The objective of this web site is to introduce potential new developments in the world of information technology to the readers. The primary focus will be on technology utilised by retailers, including the supply chain, but much of the subject matter will be relevant to other industries, too.
Cotton Traders' credit card data theft is tip of the iceberg
Clothing firm Cotton Traders this week confirmed that its website had been hacked into and the credit card details of 38,000 customers had been stolen.
by Glynn Davis
You can view the rest of this article by clicking on the link below or by pasting it into your web browser.
Great features go mobile Compact, lightweight and easy-to-use, the TM-P60 series offers uninterrupted, high-speed, receipt and label printing on-the-go. The fully-portable TM-P60 includes high-resolution graphics, barcodes and exclusive new fonts - perfect for sophisticated receipts, coupons, tokens and for on-demand labelling. Easy-to-use features include drop-in paper load and partial auto-cutter. With the TM-P60 there's a choice of interfaces. Both receipt and label models are available in WiFi, and the receipt version is also offered with Bluetooth.
Uninterrupted, high-performance printing With its impressive 70 millimetres per second print speed, the TM-P60 range features a long-life 8 hour battery, easily recharged internally or by external charger. Uninterrupted performance is ensured by simply replacing batteries as necessary, rather than having to recharge the whole unit and incur downtime.
Unlimited applications With the TM-P60 the possibilities are endless. Use it in conjunction with a PDA for queue-busting transactions and create extra checkouts during peak trading times. It can even be trolley mounted to offer your customers greater freedom and independence. The TM-P60 label version is an ideal choice for shelf-edge labelling and mark-downs on demand. The TM-P60 is also the key to greater warehouse efficiency. Hand-held or belt-mounted, it prints fast, clear data and barcodes helping to streamline operations.
Ready-to-go, secure and reliable TM-P60 series has OPoS, JPoS, ESC/POS and Windows drivers to ensure compatibility with existing retail systems and industry standard wireless security protocols for secure data communication. It offers flexible, high-speed printing, labelling, network support and extremely low cost of ownership with superior reliability.
Part 1 of a website conversion analysis of www.silver-jewelry.ws (e-commerce website). We are focusing on sales conversion in this video.
src="http://www.bboinstitute.com/conversion/conversion_terrylewis1_500/" frameborder="0" align="left" height="395" scrolling="no" width="500">Click here to watch this video...
This new site in beta looks like it is going to be smoking hot. It is totally free. I have not gone through it all yet but I have reviewed much of the FAQ... it will explain a lot as to how it works.
If you need free advertising, check out Qassia. You could over time have gazillions of people viewing your websites and backlinking to you... almost effortlessly and the best part, it's free.
You can also earn what they call "Qassia Cash" in addition to growing your adsense revenue.
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Web application firewalls can help retailers pass their audits, but app firewalls aren't enough to secure customer data.DECEMBER 10, 2007 | Personal data is at risk in the retail environment, and consumers are justifiably worried. The TJX breach may have come as no surprise to the computer security industry, but the story continues to reverberate into the holiday shopping season. The TJX case was recently featured on 60 Minutes. According to the 60 Minutes report, retailers blame credit card companies for forcing them to store transaction data in case of a dispute (what?!). Credit card consortiums point the finger right back at retailers, claiming that storing and transmitting transaction data in a secure fashion is doable. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards provide a low bar for data security in the retail environment. Nevertheless, many retailers are having trouble complying with the PCI Data Security Standard. Now politicians are getting involved, and vendors are coming out of the woodwork with magic solutions. (See PCI Costs, But Not as Much as a Data Breach.) The Web application firewall (WAF) has become a major player in the PCI space, but an app firewall won't even begin to solve the PCI problem. Web application firewalls do their job by watching port 80 traffic as it interacts at the application layer using deep packet inspection. (See Review: Web Application Firewalls.) Security vendors hyperbolically claim that application firewalls completely solve the software security problem by blocking application-level attacks caused by bad software, but that’s just silly. Sure, application firewalls can stop easy-to-spot attacks like SQL injection or cross-site scripting as they whiz by on port 80, but they do so using simplistic matching algorithms that look for known attack patterns and anomalous input. They do nothing to fix the bad software that causes the vulnerability in the first place. Nobody disputes the idea that data protection should be carried out as close as possible to where data are created, managed, and stored. Application firewalls are certainly getting closer to the right kind of solution by focusing on applications (at least when it comes to the Web) instead of other network traffic. However, a real solution requires solid software security for both Web apps and non-Web apps, combined with state of the art data security. (See Security Vendors Turn Toward Data Loss Prevention and Want Turns to Need.) One thing application firewalls can do is stop the bleeding in tricky operational situations: That is, they can buy you some time. (See Wait for WAFs.) If a known breach is causing you to fail a PCI audit, for instance, installing an app firewall and stopping the set of known attacks the auditor is using will allow you to pass the audit. This paradigm also works for real attacks as they unfold in the real world. If your software is under attack, and you know what the particular attack is, an app firewall can stop it cold. Still, the problem of bad software remains and is very likely to grow as more broken application code gets created. Smart security uses the time window provided by quick provisioning of an app firewall to fix the vulnerable software, and trains developers to do the right thing. Meanwhile, consumers simply want their data protected. That means those retailers focused the spirit of PCI compliance – actually protecting customer data with better software security – rather than those just focused on the letter of PCI compliance (passing an audit with an app firewall), will win in the end. Customers demand no less. — Gary McGraw is CTO of Cigital Inc. Special to Dark Reading [...]
Soon, you will never have to admit that you're lost and suffer the humiliation of asking for directions. Google is expected to announce a partnership today with Gilbarco Veeder-Root, to include Google's mapping service on 3,500 Internet enabled gasoline pumps across the US. The maps will be available on the pump's small screen giving motorists the ability to scroll through local landmarks, hotels, restaurants, and hospitals to the bemusement of the guy waiting behind you. The pump will even print directions. The service is said to be ad-free but will offer coupons -- that sounds a lot like advertising to us. Look for the gPumps to arrive courtesy of that Encore S rig pictured above. How long before this technology arrives in the UK? Of course, those of you with Satnav will be unlikely to make use of something like this. So, will it catch on at all?
The New all-in-one environmentally friendly Touch Solution from DigiPoS.
The facts
The Ultra Low Voltage design of the DigiPoS DigiTouch means reduced power consumption and energy-efficient operation - ideal for the environmentally aware business. With a variety of peripheral devices to chose from such as magnetic strip reader, smart card reader, Fingerprint recognition system, Dallas key, DigiPole display and secondary LCD display, the DigiTouch can be optimised to suit your needs. The compact size increases counter space which together with a variety of peripheral options, delivers a fully Gexibile system suitable for Retail, Hospitality, Hotel, Supermarket, Casino, Theme Park etc.
The features
Low-noise design suitable for noise-intolerant environments
Ultra low voltage design delivers reduced power consumption
Compact size increases counter space
Complies with IP 43 standard
WEPOS / XPE Compliant
RoHS compliant
Cash drawer controller
The options
Powered USB outputs available
Touch-screen
MSR, Pole Display, Smart Card Reader, Dallas Key, Fingerprint recognition system
For brick-and-mortar retailers, "the next step in the battle to retain customers is to streamline the buying experience, bringing it more in line with Internet shopping in terms of ease and speed of transaction," according to market-research firm Datamonitor. Datamonitor analyst Alex Kwiatkowski says that retailers will turn to the following technologies (sprinkled with my own cautionary comments):
Digital signage: Though expensive, it’s the fastest-growing advertising medium. The ads can be tailored to the audience, and proximity sensors can determine when someone is nearby and boost the sound level until the person leaves. (Comment: But it adds to the number of advertisements bombarding us throughout the day.)
Near field communication (NFC): A form of RFID technology used for ‘contactless’ payments. It’s fast, and tends to increase “average spend per transaction.” Kwiatkowski says: “Major retailers who do not implement the technology face being left behind as customers demand ever-faster transactions, a trend exacerbated by the ease and speed of online retailing.” (Comment: But there are security and privacy concerns.)
Self-service checkout: It cuts costs, queue times and shrinkage, while providing a solution to employee shortages. “The technology is popular due to its ability to cut checkout time with one attendant capable of overseeing up to six checkout terminals….” (Comment: For this reason, it’s not popular with labour unions.)
ABC News reports that shoppers in London may soon have access to trolleys that can warn us when we are buying too much unhealthy food at the supermarket. According to the article, "the high-tech model will be fitted with a computer screen and barcode scanner. It will read each product's individual code to give customers information about calories, nutrition, ethical sourcing and the environment."
This is definitely an interesting concept, though it seems there may be more drawbacks than benefits. There are thousands of products in any supermarket that are not healthy (in fact I wouldn't be surprised if the unhealthy ones outnumber the healthy ones). So how will the folks at Frito Lay, Coca-Cola, etc. feel about a machine attached to a cart that essentially tells shoppers not to buy their product? I think it's safe to say that they won't be making any contributions to EDS, the U.S. based company responsible for the technology any time soon (unless said contributions would help to reclassify what things are "healthy".) I also would not be surprised to see some vendors lash out at supermarkets using the tech, since it will essentially be negating all of their product advertising and in-store promotions.
In the end, this kind of technology is probably better suited to high-end markets and specialized health food stores where people are making the conscious decision to eat an entirely healthy diet, and will be interested enough in what they're buying to stop and read the text on the screen for a minute or two. In such places it would be easy to tout the technology as a new service to provide even more information to consumers facing an increasing number of choices (especially in said high-end places where you're buying "lifestyle" as much as anything else). In mainstream supermarkets, though, I think it can only hurt business as a whole, and worse, it could pit the retailers against some of their biggest vendors.
PARIS (AFP) - Germany's SAP, a world leader in business software, announced late Sunday that it had agreed with France's Business Objects on a buy-out worth just over 4.8 billion euros (6.8 billion dollars).
"The Business Objects board of directors has approved the tender offer agreement between the two companies and anticipates recommending the offer to its shareholders subject to fulfillment of certain regulatory requirements," said a statement on the two companies' websites.
The deal involves a cash offer from SAP of 53.4 dollars (42.00 euros) per share of Business Objects, which posted a turnover of 1.3 billion dollars (886 million euros) last year.
"Together, SAP and Business Objects intend to offer high-value solutions for process- and business-oriented professionals," said the joint statement.
The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of next year, but Business Objects will operate as a stand-alone business as part of the SAP Group, the companies said.
"Business Objects customers will continue to benefit from open, broad and integrated business intelligence solution," said their statement.
"The acquisition of Business Objects is in keeping with SAP's stated strategy to double our addressable market by 2010" to reach 100,000 clients, Henning Kagermann, CEO of SAP AG, was quoted as saying.
SAP currently has around 41,200 clients and sold software licenses worth 3.1 billion euros last year.
The purchase marks a radical change of strategy for SAP, which in contrast to its US rival Oracle which spent more than 25 billion dollars on acquisitions since 2004, has instead opted more for organic growth.
SAP also bought management software producer Hyperion in March for 3.3 billion dollars.
Like that song you hear playing at Starbucks, but just cannot wait until you get to a computer to download the song?Starting tomorrow at certain Starbucks stores, a person with an iPhone or iTunes software loaded onto a laptop can download the songs they hear over the speakers directly onto those devices. The price will be 99 cents a song, a small price, Starbucks says, to satisfy an immediate urge.“For the customer it’s an instant gratification,” said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment. “You’ll hear the song, be able to identify what it is and download to the device.”And it’s just the tip of the iced latte. Businesses are using new technologies to enhance the impulse buy so consumers can purchase their temptations whenever they want, wherever they are, before the urge passes.Amazon.com pioneered one-click shopping to speed purchases, whether made at home or on an employer’s time. But the development of more capable gadgets, coupled with mobile payment mechanisms, is allowing people to buy not just media, like music, videos and ring tones, but also hard goods, on the go.This evolution follows the popularity of debit, gift and refill cards, which allow buyers to fill accounts and make cashless payments. Payments made with those cards exceed the payments made by cash and check, according to the Nilson Report, a credit industry newsletter, which used Commerce Department data. Credit card companies in particular are experimenting with ways to turn the phone into a conduit for card purchases and to offer incentives, like coupons, for mobile purchases. Visa, for instance, is developing technology that will allow people to wave their cellphones in front of a reader to pay for items under $25 without a signature. (Swiping the card through a reader, an innovation several years old, is apparently too much of an impediment.)The idea is no waiting, cashier or other buying barrier — aside from the charges that show up on a credit card or cellphone bill. And there, along with challenges revolving around security and business models, lies a chief rub. The mobile-payment technology can create a desensitizing and seductive purchase experience, said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communications Studies at Rutgers University. “The more people think about a purchase decision, the more likely uncertainty creeps in,” he said. “One frame of mind is you’re helping create in consumers’ mind a source of pleasure, and enabling them to fulfill that pleasure,” Mr. Katz said of the mobile impulse temptation. Another is that “they’re preying on our materialistic souls.”For now, the new Starbucks service’s preying capabilities will be limited. The concept is being introduced in around 600 cafes in New York and Seattle only, though Starbucks, based in Seattle, and Apple, of Cupertino, Calif., plan to offer the service in other major cities late this year and in 2008. Impulsive music lovers will have to sign onto the cafe’s Wi-Fi network to discover what song is playing over the Starbucks speakers. With a few taps, users can download the song onto their iPhones (which double as an iPod), or the new Apple iPod Touch with its wireless connection. The 99-cent charge will appear on their phone bills.Other coffee drinkers who have iTunes software loaded on their notebook computers can do somewhat similar things. When they open their laptops while sitting in a participating store, a Starbucks icon will pop up, giving them a chance to click and buy.Starbucks said it was the first retail outlet to offer such capability. It is certainly not on the cutting edge of t[...]
A computer administrator at one of the nation's largest prescription drug management companies admitted Wednesday he planted an electronic “bomb” in the company's computer system, according to the Associated Press.
If the so-called “logic bomb” had gone off at Medco Health Solutions Inc., it would have wiped out critical patient information, authorities said.
Yung-Hsun Lin, 51, of Montville, N.J. pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting computer code with the intent of causing damage in excess of $5,000. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Authorities said Lin was angry at the possibility of losing his job at Medco's office in Fair Lawn after the company was spun off from Merck & Co. in 2003.
In April Google announced that they were working to bring presentations to Google Docs. (Astute readers may recall learning about this even earlier, which caused a bit of excitement around Google.) And ttis week they are unveiling the new Google Docs presentations feature and invite you to try it at documents.google.com. Maybe more than any other type of document, presentations are created to be shared. But assembling slide decks by emailing them around is as frustrating as it is time-consuming. The new presentations feature of Google Docs helps you to easily organize, share, present, and collaborate on presentations, using only a web browser.
Starting this week, presentations -- whether imported from existing files or created using the new slide editor -- are listed alongside documents and spreadsheets in the Google Docs document list. They can be edited, shared, and published using the familiar Google Docs interface, with several collaborators working on a slide deck simultaneously, in real time. When it's time to present, participants can simply click a link to follow along as the presenter takes the audience through the slideshow. Participants are connected through Google Talk and can chat about the presentation as they're watching. Not wanting anyone to feel left out, Google have made the presentation feature available in 25 languages; Google Apps customers can also access it as part of Google Docs.
Google hope the millions of people who already create and share documents and spreadsheets will find presentations a welcome addition to the Google Docs family, and they plan to add even more features and enhancements.
If you're new to Google Docs, watch this video to learn more about creating and collaborating on documents (and now presentations!).
-- Metrologic Instruments, Inc. today announced the release of its new vertical mini-slot scanner engineered to increase productivity with an unmatched feature set. The MS7820 Solaris aggressively scans high-density codes (five mil) and fits easily into any existing enclosure found in small-item, high-volume retail environments. It is designed for a variety of retail environments, including convenience,liquor (off-license), specialty and grocery stores.
“We developed Solaris to increase system output and lower the total cost of ownership,” said Taylor Smith, product manager for Metrologic. “It scans the widest range of bar codes from high-density to poor quality codes, and its troubleshooting visual diagnostic indicator and optional protective window reduce on-site service costs and downtime.”
Solaris sets itself apart from other comparable devices with its unrivaled feature set and advanced decoding architecture which enable operators to scan all standard bar codes on the first pass with minimal concern for orientation or print quality.
Multiple on-board interfaces make Solaris compatible with most POS systems,while automatic detection of the interface cable expedites system configuration. For investment protection, all Solaris scanners come standard with an integrated RF antenna and interlock compatibility for both Checkpoint and Sensormatic EAS systems. The scanner’s multifunctional RS232 auxiliary port provides a single point of communication for either a hand-held scanner or external scale.
While the scanner’s innovative flat-screen design maximizes scanning effectiveness by preventing debris accumulation, touch-screen technology minimizes wear and tear associated with standard scanner switches.
Metrologic complements the design and engineering of Solaris with superior technical support and an industry-leading warranty. Solaris symbolizes Metrologic’s four-decade commitment to producing advanced and reliable bar code scanning technology.
About Metrologic
Metrologic Instruments, Inc. is a global supplier of choice for data capture and collection hardware and software. Metrologic has been delivering innovative products that are cost effective, reliable and supported by a superior level of personal service for nearly 40 years. Metrologic products are sold worldwide through sales, service and distribution offices located in North & South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, please visit Metrologic.com.
This report by Steve Rowen, Research Analyst from the Retail Systems Alert Group, makes interesting reading.Wireless technology is everywhere. In fact, as I write this piece, I am currently using two wireless devices, and there's a good chance you may be utilizing one or two while reading it.In stores, wireless technologies have become so pervasive that often times retailers take them for granted. They reduce costs. They increase efficiency. They make the customer's shopping experience more enjoyable. But without proper consideration to security, they are incredibly dangerous.Take for instance the unfortunate souls over at TJX Corporation. As more is unearthed on the events of that company's breach, it appears that the entire affair began from a simple interception of an unsecured wireless signal from a single retail location.The criminals allegedly sat outside of Marshall's store near St. Paul, MN, picking up the signal that bounced freely between employee handhelds, wireless POS devices, and the store's mainframe system. Once they had decrypted the signal's simple encryption, the perpetrators are then reported to have installed software on TJX's central database in Framingham, MA, siphoning (at least) 45.7 million credit cards, with projections that number may climb to as many as 200 million. And while issuing banks prepare their legal case, the Wall Street Journal reports that the total cost over five years could exceed $1 billion.RSAG has had the opportunity to interview several individuals closely involved in the TJX case, and while we thoroughly believe the retailer's bill will not reach anywhere near the $1 billion mark, it is a fair to predict that the company's ultimate financial beating will be exponentially greater than the jab it would have taken to pre-emptively shore up wireless security.Which brings me to this point: Today's technology vendors are racing to find better, more cost effective ways to secure the wireless signals of devices that retailers are already using both in the store and the distribution center: those which they simply cannot revert to living without. Legacy hardware: wireless payment systems, computers, POS systems, anti-theft systems, hand-held devices, phones, PDA's - even 900 MHz devices (yes, they're still out there) - each of these posts a real, viable threat to each and every retailer who has come to leverage their value.This race ultimately benefits retailers who are already diligently working toward their PCI compliance mandate, and is being led by such players as Aruba Networks, Cisco Systems, AirDefense, Columbitech - the list goes on and on. And while it is only a short matter of time until the next high-profile data security breach resulting from wireless signaltheft, we strongly urge retailers to pay due dilligence: aligning the IT and corporate vision, researching the available solutions, and most importantly, transforming the security of customer data into a Board Room discussion.If you would like further information about this subject, click on the link below and download the report: Retail Systems still vulnerable. Please leave your comments.......http://www.esterlinavinyards.com/report-retail-systems-still-vulnerable_43162.htmlPowered by ScribeFire.[...]
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