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Last night we performed a large move of servers at our main datacenter. While we were moving, we noticed that one of our primary mail servers (Cyclops, or mail.sephone.com) required a server rebuild before it could be moved to the new location.

If you use mail.sephone.com as your address to check mail (either as the address you use to access webmail or your incoming server), you were one of the domains affected by this rebuild.

If you’re not sure which mail server your site uses, please use our new MyServer tool to check. Your domain is on Cyclops if the name next to “Your mail server:” is “Cyclops.”

One important change for Cyclops users: you must use your primary domain and primary e-mail to log into your account. If you have a primary account of robert.smith@example.com, for instance, but you also have an alias or forward (an email address that automatically forwards to a primary account) at robert@example.com, you must log in with the robert.smith@example.com address. Also, if your business uses multiple domain names (for example: example-site.com, example-company.com, and example.com) you must use the primary domain name, instead of the aliases or forwards. If you’re unsure which domain is your primary domain, give us a call.

We apologize for any inconvenience that results from this move. Please keep in mind that this server rebuild will provide faster mail connectivity in the future for your domain.

We’ve provided additional information for webmail (by going to http://mail.sephone.com or http://mail.yourdomain) and a POP (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.) users below.

Additional information for webmail users

If you normally view your mail by logging into http://mail.sephone.com or http://mail.yourdomain, you will notice a new version of webmail. Most of the features of the new webmail match those of the old webmail, but you may notice a couple of differences after you log in.

Please remember that we provide webmail as a courtesy to our users. If possible, please use a POP program like Outlook or Outlook Express to check your mail. If you need a POP program, Thunderbird is a great option that is free to download.

Please give us a call at (207) 262-5040 or send an e-mail to support@sephone.com if you’re having trouble logging in, checking your mail, or if you need to administer the users in your system.

Additional information for POP (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc.) users

If you use Outlook, Thunderbird, or another program to check your mail, you may need to check your account settings to make sure that they are correct. Most importantly, make sure that your incoming mail server is mail.yourdomain (the incoming mail server for datavenger.com, for example, would be mail.datavenger.com). Also make sure you are using your primary email address as well as your primary domain name in your email address and incoming mail server.

For assistance with changing your mail settings, please consult the instructions for Outlook or Outlook Express, using the settings found in the MyServer tool.

Please give us a call at (207) 262-5040 or send an e-mail to support@sephone.com if you’re having trouble connecting, checking your mail, or if you need to administer the users in your system.

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What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a way to subscribe to an audio or video show and automatically receive new episodes. For example, I listen to the NPR morning stories. When they publish a new one, I want it to automatically be placed on my iPod. That’s exactly what a podcast does. In my media player, I have subscribed to the NPR morning stories podcast, and at night I plug my iPod into my computer. As I sleep at night, my media player will download the new episode from NPR and place it on my iPod so I have it in the morning, automatically.

Become a Podcaster

Do you have audio content that you wish to podcast? All you need is some MP3’s and a RSS feed. QuickTime Pro, GarageBand, and iWeb on a Mac would get you on your way. If that is a bit over your head, give us a call or send us an email, and we would be glad to help you out.

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How can you keep up on everything these days? With the 24 hour news cycle, your business and personal life (what’s that?) all going full tilt, how do you keep on top of it all?

As a small business owner, the thought of even having to try to learn something new is just mind boggling. EVEN if it means that in the long run you know it is a time saver.

Well, enter a “feed reader.” Rather than go to individual web sites to see what is new about them, like foxnews.com, espn.com, maine.gov, blog.sephone.com, or whatever other sites you are interested in, what if those sites came to you in one location for you to look at there new content.

That’s exactly what a feed does. A “feed” is a way for a website, to get new information to you, without plugging up your email inbox or worse your computer with junkie software.

In your browser (that’s what you look at the Internet with, like Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari), have you ever seen that little orange icon that looks like the one to your right?

That little icon means that the website provides a feed for you. Sometimes you will see abbreviations like ATOM, RSS, or XML, don’t worry about what all of those mean. Sometimes the icon may even appear in your address bar, like it does for my browser.

See below:

Feeds are best delivered through a website that you log into, I prefer GOOGLE READER. It is what they call “web based” and it is FREE!! Enter your email address, put in a password and start grabbing information from sites you look at all ready. The reader just puts them all in one place so no more surfing, no more downloading .pdf’s, etc.

We would like you to subscribe to blog.sephone.com so you can look at our updates. AND we are not trying to sell you anything! Just as a Sephone client, as we learn, you can learn with us! Also the others, you won’t have to remember all the sites you like. The headlines are on your screen and you can manage them when you are able to catch up on the news!

Feeds are only going to grow and you can eliminate all those “newsletters” to your mailbox!

Below is a simple screencast of adding maine.gov news feed to my Google Reader.

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