Christmas Carols Available From The Chins

Take a break and enjoy some Christmas carols from "The Chins." Just type in your song and see if you can stump the singers. Click on: http://www.sundog.net/index.php/chins/carol/

Buddy, Can You E-Mail Me 100 Bucks?

The Next Big Thing in U.S. banking may be mobile person-to-person money transfers.

What if you could send money to that friend who loaned you $20 last week by using your mobile phone rather than having to go through the trouble of trekking to the ATM or mailing a check? All you'd need would be your buddy's e-mail address or cell number—and presto.

Folks in Japan and Europe can already do that. Soon Americans will, too. Studies show that U.S. consumers, particularly the younger set, have embraced the convenience of online shopping and e-banking and are now ready to move to the next frontier: person-to-person mobile payments. A recent poll by Mercatus, a financial consulting firm, showed that the proportion of people ages 26 to 34 who had used a cell phone to buy goods or pay for a product or service had doubled, to 14%, in the past year. "We are at the tipping point," says Mercatus managing partner Robert Hedges.

That's why a host of banks and financial companies are gearing up to add person-to-person payments to their existing mobile and online banking platforms.
 
[Read story at BusinessWeek.com/by Amy Feldman].
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_47/b4156068763985.htm

What if your Phone could read barcodes?

You could do all sorts of cool things.

Check online prices for a DVD player.

Scan a book and check for reviews.

Scan the milk and add it to your grocery list.

I know what you’re thinking. That’s impossible, right? You heard the camera just wasn’t good enough.

Actually, it is good enough. But you can’t use just any old barcode technology. You need RedLaser – just maybe the most advanced 1D barcode recognition technology on planet earth.

Skeptical?

The future of shopping at: http://redlaser.com/

Bill Rogers spoke on similar technology and offered an outstanding video clip at the recent CU InfoTECH '09 Conference in Palm Springs.  Bill said, "One attendee approached me after my presentation and said if he left the conference right now, that he already got his money worth and thanked me for a great program."

To book Bill and the future technology program, send an email to billrogers@swbell.net or call Bill at 1-800-745-2455.

Sick of Extension Cords?

It is kind of annoying to move into a new apartment and to have to arrange your furniture and home entertainment system around the electrical outlets. You've just put up some awesome shelves, for instance, but your TV cord is a few inches too short to reach the nearest outlet. The obvious solution? Put electrical outlets everywhere.

Or, um, use an extension cord.
..

CUNA Technology Council presents best of show award

The CUNA Technology Council presented its Best of Show Award to Saylent Technologies for its Card360 product.

The award was presented at the Bank Administration Institute's Retail Delivery Conference Nov. 3-5 in Boston.

Saylent Technologies develops software solutions and services to increase non-interest income and core deposits. It won the Best of Show award for its Card360 solution, a portfolio optimization suite to help credit unions maximize the performance and satisfaction of their card programs.

Card360 is the engine behind CO-OP Financial Services' Revelation product, used by CO-OP's debit processing customers.

Since 2001, the CUNA Technology Council has presented the Best of Show award to the exhibitor that demonstrates a commitment to delivering technology that will further the growth of products and services in the credit union marketplace.

Hilton Hotels Available Thru iTunes

Hilton Hotels just launched an iPhone app that lets customers book and modify reservations at over 520 hotels in 76 countries.

Offered gratis on iTunes, the Hilton Worldwide app could come in handy for stranded travelers thanks to a feature that lets you find hotels near you, by address or airport, and gives you directions from your current location.

The hotels at hand also include all of those in the Hilton network — another 3,000 + including the Doubletree, Embassy Suites and Home2 suites chains.

The app will also let you choose bed and pillow type — plus if you don’t think you’ll have the strength to make a request once you get in, you can put your order for room service in via iPhone, too.

Sounds good, but it still has to compete with Priceline.com’s app (which boasts William Shatner as the icon) already iTunes’ fifth-most-downloaded free app after launching a week ago.

Fed will require bank customers and CU members to OK overdrafts

The Federal Reserve released a long-awaited rule Thursday requiring banks and credit unions to get consumers' permission before paying most debit-card and ATM overdrafts.

The rule, which comes as Congress is scrutinizing hefty overdraft fees, will take effect by July 1, 2010 for new customers and Aug. 15, 2010 for existing customers.

Consumers who want financial institutions to pay transactions that exceed their cash or credit limits can give their consent orally or in writing, Fed officials said Thursday.

More at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/banking/2009-11-12-fed-overdraft-rule_N.htm

Shift Happens: Fall 2009 Version

You may have seen a previous version with the same or similar title. Here's an updated one out the fall of 2009.

http://www.flixxy.com/technology-and-media-convergence.htm

FBI warns consumers of increased phishing scam attempts

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday warned consumers that it has "seen a significant increase in fraud involving the exploitation of valid online banking credentials belonging to small and medium businesses, municipal governments, and school districts" over the recent months.

According to the FBI, potential victims of this type of fraud will receive a so-called "spear phishing" e-mail that contains an infected e-mail attachment or a link that sends the e-mail recipient to a website that is infected. Malware which contains a keylogger program is then installed on the victim's computer once they click on the link or attachment.

The keylogger is then used to track account information, and that information is used to steal from the victim via fund transfers or to create additional accounts in the victim's name.

The FBI has found that transferred funds of funds from the created accounts are then diverted into bank accounts of individuals that have been recruited to serve as payment processors through work-at-home advertisements or job search websites. The unwitting individuals then transfer the money that arrives in their accounts to overseas locales through a wire transfer service.

The FBI has advised customers that do their banking online to contact their financial institution to ensure that they are employing all the appropriate security and fraud prevention services their institution offers.

Data breach victims at 4 x greater fraud risk

Consumers who received a data-breach notification within the past year are four times more likely than typical consumers to have been victims of identity fraud, says new research. However, consumers rarely attribute the fraud to their data breach exposure.

Data breach notifications are intended to help consumers take protective action," said Mary Monahan, managing partner and research director at Javelin Strategy & Research, which conducted its third annual survey of nearly 5,000 U.S. consumers.
"Notification is critical because consumers are over four times more likely to encounter actual fraudulent transactions if they receive a data-breach notification," Monahan said in a press release. "But our research shows a disconnect between breach notifications and consumer awareness of risk, which results in individuals not being adequately protected."

During the past three years, roughly 11% of consumers received a breach notification, said the report. More than one-third of breach victims experienced exposure of their Social Security numbers, and 15% had their ATM personal identification numbers (PINs) compromised.

Despite almost 20% of breach victims suffering some kind of fraud in the past year, only 2% attribute their fraud to the breach.