Archive for September, 2009

Official Google Blog: Teaching computers to read: Google acquires reCAPTCHA

The thought of placing my credit card number out on the web unprotected is appalling. I can’t imagine doing it! I thought everybody understood the principles of shopping online—how to check if a site is secure or not. But, yesterday, I talked with three people who did not understand this, and I realized that not everybody understands the importance of making sure that an eCommerce designed website is conducting business securely.

A long-time client left MaryDesigns last week to launch a new website which they had been building with another web designer. I didn’t know about their plans; in fact, the first I heard about it was after the new site was complete and the client wrote to tell me the decision to go with another designer was “nothing personal.”

Out of curiosity, I went to look at the new site, and I gasped when I realized that they are NOW selling products “unsecured.” This was not the case in the solution they had with me! Tip: If your web designer doesn’t know that you need to secure the payments of your customers at your website, you need a new web designer! I feel badly for my ex-client and hope nobody steals their customers’ credit card information. They made the choice to leave MaryDesigns, so what they do is no longer my affair, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a lesson here today!

As a shopper purchasing products on the web, what should you be looking for? The industry standard is to use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption on the page where the credit card information is taken. There are two elements you should look for—every site using SSL will have these two elements.
1. Look for “https” in the URL on the actual purchase page. The “s” in “https” stands for “secure.”
2. The second item is the padlock in the browser window. If the checkout page is secure, both these items will be present.

If the checkout page is not secure, anybody using a credit card on that site is asking for the card information to be compromised.

Remember: The entire website doesn’t need to be showing the “https” and the padlock. Just because those two things do not show on the pages of the site doesn’t mean the site is not secure! But the “checkout” page where you enter your credit card details SHOULD have both the https in the URL and the padlock.

Here’s the principle you should strictly follow: When you are shopping online, always look before you put in the credit card information. When it asks for the credit card, stop and look for both of these items. If you don’t see them, don’t buy, no matter how much you want the merchandise!

Twice in the last month my diNovo keyboard has “unpaired” from the Mac Pro for no apparent reason. I submitted a ticket to Logitech after my own computer guy was stumped … not even a response from Logitech! That’s encouraging huh? Anyway, what I discovered was wrong will make some people laugh and shake their head.  I’m going to write it anyway just in case it actually helps somebody!

Has your Logitech diNovo Keyboard suddenly become “unpaired” from your computer? If so…do you have another bluetooth computer turned on close by? It would seem logical to me that the other computer would probably have been used as a playground for the bluetooth device at some point in the past. Both my Mac Pro and Macbook Pro have been paired with my Logitech diNovo Keyboard before. I believe having them both on at the same time was the problem.

The first time it happened I didn’t know why the keyboard just suddenly quit working and wouldn’t pair. I was working in my office on the Mac Pro and my son turned on the laptop in my bedroom. I spent hours trying to make it re-connect to the Mac Pro and never made the connection that it was fine as soon as the Macbook Pro was turned off.

The second time I had the Macbook Pro sitting in the office as an additional screen and could actually see it grab the diNovo keyboard away from the Mac Pro. The two do not like to share their toys!

So there you have it. Maybe you’ve done the same thing and this helps you…if not have a good laugh at my expense.