I read an article not long ago about the first computer virus ever created, and started wondering what the evolution of computer viruses  have been over the past few years.  I was also curious about at what point in time a computer virus was introduced through a high speed internet connection.  Being that I primarily work with satellite internet connections, I couldn’t help to ponder if there was some ingenious way to stop a detected virus from being transferred over the ‘internet waves’ on the side of the internet provider.  For example, could WildBlue detect every time a known virus file is trying to access the internet through their network and keep that file from being transferred or downloaded?  Well, I ran across some interesting information about the time line of computer viruses throughout the years, so enjoy!

1970 “Creeper”, which is what many consider to be the first computer virus launched based off of a character from the popular cartoon, Scooby Doo.

1982 A virus launched known by many as the Elk Cloner, based on its ability to replicate itself over a floppy disk.

1986 Hackers start designing viruses to appear in the ‘boot files’ of computers to ensure that they will get executed.

1991 Symantec releases the first major commercial anti-virus software known as Norton.

1999 The virus known as “Melissa” spreads by hijacking people’s email accounts and sending Email contacts a copy of the virus.

2004 A virus known as “Sasser” took advantage of a flaw in the Microsoft operating system caused people’s computers to crash.

Although, there have been many viruses released in between these dates and many more after the year 2004 these instances represent the most well known viruses throughout the past few decades.  Since 2004 we have started to see a lot more Spyware and Malware viruses sweep across the internet, many concentrated on helping some malicious hackers make a hefty profit.  So, back to my original question ‘for all the computer wizes out there’ will companies like WildBlue one day be able to block computer viruses for good?

A while back ago most of you probably remember the article I published about WildBlue and ViaSat getting ready to launch a new satellite that would change the satellite internet world as we know it today.  Well, we are getting even closer to this becoming a reality; therefore we thought it might be appropriate to revisit the topic.  We are approximately 5 months away from ViaSat launching its first internet satellite after acquiring WildBlue.  What makes things even more interesting is that they are doing so with WildBlue’s co-founder Tom Moore back on board with the company.  Tom returned to the company shortly after the joint venture between the two companies was finalized.  He had left his CEO position previously after founding the company because of his inability to get along with shareholders.  Tom was unhappy with the rate of technological growth taking place within the company and decided it was best for him to resign.  However, ViaSat purchased WildBlue with the intent of pairing its experience in satellite innovations with WildBlue’s consumer infrastructure.  With these intentions Tom’s goals once again aligned with the company.

As stated in the previous article the new satellite will be much larger than any of WildBlue’s current satellites, in fact it will be approximately 20 times larger than WildBlue’s current largest satellite.  This will make the satellite larger than all other Ka band satellites combined, and will open up a significant amount of additional service availability for rural customers.  As mentioned previously ViaSat has plans to provide service to select European countries; however it is now being rumored that they may even have interest in providing service to parts of Africa and the Middle East.  Regardless, this is going to be a huge step for the satellite internet industry because it allows rural customers to have greater speeds than they could get through most dial-up plans and even equivalent speeds to several cable plans.  The future is very bright for both WildBlue and ViaSat; we are just going to have to wait a few more months.

Have you ever heard of Four Square?  If the answer is no don’t worry because I hadn’t either until just recently.  Apparently Four Square is a social network similar to Facebook only it is based on Geographical locations.  So you might be thinking “Give me a break not another social network” right?  Don’t say that before you find out a little more about it though.  If you are a local area business, especially a restaurant, this social network just might be worth checking out to you.  Before I get too deep I will warn you there is a catch.  To be able to use Four Square in a productive manner you are going to need a high speed internet connection.  So if you are in a rural area like me you are most likely going to need to invest in some satellite internet service.

From what I have found out about it so far Four Square allows you to check in every time you go somewhere and accumulate points.  Once you get the most points for a certain location you get promoted to the status of “Mayor” for that particular location.  Basically you are telling your friends which places you like the most by actually frequenting those places.  Although, this social network is still relatively small it is building momentum, and it is a great opportunity for local businesses to connect with their customers.  Obviously, someone that is coming to your place of business a lot is a great advertising opportunity for your business.  You need to be able to differentiate the loyal customers from the new customers from the ‘every once in a while’ customers.  You need to be rewarding your loyal customers, offering extra incentives to the ‘every once in a while’ customers, and advertising to your new customers.  So if you are in a rural area, get some high speed satellite internet and start sharing where you go with your friends.

I was reading through some testimonials the other day when I came across an individual expressing his gratitude to WildBlue for enabling him to have access to his online classes.  Now, I know we have talked about online degrees before, but I felt compelled to bring it up again after reading this testimonial.  I can relate to people taking online classes and even getting online degrees as I have several friends getting their entire degree online, and I have even taken some online classes in the past.  I just thought about how difficult this would be without access to high-speed internet service.  I live in a rural area myself  and went to a fairly small high school, that actually required me to take one of my classes via correspondence because the class was not offered at the school.  This was back when dial-up internet was the only option.  I had to snail mail all of the class work to the teacher, and the course material was sent to me on a CD.  When I read that testimonial I kept thinking about how awful it would be to have to go back to that.

Online degrees are not something to be frowned upon at all anymore.  Very prestigious universities have now started offering online degree options or at least placing a large portion of their course content online.  I know that MIT has started an initiative to get all their class learning material placed online so anyone in the world can access it.  Actually, I even read the other day that Harvard has started, or will be starting an online degree program.  The truth is if you do not have access to fast high-speed internet you will get left behind very quickly in the realm of education.  Even if you are getting your degree from a physical university you still need broadband access to connect to others in the class with you.  I guess the moral of this post is if you do not have access to broadband internet, get it.  Even if DSL and Cable are not available to you there is still satellite internet.  So, there is really no excuse.

I have been beta testing for Microsoft since Windows 98 and it has been a very worthwhile endeavor. However, this is my first experience doing beta testing while being connected to WildBlue Satellite Internet. This added a whole new dimension to the testing process because I wanted to test the stability and compatibility of Microsoft’s beta releases.

I am very happy to report that the switch over was seamless. WildBlue performed at the same level of excellence as it does on my

current operating system. At first I was completely unaware that I was testing in a new environment due to having DSL in previous testing.

I have two hard drives on that machine. One is on the ‘C’ drive and the other is running on a totally different drive, the ‘D’ drive. I am dual booting the system. For those not familiar with this term, at start up I have a choice of booting into both operating systems. Each operating system runs independently of the other and all hardware is installed twice.

This gives me a real world environment in which to see the performance of WildBlue Satellite Internet Service without any crossover from the other operating system. As I stated above, there were no added steps involved and WildBlue ran flawlessly.

I have yet to run the ‘Windows Optimizer’, supplied by WildBlue, on the beta releases. This is the utility that puts the icon for the Portal, Help and Web Mail used by WildBlue Satellite Internet Service. This is the next test I will be performing. I expect it to work as it has in the past, but stay tuned to this spot for an update within the next few days.

Any of you testing for Microsoft while using WildBlue? I would be interested in any feedback you may have. The more we test and debug, the better the user experience will be when Microsoft releases its products. I am very pleased with the results I have had using WildBlue Internet Service. I also welcome any and all questions having to do with WildBlue and issues you may be having using it with your particular operating system. So, let’s talk!

Perhaps you have been waiting and wondering whether WildBlue is worth changing from dial up and paying the extra money.

It seems that the users of WildBlue have the answer, and it is a resounding YES! WildBlue is continuing to roll out across the country and is creating a base of very happy customers. There is no longer any excuse to continue with slow dial up if you have access to WildBlue.

Check it out. Survey says 94% of WildBlue Customers are either “happy” or “very happy”. That is an astonishing number. Service industries are notorious for receiving low satisfaction scores. WildBlue is going against the tide, and with good reason. Word of mouth is one of the many reasons that the customer base is continuing to grow at a very fast pace.

As with most fast growing companies, there are some capacity constraints, but WildBlue is in the process of updating their networks to meet this increased demand. As I am sure many of you are aware WildBlue merged with ViaSat not long ago.  We are all predicting  the company to release a new satellite next year that will open the door for not only new customers but for higher speeds as well.

This is not all a pipe dream. The service is performing well within the standards that have been set. It has been built to easily handle an extremely large number of customers. We can’t help but to wonder, will WildBlue corporate headquarters be expanding as well?

There you have it, the facts as they stand today and going forward. If you are still using dial up for your Internet needs and you live in a rural area not serviced by any other broadband service, the time has arrived for you to join many happy customers, and enter the 21st century.

Do yourself a favor, sign up for WildBlue Satellite Internet Service. Ninety-four to ninety-six percent of present customers can’t all be wrong.

I made a post a while back about internet dating, and thought it would be helpful to write a follow up article.  Many people I have talked to seem to have a negative connotation of internet dating or are hesitant to try it out.  If you’re anything like me, single and living in a rural area, chances are being alone is not what you had in mind for an ideal life.  Now don’t get me wrong i enjoy my  “me” time as much as the next person, but happiness seems much more real when it is shared with someone whose company you enjoy.  Now i know this might sound like old news , but what i’ve recently discovered is that it’s not just freaks and geeks who frequent these online dating services.  In fact , it’s mostly just your average Joe and Jane, if you will, who are either looking for a good time or just an old fashioned romance and i think those things are something that all of us who have not quite found Mr. or Ms. right just yet can agree that we would like to have in our lives.

Now, the problem posed to those of us rural Americans who float in this same boat is not what websites to visit , but first how do we get our high speed internet connection to be able to access these sites which could lend us a hand in getting the companionships we desire so much.  The answer, satellite high speed internet from WildBlue. With DSL like speeds and an even cheaper price tag, you can link up to your favorite dating sites, and with a little bit of luck, find the love of your life.  There is no need to be nervous or embarrassed to try these sites, that is like saying you are embarrassed to go on a date.  Just remember anyone that sees you on these online dating sites are in the exact same situation you are in, or they would not be on there.  So, give it a try.

Different than a few years ago, you now have the choice of how high strung you actually want to be each morning when you feel like you need a kick start to get you going.  You can go completely natural and just exercise your way to peak alertness each day, you can have a couple cups of coffee and listen to yourself ramble on about the news with co-workers, or you can do three peoples’ job while talking about the news, balancing your checkbook, and checking your Facebook account all at the same time….after you’ve had your 16 – 24oz energy drink. The question still remains about how safe these energy drinks are and what long term effects prolonged use will produce.

There is more than enough evidence to support the claim that, in general, energy drinks ARE BAD FOR YOU. The old adage, “what goes up must come down”, rings all too true when dealing with the subject of over-the-counter stimulants.  But like most things that are harmful to your health, the worse of a reputation they receive, the more popular they seem to become among today’s youth and young adults.

If you really want the low down on what all goes into your body and how they can have the exact opposite effect of what you are trying to accomplish by drinking these eye-popping liquid mini-thins, get on a high speed internet connection and poke around. I promise you’ll be shocked and appalled, to say the least. These drinks are not an uptown-downtown phenomenon; they are being pushed all through the rural parts of America just as much.  So, if you haven’t found a decent high speed provider that will allow you to access this vital information, call Wildblue Satellite Internet and let them be your connection, even in the most remote of areas, because an informed society makes for a better future.

We’ve heard a lot in the past few years about “Going Green”. The green initiative seems to have swept through our society, and rightly so. I have therefore found it fitting that we do a series of blog posts that focus on this green initiative. The things we can do for the welfare of our environment and our bank accounts through the use of green energy are limitless. There are countless sites on the Internet which are able to provide you with the necessary information to do these kinds of things.  Today, let’s take a look at what we can do for our health using the most natural of foods; 100% organically grown fruits and vegetables.  “Organically grown” means that these most wonderfully tasting and nutritious gifts of nature have not been exposed for the duration of their natural lives to any kind of unnatural pesticides and/or chemicals to enhance growth.  Now, not only does this make them more appealing to the ever-expanding health conscience public, but it also provides actual benefits to one’s heath compared to consuming store bought produce. You can learn about these benefits to your physical and mental well being by researching more about organically grown produce on the internet. If you live in an area where high speed internet isn’t available (everyone knows using dial-up is worse for your mental health than eating mass produced celery sticks) then check out WildBlue Satellite Internet.  They provide high speed internet to thousands of rural area farmers who produce these wonderful works of nature and can do the same for you.  Not only that, but having high speed internet service can help you network with local farmers to help you locate the best prices.  Through high speed internet you might be able to purchase produce from your next door neighbor, who you never knew was an organic farmer, and save money by not having to drive to the grocery store.

Tired of waking up to that age old, annoying beep of your alarm clock every morning to get up and go to a job you’ll most likely despise day in and day out?

Now I know this is what our parents and their parents before them told us as kids that we could expect as adults to do the rest of our lives after we got out of school.  However, the times have changed. We are in an era of a brave new world where the daily commute to work and the punching of a clock are no longer necessary to maintain a good paying job.  Sure, 10 years ago, this was a reality for folks living in metropolitan areas, but with the addition of Wildblue Satellite, High speed Internet, anyone with a clear view of the southern sky in the United States can finally hit that snooze button one last time and then throw that clock as hard as they can against the wall like they’ve dreamed of doing for so many mornings before this opportunity was presented .

You can take calls from your own home and use scripts online to provide customer service for several different companies.  You can clean out your garage and attic and have an online yard sale, so-to-speak, on eBay or craigslist.org.  Or, if you prefer going in somewhere to work every day and are looking for work, there’s no better or more efficient way to apply for a job than doing it online through services like monster.com, who can match your individual skills to a profession that suits you to the “T”.  The reality of today’s society is that without access to high speed Internet service it is very difficult to keep up with the latest technology.  Now with the help of WildBlue Satellite Internet Service rural citizens without access to DSL or Cable no longer have an excuse for not having high speed Internet.