Cruzio Newsletter - Number 104, May 17, 2007


1. Classes and Web Sites Go Together Like Bread and Butter
2. ShopSite Software Upgraded
3. Hands-on Class: "One Day Web Site" Next Thursday
4. A Window on the Santa Cruz Sky
5. Port 25
6. Another Gold for Cruzio
7. Gizmo of the Month: Pocket Flash Drive
8. Computer Security Brown Bag Workshop Next Tuesday
9. Free Classes for Beginning Computer Users
10. Westi's Besties II: Free Wireless Internet in SLV
11. Class Schedule Through August
12. We Appreciate Referrals
13. Moving?
14. Feed the Hungry, Get Late Fees Waived
15. About This Newsletter
16. How to Reach Cruzio (Dialup or Tech Support)


1. Classes and Web Sites Go Together Like Bread and Butter
It's not always taught in schools, but being able to create and
maintain a Web site is a useful kind of literacy. Even when the
tools are supposedly easy, guidance at the right moment can save
you frustration and expense.

At Cruzio, you can purchase not only Web space and cutting-edge tools,
but knowledge as well. Cruzio Class Coordinator Mike Brogan has put
together a program of classes which are informative and thorough,
but easy for a busy person to fit into their schedule. There are
a couple of classes and brown bag workshops each month.

Although classes are sold separately from Web space, we see them as
a package deal: our Web hosting accounts are loaded with free, nifty
tools, and classes help you figure out how and why to use them.
It's an advantage of using a local provider, and we encourage you
to check our schedule (see item 11 below) and sign up at your
convenience. You'll get $20 off any hands-on class if you purchase
a new Website Plus or Premium. See you in class! 


2. ShopSite Software Upgraded
If you are running an online store using Cruzio's ShopSite
software, you'll be happy to know we've just updated to 8.3,
the latest version.

Among other changes, ShopSite now accepts payment from Google
Checkout, along with PayPal, NetBanx, and credit cards. (When
you have a store, taking payment is one of the most important
functions!) New features also include Auction Managing with eBay
and auto-thumbnail creation.

The upgrade is free to anyone who's using ShopSite 8.0 or
better and will happen automatically -- you'll simply have
access to the new features. If you are still using an older
ShopSite, have a look at the changes and fees and contact us
if you'd like to upgrade. For more information, see:
	http://www.cruzio.com/support/shopsite/

Many thanks to our Chief Systems Engineer, Mark, for 
keeping our customers' shops humming with the latest and
greatest features.


3. Hands-on Class: "One Day Web Site" Next Thursday
	May 24, 9 am - 12 pm, $199
	903 Pacific Avenue, Downtown Santa Cruz

Jump start a new Web site by attending this hands-on class. By
the time you leave, we guarantee your site framework will be up
and running.

Our friendly, knowledgeable teachers Mike and Chris will give you
step-by-step guidance on how to organize your data and put
together your Web pages using the latest technology. They'll then
be on hand assisting as you actually set it up. Each student gets
a computer to him or herself. There is a class-size limit of eight
students to two instructors, so you will get a lot of personal
attention.

If you're interested, please register soon. This class has limited
seating and fills up quickly. You'll need Web space on Cruzio with
our new Website Plus or Premium services, which include Joomla,
the Web site content management system, free of charge (we'll use
Joomla in the class). If you don't yet have those services or aren't
sure, please give us a call at 459-6301 x2 to find out and sign up.


4. A Window on the Santa Cruz Sky
If you're stuck in a gloomy office, or away from home in the
smog-filled valley, you may miss a view of the Santa Cruz sky.
Cruzio publishes one for you.

On our home page, http://www.cruzio.com , the top Web cam picture
is a constantly-updated photo of the sky over Santa Cruz, from
Bay Street up towards Loma Prieta. In the morning you can see the
sky brighten, and in the evening the colors soften and dim until
it is dark.

The photo right below Loma Cam is the same scene from another
perspective -- from a satellite far above earth, looking down at
Santa Cruz through the same sky. You'll get a quick idea of
the weather by glancing at the two photos. It's one of those
things Cruzio does to connect the Internet to where and what we
really are. 

p.s. Our resident Web Cam enthusiast Chris would like to know if
any of our customers has a nice view of the Wharf and would be
willing to let us install a camera on their roof -- let us know!


5. Port 25
In our ever-vigilant quest to reduce spam on the Internet,
Cruzio will be closing off outgoing port 25 to non-Cruzio IP
addresses in a few weeks. This is necessary to reduce the amount
of outbound spam sent by virus-infected computers. If you
think you are infected, Cruzio can help! Please see:
	http://www.cruzio.com/support/security/computer_care.html

Most people will perceive no difference in service or in spam level
after the change is made, but if every ISP closes off their port
access in this way spam will decrease for all of us.

The only people whose service will be affected are those who've
been using a mail server other than Cruzio's -- for example, if
you've set up your own mail server. For these few individuals, we
have workarounds. So please contact us if you are relying on access
to this port. Otherwise, please go about your business as usual
and have a lovely day.


6. Another Gold for Cruzio
Good news! Cruzio has again been voted Best Internet Provider
by the readers of the Santa Cruz Good Times. (We won the Metro
reader poll last month.)

We're very proud and grateful to the many wonderful Cruzio
members all around Santa Cruz County who voted for us or
shared their experiences with others. To paraphrase Jack
Nicholson's character in As Good As It Gets, "You make us
want to be a better Internet Provider." As a thank-you, here
is a link to a number of quotes from that well-written film
-- and a great site for movie enthusiasts in general:
	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119822/quotes 


7. Gizmo of the Month:  Pocket Flash Drive
In our office we frequently share large files, since we work
on projects in teams. We could email the files to each other, or
share them across the computer network. But each of those methods
has its complications and both can be slow. Often, the easiest
way to move files is to put them on a flash drive, which is tiny
-- smaller than your thumb -- and works like a fast mini hard disk.

It's so fast that we often use the flash drive just to move files
across a room.

For a device so small, pocket drives have a lot of storage space.
Right now at Cruzio we sell the .5 gigabyte ($15.99), 1 GB ($25.99),
and 2 GB ($39.99) drives.

Pocket drives are absurdly simple to use. If you take the protective
cap off the end of the drive you'll see right away that it fits into a
slot on the back or the keyboard of your computer. If you plug it in,
you'll see its icon on your desktop and can move files on or off it.
It's completely silent, too.

You can take your work files home, and your home files to work.
You can store photos, music, email, bookmarks, Word or Excel documents
-- anything you'd like to see on a different computer. You can pop
it into your pocket and forget about it until much later. Its size
belies its vast capacity.

Lots of people hang flash drives from their keychains, which is
the utmost in cool. So geeky, so chic.

We named the pocket flash drive "Gizmo of the Month" this month because
we use it all the time and we love it.


8. Computer Security Brown Bag Workshop Next Tuesday
	May 22, 12 noon - 1:30 pm, $10
	903 Pacific Avenue, Downtown Santa Cruz

You probably wouldn't willingly give hackers in Russia access to
your computer. Nor would you want a virus to go through your personal
email and send a copy of itself to every one of your friends. We are
with you on this: we'd rather take steps to ensure that personal data
on your computer is protected. 

If you'd like to learn how to clean and protect your own computer or
your network, come to our Brown Bag Workshop and learn from the pros!
Our in-house specialists Chris and Mike will explain the basics of 
security that every computer owner should know -- equivalent to brushing
your teeth and checking regularly for cavities. We will let you
know about free and low-cost security software that does the same job
the expensive programs do, or better.

If you'd rather someone else scrub your computer for you, we're
happy to do that instead or as well. For a reasonable fee -- and $20
off for Cruzio customers -- we'll clean up any infections, install
protective software and set you up with what it takes to keep
your personal data safe. Just call our Computer Care folks at
459-6301, option 5.


9. Free Classes for Beginning Computer Users
	May 22 & 24, 6 - 8 pm, in English
	23 E. Beach Street, Plaza Vigil, Downtown Watsonville

Do you know someone who needs help understanding their computer?
Every month, our friendly expert Gershom welcomes computer beginners
to learn the necessary basics and get comfortable with a computer,
mouse, keyboard, files and folders. On the second night in the
two-night series -- this class is quick and easy -- Gershom teaches
email and Web surfing. Your computer-nervous friend will soon be
Googling while they LOL (laugh out loud, in Internet-speak).

Admission to this event is free! Let us know you're coming by
calling 722-6200. Gershom also teaches this class in Spanish,
please check http://events.cruzio.com for the latest schedule.


10. Westi's Besties II: Free Wireless Internet in SLV
Every Cruzio Cyberhub has a specialty. Whether it's latte foam art
or a special house brew, Cruzio is proud to host wireless Internet
at some of Santa Cruz's finest establishments. Cruzio's
Marketing Manager, Westi, shares her picks of the best places
to bring your laptop when you're on the go in San Lorenzo Valley:

Best Coffeehouse Sanctuary
The White Raven

Best Place for Local Ales
Boulder Creek Brewery

Best Truly-Mystic Pizza
Redwood Pizzeria

If these are a little out of the way for you, find a more convenient
cyberhub on our comprehensive list:
	http://www.cruzio.com/local_info/wireless.html

If you have a local business and want to offer free wireless Internet  
to your customers, sign up for Cruzio's Cyberhub program and share  
the love! It's the cheapest and easiest way to draw customers to your  
eatery, bar, Laundromat or other establishment. Just ask one of our  
longtime members!
	

11. Class Schedule Through August

May (you can register for these classes right now)
	22nd "Computer Security" Brown Bag
	22nd "Computer and Internet for Beginners, Part I"
	24th "One Day Web Site" Hands-on Class
	24th "Computer and Internet for Beginners, Part II"

June
	14th "Photo Gallery" Brown Bag
	21st "One Day Blog" Hands-on Class
	28th "Photo Gallery" Hands-on Class

July
	12th "Web 2.0 Tools for Business or Non-profit" Brown Bag
	24th "One Day Blog" Hands-on Class
	26th "One Night Web Site" Hands-on Class

August
	16th "Troubleshooting Your Computer" Brown Bag
	23rd "Photo Gallery" Hands-on Class
	25th Computer Care Clinic
	30th "Advanced Blogging" Hands-on Class

This schedule is subject to change, so please check our
Web site to confirm:
	http://events.cruzio.com
	


12. We Appreciate Referrals
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. It just goes on and on. 


13. 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


14. Feed the Hungry, Get Late Fees Waived
If you're late on a payment to Cruzio, turn it into a donation
to hungry folks in our community. We will waive your late
fee if you bring 3 cans into our office for our Second Harvest
Food Bank barrel. Learn more about this charity at
	http://www.thefoodbank.org


15. 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.


16. 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: 8 am - 6 pm, Mon to Fri, 10 am - 2 pm 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, James, Juana, Nikkie, Mike, Don, Bruce, Edgar,
	Brian, Westi, Andrew, Jaime, another Chris,
	yet another Chris, Diana, and Maria;
	our awesome interns, Brian, Cindy, and Helen;
	Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids)
	Welcome to new Cruzio Baby Ethan!!!!!

Carly, age 9, at the drinking fountain after a long walk:
"Ah, my pleasant friend, water."