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Of Tech, Tools, and Toys… Some things just have to be seen to be believed. Or touched. If you're one of those people who have to hold something in your hand before you buy, you'll love the Airport Wireless PalmOne store. If you are seeking new ways to be productive while on the road, their expert staff has the confidence inspiring product knowledge to help you make an informed purchase.

Forgot Something at Home? It happens to everyone eventually. Airport Wireless can help! They stock a huge variety of accessories for PalmOne handhelds, most mobile phone models, PDA’s, laptop computers, and beyond. Their efficient sales associates will help you find a replacement for your forgotten item in a hurry.

In 1997 Airport Wireless began selling wireless phones and accessories from a small merchandise cart in Terminal B of the Philadelphia International Airport. The company proved its concept to Philadelphia’s airport management who decided in 1998 to offer Airport Wireless a small in-line store in the airport’s main shopping area, in spite of tough competition from national brands vying for same precious airport retail space. Now, Airport Wireless plans to have 20 operating stores by the end of the year.

According to Lance Berman, Vice President of Airport Wireless, “Cash Register Express was selected because of the close relationship he has formed with Tony Scarpa, Account Manager, and the Executives of pcAmerica. I can always reach someone on the phone and everyone has been very helpful and informative during our growth process.”

Luis Echenique, in charge of IT at Airport Wireless has worked closely with pcAmerica to make specific changes for Airport Wireless to help run the business more efficiently. With 15 stores and growing, inventory must be handled efficiently. Airport Wireless does not rely on local store managers to restock its stores. All Inventory is stored in a central warehouse. Information is transported from each store location to a central server in the main office. Additional inventory is automatically shipped to each store as required according to statistics accumulated from Cash Register Express. “It saves money and insures that each of our stores are fully stocked with those products that sell best at each individual location.”

For more information about Airport Wireless, see them at all major airports or please go to:

airportwireless.com

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If you would like your business highlighted in our newsletter, please email to We just need a couple of photos and some information about your business. Your business will also be listed on our web site.

***pcAmerica Tidbit

The Problem: You're about to go through airport security but forgot to leave your $30 knitting scissors at home.

The Solution: ReturnKey has kiosks that look like ATM machines in the airport. For $6.95 and up, you can leave your cigarette lighter, knife, or other Airline banned item in an envelope which will be mailed safely and directly to your destination.

For more information on ReturnKey, go to:

www.itemreturn.com

***Cash, Credit Card, Check or Fingerprint

It’s here now. Thriftway, a supermarket chain in Seattle, Washington now accepts your fingerprint as payment.

Here’s how it works. You register your fingerprint and your credit card with the store. Once registered, you never need to bring your credit card with you. Just touch your finger to the touch pad and you are done. Since your fingerprint is associated with your registered credit card, your credit card is automatically charged for your purchase.

Fingerprint technology for credit cards is not exactly taking off. Many retailers are afraid that customers will be too weary about using their fingerprint due to privacy issues. However, customers at Thriftway have had the opposite reaction. Thriftway ran a 60 day test of the system and it was an enormous success. Now, 30% of all electronic payments at Thriftway go through the credit card system. People just love it. One customer drove 400 miles to a Thriftway store just to be part of the trial run.

According to Thriftway, fraudulent transactions have been reduced by 30% since installing the new system. Checkout is quicker. No one has to search for their credit card. Thriftway added lots of new customers who were anxious to try and use the new technology.

By the end of the year, the fingerprint technology will be available at Regal Cinemas (United Artist Theatres), CVS, Blimpie, Carl’s Jr, Dairy Queen, Chevron, Fry’s and ...probably your store.

Fingerprint technology does not store your entire fingerprint. It converts your fingerprint into a number. The number can not be converted back into a fingerprint. Therefore, it is unlikely that you can be arrested on the basis of your fingerprint being on file at the supermarket and comparing that number to a fingerprint at a murder scene.

Using fingerprint technology along with a credit card will reduce costs, and reduce fraud without raising privacy issues (so “they” say).

For more information on the fingerprint technology go to:

http://management.silicon.com/itdirector/0,39024673,39127506,00.htm

or

http://www.newstarget.com/004333.html

For a full story related to new payment processing options, go to:

http://verticalsystemsreseller.com/vsr/pages/archives/articles/art_june05_2.shtml

and if you want to do further research, go to google.com and search for credit card fingerprint.

Fingerprint technology is available for use on your computer right now . Microsoft has a $49.95 fingerprint reader that plugs into your USB port. Instead of memorizing passwords, you can use the reader to quickly log into sites and open files in place of entering your user name and password.

***#3 of 10 Essential Things You Must Know About Your Computer

Going Phishing

Going Phishing and going fishing are almost the same thing.

When you go fishing, you go to a lake along with your fishing rod and a worm or two. Your goal is to nab a fish or two.

A phisher is a person who sends out millions of emails looking for that one sucker who will respond. A phisher will send you out an email with subjects like:

Your Citibank Credit Card Number has expired

You must update your Ebay Account Information

Bank America needs to update your information

Amazon.com has a FREE Ipod for you

So, you click on the link and you are immediately sent to a Web Site that looks exactly like your Citibank Web Site (for example). In reality, you have been sent to a Web Site that has been cloned to look like the Citibank Web Site. You are asked to enter your user name and password. You enter the information, and nothing happens. You have just been “scammed.”

The phisher now knows your user name and password.

You assume that because you have a Citibank Credit Card that your email was legit. However, the phisher sends out millions of similar emails. It is likely that one percent or more of those getting that email will have a Citibank Credit Card just by chance. If you enter your user name and password, you have become a fish. The phisher can take your user name and password, enter the real Citibank site, change your account information, address, and even buy a boat using your card. It happens all the time.

How do you avoid being a fish? Most of the time, it’s fairly easy. However, we are willing to bet that everyone will get caught at least once, no matter how smart you are. When you get an email asking you to click on a link, always be suspicious. It is always better to enter the link in your browser. For example, instead of clicking on the Ebay.com link, actually type in the name ebay.com. If you do click on a suspicious link, you can right click your mouse in a blank area on the Web Site. Scroll down to properties and click. If you see something like Citibank.com, you are probably at a good site. However, if you see something like 1232.232.232.232 or scamcitibank.com, you are probably not at the real site.

Please remember, Citibank is only being used as an example here. When Citibank sends you an email, they normally include the last four digits of your credit card on their email to verify that it is the real Citibank sending you the email.

So, let’s say you were “scammed.” You clicked on the Citibank site, entered your user name and password and updated your credit card information on the phony site. Who has your credit card number now? According to the Wall Street Journal, it is likely that a Romanian teenager (or kids anywhere) now has your credit card number and password. He searches certain sites on the internet for organizations who will purchase that credit card information and sells it to a buyer for a commission. The person who now has the information transfers money into his account and pays the original phisher his commission.

Now here is the most bizarre thing. Why does the phisher trust the person who is getting the credit card information? How does the phisher know that he will really receive his commissions. Well, even thieves have ratings. You can go to a site that rates credit card thieves according to their honesty in paying commissions to phishers.

Just fascinating.

For more information about phishing, go to

http://www.antiphishing.org/

or go to wsj.com (Wall Street Journal) and search for phishing

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