I can assure you that the Internet did not evolve with your privacy in mind. Did you know that every search you make is recorded and archived by the search company? This is standard practice for every major search engine such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.

A friend pointed me to a Firefox web browser plug-in called Scroogle which would allow me to privatize my searches. Scroogle serves as a Google search proxy making it so Google cannot track searches to build a profile and gather information on you. Scroogle destroys cookies and purges all logs within 2 days.

Scroogle plug-in for Firefox works great and even blocks the ads within your search. The company is run by GoogleWatch.

You may also refer to proxy.org for a list of web browsing proxy sites. Web proxies are not as convenient as a browser plug-in but are ideal for some situations.

XMission is the primary sponsor for tonight’s Twilight Concert Series.

Come on down to the Gallivan Center Plaza to hear Sonic Youth and Awesome Color along with a few thousand of your closest friends.

Click on image to see larger sized version of this poster by Casey Burns (posted by Sonic Youth):

Don’t forget that XMission provides free wifi on the plaza so you can stay connected whenever you are at the Gallivan.

Stop by our booth and say “Hi” to the XMission crew!

What is Prey ?

Prey helps you find your stolen laptop by sending timed reports to your email, including information of its whereabouts. Prey reports the general status of the computer, a list of running programs and active connections, fully-detailed network and wifi information, a screenshot of the running desktop and — in case your laptop has an integrated webcam — a picture of the thief. Pretty cool!

You need to have the software installed on your laptop for it to work. With enough luck you may just get your machine back.

The program runs on Mac OS , Linux, and Windows.

I’ll be installing this on my laptop tonight.

This latest addition to the XMission domain based services makes it even more convenient to manage your online presence. Need to secure your web transactions or an email server? We can help!

Using SSL Certificates reassures your clients that you are doing everything possible to keep their information secure. Your customers can easily spot sites using SSL because the web address contains “https://” and web browsers shows either a lock symbol, key symbol, or specially highlighted navigation bar display.

Like a drivers license, SSL Certificates are issued by a trusted source, known as the Certificate Authority (CA) and the SSL protocol allows applications to communicate across the net in a way designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery. All this conveys a level of trust and security to increase your client’s confidence in your online presence.

XMission will handle all your SSL Certificate needs from start to finish. Unlike other companies, we are here to help with real humans that answer the phones and respond to your emails. We will help you every step of the way and with a single bill so you do not have to manage several vendors.

Learn more about SSL Certificates by reading about them on our SSL wiki support page. You can order your SSL online, or simply call someone on our sales team. They will take care of you!

The XMission sales office is open weekdays from 9 AM to 5 PM, MST. You can reach us by calling 801-539-0852, 877-964-7746, or by emailing sales@xmission.com. As always, our support staff is here 24×7 to help you with any technical assistance you require.

Well, I have a new tool in my referral arsenal. Zimbra officially launched their Zimbra Desktop 1.0 client. Although I prefer the Zimbra web interface, I am frequently asked about desktop email applications. Because the Zimbra desktop client has support for multiple email accounts across multiple providers, and provides an integrated calendar and contact solution, it has become my favorite recommendation. It works especially well for daily use or off-line use while traveling. I also recommend Zimbra to clients as an Outlook replacement – it has a similar look and feel, but it’s free!

Finding the download is pretty easy:

Direct from Zimbra: Zimbra Desktop 1.0

If you have business Email Hosting from XMission you can find it by logging into your Zimbra webmail on XMission.

• Look in the upper right hand corner and there you will see “Offline version”.
  This link takes you direclty to the Zimbra Desktop download website.

• Install and you are on your way.

Just a friendly reminder, IMAP is the best setting to use on most mail accounts.

Also of note, if you currently use the Base version of Email Hosting, then Zimbra Desktop will not integrate your contacts and calendar into your webmail interface on XMission. Unless you are using a Standard or Premium version of Zimbra, your contacts and calendar will just live on your desktop within the application.

Happy emailing!

So what does this mean for XMission subscribers? Why is it important?

Easy, you don’t have to “just take our word” for it. You can see everything about our network in real time through tools available over the web.

How many times have you been left frustrated by technical support from a service provider and wished there was a way to verify what they just told you? At XMission, we make those tools and reports readily available. The following links to various tools, reports, and system monitoring sites let you see what is going on for yourself.

XMission Network Tools

Speed Test – http://speedtest.xmission.com/ Test your connection speed.

Network Trace – http://stats.xmission.com/lg/ Looking-glass interface for ping/traceroute/etc. on our network

DNS Tools - http://stats.xmission.com/nettools/ For the slightly more savvy. Access Trace/Dig/RBL/Whois/Network/Linker information.

Performance Disclosure

We share information about upstream connectivity because our 14 Gbps network blends the best of major carriers to provide our customers with excellent network performance. XMission routes based on optimum performance, not cost. We will always send packets via the best path and our ping times and traceroutes prove it.

Real-time Statistics – Online statistics for DSL, UTOPIA, QMOE, T1, and Colocation services Check bandwidth status in real-time.

Nagios System Monitoring – http://stats.xmission.com/nagios/ Take a good look into our systems.

Maintenance Updates – Netstatus mailing list For upcoming maintenance windows

General Announcements – Announcement archive Online and available via email

Outage Updates – http://stats.xmission.com/outage/ Not that we anticipate having an outage but if we should, this is where you would go for updates.

Bandwidth Availability:

The fact that you can monitor each of our networks, capacity from those networks, and our current usage on the pipes means you can grow your bandwidth without having to question performance or availability. Simply put, your critical data transmission needs are met.

Reliability

Having worked at XMission for 13 years I can honestly say the most common statement my clients make about XMission is, “It just works.” How awesome is that?!? Makes my job that much easier.

I would encourage any non-XMission clients to call your ISP and demand these same tools. After all, if XMission can do it, then other ISPs should too. Sustaining a healthy Internet is crucial to our future and you have the right to understand the products you buy.

If you have any questions about network services or this blog post please feel free to email me directly, john@xmission.com. I’m happy to help.

Enjoy!

Back in the days of old, POP3 was the best way to handle your email with your desktop mail application. The problem with POP (Post Office Protocol) is that it downloads email to whichever machine you are using at the time. This means that unless you access all your email from one machine, you can end up with some messages on your desktop, others on your laptop, and even others on your phone or PDA. Talk about a productivity and convenience killer! Ouch!

IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) keeps everything—even your sent mail and other mail folders—in sync with the copy on XMission’s servers, which avoids the problem of messages being scattered across your machines. IMAP gives you email portability via your mobile phone’s email application,  your favorite desktop email app at home and at the office, or the web interface.

For me, portability is crucial. I use several devices to access email: the office desktop, my phone, my laptop, and sometimes a random computer on the road. This need for access, no matter where I go, is why IMAP is so fantastic. IMAP keeps my email synced on every access device no matter where I am. It just makes life easier.

Putting this to work for you is simple. See the XMission support wiki for easy to follow configuration instructions on setting your favorite mail client for use with our IMAP service. There is no extra charge and all XMission email services support IMAP.

One last suggestion, if you want your email world to be even easier, use webmail. Most XMission accounts use https://webmail.xmission.com and our business Zimbra users access email, calendars, and collaboration tools through https://zimbra.xmission.com. All computers (and most mobile devices) have a compatible browser that supports webmail. The convenience is fantastic and you will never be stuck without your email again.

If you have questions about any of the XMission business email solutions please give us a call, 877-964-7746, or drop an email to sales@xmission.com. We are happy to help you out.

Now go be productive!

I’m sure you have been hearing about this Zimbra email product that XMission includes with our web hosting suite and how great it is for business use.

Now what do you do if your business needs to share calendars, documents, address books, tasks, email, and more? What if you have a crusty old mail server and fear the tremendous cost and hassle of upgrading? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else providing your users support anytime of the day or night and eliminating those 3AM phone calls? Wouldn’t it be nice to save some money? Regardless of the reason, this seminar is for you.

Let me show you the way.

Details:

XMission Zimbra Seminar  (free) Thursday, February 5th at 3 pm 51 East 400 South Suite 200 RSVP to john@xmission.com as there are only 8 seats available for this session

Topics we will cover in this free seminar:

Address Book

Calendar

Documents

Shortcuts

Advanced Search features

Domain Admin Interface (setting up accounts)

Q & A session

This 90 minute seminar is designed for those considering the Zimbra Standard or Zimbra Premium services with XMission. You can review the XMission Zimbra Suite here:   http://www.xmission.com/products/hosting/email/

I look forward to your RSVP.  If you cannot make this session don’t worry, we will be hosting these once or twice a month based on interest.

See you Thursday! – John

With screens and party locations for all festivals in Park City and downtown Salt Lake City, you are sure to find something to do this week.

Festivals:

Sundance Film Festival The grandest of the festivals, Sundance pulls in Hollywood elite for swank parties and some pre-release films.

Slamdance Film Festival This is likely the most true to form of the “Indie” Film Festivals. XMission is a proud sponsor of this festival.

XDance Film Festival All you need in action sport films! I’ve watched many of these films myself.

While you are experiencing the glitter and glam of the cinema elite, be sure to check out the free XMission wireless on Salt Lake’s Main Street and at the Treasure Mountain Inn located at the top of Park City’s Historic Main Street.

If you happen to use Twitter, here are just a folks talking about the events in PC and SLC:  @Slamdance @SlugMag @SlashFilm @Rejects @FirstShowing @ErikDavis @EricDSnider @XDance

Have a great week and thanks for visiting!

Their mission is to become the voice of social media technology — whether it be for business or personal use — in the Salt Lake area. Their goals are to expand media literacy, provide educational opportunities and promote ethical standards.

I believe this will be a great addition to the local scene and plan on attending. XMission is donating some schwag bags with goodies for the raffle.

Tonight is their first meeting: Thursday, January 15, 2009 @   5:00 pm

117 West 400 South (@The Summit Group)  map

This is an organizational meeting/mixer networking event with an open invite. The group encourages you to invite anyone you know in the SLC area to attend. As they like to say, “Everyone is welcome!”

You can learn more about this group on their website: http://www.smcslc.org.

They are also active on Facebook , Twitter, and on LinkedIn.

Check them out and say “Hello” when you see me there tonight.

See you soon!