Johnny

I am currently attending the University of California, Riverside. I am also currently interning at IT Retail as an inbound marketer. My tasks as an IT Retail intern are writing blogs, updating our social media accounts, and optimizing our website.

Dangers of Using Contactless Credit Cards

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Feb 282012
 

Contactless credit cards allow shoppers to have quicker transactions when purchasing their products. This is possible because no signature or pin entry is required when making purchases with your contactless credit card. How does the credit card work you may ask? The credit card contains a microchip that holds your credit card information. When the card is placed next to a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, the information from the card is obtained through radio waves.

Contactless Credit Card

Although contactless credit cards may seem efficient and convenient, there are some security concerns for people that own them. Contactless credit cards are prone to hackers, which is one reason why some people are reluctant to obtain one. The equipment used by the hackers to steal your credit card information only cost a few hundred dollars.

The hacker hides his RFID card reader in his pocket. As he walks toward you, he bumps you and allows the RFID reader to scan the credit card. The hacker is able to encode the data from the credit card onto a blank card with a card magnetizing tool. With the card encoded with your credit card information, the hacker is able to swipe it through the “square” attachment for the iphone and transfer your money to his bank account. This whole process was demonstrated at SchmooCon, an annual hacker convention,  by Kristin Paget.

Credit card companies have denied these security concerns. They state that the contactless credit cards generate a new CVV code for each scan. Credit cards will be disabled if the CVV code is used in multiple transactions or if they are used in the wrong order.

However, Paget believes that this only limits the hackers to stealing from your credit card once. Therefore, the hacker would have to target multiple people at once in order to steal a large sum of money. This can easily be done at a crowded airport or in a bus.

The Guard Bunny

At this point, you may be wondering if there are any solutions to prevent hackers from stealing your credit card information. There are several products that you could purchase to block RFID signals, preventing scammers from stealing your information. The most effective product on the market today is probably the Guard Bunny. It is the size of a credit card and fits in your wallet perfectly. When the hacker attempts to scan your credit card, the Guard Bunny lets out a high pitch noise and the bunny’s eyes light up. The Guard Bunny protects you from most hackers; however, hackers using more sophisticated technology can find a way around products like the Guard Bunny.

What are your views on contactless credit cards? Would you sign up for one? Why or why not? Thank you for reading! Please leave comments below.

Price of Beef Increasing!

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Feb 102012
 

In 2011, the price of beef per pound increased by about 10% from 2010. Prices are expected to increase this year as well.  Farmers are claiming that the cost for everything they need to run their farm has inflated, which explains the price increase in beef.

Why isn’t the price for poultry increasing as much you ask? According to CNN, “Cattle farmers pay more for each animal, land for grazing, fertilizers, feed and processing systems versus poultry farmers.” It also takes longer for cattle to develop and be prepared for sale compared to poultry. It could take years for beef to be prepared for sale; whereas for poultry, it would only take 46 days for farmers to prep it for sale.

There are other factors that lead to the price increase in beef. There is decline in cattle population, which may pose a bigger problem in the future. Also, cattle farmers are switching over and using their land to grow grains that produce more profit. The severe drought last year contributes to the thinning herd of cattle as well. The drought led to less water and grass for the animals to consume. Cattle farmers were forced to send some of their animals to slaughterhouses or feedlots.

Although beef industries are aware of the possibility of consumers switching over to poultry as a substitute due to the rising price in beef, prices are expected to increase by about 5% this year. As a solution, beef producers are suggesting that retailers allow consumers to buy beef in bulk, which is supposed to be cheaper.

Personally, I would never be able to find a substitute for beef. Therefore, replacing it with poultry is out of the question. However, for people that love fish or poultry just as much as they do beef, a possible solution is buying either of those more often and having beef once in awhile.

Now it’s your turn readers, would you start eating poultry instead of beef? Comment below why or why not. Thanks for reading!

Paying With Your Phone

 New technology for Grocers  No Responses »
Jan 252012
 

There is constantly new technology coming out each and every year. Mobile phones are able to do a lot more now than they were a few years ago. Imagine going to the supermarket and being able to pay with your mobile phone. Well, now that is possible through something called the “mobile wallet.”

The mobile wallet allows customers to pay for their groceries by putting their mobile phone near a NFC (near field communication)-enabled payment terminal. This is the same technology used for contactless credit cards. Starbucks is already using similar technology by allowing customers to pay for their drinks through an application on their phone.

Mobile payments are becoming more popular each day. Forbes expects mobile wallet users to increase to 594 million by 2016. There are certain benefits to using the mobile wallet.

  • It could speed up your checkout time, which means less time having to wait in line at the grocery store.
  • Not having to carry around your wallet.
  • Not having to carry around loose change.
  • Allows more purchases to be made in a set time.
  • Improve customer experience.

Although there are some good benefits from mobile wallet, there are some concerns that might cause people to be hesitant about using the mobile wallet.

  • According to Forbes, security concerns may cause people to be hesitant about using the mobile wallet. Stores could fix this easily by keeping “all sensitive information ‘server-side’ up in the cloud behind multiple layers of protection.” However, the multiple layers of protections would cause transactions to be slower, which would defeat the purpose of having a mobile wallet. Also, a fast and reliable network is needed, which is not obtainable for some people depending on where their store is located.
  • Another concern is that mobile wallets don’t really benefit the stores. The stores would need to invest in “new payment terminals, without seeing any reduction in existing elevated transaction fees.”

Now it’s your turn readers, what are your views on the mobile wallet? Leave your comments below, thank you!

Know Your Cooking Oils!

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Jan 232012
 

If you cook often, you probably know that there are a variety of cooking oils that you could use. However, did you know that some oils are healthier for you than others? There are cooking oils that have certain health benefits due to their chemical properties.

Different types of cooking oils.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable Oil is probably the most commonly used oil and is often used when frying food. It contains Vitamin E, which has antioxidant properties. Vitamin E also has other benefits such as preventing clogging of arteries, reduce risk of strokes, and reduce sensitivity to sun exposure.

Canola Oil

Canola Oil is also commonly used when frying food. It is debatable on whether or not canola oil is healthy for you or harmful for you. Some believe that canola oil is good for your heart. Others believe that it is actually bad for your heart due to the processes it goes through to obtain the oil.

Olive Oil

There are several different types of olive oil (virgin, extra virgin, extra light, and refined). Extra virgin olive oil, often abbreviated by EVOO, is the most commonly used. It is often used to drizzle over salads and as an ingredient when cooking. Olive oil is said to be the healthiest of all oils. What’s For Dinner lists some of the health benefits of olive oil:

  • Reduce blood pressure
  • Inhibit the growth of some cancers
  • Benefit people at risk for or with diabetes
  • Lessen the severity of asthma and arthritis
  • Actually help your body maintain a lower weight

Peanut Oil

Peanut oil has higher saturated fats compared to other cooking oils. This means that it is a good oil to use when cooking in high temperatures, which is why many people use it when frying their food. It is important to use the correct oil when cooking in high heat because the high heat can damage the oil and ultimately be harmful to your health.

Although some oils are healthier than others, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good for you. So even though olive oil has certain health benefits, it doesn’t mean you should go deep fry all of your meals in it. Remember that too much of something is never good for you.

Now it’s your turn readers, what is your favorite cooking oil to use? Leave your comments below, thank you! :)

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