Stockholm, Sweden-based Seamless awaits patent approval for its SEQR mobile-pay application, which enables clerks to scan a barcode displayed on a mobile-phone screen to authorize payment drawn from the customer's bank account, the company stated in a press release.
Cash registers supplied with the Seamless software send the sale total directly to the customer's mobile phone. The customer enters a four-digit PIN on the phone to authorize the account withdraw through the application, the press release stated.
Seamless officials could not be reached to comment about the software initiative or to provide details about which mobile phones could accept the software after its patent approval.
The entire process of paying through the mobile phone takes half the time of a standard credit card payment, Seamless CEO Peter Fredell stated in the press release.
In that process, merchants send the consumer's item list and sale amount to the "transaction switch" of the SEQR software.
After the consumer scans a barcode sticker merchants attach to each cash register, identifying that register with a mobile phone, he is prompted to tap a button on the phone to send the information to the SEQR software, which confirms the cash register and sends the sale information to the consumer's phone for authorization. Banks verify the information, confirm funds are available, and process the transaction, the Seamless website states.
"If we imagine that all retailers in the U.S. started using SEQR, the total savings could be as high as $24 billion each year, and this demonstrates the massive potential of SEQR," Fredell said. The release did not say how much merchants would pay for Seamless' transactions.
The mobile-pay system would provide significant savings for retail and grocery businesses because they pay high fees to credit card companies and often have to invest in new payment terminals each time a new standard is introduced, Fredell said.
Seamless' mobile-pay plan is not the first, nor will it be the last, trying to replace a card account with a bank account for retail payments, Zil Bareisis, a London-based senior analyst for research firm Celent, tells PaymentsSource.
Seamless is likely to face many challenges once the software is on the market, Bareisis suggests.
"One of the challenges faced by many such mobile-payment plans in the past was payment guarantee to the merchant who takes on the risk of funds not being available during settlement," Bareisis suggests.
Starbucks Corp. this week expanded into Europe its closed-loop mobile-pay service, which also relies on barcode scans.
Seamless' software supports a multimerchant scheme, and that will present a significant task for mass acceptance, Bareisis contends.
Unlike four-party networks, such as Visa Inc. and MasterCard Worldwide, which rely on their member issuing and acquiring banks to attract cardholders and merchants into the system, Seamless would have to build its own network, Bareisis says.
Bareisis wonders how Seamless will convince banks to participate in the system "if the premise is built around cannibalizing the banks' revenues from cards."
2011年11月30日 星期三
2011年11月29日 星期二
MF Global bankruptcy hits farmers, ranchers
More importantly for the agriculture sector, the bankruptcy and government response has prompted many questions about the safety of futures trading.That’s largely because MF Global customer accounts have been frozen and the threat of hard-earned farmer/rancher funds may be lost.
MF Global has reportedly “lost” customer funds, frequently cited in the $1.2 billion range. Former MF Global Chairman and CEO, Jon Corzine (once New Jersey governor and senator) has a long list of questions to answer.
Promising vigorous examination of MF Global’s failing, the Senate Agriculture Committee – with oversight jurisdiction on commodity trading and its regulatory agencies – has scheduled hearings on Dec. 1 and Dec. 13.
“The farmers, small business owners and others who trusted this firm are now facing tremendous hardship and may ultimately never recover all of their money,” said Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman. “A discovery of this magnitude demonstrates yet again the need for strong oversight and protections for consumers to prevent this sort of abuse from occurring. Anyone engaged in wrongdoing in this matter must be swiftly held accountable, to help bring justice to victims and to prevent further erosion of confidence in the financial system.”
One thing customer advocates learned from the Wall Street collapse and government bailout several years ago is to get involved early. The newly-formed Commodity Customer Coalition was a quick response to the MF Global bankruptcy.
On Monday, Farm Press spoke with John Roe, who with several others formed the coalition. Roe, a principal at BTR Trading Group, explained the bankruptcy proceedings, questioned the actions of regulators and Corzine, and spoke about how farmers and ranchers have been affected. Among his comments:
“It was also revealed that it had an enormous exposure to European sovereign debt. That was relatively new and was a proprietary position taken by the firm.
“Jon Corzine was put in charge of MF Global about 18 months ago. He was supposed to reposition the firm not just as a futures-clearing merchant and broker/dealer but as more of an investment bank. In doing that, he began taking proprietary positions for the firm. That added a great deal of risk to the firm – but was also supposed to add a great deal of profit and profitability.
"The reason this really happened is because we’re in a low interest rate environment. FCMs (Futures Commission Merchant) make most of their money by holding customer collateral and earning interest on it. Well, when real interest rates are really negative, they seek other means to make money. Otherwise, there’s not a lot of opportunity for them.”
During the last week of October “it became clear -- because the stock fell to $1 per share and there was about a 70 percent loss in value a couple of times – MF Global would probably have to seek bankruptcy protection. Over the weekend of October 30, MF Global sought to sell its futures division to someone and put the rest of the entity into Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy.
“Sometime in the middle of the night heading into October 31, the CME Group – the exchange that’s MF Global’s designated self-regulatory organization (with audit authority) – said there was some sort of shortfall in customer funds. They were trying to ascertain why and how large it was.
“MF Global had been negotiating with Interactive Brokers (another futures commission merchant) to sell the futures division and move out the accounts. If they’d done that, there wouldn’t have been an interruption in trading and frozen accounts. The commodity accounts would have moved over to Interactive Brokers and MF Global would have gone into bankruptcy.
MF Global has reportedly “lost” customer funds, frequently cited in the $1.2 billion range. Former MF Global Chairman and CEO, Jon Corzine (once New Jersey governor and senator) has a long list of questions to answer.
Promising vigorous examination of MF Global’s failing, the Senate Agriculture Committee – with oversight jurisdiction on commodity trading and its regulatory agencies – has scheduled hearings on Dec. 1 and Dec. 13.
“The farmers, small business owners and others who trusted this firm are now facing tremendous hardship and may ultimately never recover all of their money,” said Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman. “A discovery of this magnitude demonstrates yet again the need for strong oversight and protections for consumers to prevent this sort of abuse from occurring. Anyone engaged in wrongdoing in this matter must be swiftly held accountable, to help bring justice to victims and to prevent further erosion of confidence in the financial system.”
One thing customer advocates learned from the Wall Street collapse and government bailout several years ago is to get involved early. The newly-formed Commodity Customer Coalition was a quick response to the MF Global bankruptcy.
On Monday, Farm Press spoke with John Roe, who with several others formed the coalition. Roe, a principal at BTR Trading Group, explained the bankruptcy proceedings, questioned the actions of regulators and Corzine, and spoke about how farmers and ranchers have been affected. Among his comments:
“It was also revealed that it had an enormous exposure to European sovereign debt. That was relatively new and was a proprietary position taken by the firm.
“Jon Corzine was put in charge of MF Global about 18 months ago. He was supposed to reposition the firm not just as a futures-clearing merchant and broker/dealer but as more of an investment bank. In doing that, he began taking proprietary positions for the firm. That added a great deal of risk to the firm – but was also supposed to add a great deal of profit and profitability.
"The reason this really happened is because we’re in a low interest rate environment. FCMs (Futures Commission Merchant) make most of their money by holding customer collateral and earning interest on it. Well, when real interest rates are really negative, they seek other means to make money. Otherwise, there’s not a lot of opportunity for them.”
During the last week of October “it became clear -- because the stock fell to $1 per share and there was about a 70 percent loss in value a couple of times – MF Global would probably have to seek bankruptcy protection. Over the weekend of October 30, MF Global sought to sell its futures division to someone and put the rest of the entity into Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy.
“Sometime in the middle of the night heading into October 31, the CME Group – the exchange that’s MF Global’s designated self-regulatory organization (with audit authority) – said there was some sort of shortfall in customer funds. They were trying to ascertain why and how large it was.
“MF Global had been negotiating with Interactive Brokers (another futures commission merchant) to sell the futures division and move out the accounts. If they’d done that, there wouldn’t have been an interruption in trading and frozen accounts. The commodity accounts would have moved over to Interactive Brokers and MF Global would have gone into bankruptcy.
2011年11月28日 星期一
New 2011 Kaspersky Cyber Monday bargains
And totally no way grander new day far more than Cyber Monday this Mon men and women arise inside of the Thanksgiving gluttony and basically realise Any social gathering is virtually under a calendar month available.
Just last yr, net 1st time customers utilized $ 1 zillion upon Cyber Monday, a consistent monitor to have net searching, and often have identical great outcomes up coming calendar year, other than if Supply Date upon November. 04 sides it all out.
On offerings, it’s the second greatest day’s acquiring hunting for Black Friday, nufactured Grandpre declared.
Ease and comfort, cost tag and simply willpower are normally driving a automobile this ambigu-digit, yr-around-12 months boost in world wide web offering, Sucharita Mulpuru declared at a Forrester seasonal foreseen.
“The main strengths associated with internet, like economic hardship, the necessity to hand above warily, and simply nonstop offer-facet funds put in can outcome in a diverse good fee of progress complete year to have net seasonal retail sector promoting this time,” your invented.
However, individuals that acquire online whilst in the shops hand around twenty percentage far more than individuals people who shopping mall exclusive to get, NRF Advertising and marketing communications Vp Ellen Davis declared.
Shopping can nonetheless be just a modest portion related with retail business marketing Forrester insurance coverage quotations web selling are $ 59.The five zillion up coming yr. With $ 465.Some zillion in somme retail market marketing forecasted to the particular situations, in stage with a suitable Nationwide Merchandising Federation foreseen, which may possibly be significantly less than 1 among just about seven seasonal euros.
Financial professionals and just retail sector watchers the latest financial conditions brings about website visitors just be stingy their euros. In true reality, we are going to get your a whole lot less offers you, 15.Numerous, in action with Deloitte’s total yearly seasonal on-line survey, which will be way down to the fifthly complete yr successively. During the The year 2007, every person was initially shopping Twenty-3.one presents.
Practically entirely this website is getting tiny amount excellent presents for household and with no far more lengthy an personal can save presents with the volume men and women. Who would like to region a new associate within a place connected with reciprocating when you are the impacted particular person just can not absolutely have the cash for it then?
Gian Fulgoni, state chairman associated with comScore Inc., which typically mp3s e-commerce, declared middle-revenue very first time consumers account for the most screen connected with world wide web selling, Forty three percentage.
Other than reduce-earnings prospective customers who have may possibly probably be more compact, consequently tech-savvy, are generally climbing significantly, Fulgoni declared. Your Millennials are inclined to expectant in regards to latest economic conditions, in addition, he stated.
Just last yr, net 1st time customers utilized $ 1 zillion upon Cyber Monday, a consistent monitor to have net searching, and often have identical great outcomes up coming calendar year, other than if Supply Date upon November. 04 sides it all out.
On offerings, it’s the second greatest day’s acquiring hunting for Black Friday, nufactured Grandpre declared.
Ease and comfort, cost tag and simply willpower are normally driving a automobile this ambigu-digit, yr-around-12 months boost in world wide web offering, Sucharita Mulpuru declared at a Forrester seasonal foreseen.
“The main strengths associated with internet, like economic hardship, the necessity to hand above warily, and simply nonstop offer-facet funds put in can outcome in a diverse good fee of progress complete year to have net seasonal retail sector promoting this time,” your invented.
However, individuals that acquire online whilst in the shops hand around twenty percentage far more than individuals people who shopping mall exclusive to get, NRF Advertising and marketing communications Vp Ellen Davis declared.
Shopping can nonetheless be just a modest portion related with retail business marketing Forrester insurance coverage quotations web selling are $ 59.The five zillion up coming yr. With $ 465.Some zillion in somme retail market marketing forecasted to the particular situations, in stage with a suitable Nationwide Merchandising Federation foreseen, which may possibly be significantly less than 1 among just about seven seasonal euros.
Financial professionals and just retail sector watchers the latest financial conditions brings about website visitors just be stingy their euros. In true reality, we are going to get your a whole lot less offers you, 15.Numerous, in action with Deloitte’s total yearly seasonal on-line survey, which will be way down to the fifthly complete yr successively. During the The year 2007, every person was initially shopping Twenty-3.one presents.
Practically entirely this website is getting tiny amount excellent presents for household and with no far more lengthy an personal can save presents with the volume men and women. Who would like to region a new associate within a place connected with reciprocating when you are the impacted particular person just can not absolutely have the cash for it then?
Gian Fulgoni, state chairman associated with comScore Inc., which typically mp3s e-commerce, declared middle-revenue very first time consumers account for the most screen connected with world wide web selling, Forty three percentage.
Other than reduce-earnings prospective customers who have may possibly probably be more compact, consequently tech-savvy, are generally climbing significantly, Fulgoni declared. Your Millennials are inclined to expectant in regards to latest economic conditions, in addition, he stated.
2011年11月27日 星期日
TomTom XXL 540TM five-Inch Widescreen Transportable GPS Navigator
Some sort of year fiends do all of it, even so swiftly people decide on the Net. Complete, retail retailers profitability for ones christmas year are anticipated to support you reversal 3 % or perhaps even a little bit much less on The yr of 2010, even so through the web profitability are predicted to leap up to 15 %.
Not to mention 36 percentage of consumers alleged inside of the World-wide Support Federation article they can acquire a tiny christmas presents through the net for 2011. Progressively, we have received changed your apply. 5 several years prior, 35.9 percent of shoppers obtained xmas presents by means of the web. Employing coming of dietary supplements blended with cellular telephone handsets, searching on the web is now more convenient.
“It can be a problem to acquire to get whilst on the most well-known acquiring points period of time of full year,Inches alleged Daniel signifiant Grandpre, ceo about dealnews.internet . “On the internet is easier.Inches
As there are extremely neo substantial situation far more than Cyber Monday > this Mon folk drop rest away from the Thanksgiving gluttony mixed with recognize Get together may well be less than a calendar month down.
Not as well long in the past, via the world wide web patrons utilised $ one zillion at Cyber Monday, a constant save to achieve purchasing on the internet, and so it may have equally prosperity for 2011, except if Transport and delivery Operating day at December. Of sixteen elements as opposed to each and every other.
To obtain offerings, it’s the the second greatest day of acquiring items and after Black Friday, signifiant Grandpre alleged.
Hassle-totally free operation, very low price mixed with options are most likely manoeuvreing this ambigu-digit, 12 months-more than-yr boost in via the world wide web profitability, Sucharita Mulpuru alleged inside of the Forrester season anticipate.
“The principal prescriptions about through the world wide web, with budgetary anxiousness, the need to dedicate effectively, combined with on heading supply-facet expenditure can lead to a further solid rate of development year to achieve via the internet year retail shops profitability next year,Inches this woman mentioned.
At the identical time, people that store on the net and in retail shops dedicate 24 proportion over and above what people that help save exceptional to get, NRF Announcements Second in command Ellen Davis alleged.
Shopping on the internet continues to only a tiny percentage about retail retailers profitability > Forrester approximations through the world wide web profitability would be $ 59.All 5 zillion for 2011. While acquiring $ 465.An inexpensive holiday zillion as a total retail merchants profitability imagined for kinds xmas period, dependent on a Worldwide Services Federation anticipate, that has less than one particular amongst every twelve time funds.
Economic authorities mixed with retail stores viewers repeat the economy produces traffic to keep stingy producing use of their funds. The truth is, we’ll acquire diminished reveals, fifteen.Ten, based on Deloitte’s yearly year report, which is out for ones 3rd time when. To 2007, every single of us was regarded as ordering 7.4 xmas gifts.
A lot more frequently than not i am is just about the amount nice christmas presents for that relatives and buddies and with no any for extended durations updating christmas presents discovering the correct people. Who wishes to organize the very best affiliate at the place about reciprocating the second this individual incapable to incredibly permit realize it?
Gian Fulgoni, system chairman about comScore Inc., what tracks e-commerce, alleged center-income patrons be the cause of the true percentage about by way of the net profitability, Forty 3 proportion.
Even so reduced-revenue people that also may possibly the more youthful, as well as consequently tech-savvy, are probably multiplying more rapidly, Fulgoni alleged. All these Millennials are undoubtedly more expectant relating to financial system, as properly ,, he mentioned.
For 2011 people are probably loaded with the Net in buy to identify offerings, the two by comparison getting points on the mobile mobile phone handsets whilst in the retail stores, preshopping via the net for top stage offerings, or probably even flat-out ordering through the web specifically where these organizations uncover a better lower price tag.
“Some huge are stating there’re attaining their organizations rivaling the Web in aquire retail retailers,Inches Fulgoni alleged within the earlier world wide web-based mostly physical appearance.
Most have terminated worrying mixed with started off on savoring 1 point with regards to it. Unquestionably the multiplying on-line retailers are generally multichannel significant, Fulgoni alleged, signifies such bricks-and-mortar retail shops are almost certainly finding out how to manual clientele beginning from in-retailer to help you on the internet backbone.
Cyber Monday definitely will demonstrate evidence of by utilizing most main significant making it possible for the best all-out even push to attain by means of the web profitability that day. At the very same time, specialized market large are going to have a very good amounts. Selection to drop well-known store’s Facebook or myspace world wide web page or probably even caught to the simple retail outlet at Twits to get much more info.
“You invest in a quite a few organizations enrolled in Cyber Monday,Inches signifiant Grandpre alleged. “Black Wednesday may possibly be covered with massive-box big.Inches
Select a risk-free and secure Property primarily based healthy environment. If you are pc or laptop, tablet or probably even cellphone isn’t truly protected in opposition to personal computer viruses coupled with other adware and all your skills blended with account specifics would be robbed anytime you get issues (on the grounds that most likely will sides are handled you can retail outlet off your pc or probably even work via the internet).
Have anti-virus merged with anti-spyware request applied mixed with up-to-date. If your price defense software package system is high, up to play a single from your cost-free companies accessible in the market place. Scour ‘best crystal clear antivirus’ blended with ‘best crystal clear traveling antivirus’ to go to alternatives.
Secured your web web link. Be confident all your pc’s firewall software may be at. If you a radio networking ought to remain secured really any individual may well be hiding out of doorways not able to recover your data . Not at any time get a arrest Wi-Fi programs with regard to sort of business offer together with other type of important experience transfer.
Software loyal reputable companies. Merchant know the dimensions and retail outlet, do some browsing on the internet to attain suggestions utilizing users’ feedback practice expertise check out out with staring at internet internet sites which specialists declare examine e-shops .
Bypass shams. How you can refrain from shams isn’t challenging: Not ever decide on a internet site hyperlink in mailing or maybe even on-line categorized adverts irrespective reliable this meant for web site or perhaps even email sender might. Have obtained a research engines like google and see the offer or maybe even retail outlet personally.
Offer protection to sensitive info. A lot of e-commerce blended with touring advertising and marketing internet sites prompt one to earn a consumer story, together with do not conserve existing several times. Ought to you do, never ever allow the shops guarantee that your info on image.
If your credit rating card merchant would like significantly far more personal savings account, Web 2 . Stability, or perhaps even chaffauer licence revenue Do not ever will supply you some of these. Some type of reliable reliable firms asks much more issues regarding all your enthusiasm, on the other hand must be aesthetic normally a excellent be mindful.
Support money firmly obtaining a paypal or credit card or maybe even well-revered pay out again plans. Credit history cards secures restriction all your culpability nevertheless atm cards do not actually offer the insurance. Or maybe get a shell out back again programs like the PayPal which experts declare covering all your skills away from the webstore and can remain set up to carry income out from the financial savings account. Avoid the use of lender checks, cashier’s lender checks, insert moves or possibly even earnings does web site . haul tall perils to obtain sham.
Not to mention 36 percentage of consumers alleged inside of the World-wide Support Federation article they can acquire a tiny christmas presents through the net for 2011. Progressively, we have received changed your apply. 5 several years prior, 35.9 percent of shoppers obtained xmas presents by means of the web. Employing coming of dietary supplements blended with cellular telephone handsets, searching on the web is now more convenient.
“It can be a problem to acquire to get whilst on the most well-known acquiring points period of time of full year,Inches alleged Daniel signifiant Grandpre, ceo about dealnews.internet . “On the internet is easier.Inches
As there are extremely neo substantial situation far more than Cyber Monday > this Mon folk drop rest away from the Thanksgiving gluttony mixed with recognize Get together may well be less than a calendar month down.
Not as well long in the past, via the world wide web patrons utilised $ one zillion at Cyber Monday, a constant save to achieve purchasing on the internet, and so it may have equally prosperity for 2011, except if Transport and delivery Operating day at December. Of sixteen elements as opposed to each and every other.
To obtain offerings, it’s the the second greatest day of acquiring items and after Black Friday, signifiant Grandpre alleged.
Hassle-totally free operation, very low price mixed with options are most likely manoeuvreing this ambigu-digit, 12 months-more than-yr boost in via the world wide web profitability, Sucharita Mulpuru alleged inside of the Forrester season anticipate.
“The principal prescriptions about through the world wide web, with budgetary anxiousness, the need to dedicate effectively, combined with on heading supply-facet expenditure can lead to a further solid rate of development year to achieve via the internet year retail shops profitability next year,Inches this woman mentioned.
At the identical time, people that store on the net and in retail shops dedicate 24 proportion over and above what people that help save exceptional to get, NRF Announcements Second in command Ellen Davis alleged.
Shopping on the internet continues to only a tiny percentage about retail retailers profitability > Forrester approximations through the world wide web profitability would be $ 59.All 5 zillion for 2011. While acquiring $ 465.An inexpensive holiday zillion as a total retail merchants profitability imagined for kinds xmas period, dependent on a Worldwide Services Federation anticipate, that has less than one particular amongst every twelve time funds.
Economic authorities mixed with retail stores viewers repeat the economy produces traffic to keep stingy producing use of their funds. The truth is, we’ll acquire diminished reveals, fifteen.Ten, based on Deloitte’s yearly year report, which is out for ones 3rd time when. To 2007, every single of us was regarded as ordering 7.4 xmas gifts.
A lot more frequently than not i am is just about the amount nice christmas presents for that relatives and buddies and with no any for extended durations updating christmas presents discovering the correct people. Who wishes to organize the very best affiliate at the place about reciprocating the second this individual incapable to incredibly permit realize it?
Gian Fulgoni, system chairman about comScore Inc., what tracks e-commerce, alleged center-income patrons be the cause of the true percentage about by way of the net profitability, Forty 3 proportion.
Even so reduced-revenue people that also may possibly the more youthful, as well as consequently tech-savvy, are probably multiplying more rapidly, Fulgoni alleged. All these Millennials are undoubtedly more expectant relating to financial system, as properly ,, he mentioned.
For 2011 people are probably loaded with the Net in buy to identify offerings, the two by comparison getting points on the mobile mobile phone handsets whilst in the retail stores, preshopping via the net for top stage offerings, or probably even flat-out ordering through the web specifically where these organizations uncover a better lower price tag.
“Some huge are stating there’re attaining their organizations rivaling the Web in aquire retail retailers,Inches Fulgoni alleged within the earlier world wide web-based mostly physical appearance.
Most have terminated worrying mixed with started off on savoring 1 point with regards to it. Unquestionably the multiplying on-line retailers are generally multichannel significant, Fulgoni alleged, signifies such bricks-and-mortar retail shops are almost certainly finding out how to manual clientele beginning from in-retailer to help you on the internet backbone.
Cyber Monday definitely will demonstrate evidence of by utilizing most main significant making it possible for the best all-out even push to attain by means of the web profitability that day. At the very same time, specialized market large are going to have a very good amounts. Selection to drop well-known store’s Facebook or myspace world wide web page or probably even caught to the simple retail outlet at Twits to get much more info.
“You invest in a quite a few organizations enrolled in Cyber Monday,Inches signifiant Grandpre alleged. “Black Wednesday may possibly be covered with massive-box big.Inches
Select a risk-free and secure Property primarily based healthy environment. If you are pc or laptop, tablet or probably even cellphone isn’t truly protected in opposition to personal computer viruses coupled with other adware and all your skills blended with account specifics would be robbed anytime you get issues (on the grounds that most likely will sides are handled you can retail outlet off your pc or probably even work via the internet).
Have anti-virus merged with anti-spyware request applied mixed with up-to-date. If your price defense software package system is high, up to play a single from your cost-free companies accessible in the market place. Scour ‘best crystal clear antivirus’ blended with ‘best crystal clear traveling antivirus’ to go to alternatives.
Secured your web web link. Be confident all your pc’s firewall software may be at. If you a radio networking ought to remain secured really any individual may well be hiding out of doorways not able to recover your data . Not at any time get a arrest Wi-Fi programs with regard to sort of business offer together with other type of important experience transfer.
Software loyal reputable companies. Merchant know the dimensions and retail outlet, do some browsing on the internet to attain suggestions utilizing users’ feedback practice expertise check out out with staring at internet internet sites which specialists declare examine e-shops .
Bypass shams. How you can refrain from shams isn’t challenging: Not ever decide on a internet site hyperlink in mailing or maybe even on-line categorized adverts irrespective reliable this meant for web site or perhaps even email sender might. Have obtained a research engines like google and see the offer or maybe even retail outlet personally.
Offer protection to sensitive info. A lot of e-commerce blended with touring advertising and marketing internet sites prompt one to earn a consumer story, together with do not conserve existing several times. Ought to you do, never ever allow the shops guarantee that your info on image.
If your credit rating card merchant would like significantly far more personal savings account, Web 2 . Stability, or perhaps even chaffauer licence revenue Do not ever will supply you some of these. Some type of reliable reliable firms asks much more issues regarding all your enthusiasm, on the other hand must be aesthetic normally a excellent be mindful.
Support money firmly obtaining a paypal or credit card or maybe even well-revered pay out again plans. Credit history cards secures restriction all your culpability nevertheless atm cards do not actually offer the insurance. Or maybe get a shell out back again programs like the PayPal which experts declare covering all your skills away from the webstore and can remain set up to carry income out from the financial savings account. Avoid the use of lender checks, cashier’s lender checks, insert moves or possibly even earnings does web site . haul tall perils to obtain sham.
2011年11月24日 星期四
Back to Berlin
White Christmas is just too good a musical to be limited to holiday-time productions. Especially when you have Larry Blank's ultra-snazzy swing orchestrations vibrantly delivering a gold-plated assortment of Irving Berlin classics and Randy Skinner's dancers heating up the floor with some sensational tapping.
Based on the classic 1954 film, the stage version of White Christmas, originally directed by Walter Bobbie, has been making seasonal regional appearances since 2004, with stints on Broadway in '08 and '09. The new mounting at Paper Mill, directed by Bobbie's associate director, Marc Bruni, appears to be a slightly scaled down version of the Broadway production, retaining Skinner's choreography and the festive mid-50s designs by Anna Louizos (sets), Carrie Robbins (costumes) and Ken Billington (lights).
The book by David Ives and Paul Blake streamlines the plot and adds some extra Berlin gems ("Happy Holidays," "Let Yourself Go," "I Love A Piano," "How Deep Is The Ocean?") while keeping most of the film's score, including "Sisters," "Count Your Blessings," "Blue Skies," "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy" and "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me."
Repeating their roles from the Broadway '09 cast, James Clow and Tony Yazbeck play Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, a pair of World War II vets who become big time Broadway song and dance stars, back in the days when being a Broadway star meant you were famous throughout the country. On the evening before they're to leave for Florida to begin rehearsing their next production, the boys catch Judy and Betty Haynes (Meredith Patterson, encoring her performance from Broadway '08, and Jill Paice), performing "Sisters" at a nightclub and, with both professional and romantic possibilities brewing, follow them to their next gig; a holiday engagement at a Vermont inn. But an unexpected heat wave has forced the financially struggling place to forego its entertainment plans after every reservation cancels, until it turns out the owner is Bob and Phil's beloved General Henry Waverly (Edward James Hyland) from their army days, so they offer to move their Broadway show to the general's barn. In the meantime a few wrenches and misunderstandings get in the way of true love, but that's all straightened out by the time the chorus is dancing through the eventual snowfall.
The four leads all deliver top-shelf musical comedy performances, with Clow's sweetly mellow baritone matched by Paice's earthier tones, including her knockout torching of "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me." Yazbeck's street-wise charisma and Patterson's showgirl sass set off major sparks when romancing to "The Best Things Happen When Your Dancing" and rat-a-tatting atop a very baby grand in "I Love A Piano."
A major factor in getting to the heart of White Christmas is that you have to believe the old general is the kind of man who would inspire the boys to gladly do anything for him, and Hyland plays the role with a heartwarming combination of protective tough love, sincere patriotism and a healthy dose of human decency. Young Andie Mechanic has realistic kid charm as his supportive granddaughter, but the "ringer" in the company is Lorna Luft as the wise-cracking hotel manager. Ives and Blake re-imagined the role played in the film by Mary Wickes as a vehicle for a beloved old pro musical comedy performer, and Luft brings down the house strutting and belting a super-charged rendition of "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy." After her number, the character says that talent like hers can't be learned, "You're born with it." The opening night audience, no doubt in recognition of Luft's lineage, responded to the line with enthusiastic agreement.
Based on the classic 1954 film, the stage version of White Christmas, originally directed by Walter Bobbie, has been making seasonal regional appearances since 2004, with stints on Broadway in '08 and '09. The new mounting at Paper Mill, directed by Bobbie's associate director, Marc Bruni, appears to be a slightly scaled down version of the Broadway production, retaining Skinner's choreography and the festive mid-50s designs by Anna Louizos (sets), Carrie Robbins (costumes) and Ken Billington (lights).
The book by David Ives and Paul Blake streamlines the plot and adds some extra Berlin gems ("Happy Holidays," "Let Yourself Go," "I Love A Piano," "How Deep Is The Ocean?") while keeping most of the film's score, including "Sisters," "Count Your Blessings," "Blue Skies," "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy" and "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me."
Repeating their roles from the Broadway '09 cast, James Clow and Tony Yazbeck play Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, a pair of World War II vets who become big time Broadway song and dance stars, back in the days when being a Broadway star meant you were famous throughout the country. On the evening before they're to leave for Florida to begin rehearsing their next production, the boys catch Judy and Betty Haynes (Meredith Patterson, encoring her performance from Broadway '08, and Jill Paice), performing "Sisters" at a nightclub and, with both professional and romantic possibilities brewing, follow them to their next gig; a holiday engagement at a Vermont inn. But an unexpected heat wave has forced the financially struggling place to forego its entertainment plans after every reservation cancels, until it turns out the owner is Bob and Phil's beloved General Henry Waverly (Edward James Hyland) from their army days, so they offer to move their Broadway show to the general's barn. In the meantime a few wrenches and misunderstandings get in the way of true love, but that's all straightened out by the time the chorus is dancing through the eventual snowfall.
The four leads all deliver top-shelf musical comedy performances, with Clow's sweetly mellow baritone matched by Paice's earthier tones, including her knockout torching of "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me." Yazbeck's street-wise charisma and Patterson's showgirl sass set off major sparks when romancing to "The Best Things Happen When Your Dancing" and rat-a-tatting atop a very baby grand in "I Love A Piano."
A major factor in getting to the heart of White Christmas is that you have to believe the old general is the kind of man who would inspire the boys to gladly do anything for him, and Hyland plays the role with a heartwarming combination of protective tough love, sincere patriotism and a healthy dose of human decency. Young Andie Mechanic has realistic kid charm as his supportive granddaughter, but the "ringer" in the company is Lorna Luft as the wise-cracking hotel manager. Ives and Blake re-imagined the role played in the film by Mary Wickes as a vehicle for a beloved old pro musical comedy performer, and Luft brings down the house strutting and belting a super-charged rendition of "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy." After her number, the character says that talent like hers can't be learned, "You're born with it." The opening night audience, no doubt in recognition of Luft's lineage, responded to the line with enthusiastic agreement.
2011年11月23日 星期三
Daily Deals Evolve, New Competitors Emerge
Consider it the daily-deal gold rush. First, there was Groupon's much-anticipated IPO in early November, which valued the market leader at $12.7 billion. Now its top competitor, LivingSocial, is reportedly set to close another big round of funding that would put its valuation at around $6 billion. While such nods of approval from Wall Street may offer some validation to Groupon, LivingSocial and the hundreds of imitators their business models have spawned, on Main Street, small-business owners still have their doubts.
"These deal sites call up and claim their service is different from Groupon, but they're pretty much all the same," says Mike Scotese, an owner of Grey Lodge Pub in Philadelphia. Scotese started receiving regular pitches from daily-deal companies about two years ago. These days, they call at least once a week, offering to design and distribute a coupon for the pub's food in exchange for a cut of the sales it brings in. "'No thanks,' I tell them. We're guaranteed to lose money on sales to customers we'll probably never see again."
Many local merchants agree. And that's created an opening for savvy startups looking not to imitate the model, but to innovate.
With the Groupon model, to actually boost a business's bottom line, the thinking goes, daily deals need to attract at least one of two types of customers: Those who spend more than a coupon's face value and those who return after redeeming the deal. But recent research reveals that group-buying services often fail to serve up either kind of customer.
In June, a survey by a Rice University professor polled 324 business owners who ran a daily-deal promotion between August 2009 and March 2011. Fifty-five percent of them made money on the deals, while less than a third lost money. Yet more than half of the surveyed merchants did not express enthusiasm about running one again. And 65 percent of the restaurant and bar owners reported that they were done with daily deals entirely. The main reason: Only 35.9 percent of coupon-wielding customers spent more than a deal's value, and just 19.9 percent of customers returned for a full-price purchase.
Such stats raise "red flags" that indicate a "structural weakness in the daily deal business model," concluded the study's author, Utpal Dholakia, who has published several studies with similar results over the past two years.
"Beginning in 2009 and 2010, merchants were just hopping on the bandwagon and running daily deals without really thinking through what they were doing," Dholakia says. "Now, business owners are becoming smarter about how they run daily deals."
So, too, are the entrepreneurs operating daily-deal sites. A new crop of deal sites now link services to customers' credit and debit cards, allowing operators to track previously untraceable data that reveal which types of deals generate the most repeat behavior.
Some, like Seth Priebatsch, think they may have even cracked the code to the customer loyalty conundrum at the heart of business owners' beef with Groupon and its clones.
In March, Priebatsch, the founder and CEO of location-based startup SCVNGR, launched LevelUp, a daily-deals site that let merchants serve up three increasingly better deals at their location in the hopes of encouraging repeat business. "It worked -- but not well enough," Priebatsch admits, "so we evolved it into something better."
In July, Priebatsch launched a new version of LevelUp. The current iteration is a free rewards service that links to a customers' credit or debit card and works through their phone. Merchants use it to give customers a small discount on their first buy, then reward repeat customers with instant credit toward each future purchase, all through register scanning equipment that costs the merchant nothing to install, then $55/month after a three-month trial.
So far, Priebatsch says he's seen LevelUp customers return to participating businesses 45 percent of the time. He noted that Groupon-wielding buyers, in comparison, only return around 1 percent of the time. (Groupon, which is still in its post-IPO "quiet period," declined to comment on this story, but has since launched its own rewards program with undisclosed results.)
LevelUp users also spend on average 5.8 times the face value of the deals they receive, according to Priebatsch. That stat, plus another datapoint LevelUp collected, may calm some merchants' concerns over offering deals that don't expire: The average LevelUp merchant gives users 17 percent off their merchandise, compared to the much larger discount that Groupon often requires of the merchants it works with.
So far, LevelUp has launched in four different cities: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco. It has signed up around 600 merchants and roughly 100,000 users.
That pales in comparison to the 45,665 businesses that worked with Groupon in the first half of 2011, and its more than 140 million users worldwide, or LivingSocial's 46 million users. But such discrepancies may start to mean less, as the perception continues to spread among merchants that it's not how many users you reach, but the rate at which you can convert them into regular customers or get them to spend beyond a deal's value.
"Groupon's model is all about marketing," says Jon Carder, the founder of MOGL, another rewards service that launched this April and targets only restaurants and bars. "They're out to just deliver you a ton of new customers, typically at a loss. Our primary goal is to take a restaurant's existing customer base and get them to come back more frequently and spend more money when they do."
To do that, MOGL offers three separate incentives to customers -- cash back in the amount of 10 percent of each purchase, deposited into a customer's bank account at the end of each month; a food donation to a local charity each time a customer spends at least $20; and a monthly jackpot, typically ranging from $25 to $500, which goes to the MOGL user who spends the most at a location in any given month.
To simultaneously reap the three rewards, customers just link any credit or debit card to MOGL and then use that card to pay for a meal at a participating restaurant in one of the three West Coast cities where the service is currently available. MOGL takes a 15 percent cut of users' spending from restaurants, with 10 percent going back to each customer in the form of cash back, 4 percent going to MOGL, and 1 percent going toward the monthly jackpot.
"We've designed something that's working exceptionally well," says Carder, citing a study that the company conducted on 89 participating restaurants and 2,000 users in the network. "We compared those MOGL customers to the restaurants' typical customers, and our users spent about 71 percent more."
Some experts say the variations on rewards programs are a definite improvement over the original daily deals that existed last year, in part because they're better for the merchant.
"But a key issue still remains," claims Rice University's Dholakia. "At the heart of these marketing activities are discount and specifically price promotions. You're basically giving the customer some financial incentive to buy from you, whether it's on the first occasion or the third occasion. Everything about good marketing practice says that is not a good thing to do all the time. You don’t want to give people money basically to keep them coming back to you. They should come back to you because they inherently value or have some kind of emotional attachment to your product."
"These deal sites call up and claim their service is different from Groupon, but they're pretty much all the same," says Mike Scotese, an owner of Grey Lodge Pub in Philadelphia. Scotese started receiving regular pitches from daily-deal companies about two years ago. These days, they call at least once a week, offering to design and distribute a coupon for the pub's food in exchange for a cut of the sales it brings in. "'No thanks,' I tell them. We're guaranteed to lose money on sales to customers we'll probably never see again."
Many local merchants agree. And that's created an opening for savvy startups looking not to imitate the model, but to innovate.
With the Groupon model, to actually boost a business's bottom line, the thinking goes, daily deals need to attract at least one of two types of customers: Those who spend more than a coupon's face value and those who return after redeeming the deal. But recent research reveals that group-buying services often fail to serve up either kind of customer.
In June, a survey by a Rice University professor polled 324 business owners who ran a daily-deal promotion between August 2009 and March 2011. Fifty-five percent of them made money on the deals, while less than a third lost money. Yet more than half of the surveyed merchants did not express enthusiasm about running one again. And 65 percent of the restaurant and bar owners reported that they were done with daily deals entirely. The main reason: Only 35.9 percent of coupon-wielding customers spent more than a deal's value, and just 19.9 percent of customers returned for a full-price purchase.
Such stats raise "red flags" that indicate a "structural weakness in the daily deal business model," concluded the study's author, Utpal Dholakia, who has published several studies with similar results over the past two years.
"Beginning in 2009 and 2010, merchants were just hopping on the bandwagon and running daily deals without really thinking through what they were doing," Dholakia says. "Now, business owners are becoming smarter about how they run daily deals."
So, too, are the entrepreneurs operating daily-deal sites. A new crop of deal sites now link services to customers' credit and debit cards, allowing operators to track previously untraceable data that reveal which types of deals generate the most repeat behavior.
Some, like Seth Priebatsch, think they may have even cracked the code to the customer loyalty conundrum at the heart of business owners' beef with Groupon and its clones.
In March, Priebatsch, the founder and CEO of location-based startup SCVNGR, launched LevelUp, a daily-deals site that let merchants serve up three increasingly better deals at their location in the hopes of encouraging repeat business. "It worked -- but not well enough," Priebatsch admits, "so we evolved it into something better."
In July, Priebatsch launched a new version of LevelUp. The current iteration is a free rewards service that links to a customers' credit or debit card and works through their phone. Merchants use it to give customers a small discount on their first buy, then reward repeat customers with instant credit toward each future purchase, all through register scanning equipment that costs the merchant nothing to install, then $55/month after a three-month trial.
So far, Priebatsch says he's seen LevelUp customers return to participating businesses 45 percent of the time. He noted that Groupon-wielding buyers, in comparison, only return around 1 percent of the time. (Groupon, which is still in its post-IPO "quiet period," declined to comment on this story, but has since launched its own rewards program with undisclosed results.)
LevelUp users also spend on average 5.8 times the face value of the deals they receive, according to Priebatsch. That stat, plus another datapoint LevelUp collected, may calm some merchants' concerns over offering deals that don't expire: The average LevelUp merchant gives users 17 percent off their merchandise, compared to the much larger discount that Groupon often requires of the merchants it works with.
So far, LevelUp has launched in four different cities: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco. It has signed up around 600 merchants and roughly 100,000 users.
That pales in comparison to the 45,665 businesses that worked with Groupon in the first half of 2011, and its more than 140 million users worldwide, or LivingSocial's 46 million users. But such discrepancies may start to mean less, as the perception continues to spread among merchants that it's not how many users you reach, but the rate at which you can convert them into regular customers or get them to spend beyond a deal's value.
"Groupon's model is all about marketing," says Jon Carder, the founder of MOGL, another rewards service that launched this April and targets only restaurants and bars. "They're out to just deliver you a ton of new customers, typically at a loss. Our primary goal is to take a restaurant's existing customer base and get them to come back more frequently and spend more money when they do."
To do that, MOGL offers three separate incentives to customers -- cash back in the amount of 10 percent of each purchase, deposited into a customer's bank account at the end of each month; a food donation to a local charity each time a customer spends at least $20; and a monthly jackpot, typically ranging from $25 to $500, which goes to the MOGL user who spends the most at a location in any given month.
To simultaneously reap the three rewards, customers just link any credit or debit card to MOGL and then use that card to pay for a meal at a participating restaurant in one of the three West Coast cities where the service is currently available. MOGL takes a 15 percent cut of users' spending from restaurants, with 10 percent going back to each customer in the form of cash back, 4 percent going to MOGL, and 1 percent going toward the monthly jackpot.
"We've designed something that's working exceptionally well," says Carder, citing a study that the company conducted on 89 participating restaurants and 2,000 users in the network. "We compared those MOGL customers to the restaurants' typical customers, and our users spent about 71 percent more."
Some experts say the variations on rewards programs are a definite improvement over the original daily deals that existed last year, in part because they're better for the merchant.
"But a key issue still remains," claims Rice University's Dholakia. "At the heart of these marketing activities are discount and specifically price promotions. You're basically giving the customer some financial incentive to buy from you, whether it's on the first occasion or the third occasion. Everything about good marketing practice says that is not a good thing to do all the time. You don’t want to give people money basically to keep them coming back to you. They should come back to you because they inherently value or have some kind of emotional attachment to your product."
2011年11月22日 星期二
Low-Tech Fraud Continues To Daunt Card Issuers
Credit-card issuers have spent billions of dollars to stop data thieves cold in their tracks by strengthening their information-technology systems and developing programs that can flag bogus transactions as they occur.
Despite the investments, lenders remain daunted by one of the oldest tricks in fraudsters' playbooks: card skimming.
Skimming involves stripping account information from a credit card using man-made devices that thieves can attach to gas-pump terminals, automated teller machines and retailers' check-out systems. Fraudsters use this information to make purchases online and produce counterfeit cards for spending at brick-and-mortar merchants.
"There's no sophistication about card skimmers," said George Peabody, director of the emerging technologies advisory service at Mercator Advisory Group. "It's an inexpensive item and anybody can do it."
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. on Friday said 28 people were indicted in connection with a fraud operation that involved waiters at several high-end restaurants using hand-held skimmers to steal customers' account information. The crimes ensnared at least 50 customers of American Express Co. and occurred from April 2010 through this month.
Such incidents reinforce the need for banks to do more to involve their customers in fraud-fighting efforts, analysts said.
Officials investigating the New York fraud ring said the alleged thieves were able to pull of the heist because the victims were well-to-do clients with high credit lines. The perpetrators used stolen cardholder information to buy watches, handbags and other luxury goods — items the victims presumably could have purchased themselves — that they resold.
With banks, "there's been a belief that ... we don't want to talk to the consumer about security because we don't want to scare the consumer," said Phil Blank, managing director of security, risk and fraud at Javelin Strategy and Research. However, research Javelin has done suggests that consumers want to be actively involved in managing their accounts through alerts that notify a customer when transactions occur.
While more banks have invested in this technology, few have aggressively promoted the services, Blank said. Such services could help customers and their banks more quickly stop fraud like that which occurred in the New York incident by making customers aware when transactions and other activities occur.
The financial value of identity fraud, which includes credit-card fraud, fell 34% in 2010, to $37 billion, according to Javelin. However, the mean costs to an individual consumer affected by identify fraud actually rose more than 60%, to $631, reflecting that fact that certain types of fraud have taken longer to detect, requiring more time to resolve, Blank said.
An American Express spokeswoman declined to discuss specifics of the New York case but wrote in an email that the company has "sophisticated monitoring systems and controls in place to detect fraudulent activity."
Federal law limits customer liability from credit-card fraud to $50, though many banks have zero-liability policies in place to cover consumers.
American Express cardholders are not liable for fraudulent charges on their cards, the spokeswoman wrote.
Despite the investments, lenders remain daunted by one of the oldest tricks in fraudsters' playbooks: card skimming.
Skimming involves stripping account information from a credit card using man-made devices that thieves can attach to gas-pump terminals, automated teller machines and retailers' check-out systems. Fraudsters use this information to make purchases online and produce counterfeit cards for spending at brick-and-mortar merchants.
"There's no sophistication about card skimmers," said George Peabody, director of the emerging technologies advisory service at Mercator Advisory Group. "It's an inexpensive item and anybody can do it."
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. on Friday said 28 people were indicted in connection with a fraud operation that involved waiters at several high-end restaurants using hand-held skimmers to steal customers' account information. The crimes ensnared at least 50 customers of American Express Co. and occurred from April 2010 through this month.
Such incidents reinforce the need for banks to do more to involve their customers in fraud-fighting efforts, analysts said.
Officials investigating the New York fraud ring said the alleged thieves were able to pull of the heist because the victims were well-to-do clients with high credit lines. The perpetrators used stolen cardholder information to buy watches, handbags and other luxury goods — items the victims presumably could have purchased themselves — that they resold.
With banks, "there's been a belief that ... we don't want to talk to the consumer about security because we don't want to scare the consumer," said Phil Blank, managing director of security, risk and fraud at Javelin Strategy and Research. However, research Javelin has done suggests that consumers want to be actively involved in managing their accounts through alerts that notify a customer when transactions occur.
While more banks have invested in this technology, few have aggressively promoted the services, Blank said. Such services could help customers and their banks more quickly stop fraud like that which occurred in the New York incident by making customers aware when transactions and other activities occur.
The financial value of identity fraud, which includes credit-card fraud, fell 34% in 2010, to $37 billion, according to Javelin. However, the mean costs to an individual consumer affected by identify fraud actually rose more than 60%, to $631, reflecting that fact that certain types of fraud have taken longer to detect, requiring more time to resolve, Blank said.
An American Express spokeswoman declined to discuss specifics of the New York case but wrote in an email that the company has "sophisticated monitoring systems and controls in place to detect fraudulent activity."
Federal law limits customer liability from credit-card fraud to $50, though many banks have zero-liability policies in place to cover consumers.
American Express cardholders are not liable for fraudulent charges on their cards, the spokeswoman wrote.
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