Bryans Blog

Adapted from an article from KOMO NEWS

How would you feel about buying a PC where you could pay extra down the road to upgrade your processor without ever opening up the case or buying a new PC.  That is what Intel, the worlds largest chip maker may try.

"Intel is exploring a way to give customers the flexibility to determine the level of performance they want in their processor, without having to change hardware," Intel said in a statement.

People upgrade lots of things on their computers, but most typically won’t swap out the microprocessor, which acts as a PC’s "brain." For Intel, the business model could provide an extra revenue stream., It costs very little to include a better chip.

To me its like buying a car with a V8 and only getting a 4-cylinder until I pay extra for the dealer to "unleash" the other 4 cylinders, I do see that this could be useful though, especially in  business environment.  Say your software’s minimum requirements allows for a slower processor, but an upgrade down the road requires a little more.  Instead of having  to buy a whole new PC, transfer files, re-install software, you could just pay a little extra to get the needed requirements.  This isn’t a new idea, most free software works like this.  The free software allows you to use the features it has in a limited way, were as the "pay for" version gives full functionality.

What are your thoughts?  Sign up for the CCS Retail Systems User forum and lets here your pros and con’s

As always, if you have any system questions or concerns call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department or email us.

-Bryan

The primary purpose of Offline Ticket Entry is to allow you to continue entering tickets and orders when your workstation’s database connection is unavailable. When you are running CounterPoint SQL in offline mode, you are allowed to access Ticket Entry and Touchscreen Ticket Entry and related Point of Sale reports and Drawers functions. In addition, offline mode allows you to add customer records, update workstation-specific settings, and configure OPOS devices.

In offline mode you can view, but not modify, information in other CounterPoint SQL modules. This means, for example, that you can access the View Items form to review your item records, but you cannot access the Items form to add new items or edit existing ones. Similarly, while you are allowed to view vendor records, you are not allowed to edit them.

With the exception of creating new customer records, all CounterPoint SQL “add-on-the-fly” functions are disabled in offline mode, so you cannot add or edit items and other types of records from within other areas of the software. For example, although you can look up items from Ticket Entry in offline mode, you cannot add new items using the Item Look-up form.

So what else is Offline Mode good for?  How about sidewalk sales, or trade shows where there may not be a connection to the Internet.  If you plan on accepting credit cards you may need to add a dial up modem to your workstation. If the Internet is available you can use your existing CPGateway Internet Credit Card authorization service to get authorizations.  All the settling and posting of tickets is done later when the Workstation has a connection to the "Live" database, 

Although posting and settling are not automatic (unless this has been setup on your Server) the transferring of all the tickets, orders and other allowed changes is automatic.  This means that you can run in offline mode for a weekend trade show, get back to the main office and run business as usual.  At night when you’re ready to close, close as normal and all Offline Tickets will be posted along with your regular tickets.

If you have questions about adding the Offline Ticket Entry option to your current system, or need some help getting it all up and running, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or  email_us.

-Bryan

Mandatory PCI-DSS Standards Now Part of CounterPoint.

In the new version of CounterPoint V7, if you are processing credit cards through the system, you will be required to use password that are considered more complex, meaning alphanumeric and at least 7 characters long.  You will also be required to change that password every 90 days to one not previously used.  Your system will be set so that, if you fail to enter the correct password 6 times, you will be locked out of the system until an administrator unlocks you.

The reason I bring this up is, because some of CCS’s customers like to do their own updates.  There is nothing wrong with doing your own updates. However, if the person doing the upgrade does read the release notes, or update guide, it could impact your system and normal procedures.  In previous versions of CounterPoint V7, you had the option of using passwords or not. 

The new version determines if you are processing credit cards through the system and turns the password option on. It can not be turned off if processing credit cards through the system. The system is set to meet the PCI-DSS standards explained above.  At the  first login, you are prompted that your password has expired and required to change your password to meet the complex format. This might not be an issue to everyone, especially if you already use passwords.  But the next format and requirement to change passwords may be. 

If you need help upgrading your system, have questions on any new features, or what to expect with the upgrade, call 800-672-4806 or email the CCS Retail Systems Support Department.

-Bryan

If you were not aware, CounterPoint Version 7 and CounterPoint SQL gives you the ability to print labels from many parts of the software.  You can print just 1 or many labels depending on where you are and what you are doing in the software. There are many different shapes and sizes of labels supported,  CCS can help you create and customize exactly what you want.

The important thing to remember is that your label printer uses a special language and special stock.  I believe I have written about the special language before, so this time I will talk about the label stock itself.

I recent took a call from a customer that was having problems with their label printer.  The printer would not calibrate properly.  Calibrating the printer helps it know where the top and the bottom of the printable area of the label is.  If the printer can not "see" where the labels starts and stops, you will get inconsistent label runs which might not print all the labels you want.  This is what was happening to my customer. 

After working with them over the phone, it was recommended for me to come on-site to see if there was a problem with the printer or the software.  I should also mention that this customer also bought labels from a third party.  What the problem ended up being was, that company that sold the labels gave them labels for a different brand of printer. 

Why does this make a difference you ask?  Well each brand of printer has its own way of finding the top and the bottom of the label.  For example, Cognitive Barcode Blaster has a sensor on the left hand side of the rollers that is able to read the gap, bar or notch the label stock has.  Zebra printers on the other hand, either have a light or a sensor that is adjustable. So if I had label stock for a Zebra printer, the calibration points are in different locations then if I had label stock for a Barcode Blaster. 

This is what was happening at the customers site.  They had a Cognitive Printer but had Zebra stock.  The Zebra stock had a notch on the top center of the label, the Cognitive printer has a non-adjustable sensor on the left of the rollers.  Whenever you tried to print a label or calibrate the printer, either the labels would not print right, or it would spit out too many labels.

The solution was as simple as loading the printer with the correct label stock. It is always a good idea to find out what label stock will and will not work with your printer.  The CCS Retail Systems Support Department can help you figure out what make and model of printer you have and help you get the correct labels for your application and printer.

If you have any questions about printing, customizing, or label printer supplies, please call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or email_us

-Bryan

 

I have received a few calls over the past few days about Backup Tapes being stuck in the drive and won’t eject.

There are a couple of things that can cause this, one is easier to fix than the other.

One reason the tape could be stuck is because your backup software is still running locking the tape device.  The easiest way to get the tape out in this situation, is to reboot your machine.  If your backup software is still running, rebooting will usually stop the backup and release the drive allowing you to remove the tape.  You will need to redo the backup after the boot finished.   You may want to check the tape as well to make sure it is not damaged or to dirty.  Dirt on the tape is a sign that your tape transport needs to be cleaned with our cleaning cartridge.  (Hopefully you are not saying "What cleaning cartridge").

The other reason that can cause a tape not to eject, is that the tape is broken.  When a broken tape gets stuck in a drive, the only way, that I am aware of getting it out, is to remove the tape drive from the machine and manually remove the tape.  If this needs to be done, i recommend calling the CCS Support Department for help.  Forcing it out with pliers or something worse is not the way to go!

Old tapes can stick. This most likely will cause a backup failure.  Backup tapes average life span is about 8 months to a year.  You can look up where your cartridge falls by checking the manufacturer’s website for the pass life specification.  If you are receiving backup failures on certain days only, I would try replacing the tape used on those days to see if that corrects the problem.  If it does, I would recommend replacing all of your backup tapes with a similar age. 

Old tapes are prone to sticking.  This can cause a backup failure.  Backup tapes average life span is about 8 months to a year.  If you are receiving backup failures on certain days only, I would try replacing the tape assigned to those days to see if that corrects the problem.  If it does, I would recommend replacing all of your backup tapes with a similar age also.

Overall consider replacing all tapes in the rotation once a year.  If you are using the server for business applications, you should be using about 12 tapes in our rotation.  One for each day of the week, 4 quarterly tapes, an annual tape. and a spare tape.  Having backups BEFORE any posting or closing operation is critical.  If you have ever had a posting fail you know what I mean.  Having a spare is great when it is 6P, you what to go home and you are looking at a broken tape. 

Remember to label your tapes clearly in a meaningful way.  The simplest is to use the days of the week and quarters of the year, i.e. mon, teu, wed, thu, fri, sat, sun, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, 2010.   Using numbers only is NOT a good idea.  Having too few tapes is asking for trouble, as well.  Think of the oil change scenario.  Too few oil changes costs more than the money you thought you were saving. 

A good practice is to use your cleaning cartridge one a month to keep the transport and the heads clean.  A little compressed air in the cartridge opening after cleaning is a good idea as well.  Be careful, a compressed air can is not a leaf blower. 

Along with the cleaning steps above, it is a good idea to check that the cabinet cooling fans are running and free of dust bunnies and other blockages.  You can use your operating system utilities to check the temperature of the cabinet and the components in your server.  Overheating can cause excessive tape wear and backup failures.  Remember a tape backup can easily run for 30 to 120 minutes on many systems.  Plenty of time to overheat on a poorly ventilated system.

If you need to order new backup tapes, or have other related system questions, please call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or email_us.  We can help you identify the type of tape needed to replace your old tapes, service, or repair your tape transport and server..

-Bryan

I know I have written a few blogs on viruses, but I feel it is an important topic especially in a business environment.  Besides causing frustration usually caused by slowing your PC down, viruses, especially Trojans, can cost you and your business money.  With the way the current economy is, every dollar counts.

I recently read an article about the Zeus V3 Trojan. It is most prominent in the UK right now.  I expect it or something similar will hit the US, and other places soon.  Now a days, safe computing is a MUST.

Here is a brief explanation of what a Trojan can do.

• Although up-to-date anti-virus software should prevent an attack, experts say an alarming number of people leave their computers vulnerable to cybertheft.

• Trojans are malicious programs that hide inside apparently harmless computer files.

• They can lurk on websites, online advertisements or hitch a lift in emails.

• The Zeus v3 Trojan hides in advertisements that appear on legitimate websites.

• Each time someone clicks on the advertisements, the code is downloaded to their home computer where it lies dormant.

• The code only becomes active when the computer connects to a bank website when it starts to record account details, passwords and other confidential information.

• It checks to see if the account holds enough cash and then transfers up to $5,000 to a ‘mule’ account – a legitimate bank account held by a real customer.

• Owners of these mule accounts operate on the edge of the law and agree to transfer sums they receive to someone else, after taking a cut.

• By the time the police have investigated a Trojan attack, the recipient of the money has usually vanished without trace.

• Security experts say it is relatively easy to protect against Trojan attacks by installing anti-virus software and keeping it up to date. 

• Computer owners should also make sure they have downloaded any updates of their operating software – usually Windows – and other programs such as Internet Explorer, Firefox and Adobe.

• People should also be alert to junk emails that pretend to be from banks, or online shops like Amazon and Ebay.

• The emails invite the unwary to click on a link to a web page containing a Trojan.

Some Tips To Prevent Trojans

• Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date.

• Keep firewalls set to the highest level.

• Never open an e-mail attachment from someone you don’t know.

• Never double-click on an e-mail attachment that ends in .exe. It is an ‘executable’ file and can do what it likes in your system

For more information on the Zeus V3 Trojan read the full story here  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1302062/New-trojan-virus-Zeus-v3-empties-online-bank-accounts.html#ixzz0wLOUwbqn

For help preventing an infection or removing one that you contract, contact CCS Retail Systems Support.  We can help you efficiently and cost-effectively. 

Remember that an infection can sometimes be more pervasive that it appears and first sight.  It can recur and spawn other infection.  A thorough and complete removal is critical. Some Trojans act as down-loaders for other Trojans they request.  Others set themselves to reinstall with each reboot.  Don’t be left with these problems, if you are not familiar with the complete set of techniques to consider all of these possibilities.

-Bryan

 

There is a new "phishing" email scam out there.

This one pretends to be from the popular auction site eBay, containing an attachment.  The body of the email is blank but the subject says something to the effect of "Payment request from" with the attachment named "form.html"

When clicking on the attachment to find out what it is, the malware is installed, most likely without you even knowing it. This is your typical email scam, where the creators send millions of them out to unsuspecting people hoping you will open the attachment.  This is a good reminder why you should always be careful opening up questionable emails

Most people are unaware of how easy it is to create legitimate looking emails from banks, billing companies, debt collectors and even government agencies like the IRS.

Here are several tips to help you avoid online scams like the current e-Bay e-mail:

•Always download the newest updates to your computer and smartphone operating system

•Install anti-virus on your computer AND smartphone

•Don’t open e-mails that look suspicious. Delete them immediately.

•Turn off the “preview” setting in your e-mail reader, so that you have to double-click on every e-mail before it will open

•Never open an e-mail attachment unless you know who it’s from

•Don’t click on hyperlinks, tiny URLs, embedded videos or embedded photos

•Never make an online payment if the URL is “http” and not “httpS.” That “s” is critical, as it means the site uses advanced encryption for security.

•Sign up for the FBI’s E-Scams alert:  http://www.fbi.gov/cyberinvest/escams.htm

•All of these tips apply to e-mail, text messages and messages on your social network

•Understand that your smartphone (e.g., BlackBerry, iPhone, Android phone) is at just as much risk as your computer.

Here are some signs to tell if an email is a scam:

 •Subject line or body of the e-mail has several misspelled words

•Return address has a foreign country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) … i.e., instead of “.com,” it uses “.ru,” “.cn,” “.ro”

•Flagged as spam by your e-mail client

•Makes some type of financial claim without providing all the information (ex: an overdue bill, missed payment, friend in need of money), and the only way to respond is via e-mail or online

•Government agencies, and most financial institutions, do not accept payments via e-mail

As explained before in some of my posts, if your not sure about an email, just delete it.  If you think you have been infected, unplug your PC from the network and run a virus and malware scan as soon as possible.

For more help with viruses/malware, give the CCS Retail Systems Support Department a call at 800-672-4806 or email_us

-Bryan

Are you planning on buying a new PC for your home or office? If your getting one with Windows 7, are you aware that you can have either a 32bit or a 64 bit version?  Most systems that are purchased pre-installed will include the 64bit version.   

You are probably wondering what the difference is. Here are a few of them, and what to look out for

The main differences between the 32-bit versions of Windows and the 64-bit versions of Windows relate to memory accessibility, memory management, driver software, and enhanced security features.

The security features and software support that are available in the 64-bit versions of Windows include the following:

• Kernel Patch Protection
• Support for hardware-backed Data Execution Protection (DEP)
• Mandatory driver signing for malware protection
• Removal of support for 32-bit drivers
• Removal of the 16-bit subsystem

One of the greatest advantages of using a 64-bit version of Windows is the ability to access physical memory (RAM) that is above the 4-gigabyte (GB) range. This physical memory is not addressable by 32-bit versions of Windows . This is especially critical for servers with larger user counts and larger programs such as SQL databases.

Depending on the version of Windows that is installed, a 64-bit version of Windows supports from 1 GB of RAM to more than 128 GB of RAM. The ability to address more physical memory lets Windows minimize the need to swap processes in and out of physical memory. Therefore, Windows can manage processes more efficiently. This memory management feature can dramatically improve the overall performance of Windows.

Advantages when you install a 64-bit version of Windows

• Increased memory support beyond that of the 4-GB 32-bit addressable memory space
• Increased program performance for programs that are written to take advantage of a 64-bit operating system
• Enhanced security features

What to consider when you install a 64-bit version of Windows 

• 64-bit device drivers may not be available for one or more devices in the computer.
• Device drivers must be digitally signed.
• 32-bit device drivers are not supported.
• 32-bit programs may not be fully compatible with a 64-bit operating system.
• It may be difficult to locate programs that are written specifically for a 64-bit operating system.
• Not all hardware devices may be compatible with a 64-bit version of Windows.

I find the biggest issue with a 64bit OS is finding 64bit drivers for older hardware.  If you are running older software and hardware, a 64-bit OS may not be the best choice   You should verify with the manufacture or vendor of your software/hardware that a 64bit version of Windows will work- BEFORE – purchasing your new PC.

If you have any system concerns or questions, please call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or email_us

-Bryan
 

When deciding whether to update your software on your own or to have CCS help, it is a good idea to read through the update guide to see if it is something you will be able to handle.

Recently a customer scheduled a time for CCS to upgrade their software. When I called to start the upgrade, I asked that everyone be out of the software until I was done. The owner said that that was not possible and wanted to do the upgrade themselves.  So one night after the store was closed, and all users where out of the software, they started the upgrade. Their scheduling appraoch was good.  Allowing enough ime to do the upgrade and reset the system back if it fails is the right way to do it.  Don’t try to do this a couple of hours before opening and create a disaster that leaves you hand-writing that day.

Early the next morning, CCS received a call that the system was not working. They were not able to run any of the update scripts and needed help.  They were frustrated, since had been up all night. They now had the stress of not knowing what had happened or how to fix the problems.  When I was able to log onto their system remotely, it seemed most of the data was in bad shape.  Nothing would run properly, errors would pop up, and it seemed all the data was gone.  Fortunately, there were backups of the database that were able to be restored.  We could then run  the update scripts against this data to update the software properly.  We did loose a days worth of data, but it could have been a lot worse.

In summary, if you decide to update your software on your own, be sure to read through all the documentation before starting your upgrade and ask any questions where the documentation does not make sense to you.  It would also be prudent to let CCS know that you plan on updating your software, so we can make arrangements to be available if you do run into a problem that you cant fix. Last but by far not least, make a good verifiable backup of your data before installing anything.  If a backup was made before this customer started, there would not be any extra work re-entering the data that was lost. It is also a good idea to have a fallback plan on how to ring up sales, take credit card payments, etc, in case fixing the issue is going to take longer than just a few minutes.

If you would like to update your software or review the steps needed to update on your own, call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or email_us.  CCS does offer before/after hours support, but it does need to be scheduled in advance.

-Bryan

 

This article was reported by Jay MacDonald for Credit Cards.com.

Did you know your credit card has a "Da Vinci Code"?

It’s true. Those raised numerals on your card are not only your account identifier that banks and merchants need to transact business on your behalf, but a little-known credit card version of the Da Vinci Code that verifies its validity without the aid of computers.

Even cooler, the code, which can reveal whether a credit card number is fraudulent, is cryptically hidden within the sequence of the card numbers. Every legitimate credit, debit and ATM card on Earth contains this formula.

What’s in your wallet, Dan Brown? 

This low-tech mathematical sleight of hand, dubbed the Luhn formula after its inventor, Hans Peter Luhn, played a tangential role in the development of the World Wide Web, search engines such as Google, text messaging and other high-tech wonders.

But there is absolutely nothing random about the final digit of your credit or debit card number. It has been appended as a so-called check number, or key, to verify the card is valid. It’s this check number that gives the Luhn formula its Da Vinci Code allure.

When a card number is generated using Luhn’s algorithm, various combinations of the digits on the card must ultimately add up to a number that is perfectly divisible by 10. For this reason, Luhn’s formula is also referred to as modulus 10, or mod 10 for short. Change any digit or transpose nearly any two digits, and the Luhn check will catch it.

The Luhn formula was designed to instantly detect accidental data entry errors — missed keystrokes, transpositions and the like — not as a defense against fraud. It doesn’t identify where an invalid number went sideways; it simply flags it as nonconforming.

Luhn checking won’t tell you anything about the underlying card account itself. Nor should it be confused with card-verification-value codes, those extra, unembossed numbers on major credit cards that attempt to verify that the physical card is (or has been) in your possession.

After joining IBM in 1941, Luhn pioneered fundamental concepts in business information retrieval, including keywords in context and selective dissemination of information. Those breakthroughs laid the groundwork for such ubiquitous computer processes as keyword search, e-mail, instant messaging and RSS feeds.

Although its original intent was to identify human error in the pre-computer days of manual data entry, the Luhn check remains a valuable first line of defense against credit card fraud today.

If the card numbers don’t tumble correctly through the algorithm (now computed literally faster than the blink of an eye), the transaction will be halted automatically before it even reaches the card issuer for authorization. Chances are excellent that the next line of anti-fraud software would net any fishy card numbers that slipped through the Luhn check.

If you want to see this in action check out this link http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/assets/Luhn.pdf and check your own cards.

For system concerns or problems, please call the CCS Retail Systems Support Department at 800-672-4806 or email_us

-Bryan