ImOn Insider

February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day! We’re using the holiday as an opportunity for our staff to come together to spread kindness to our community. When it comes to random acts of kindness, it’s the more the merrier. So we’re inviting you to participate in National Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th with us.

To make sure we’re spreading kindness to all corners of the community, we’ve divided acts of kindness into categories based on who will receive your kindness. Our hope is that you will complete at least one random act of kindness in each category—but don’t let that limit you.

Have you started your new year’s resolutions yet Many of you have probably created a list of things you would like to work on in the new year. We have compiled a list of apps to help you accomplish all your goals. And make sure slow and unreliable Internet doesn’t slow down your journey to achieving your resolutions in the new year — get a reliable and fast Internet connection from ImOn and make 2023 your year.

After a strange holiday season in 2020, the holidays are back in full force this year and you know what that means—Holiday movies and shows! No matter if you’re into the claymation classics, heartwarming black and white films, action movies that take place around Christmas (we see you Die Hard fans), family holiday comedies, or something in between—we’re here to help you build your holiday viewing calendar. You can even download this calendar, print it out and let each person select a couple of movies or shows for the whole family to watch together.

Long gone are the days of having to look up information in an encyclopedia or going to the library to research something. Now we simply ‘Google it’. Google is one of the most used search engines in the world, performing more than three billion searches a day. In a fraction of a second, Google can give you links to hundreds of millions of websites for answers to all of your questions. But did you know there are tricks you can use to help Google narrow down your search to help you find your answer faster? Here are just a few tips to help make your searching more efficient.

• Use the tabs.
  Across the top of every search page, there are tabs labeled Web, Images, Videos, News, Shopping, etc. While many people already use these search tabs, it is an easy way to help define what kind of search you want to do. You can use the Image tab to search for just image files, or the News tab to look for recent news articles. While these tabs are meant to give you more general search results, they can help reduce your search time.
  
• Use quotation marks to find the exact wording.
  When you are trying to search for something specific, try using quotation marks around the phrase you are searching for. By putting your search parameters inside quotation marks, it tells Google to only look for the words you entered in the exact order you entered them. This helps Google know exactly what you are looking for and narrows down your search results for a better match.
  
  
• Use a minus sign to remove words from a search.
  To help narrow down your search results, use the minus sign to tell Google to omit certain words from your search. This trick comes in very handy when you are searching for a word that may have a double meaning or when you are getting a lot of search results that aren’t of interest to you. Simply add the “-" symbol in front of the word(s) you don't want your search results to include. For example, if you search “ Mustang,” Google will give you results for both the Mustang car and the Mustang horse. But you only want results for the Mustang car. Instead, use the minus sign and search for “Mustang – horse." This tells Google to search for mustangs but to remove any results that have the word horse in them. This tip can save you lots of time when doing searches.
  
  
• Use “OR” to combine similar searches.
  By using “OR” between two different search words or phrases allows Google some flexibility in its search. The “OR” means Google will search and show results for one term or the other, or both. This usually comes in handy when you are searching for two similar words or subjects. An example might be searching for “chocolate” OR “White Chocolate”.
  
  
• Use the asterisk wildcard.
  Use an asterisk in your search when you are searching for quotes, titles, expressions, or song lyrics and you are unsure of the exact/entire phrase. Google uses the asterisk as a placeholder for an unknown or variable word. It will then search for all variations of that phrase. It is kind of like a wild card!
  
  
• Use “DEFINE:” to learn the meaning of words.
  Forget the dictionary, Google can also provide definitions for words, including slang words. Just type in “DEFINE:” and a word, and Google will give you the definition, pronunciation, and more.

While these are all tricks to help make your Google searches more efficient, there are also some fun things you can do with Google. It has a host of built-in games, including Pac-Man, tic tac toe, Solitaire, Minesweeper, and Snake. There are also tools like a calculator, metronome, breathing exercises, and more. What can’t Google do?

Temperatures are cooling down across eastern Iowa, and soon holiday excitement will be in the air. For Iowans, “spreading holiday cheer” isn’t just a saying. It’s something we show by making donations, fundraising campaigns, and volunteering opportunities. Whatever the reason. Whatever the season. We all love seeing stories of human generosity, which is why we’ve compiled ways you can give back this holiday season!

Your home is your family’s safe space. Knowing what to look for when it comes to alarms, cameras, and security systems for your home can give you piece of mind and make your family even safer.

Looking for ways to improve your home’s security? Let’s review some of the choices you have when it comes to affordable and reliable residential Wi-Fi security systems, as well as information on how/where to report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

Most Wi-Fi security systems recommend an internet speed of 1-2mbps for each camera unit. By choosing ImOn’s high speed Internet for your home you’ll be certain to have high quality streaming camera footage and security alerts whether you’re at home, work, on the road, or even if you finally decide to take that vacation you’ve been planning for years. ImOn also offers no data caps, so your security camera surveillance footage will never stop alerting you to potential threats due to data usage.

You’ve likely finished up and returned home after your long-planned summer vacation, and the last thing you want to do is lose the relaxed and refreshed feeling you brought back with you. Back-to-school time seems to creep up on parents and students each year and staying on top of shopping and preparing can make it a smooth transition for everyone.

As we all learned last year, there’s no predicting how the school year will look until COVID-19 is a thing of the past. The majority of classroom learning this year is planned to be in-person and on-campus, but it’s important to stay prepared for remote learning as well.

Stay Connected to All the Action

The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics are finally here! From archery to wrestling, and everything in between, ImOn is here to make sure you stay connected to all the competition. Japan is 14 hours ahead of U.S. Central Time, so most of the evening events will be live in the early morning hours throughout our communities. The Olympics kick off with the opening ceremony on July 23, at 6am CT, and conclude with the closing ceremony on August 8, at 6am CT.

To stay up-to-date on all Olympic news and events, make sure to download the official Tokyo 2020 app for Apple or on Google Play.

“Lightspeed” is often used as an exaggerative description of when something is happening so quickly that we feel like we might be losing control. In today’s housing market, buying and selling a home can certainly fall into the cycle of moving too fast and feeling like you’re losing control. But the rate at which houses are selling doesn’t need to scare anyone off. Buyers and sellers just need to have a plan and be prepared. Just like lightspeed helped Han Solo escape trouble in the Millennium Falcon, you too can take advantage of the lightspeed housing market!

The Season of Outdoor Living and Landscaping is Upon Us

The bags of mulch are getting opened, decks are being stained, outdoor lights are getting strung up, no more frost covered lawns to greet us in the morning (fingers-crossed anyway). The season of outdoor living is finally here. Chances are your landscaping and lawncare to-do lists probably look a bit more extensive this spring due to the natural disaster our community suffered last fall. ImOn’s list sure does.