Bryans Blog

From Fox News

New Rules Coming!

The Librarian of Congress announced new exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Oct. 25 that will impact what consumers are and are not allowed to do with smartphones, tablets, game consoles and e-readers for the next three years.

Smartphones and tablets

The new rules, which go into effect Oct. 28, will let consumers jailbreak or root their smartphones, but not tablet computers and home gaming consoles. Digital-rights activists had sought exemptions for the latter devices as well. 
The most drastic difference between the old set of rules, which went into effect at the end of 2009, and the new one is that smartphones can no longer legally be unlocked by the user.

Jailbreaking, aka rooting, involves taking full control of a device, which would let the user run software unauthorized by the manufacturer. Unlocking allows a smartphone or tablet to run on a cellular network other than the one it was intended for.

Smartphones purchased before Jan. 30, 2013, can still legally be unlocked by the user, but those bought after that must stay on their original carrier at least for the duration of a customer’s contract. 

A 2010 ruling that said consumers merely license, rather than own, software is behind the rule change on unlocking phones. 
That rule invalidates customers’ fair-use claims and means only the carrier can legally unlock a phone.

Obtaining unlocked phones, however, is much easier today than it was three years ago. AT&T will now unlock customers’ smartphones once they’re out of contract. Verizon Wireless sells the iPhone 5 unlocked right out of the box.

The Librarian of Congress, James Billington, cited overly broad vagueness as being behind the disparate rules separating phones and what can be considered a "tablet." An "e-book reading device might be considered a tablet, as might a handheld video game device," he explained.

The new rules also prohibit cracking game consoles such as PlayStations and Xboxes in order to run applications and software not intended by the maker.

There are also new rules for ripping/coping DVD’s and E-Readers, read up so you can be informed.

-Bryan

Windows 8 Versions

With the release of Windows 8 just around the corner  (Oct 26th), I found a comparison chart for everyone to look at to compare the differences.  Have a look to see which one will best fit your needs if youre planning on purchasing a new PC this holiday season.  Remeber to check your current hardware and software to be sure that it will run on your new system. There is nothing like getting your new PC and your favorite game or scanner not working.

	Windows 8	Windows RT	Windows 8 Pro	Windows 8 Enterprise
What is it?	"Full" version. Designed to run on PCs with x86 chips such as those made by Intel and AMD. Has two modes: the new, tile-based interface and the more familiar "desktop" mode.	Windows 8 "lite" of sorts. Designed to run on devices using power-sipping ARM-based chips. Has the newtile-based interface and the traditional desktop mode. The desktop mode includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. The tile-based mode will run apps designed for that interface, which will be available in the Windows Store.	Includes Windows 8 function, plus features for encryption, virtualization, PC management, domain connectivity.	Includes Windows 8 Pro functions plus features for mobile productivity, security and manageability for large businesses. Includes Window To Go, a manageable corporate Windows 8 desktop on a bootable external USB stick; DirectAccess, BranchCache and AppLocker, among other features.
What sort of hardware will it run on?	Desktops, laptops, tablets, hybrid devices.	Mostly tablets but could possibly be used in other form factors.	Desktops, laptops, tablets, hybrid devices.	Desktops, laptops, tablets, hybrid devices.
Will it run legacy Windows apps?	Yes.	It also won’t run apps designed specifically for desktop Windows, aside from what comes with the device. (It will run apps featuring the new tile-based interface, available in the Windows Store.)	Yes.	Yes.
Ideal for…	Content consumption and productivity purposes for individuals	On-the-go uses and for content consumption purposes.	Consumption and productivity with added organizational benefits.	Large business customers.

-Bryan

CPSQL Scheduled Task

Did you know you can automate Posting Tickets and Settle Credit Cards (among other things) in CPSQL?  If not, there is a utility that will allow you to do this.  It uses the built-in Windows task scheduler but with an easier interface.  The utility will allow you to pick a time, user, what store and work-group to use and few other settings.  

A specific user should be setup just for the purpose of posting.  There are some other criteria that this user will need to remain PCI compliant, which can be found in the documentation.

The one thing to be careful of is the password set for this "EOD" or End Of Day user.  The system requires a password for all users that are at least 7-10 characters long, and require at least one number and one letter and be changed every 90 days.  

Where you have to be careful is the the length of the password.

A current customer of CCS was recently prompted to change their EOD user password which she did.  The password was 12 characters long, and when tested, allowed the EOD user to log into the software.  Where the issue came into play was when the scheduled task were run. 

In the background, the task uses a sort of script to run, taking the setting that where filled out during the setup of the task.  The system is looking for a 7-10 character password, anything longer will result in an "invalid login" error for the scheduled task because, in the case of the customer, the password was 12 characters long and failed to log in to do the posting required.  The fix was easy enough, but at the same time frustrating because it did not make sense.

So if you decide to setup automated posting, be sure to keep the password for your EOD user to between 7-10 characters long.

If you would like help setting up automated processing, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan
 

Adapted From Fox News

About two-thirds of iFans eligible for a free upgrade to what Apple calls “the world’s most advanced mobile operating system” have apparently chosen to skip it entirely — at least for now.

That’s a rare stat for the world’s most valuable technology company, whose extraordinarily passionate users are traditionally eager to adopt anything and everything Apple.

More than 100 million users have upgraded to the new iOS 6, the software powering the company’s iGizmos, Apple said last week. But according to analysts at data research firm Strategy Analytics, 173 million iPhone users, 85 million iPad users, and 25 million iPod touch users are eligible for the upgrade — — 283 million in all.

Which means 183 million have said “no thanks.”

Consumers may be skipping the upgrade for a range of reasons, explained Ross Rubin, principal analyst with Reticle Research.

    ‘They could be in contract for a phone that can’t update to iOS 6 or have a model that can’t take advantage of some key features…’

– Ross Rubin, principal analyst with Reticle Research, explaining why some may not upgrade immediately

“They could be in contract for a phone that can’t update to iOS 6 or have a model that can’t take advantage of some key features and therefore choose to hold off,” he told FoxNews.com. “Or they could have heard of the problems with the Maps application and choose to hold off until it improves.”

Apple’s home-grown replacement to Google’s Maps has been criticized for failing to live up to Apple’s billing as “the world’s best mapping app.” Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology on Friday for the software, promising quick improvements.

But in a 28-page thread on Apple’s message board titled “downgrade iOS 6 to iOS 5,” many users lament the loss of YouTube and Google Maps nevertheless, and debated a return to the older system.

“I was uber excited for iOS6 because I thought the new map and Siri on my iPad would be worth it — but I can’t do anything on my iPad without having the battery life drained quickly,” one user wrote. “I’m not happy nor amused Apple. Please fix it.”

Others were more direct in their criticism.

“I want to be able to downgrade my iPad to iOS 5. Apple, this is ridiculous!”

An article on enthusiast site Mac Life even offers tips on how to make the switch back to iOS 5. The site offers links to older software packages from Apple’s servers, which users can use to “restore” their system to an earlier state.

Not everyone is upset with the new software, of course. Several users said they were willing to live with the little bugs, assuming a fix is in the works.

“I upgraded to IOS 6.0 and found all these bugs and decided to downgrade to 5.1.1. But now I missed those new features, and guess what, I upgraded back to iOS 6,” one user wrote on the message board.

“I don’t mind the bugs, I know they will be fixed soon, and I have workarounds to overcome them.”

For system questions and concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

IE9 Vulnerability

Adapted From Fox News

Microsoft warned of a newly-discovered bug in its Internet Explorer 9 browser late Monday that could make computers vulnerable to hacking attempts and viruses.

The flaw impacts hundreds of millions of Internet Explorer users and as many PCs but does not impact Internet Explorer 10, Microsoft said.

“We have received reports of only a small number of targeted attacks and are working to develop a security update to address this issue,” Microsoft’s director of the Trustworthy Computing Group, Yunsun Wee, said on the company’s official corporate  security response blog.

The maker of Windows software advised customers late Monday to install free security software as a precaution as it tries to fix the bug and develop a new, uncompromising version of Internet Explorer.

“We are monitoring the threat landscape very closely and if the situation changes, we will post updates here on the Microsoft Security Response Center blog and on Twitter at @MSFTSecResponse,” Wee said.

Installing the enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit may protect PCs from malicious websites that give hackers the ability to crack into and take over the computer system. Microsoft said the software should not affect the usability of websites.

While losing ground in recent years to Google’s Chrome and FireFox, Internet Explorer continues to be one of the world’s most widely-used browsers.

Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft encouraged customers to follow its “protect your computer” guidance of enabling a firewall, apply all software updates and install anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

The company said Internet and local intranet security zone settings should be set to “high” to block ActiveX Controls and Active Scripting in these zones, however the browser must first be configured.

“We also encourage folks to exercise caution when visiting websites and avoid clicking suspicious links, or opening email messages from unfamiliar senders,” Wee said.

Microsoft did not return a request for further comment regarding the security glitch and has not publicly disclosed of how long it will take to fix the bug.

For system questions and concerns call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Adapted From from HP Technology At Work.

A primary concern for most business owners is how to get the most bang for your buck. When you’re purchasing expensive technology, this becomes an even more valid point of consideration.

Buying computers is one of the larger investments you have to make in order to effectively run a business. To avoid surprise crashes and loss of data, it’s not recommended to hold onto a frequently used computer for more than four to five years.

However, there are things you can do to help prolong its life span and enable it to perform better over time, saving you money in the long run.

Here are a few tips that I found that will help extend the life of your PC.

Keep it clean
Dust, dirt, food and other particles tend to accumulate in the crevices of keyboards, mice and monitors. If not removed, these particles can scratch hardware components and eventually build up enough to cause overheating, shortening the life of your computer. To avoid this, make sure to dust and clean your computer and its accessories on a regular basis. Compressed air is a great way to get small particles out of keyboards and tight cracks.

Keep it dry
PCs and liquids do not go together well. Never drink or rest water, coffee, soda or anything liquid near a desktop or notebook. A spill could mean you’ll be buying a new one much sooner than you had planned.

Give it space
This tip applies mostly to notebooks. The nice thing about them is that they’re portable. On business trips, it can be tempting to set them down on a hotel pillow or bed while you’re casually answering emails or doing research. But soft, padded surfaces do not allow airflow into the ventilation holes underneath the notebook, which leads to overheating. To limit this
risk, make sure you always rest your notebook on a cool, solid surface, allowing air to travel underneath it.

Protect it
Viruses could be the biggest threat to the health of a notebook or desktop. One of the very first things you should do when you buy a new computer is install anti-virus software. Some popular, effective applications include Microsoft Security Essentials, McAfee and AVG. 

Give it more memory
Painfully slow processing is a sign that your computer may be starting to fade on you. Add extra RAM (random access memory) to relieve the strain of an overloaded machine. Once it stops relying on hard disk memory, your computer’s performance will
become exponentially faster.

Keep it uncluttered
All of the programs that you don’t currently use on your computer are taking up valuable space. Getting rid of them will improve performance and save memory. Most PCs have a “disk cleanup” function that will delete “unseen” files and empty caches. You can also go through your files manually and remove anything you haven’t been accessing.

Unfortunately, no matter how well you take care of it, the reality is that no computer can live forever. To decrease your risk of a catastrophic crash, make sure you don’t wait too long to buy a replacement. After several years, most computers start to display glitches and show signs that they could be struggling. To be on the safe side, you should plan on replacing your desktops and notebooks about every four years or so.

For system questions and concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Windows System Restore Caution!

Windows system restore feature is a very powerful and handy feature but if not used properly on a business system it can create havoc.

I recently received a call from a customer that their automated Credit Card settlement was not working.  After logging into the system the problem was pretty clear.  They were receiving a "Duplicate Batch" error, meaning that the credit card processor thought the user was trying to settle transactions that have already been settled.

Although this problem is not very common and easy to fix, in this case I ran into some weird results.  Normally for this issue, it just a matter of incrementing a number in a file that keeps track of the Batch number used for Settlements.  So with due diligence I changed the number and tried to run the Credit Card Settlement again.  To my surprise, I again received a "Duplicate Batch" error.  Digging a little deeper into the issue, I was able to determine what the correct Batch number should be set at, but was curious on how it got set back so far.

A little quizzing of the company owner revealed that he indeed used the System Restore function to try to retrieve a lost email.  In the process of the System Restore, it replaced important Software files as well which is what caused the issue in the first place.

As you an see, the system restore function did do its job but could of created more of an issue if not caught when we did.  There were a few other files that got replaced with older ones also. Most of those did not have much of an impact on the system.

There is usually no problem with using the system restore function. However, steps must be taken to be sure important files are not replaced by older versions with out-dated information.  If a system restore is needed, it would be wise to contact your IT department to make a backup first, or at least let you know how your system could be affected.

By the way, after everything was put back the way it needed to be, the email that was lost was still lost.  There are several other ways to retrieve lost email more safely, but that is another article.

If you have any system questions or concerns, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Adapted From KOMONews

Many of the big-name retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Best-Buy Co. and Target Corp., are teaming up to create a company that will give customers another way to make purchases: with their cellphones.

The businesses said Wednesday that the new company, Merchant Customer Exchange, is developing a mobile application that will be available for nearly any smartphone. The app is expected to integrate a variety of coupons, rebates and loyalty programs.

With the announcement, retailers are entering an already crowded arena where different industry groups are jockeying for position on the smartphone screen, which everyone expects will be the new way to pay.

Among the competitors is Internet giant Google Inc., which already has a smartphone payment app in use on some Sprint phones. Three of the biggest cellphone companies – Verizon Wireless, AT&T and T-Mobile USA – have a competing platform. Payment networks Visa and MasterCard each have their own designs and apps. Square, a startup, recently struck a deal to become the cellphone payments processor for Starbucks. PayPal, eBay’s payment service, is on cellphones, too.

Retailers have a strong position in the arena, since they can decide which forms of payment to accept.

"As merchants, no one understands our customers’ shopping and payment experience better than we do, and we’re confident that together we can develop a technology solution that makes that experience more engaging, convenient and efficient," Mark Williams, president of financial services for Best Buy, said.

Mike Cook, corporate vice president and assistant treasurer for Wal-Mart, said in a statement that using a mobile app will help to cut down costs and make shopping faster and more convenient.

Other retailers included in Merchant Customer Exchange are 7-Eleven, Inc., Alon Brands, CVS/pharmacy, Darden Restaurants Inc., HMSHost, Hy-Vee Inc., Lowe’s Cos., Publix Super Markets Inc., Sears Holdings Corp., Shell Oil Products US, and Sunoco Inc.

The initial retailers that are part of the new company account for about $1 trillion in annual sales. More retailers are expected to be announced as new members in the coming months, the group said.

Are you ready to dive into mobile payments?  Check out NCR’s CounterPoint Mobile App that works with CPSQL.  Call our sales department for more information at 800.672.4806 or email us

-Bryan

Adapted From NBCNews

Scam text messages that try to lure you in by saying you’ve won free stuff are almost routine, and most people know to simply delete them. But the one that goes "You’ve won a free $1,000 Walmart gift card" is making the rounds again, now with Target also supposedly offering the gift. Don’t fall for it — it’s just a trap.

The text messages are known as "smishing" — a combination of text messaging (SMS) and phishing, the latter a longtime way to con people out of their information and money via email.

The new text message that many are receiving is a version of this one: "Dear [Walmart or Target] shopper, Congratulations you have just won a $1,000 Gift Card. Click here to claim your gift."

If you click to claim the "gift," you could be asked for credit card information "just" to cover the costs of shipping and handling your "present." And you know what happens when someone has that information: They use it buy their own presents.

"The FTC is aware of such attacks that have been going on recently," Claudia Bourne Farrell, a spokeswoman for the Federal Trade Commission told NBC News.

The ploy is a takeoff on an older telephone scheme, one that the FTC went to court over and won in 2008 against a defendant considered a "major architect" of the scam. Still, imitators abound.

Earlier this year, Walmart itself issued a warning about the ruse, saying in part, that the text messages and related sites being used in the scheme "are not from Walmart and Walmart is not associated with parties promoting this activity.

Walmart will never initiate a text message where we ask for sensitive personal data like credit card information or Social Security numbers."

"We urge consumers to file complaints" with the agency if they have received the Walmart/Target text messages, Farrell said. Consumers can do so by calling the FTC’s Consumer Response Center toll-free at 877-382-4357, or by going to its website.

The problem has been big enough in Rhode Island that state attorney general Peter F. Kilmartin recently issued a warning about it:

Consumers reported that they are being asked to provide credit card information to cover the cost of shipping and handling. Consumers who give this sensitive information may find themselves fulfilling "sponsor offers" like free trial offers with monthly fees or increased solicitations and junk mail.

If you get such a text message, don’t reply to it — replying "to a spam text (or email for that matter)only verifies that your number is active, which will result in more texts," Kilmartin’s office said. Don’t click on any links in the text message, and don’t ever give out your credit card info or any dealing with your bank account or Social Security number.

If you have any system questions or concerns, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan

Adapted From Fox News

Google is creating an information bridge between its influential Internet search engine and its widely used Gmail service in its latest attempt to deliver more personal responses more quickly.

The experimental feature unveiled Wednesday will enable Google’s search engine to mine the correspondence stored within a user’s Gmail account for any data tied to a search request. For example, a query containing the word "Amazon" would pull emails with shipping information sent by the online retailer.

Such Gmail results will typically be shown to the right of the main results, though in some instances, the top of the search page will highlight an answer extracted directly from an email. For example, the request "my flight" will show specific airline information imported from Gmail. Something similar could eventually happen when searching for a restaurant reservation or tickets to a concert.

Although Google is the Internet search leader, it remains worried about social networks like Facebook, as they have made it easy to share information online.  The web is starting to revolve more around people than keywords and links.
Google has been trying to adapt by building more personal services and plugging them into its search engine.

Blending email information into general search results could raise privacy worries. Google is trying to mitigate that by showing Gmail results in a collapsed format that users must open to see the details. For now, users must sign up to participate.

The concern of privacy is still in the eye of Google.  They are being careful as they "hook" Gmail up to its Internet search.  The new feature will be available only to 1 million Gmail users who sign up. After getting feedback from test participants, Google hopes to give all Gmail users the option of plugging their accounts into the main search.  They are also willing to display information from other email services, but is having little luck with the other services willing to allow Google to do so.

If you have any system questions or concerns, contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800.672.4806 or email us.

-Bryan