disney, it creates a safe place for "kids and their grownups" to play online. While the social component features Facebook-like interactions, it's perfectly safe since you have control over the people your kids interact with.

Recipes For Your Ingredients
supercook.com – You know the situation: It's time for dinner, and about all you have in your refrigerator are some chicken, a bell pepper, parsley, and a piece of cheese. What to do? Go to this site, type in your ingredients, and get ideas for recipes that use those ingredients (and maybe a few staples from your cupboard). When you find a recipe you want to try, click on it to get instructions and reviews.

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Short Tutorial – Adjusting The Cookie Settings On Your Browser

In computer terms, a cookie is a very small text file placed on your hard drive by a server when you visit a website. It is essentially your identification card, and its job is to keep track of your preferences and store information such as your e-mail address. Cookies can actually save you time by eliminating the need to re-enter your information every time you make inquiries or purchases at your favorite websites.

However, if you are concerned about websites placing cookies on your browser, you can adjust the setting to block all cookies or to accept cookies only in some situations. Follow the steps below for your browser and operating system.

IE 8 Icon Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using ...
Internet Browser:
Internet Explorer 8
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
  1. With Internet Explorer open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" in the menu bar. Then select "Internet Options" from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Internet Options window opens, click on the "Privacy" tab.

  3. In the "Settings" area, you will see a slider to adjust the cookie settings. Moving the slider up to the highest setting will block all cookies. Moving the slider down to the lowest setting accepts all cookies. The default setting is "Medium" and will accept cookies in some situations.

  4. Click the "Apply" button to apply your new settings and then the "OK" button to close the Internet Options window.
Firefox Icon Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using ...
Internet Browser:
Mozilla Firefox 3.6
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
  1. With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow on "Tools" in the menu bar. Then select "Options..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Options window opens, select the "Privacy" tab.

  3. By default, Firefox will remember your browsing, download, form and search history, as well as keep cookies from websites you visit.
Firefox Icon Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using ...
Internet Browser:
Mozilla Firefox 3.6
Computer Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5
  1. With Firefox open, click your cursor arrow on "Firefox" in the menu bar. Then select "Preferences..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Preferences window opens, select the "Privacy" tab.

  3. There are two options for cookies: "Accept cookies from sites" and under that is "Accept third-party cookies." Check the box next to either or both. (For this tutorial, we will select both.)

  4. Next, select how long you'd like cookies to be kept on your computer. From the "Keep Until:" drop-down menu, choose: "they expire," "I close Firefox," or "ask me every time."

  5. Once you've made your choice, click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the dialog box to save your changes and close the Preferences window.
Safari Icon Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using ...
Internet Browser:
Safari 5.0
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS X 10.5
  1. With Safari open, click your cursor arrow on "Safari" (when using a Mac) or "Edit" (when using Windows on a PC) in the menu bar. Then select "Preferences..." from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Preferences window opens, select the "Security" tab.

  3. In the "Accept cookies:" section, choose from "Always," "Never," or "Only from sites I visit." The last option will block cookies on your computer from third parties and advertisers.

  4. Once you've made your choice, click on the red circle in the upper left corner of the dialog box to save your changes and close the Preferences window when using a Mac. If you are using Windows on a PC, click on the X in the upper right corner of the dialog box to save your changes and close the Preferences window.
Chrome Icon Adjusting Your Browser's Cookie Settings When Using ...
Internet Browser:
Google Chrome 10
Computer Operating System: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.5 and up
  1. With Chrome open, click your cursor arrow on the wrench icon located in the far upper right corner. Then select "Options" ("Preferences" on the Mac) from the resulting drop-down menu.

  2. When the Google Chrome Options/Preferences window opens, select the "Under the Hood" tab.

  3. In the "Privacy" section, click on the "Content settings..." button.

  4. When the Content Settings window opens, verify that "Cookies" is highlighted within the "Features:" section.

  5. There will be two groups of two options to choose from in the section labeled Cookie Settings. The first group includes radio buttons for "Allow local data to be set (recommended)," and "Block sites from setting any data." The second group includes "Ignore exceptions and block third party cookies from being set," and "Clear cookies and other site data when I close my browser." You can choose on option from the first set, and one or both options from the second set.

  6. Once you have made your choices, click on the "Close" button to close the Content Settings window and then click on the "Close" button to close the Google Chrome Options/Preferences window.

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Thanks for your business!

Thank You

The Staff at NCKCN




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