Cruzio Newsletter - Number 98, November 9, 2006
1. "It's All About You!" -- Cruzio's 8th Annual Small Business Fair
2. Santa Cruz County Web Cams
3. Holiday Gifts from Cruzio
4. Cruzio Will Match Your Donation to the Needy
5. He Won the iPod!
6. New DSL Prices
7. Westi Haughey, Cruzio's New Cruzio Marketing Manager
8. Wednesday Workshops in Watsonville
9. Buddy Bucks
10. Moving?
11. About This Newsletter
12. How to Reach Cruzio (Dial-in or Tech Support)
1. "It's All About You!" -- Cruzio's 8th Annual Small Business Fair
Next week!
Thursday November 16, 5 - 8:30 pm
903 Pacific Avenue, Downtown Santa Cruz
Networking Mixer, 5-6:30 pm, $5
Class, "Planning Your Business Web Site, New or Re-do" 7-8:30 pm, $25
This year's Small Business Fair has a direct and simple focus:
you, the local business.
We find that smaller businesses often don't take advantage of the
Internet, either in marketing or selling products. They leave the
playing field to the big companies. But that doesn't have to be.
We'll let you know how to join in.
The Fair will start off with an opportunity to network with other local
businesses and show off your Web site, tell your Web stories (of
success or frustration) and, if you attend our class, to hear from
experts on how it should be done. The class will be taught by popular
favorite instructor Mike Brogan, with assistance from company president
Peggy Dolgenos.
Of course, there will also be great food and wine. We are lucky
to have Silver Mountain Vineyards and Alfresco Catering offering drink
and food, respectively.
It's a great chance to meet with Cruzio's experts and with others in
the community who face similar challenges to yours.
For more information, and to register, please go to
http://www.smallbusinessfair.com
or call our events line at 831-459-6301 ext. 231. Remember to
register early if you can, this event often sells out.
2. Santa Cruz County Web Cams
Many people enjoy looking at Cruzio's Web Cams -- links on our
Web site which show live pictures of local places. You can gauge
the weather, watch the surf, or just have a look at a favorite spot
like Linda's Seabreeze Cafe.
Cruzio has updated our list of local Santa Cruz County Web cams
at:
http://www.cruzio.com/local_info/web_cams.html
Visitors to this page can enjoy a continuously updated view from
our very own BusCam, pointing out Cruzio's front window at the
splendors of Pacific Avenue and the Santa Cruz Muni Station.
This page also links to various other local Web cams, including the
just installed live CalTrans Fish Hook cam, with a view of the
Highway 1/17 interchange.
We'll soon be adding a Web cam overlooking the Watsonville Plaza
and are working to install a Web cam at Loma Prieta looking across
the county to Monterey Bay.
If you know of any local Santa Cruz County Web cams not listed on
our page, please drop a line to webmaster@cruzio.com with the
Web cam URL and we'll add it to the list.
3. Holiday Gifts from Cruzio
Give your friend or loved one a computer that works, without having
to buy a whole new computer. Cruzio has just what the doctor ordered
for a slow or infected computer: we will thoroughly clean it up, then
update and install protective software. The full treatment costs just $149
-- and Cruzio members get $20 off that price. Get the details at
//signup.cruzio.com/index.php?formname=tech_services.html
Perhaps your sweetie would like to put computers on a wireless
DSL connection? Once a wireless setup is in place, computers can
be moved from room to room, or desk to desk, without having to
install new plugs and wires. Get an easy-to-install wireless kit,
and Cruzio's support, for just $99.
If you have a friend who likes shiny electronic things, we've got
some great new gizmos -- flash memory drives that let you move
huge files from one place to another, by just plugging into the
keyboard when you sit down. You can carry the drive in your pocket.
The word "flash" implies that they are fast, and they are: much faster
than CDs, and reusable. A 512 MB flash drive, with cute kitty logo,
is just $29.
Of course we've also got tee shirts -- great for out-of-town
friends, these shirts really say "Santa Cruz" in a cool, understated
way. People around the country have been known to recognize the kitty.
If you get your folks a dialup or DSL account (which comes with a
free tee shirt or mug), $25 extra will buy a custom setup: bring the
computer in, we'll do their Internet and their email settings just
the way they like it and we'll make sure the computer is in good
working order (if it isn't, we also offer repair services separately).
Gifts from Cruzio also have the advantage of being easy to buy.
We're right in downtown Santa Cruz and Watsonville (two locations)
and have an online signup form, too. Our customer service
representatives are so friendly and helpful they'll ease computer
anxieties, and that's a gift in itself.
4. Cruzio Will Match Your Donation to the Needy
It's that time of year -- Second Harvest Food Bank is planning
holiday meals for the hungry in our community.
Cruzio contributes all year to Second Harvest, but at holiday
time we turn it up a few notches. To encourage you to donate
too, we will match up to $1,500 of total customer donations
to the Food Bank.
Did you know that the Food Bank can buy food at a much lower
price than the rest of us? They make each dollar go a lot further.
That's why, though we keep the barrels out, we also donate money.
If you'd like to make the most of your holiday charity dollars,
make out your check to Second Harvest Food Bank and send it or
bring it to Cruzio before December 29, 2006. We will gather the
checks together, write our own matching checks and deliver them
to the Food Bank where they will be put directly to good use.
Remember that you can make donations anytime at the handy banks
on Cruzio's counters and that we'll always take 3 cans of food in
lieu of a late fee on your account.
It's a hard year for many folks so please give generously.
To read more about this highly-rated charity, please go to:
http://www.thefoodbank.org
5. He Won the iPod!
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner! -- drum roll please:
The winner of the Tweegles contest is ... Mr. Peter Wilde!
In order to win the iPod, contestants had to correctly identify
five features of Cruzio's new Web and Domain services. Here is
Peter's winning entry:
5 Cruzio Website Plus or Premium features:
------------------------------------------
1) Web Site Building Tools:
Mambo, Drupal, Xoops, b2evolution and more
2) Community & Newsletter Software:
MediaWiki, phpMyChat, XMB Forum and more
3) Business Applications:
phpAdsNew, Help Center Live, PHProjekt and more
4) Other Useful & Fun Stuff:
WebCards, Gallery, SiteBar and more
5) Optional ecommerce: take credit cards!
Yes, Peter! Good answer. You won the iPod and your picture is going
onto the Tweegles Web site:
http://www.thetweegles.org
By the way, if you haven't seen the Tweegles' site yet, it's
worth a look. Not only does it display Cruzio's new Web features
in use, but it's also extremely silly.
Thanks to all the other people who entered. We hope all of you
enjoyed the fun sock monkey site.
6. New DSL Prices
Our wholesaler recently altered circuit costs, which is an
important component of our price. As a result, we've changed our
prices too. We no longer offer a yearlong term special. This
change affects new customers only, except that current DSL
customers will no longer be burdened with re-up reminders. When
your contract ends your service with Cruzio will continue on a
month-to-month basis. If you are already on a higher monthly
rate you can ask for the new rate as well.
To learn more about Cruzio DSL, or place an order, visit:
//signup.cruzio.com/
7. Cruzio's New Marketing Manager
If you are out and about in the Santa Cruz community, attending
a Pajaro Chamber event or stopping in at a Second Harvest Food Bank
dinner, you may run into Cruzio's new Marketing Manager, the
smart and capable Westi Haughey.
Westi will often be active in our community, managing Cruzio
events and going out to fairs and shows. She has worked in the
Marketing department for two years, so perhaps you have already met
her. When you see her, please welcome her. She's already doing a
great job!
8. Wednesday Workshops in Watsonville
Every Wednesday afternoon from 3 to 6 pm, our Watsonville Store
Manager Gershom opens the doors for anyone to come in and ask
questions about the Internet. He generally covers basic computer
operations (your computer has to function to reach the Internet,
after all), how to use Web browsers, find information on the
Internet, and use Cruzio's Web mail program. You're welcome to
stop by, no registration necessary and it's free of charge.
9. Buddy Bucks
Recommend us to friends, family, colleagues: if a new customer
gives us your email address, registration number, or full name when
they sign up you'll get $10 credit to your account. If two friends
sign up, $20. Three friends, $30. Etcetera. They'll be happy you
recommended us, and you'll be happy to get the credit on your account.
10. Moving?
If you are moving your home or office, please contact Cruzio.
We're here to help the Internet portion of your move go smoothly.
It's best to let us know several weeks ahead of time, especially
if you have DSL or if you're canceling a phone line. We can often
save you from an interruption in Internet service and prevent
costly fees -- but you've got to let us know. For more information,
please see
http://www.cruzio.com/services/highspeed_access/move_dsl.html
11. About This Newsletter
Cruzio doesn't like to waste bandwidth with extra email, but we sometimes
have events and announcements that users need to know about. This seems
like the most efficient way to let people know what's happening. Hope
it's helpful. Please email support@cruzio.com with any comments or questions.
By the way, we would love to have a regular, predictable schedule
for this newsletter...but we simply do not send it unless there is real
news enclosed. Thus the haphazard datelines.
12. How to Reach Cruzio (dial-in or tech support)
To reach the Cruzio Information Center, for online technical and
sales information:
http://www.cruzio.com/support
To dial in to Cruzio, set your software to dial one of the numbers
below (note: we've expanded and joined modem pools, so you may be
using another number. If so, don't worry, it still works just fine).
Dialup (in Santa Cruz County): 459-9408
Nationwide Dialup: Look up local number on our Web page:
http://www.cruzio.com/support/dialup_isdn/nationwide_numbers.html
or call Cruzio toll free, 1.800.303.3302
To call Cruzio:
459-6301............Use this number to check Cruzio's system status,
pay your Cruzio bill, find out more about our hours and location,
or to reach someone in customer service and technical support.
722-6200 .......... Cruzio's number in Watsonville.
To send email to Cruzio, use one of these addresses:
support@cruzio.com ......for technical support
office@cruzio.com .......for billing and ordering information
Cruzio's locations:
Santa Cruz: 903 Pacific Avenue, Suite 101, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Watsonville: Plaza Vigil, 23 E. Beach Street, Watsonville, CA 95076
Cruzio's hours:
Sales hours: 10am-6pm, Monday through Friday; 10 am - 2 pm Saturday
Technical support: 8am to 6pm, Mon to Fri, 10am - 2pm Saturday
System monitoring, including customer-alerted emergencies, 24 hours
per day, 365 days per year (leap years, 366 days)
Thanks very much from Cruzio:
Chris, Peggy, Julianne, Mark, Stephen, Paul, Gershom,
Jessi, Michael, Maria, James, Juana, Krissie, Nikkie, Mike,
Don, Bruce, Edgar, Brian, Westi, Andrew, Jaime, another Chris,
yet another Chris, Reema, and Diana; our fab new intern, Christi;
Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids)
Carly, age 9: "If I was president I would let everyone move away
from Iraq so they'd be safe."
