ImOn Communications eNewsletter


		January 2021


		Starting a New Year Together! In 2020, ImOn completed our 13th year in business. Many believe 13 is an unlucky number, and that definitely held true for our 13th year in business and 2020 in general. We endured a global pandemic, civil unrest, a devastating windstorm, and a contentious election season — just to name a few. But, we also have a lot to be thankful for as well, such as our health, families, and customers. Like many of you, ImOn is looking forward to putting 2020 behind us and looking to a new year filled with hope. We know you have options when it comes to your telecommunication services. That's why we want to express our sincere appreciation to you for choosing ImOn Communications. Your support of us, as a local provider, makes it possible to bring advanced broadband technology to our community. It also enables us to give back to local nonprofit organizations through volunteer hours and financial donations. From all of us at ImOn Communications, we wish you a happy and healthy New Year! Here's to 2021! January ImOn Calendar Photo Here is a look at the photo adorning our ImOn Customer Calendar for the month of January. The photo was submitted by Cory Carpenter and was taken in Mt Vernon, Iowa. The 2020-2021 Customer Calendar is still available in the lobby of ImOn's headquarters at 101 3rd Avenue SW, for customers to pick up.


		Dog Takes Itself Sledding We're not the only ones who enjoy sledding. This dog pulls the sled up the hill and then joyfully slides back down.		Dancing Mailman Pandemic isolation is eased for a little girl when a kind mailman dances with her through the picture window.


		Happy National Squirrel Appreciation Day No, we're not kidding. National Squirrel Appreciation Day is a real thing and it is celebrated every January 21st. While many of you may enjoy these cute, fuzzy woodland creatures, we in the telecommunications industry look at them more as a frustrating foe. Like most rodents, squirrels chew on things to sharpen and control the length of their teeth. Unfortunately, they often choose to do that on electrical and fiber-optic cables. They like to chew off the outer insulation of the wires and even chew on the hard wires themselves, which can result in service impacts for our customers. In fact, according to Tony Bennett, ImOn Senior Manager of Network Operations, ImOn averages about 15 small outages a year due to squirrel chew damage! The good news is our team has become very adept at quickly identifying and repairing these chews to minimize downtime for our customers. So, if you choose to celebrate our furry friends this National Squirrel Appreciation Day, please shower them with a ton of hard nuts so they won't need to chew on our cables! Make a Resolution to Good Computer Health! At the start of every year, millions of people make New Year's resolutions ranging from losing weight to quitting smoking. But why not make a resolution to keep your computer healthy? Here are a few tips to help keep your devices safe and healthy in 2021. Perform Regular Backups: Make sure you perform regular backups of your system to ensure you don't lose your important photos, documents, and more. Toss Out The Old: Go through and delete any old files, programs, apps and emails you no longer need or use. This will clear up more memory space for new things. Restart or Shut Down Regularly: Just like us, our devices need time to rest and reboot. Consider shutting down your devices when not in use. Or at least give them a weekly restart. This will ensure they can receive important software upgrades, increase their performance, and prevent memory leaks. Stay up to date: Make sure your security software, web browser, and operating system are all up to date. This is one of the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats that could not only hurt your computer but also you. External Care: Periodically wipe away dust, crumbs, and pet hair from your fan vents, screens, and keyboards. Use a micro-fiber cloth or a can of condensed air. Also, clean up clutter from around your devices to ensure good air flow to help keep them from over heating. Secure your devices: Use strong passwords, passcodes, or touch ID features to lock your devices when you are not using them. These security measures can help protect your information if your devices are lost or stolen. Update Contact Info At ImOn, we are committed to providing you outstanding customer service, and one way we do that is by sending out regular communications to our customers through email. This includes outage notifications, services impacting news, changes to your service, and reminders about customer events and perks. As we start the new year, we want to ensure you receive all of this important information. Please make sure we have your current email address and phone number in our system. You can visit www.MyImOn.com/Contact and submit a form with your current information, or contact the ImOn Customer Care team at 319-298-6484 during normal business hours. Top 10 Time Saving Tech Tips Check out this entertaining TedTalk, "Top Ten Time-Saving Tech Tips", to learn some simple and clever tips you can use on your computers, smartphones, and cameras. We bet there is at least one of these tips you don't already know! It's no surprise that overheating can affect and damage your smartphones, tablets, and laptops. But, did you know that the dropping temperatures outside can take a toll on them as well? All smartphones, tablets, and laptops have been designed to work within safe temperature ranges. Below is a chart showing some of these safe ranges. These temperatures refer to the optimal usage temperature or outside environment of the device. When your devices are used in temperatures outside of these safe ranges, you may experience a few problems. Here are just a few of the problems you may experience on chilly days and some tips to keep your devices safe. Battery Drain: This is probably one of the most common side effects of the cold weather. When cold, device batteries can drain faster than normal. According to BatteryUniversity.com, it's because cold temperatures actually slow the electrical current in your device's battery, causing the capacity to diminish. The good thing is that these problems are only temporary, and the battery should behave normally when the device is warmed up. So always make sure your devices are fully charged before leaving the house. You should also keep a charger, charging cables, or alternate power supply on-hand in case your battery does die. You wouldn't want to be stuck in a snow drift and not be able to call for help! Screen Issues: In cold temperatures, LCD displays on smartphones and tablets can become slow to respond. You may experience delayed touchscreen reactions and smudging or ghosting of images. Also, the cold weather makes the screen panel more rigid, which makes it more likely to shatter if dropped. If your screen is already cracked, the cold weather could make it worse. Just like a cracked car windshield, the cold can cause the cracks to expand. To protect your devices, make sure they have a heavy duty and waterproof protective case to help to protect them in the winter. There are also some cases that offer thermal protection to help keep your devices warm. For laptops, look for a case that's well-insulated and padded. Internal Component Damage: Many devices contain delicate electronic parts that cannot withstand extremely cold temperatures. Some components can become brittle and crack in the cold. Some devices also have difficulty reading SIM cards, using disk drives, or executing any number of processing operations in the cold. According to Userbytes.com, many drives use lubricant to keep them spinning at a designated speed. In cold temperatures, the lubricant can thicken or harden, making drives unable to spin at the appropriate speed. This can cause boot-up failures which can further damage a device. Finally, just like how your glasses fog over when you come inside from the cold, the same thing can happen to your devices. However, the condensation can occur inside your device or underneath your display screen. This could cause sensitive electrical components to short circuit or corrode. Other Recommendations: When you head out into the cold, keep your electronic devices in a pocket close to your body if possible. This will help protect it from the snow or other precipitation. Your body heat will also help to keep your devices warm and lessen the effects of the cold. If you must take your devices out, limit their use and exposure to the direct cold. Don't leave devices in your car overnight or for long periods of time in cold weather. This could permanently damage some of their components. When you go inside, let your devices warm up before you turn them on. Your devices should be at room temperature before you boot them up. We hope you found this Tech Talk topic informative and useful. If you have a tech topic you would like to learn more about, just email your ideas, or questions, to TechTalks@ImOn.net and you may see them featured in an upcoming edition of Tech Talks.


		Online Journal Is 2021 your year to start journaling? Penzu offers a free, private, and customizable way to record thoughts and activities. Learn more...		MedlinePlus Get trusted health information on topics including diseases and symptoms, tests and treatments, and prescription drugs. Learn more...		AccuWeather Go here for interactive radar maps, current conditions, accurate forecasts, and severe weather watches and warnings. Learn more...


		COOKING DEMOS January is National Slow Cooker Month, so take advantage of the convenience and try this flavorful chicken dish.		French Toast Casserole What could be better than French toast? It's French toast you make ahead, chill overnight, and bake the next morning.


		NASA Shows Us Mars Check out these "out of this world" images of the Red Planet taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.		Organize Your Reusable Bags Reusable shopping bags don't have to create a mess in your home. This video shows how to neatly fold and store them.


		Replace a Doorknob If you have a doorknob that's outdated or doesn't work well, follow these detailed steps to easily replace it with a new one.		Turn a Trunk into a Table Transform that old trunk you picked up at a flea market or garage sale into a cool coffee table with lots of character.

ImOn Communications · 101 3rd Avenue SW, Suite 400 · Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

319-298-6484

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