April 2011
In this issue:
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Ultimate Tips for Web
Searching in Less Time
reprinted with
permission from the
HP Small Business Center
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Most
of us use search engines every day, but few know how to make
the most of those searches. Given the enormous amount of
information on the Internet, almost any search you do will
yield thousands, or even millions of results. But if they
aren't the right results, they don't do you any good. And
who has time to spend trawling through loads of "sort of
useful" information?
Fortunately, there
are a few tricks to help you better focus your searches so
you get the information you need in less time. Here are five
search engine best practices to try next time you need to
search.
1. Use quotes
to find a specific phrase
In order to find an entire phrase in a search, enter
quotation marks (" ") around the terms. For example, the
search query butter apples orange will yield results
containing any mention of those words, whereas "butter
apples orange" returns only results where those words appear
together and in that order in either the title, the URL of
the website or the keywords in the document.
2. Use + or –
for more targeted word searches
Adding the plus sign (+) or the word AND before a word will
require that it be found in all of the search results.
Conversely, the minus sign (–) before a word, or the word
NOT, requires that it not be found in the search results.
3. Describe
what you need with as few terms as possible
Generally, the more words you use in a search query, the
more results you'll get. But that doesn't mean you'll
necessarily get more useful results. So starting with fewer
words helps you keep your searches focused. And even if you
don't find what you need, the results will likely give you a
good idea of what additional words are needed to refine your
results on the next search.
Read
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Refer A Company Today . . .
1 hr
FREE
Network assessment & Consulting
services for new clients
Get $100.00 gift card to your
favorite restaurant
for each referral that leads to a
service contract. For more
information
visit us or send us an email to
info@compunetltd.com. |
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Just for Laughs |
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Quote of the Month |
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All things being equal, people
will do business with, and refer business to, those people they
know, like and trust.
Bob Burg
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Welcome
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Clients and Friends,
We would like
to welcome two additions to Compunet, Jan Warnock as
Office Manager and J. Mauricio Velasquez as
Sales\Marketing Executive. Both are dedicated to making
sure you receive the best service possible. We hope
you'll say hi when you have a chance.
2011 is rolling along and starting to pickup some
traction. As summer approaches, bringing unpredictable
weather, (It might be here all ready) be aware of the
need to replace or install new power protectors i.e.
UPS, Power Strips, Monitoring System, etc
As a "One Stop
Business Solutions" company, we can help companies like
yours, and others you may know with customized
solutions. Your referral is always appreciated and
rewarded. If you know of a company or an individual who
would benefit from this newsletter please email their
name, company (if any) and email address to
info@compunetltd.com. Please visit us at
www.compunetltd.com.
Thank you,
Jose Remon |
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Summer Storms and
Your UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Devices and Surge Protectors
by Michael Appollo, CTO, NST
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 We
hope you have have successfully weathered the summer storms. Now is
a good time to check your UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) devices
and surge protectors because there is a good chance they have taken
some voltage hits and suffered power outages.
Larger UPS devices, otherwise known as Battery Backups, may have
power indicators that tell you how much battery capacity is left.
Smaller devices may not have such indicators. If they are connected
to a computer, chances are good they came with some software that
gathers that information. Opening the software can give you some
general idea of the overall health of your UPS. Either way, you
can't always believe the lights and software; the best test of a UPS
is to periodically unplug it fromt the wall and seeing how long the
items plugged in still run. Most UPS devices will beep until power
is restored, so this is normal behavior. If your computer is plugged
in to one of these, please make sure that all applications are
closed before trying this! If you want to test the capacity of the
UPS, you can leave the unit unplugged and time how long it is until
your connected devices begin to power off. If the time is short, you
can purchase a newer, larger device, or plug fewer items into the
UPS; the more devices a UPS has to keep powered during an outage,
the shorter the duration it will last. One important note: many UPS
devices have outlets that are not protected by the battery, and in
the event of a power outage, anything plugged into one of those
outlets will simply shut off. We have seem many instances where a
client has plugged devices into the wrong outlet. I was a client
earlier this week where they unplugged a router and computer to move
a desk. When they plugged everything in again, the router and cable
modem were in surge-only protected outlets. Please read the UPS
labeling carefully to ensure you are using the correct outlets.
Surge
protectors fail over time as well, especially as they are
subjected to the constant fluctuation in voltage. Most
modern surge protectors have a light when power is running
through it. If the light is steady, the surge protection is
still functioning. If the light is flickering, you have
minimal protection and should replace the surge protector.
If, when power is still running through the surge protector,
the light is off, then you have nothing more than an
extension cord and anything plugged in is not protected at
all, so these should be replaced immediately. |
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It's Time to Cut Down on Spam
used with permission from Symantec
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It’s no secret
that spammers count on current events to hoodwink email
users. In recent years, everything from the Beijing Olympics
to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama to the Oscar
ceremonies has provided fodder for their scams. But with the
economy in a tailspin, spammers are redoubling their
efforts. Continue reading to learn about the latest email
threats and what you can do to slow down and effectively
block them.
Beware of ‘economic spam’
As economic
concerns mount across the globe and media coverage of the
downturn intensifies, it’s clear that more and more spammers
view “economic spam” as a useful vehicle. According to a
recent Symantec State of Spam Report, emails with subject
lines such as “HURRY! I found you a new job” and “Global job
vacancy - apply now” are becoming increasingly common.
With more people
looking for employment, some spammers have even resorted to
using the rejection letter to dupe users. As the March 2009
State of Spam Report explained:
“In the particular
spam message observed, the messages states that
‘Unfortunately we have to inform you that your
qualifications and experience does not fit the position you
applied for.’
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15 Etiquette
Rules for a Brave New World
Diana
Johnson
Sales and Marketing, Wood Networks
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 “O
brave new world that has such people in it!”- John
Savage; Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
It is a brave new
world and technology is sometimes changing faster than we
can keep up. However unlike Huxley’s fictional account of
the future, technology is bringing us exciting new
opportunities and we have the freedom to decide what is
appropriate or crosses the line. With that said, there are
some basic technology manners we should all remember.
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1. |
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Probably
the most basic, but most often forgotten rule
is to
silence your phone in theaters, places of worship, and
meetings. |
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2. |
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In this
age of electronic devices, if you want to let someone
know how important they are, try a face to face. Let’s
remember that only in person can you read a person’s
body language and facial expressions. Even web cameras
cannot catch all the nuances unique to face to face
communication. The fact that you took time out of your
busy schedule to actually come and see someone will also
hit the mark. |
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3. |
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When
sending an email, do not use decorative backgrounds or
wall paper. It may give your email a snazzy look, but
with the number of people checking and replying to
emails on their cell phones, you may be creating an
unreadable message. Background images can make text look
fuzzy when viewed on the much smaller screen of a smart
phone. |
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4. |
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Mute your
phone when on a webinar or webcast. Have you ever been
on a webinar, where someone forgot? Just hit the mute
button and we don’t have to listen to your conversation
in the background. Definitely don’t put the call on
hold, then we all get to listen to your hold music-
instead of the presenter. |
Read More |
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