| Unsecured Internet purchases could prove disastrous
Students who regularly make online purchases from campus computers or from the university's wireless network might want to take some precautionary steps before punching in their credit card numbers. “If [students] are using the encrypted wireless [network], I think that's fine," said James Shook of Technology Support Services. “[But] I don't think I'd be doing that on the visitor's [network], which anyone can get on."Students can obtain a password for the secured wireless network at www.nss.appstate.edu. Appalachian State also offers free anti-virus software with built-in firewall and anti-spyware protection at www.antivirus.appstate.edu. Students transferring data should do so from secure Web sites, which are signified by “https" in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or a secure lock graphic, said Director of Technology Support Tom M.
Dear Abby: Keeping track of passwords is word to the wise online
Dear Abby: Allow me to draw your readers' attention to the importance of keeping track of their online log-in information. We all know it's smart to keep photocopies of our driver's license, credit cards, etc. With as much time as some of us spend online, in addition to the billions of dollars we spend there as a nation, it's wise to keep track of sundry log-in details as well. I keep track of the various Web sites from which I make purchases — the Web site name, user name and my password — because various Web sites require different information. Please suggest that your readers compile this information in a single document and print it out from time to time. Keep a hard copy in a safe place with other important papers. That way, if anything should happen to them, family members will be able to access these Web sites, delete saved credit card information and close the accounts.
Keeping track of online passwords is wise to do
Dear Abby: Allow me to draw your readers' attention to the importance of keeping track of their online log-in information. We all know it's smart to keep photocopies of our driver's license, credit cards, etc. With as much time as some of us spend online, in addition to the billions of dollars we spend there as a nation, it's wise to keep track of sundry log-in details as well. I keep track of the various Web sites from which I make purchases -- the Web site name, user name and my password -- because various Web sites require different information. Please suggest that your readers compile this information in a single document and print it out from time to time. Keep a hard copy in a safe place with other important papers. That way, if anything should happen to them, family members will be able to access these Web sites, delete saved credit card information and close the accounts.
MasterCard spent $1.8M lobbying
MasterCard International Inc. spent $1.8 million in 2007 to lobby on Internet-related issues and on fees merchants pay when customers use credit cards. The Purchase, N.Y.-based company spent $880,000 in the second half of 2007 to lobby Congress, according to a disclosure form posted online Feb. 13 by the Senate's public records office. It lobbied on gambling regulations and the use of credit cards to purchase illegal material on the Internet. The company spent $880,000 lobbying in the first half of the year on financial literacy, data security, microchip technology and fees banks pay to credit card networks. Congress is weighing tighter regulations on the credit card industry. The industry came under fire in December, when a Senate subcommitee issued a report denouncing practices that include raising interest rates for customers whose credit ratings decline, even if they make their card payments on time.
Amazon invests in billing service
Amazon.com has made an investment in Bill Me Later, a service that allows consumers to make purchases online without using a credit card. Terms weren't disclosed Amazon said in a statement Tuesday that it will make Bill Me Later's service available on its Web site. Seattle-based Amazon is the world's biggest online retailer. Microsoft Office 2007 update beats release target Microsoft said Tuesday that it has released the first major update of its Office 2007 productivity software at least one month ahead of its projected target. The software maker said Office 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will crash less, is easier to use and is more secure than the original program that was released to consumers in January. Microsoft had said it planned to release Office 2007 SP1 in early 2008, but the company finished updating the software sooner than it expected.
Identity thieves turn to old-fashioned channels — mail and phones
NEW YORK When it comes to identity theft, most people think they're especially vulnerable when they're working on their computers or when fraudsters hack into big databases and steal card numbers. In fact, consumers are far more likely to be victimized if their wallet, checkbook or credit card is lost or stolen, according to a new study released by Javelin Strategy & Research. The research group, which is based in San Francisco, also found that as financial institutions and retailers have improved their in-store and online security, ID thieves have turned to more traditional channels of theft, especially the telephones and the mail. While the incidence of ID fraud through in-store and online purchases declined in the latest survey, conducted last October, from a similar study in 2006, the portion of fraud stemming from mail or telephone purchases jumped to 40 percent from 3 percent.
Vesdia Launches Innovative Rewards Credit Cards
ATLANTA, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Vesdia Corporation, a leading provider of loyalty marketing services, announced today the launch of four new Visa(R) credit cards to support its leading reward programs BabyMint(TM), NestEggz(R), Stockback(R) and FundraiserRewards(R). The card launch in partnership with MXT Card Services provides consumers with additional earning opportunities in the rewards currencies that matter most to them. Consumers can apply for the Platinum Visa cards on the program websites through an easy to use web application, and earn rebates of 1% on any purchase made using the card. The new rewards credit cards offer competitive benefits and no annual fee. Cardholders can earn additional rebates of up to 26% of their purchases at hundreds of retailers in Vesdia's merchant network, including top brands like Eddie Bauer, Illuminations, Best Buy, Gap.com, Lands' End(R) and Banana Republic - representing over 100,000 store locations and service providers, hundreds of catalogs and gift cards, and more than 600 leading online retailers.
BofA, Wachovia among Fortune's most admired companies
U.S. Bancorp takes $325 million charge [Sacramento] SunTrust expects Q4 settlement charges to reach $76M [Tampa Bay] Berkeley's Greenlining seeks Fed hearings on BofA's purchase of Countrywide [East Bay] McGuireWoods merges with Helms Mulliss & Wicker [Washington, D.C.] .
Schein hands out final grades
Adam Schein hosts the Afternoon Blitz on Sirius NFL Radio from 3-7 ET. He is also the NFL insider for Sports Net New York. Schein's columns appear every Tuesday and Thursday on FOXSports.com. His weekly video picks and video reports appear every Friday. Email Adam here. .
CENTRAL JERSEY POLICE BLOTTER
COCAINE, MV CITATIONS, 1:40 a.m. Jan. 12: A car driven by Sarah Brittain, 19, of High Bridge was stopped on Stanton-Mountain Road. During the stop, the police report states the officer saw a small bag of cocaine in plain view. A search produced a marijuana pipe. The car's passenger, Christopher Czyborra, 20, of Clinton Township was charged with possession of cocaine and with possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on his own recognizance. Brittain was given motor vehicle summonses for careless driving and for violation of provisional driver's license restrictions. WARRANT, Jan. 12: Kyle Rivera, 22, of Phillipsburg was charged on a criminal warrant for from Clinton Township. The police report states Rivera was turned over to Clinton police by Phillipsburg Police Department. When unable to post bail, Rivera was taken to Hunterdon County Jail.
Take a peek at “Battlefield Heroes”
Now we know what to expect. The first looks are out for "Battlefield Heroes," a cartoon-style first-person shooter for PC from developer Digital Illusions and publisher Electronic Arts, and due for release this summer. Like its predecessors, BH's fighting environment mimics the World War II-era European theater. Unlike its predecessors though, BH doesn't demand much nerve-wracking skill, so even gaming newbies won't feel intimidated. Because shooting isn't BH's main attraction — it's the avatar customization. BH will be Electronic Arts' first title under the company's new "Play 4 Free" strategy, in which gamers download the title at no cost but make "micropayments" to add customized features. Faces, legs, arms, torsos and uniforms can be altered in a myriad ways, as well as some weapons.
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