Tech Talk

To be effective, technology does not always have to deliver the brightest, sharpest, clearest images to consumers.  Sometimes grainy, slightly out-of-focus images are best.  Take Rain, a Beatles tribute band, for example.

I had the pleasure of attending their concert this weekend at the Toyota Presents the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Conn.  Being a life-long Beatles fan who was unfortunately born after the murder of John Lennon, I knew that I would never have the opportunity of experiencing a Beatles concert.

However, Rain brought me about as close as I will likely ever come.

The band performed songs spanning the Fab 4’s career in era-appropriate garb.  But that was not all.

When they performed songs that the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, for example, clunky “APPLAUSE” signs hung over the performers who had successfully captured the mannerisms of John, Paul, George and Ringo – and the large screens hanging on both sides of the stage showed Rain performing in grainy, out-of-focus video.  It was almost like I was watching from the midtown Manhattan theater!

While Rain performed part of the setlist played at Shea Stadium, the screens flashed washed out color video of both the Queens crowd as well as our fellow concert-goers.  Mock newsreels and posters were also displayed. It was well-done, and for two hours or so, it was almost as if we were there.

Kudos to Black Hawk County, Iowa officials for bringing potentially life-saving technology to its residents.

Folks in eastern Iowa can now report emergencies to 911 dispatchers via text message, USA Today reports on its Web site.

The service, which is the first in the nation, will undoubtedly save lives.

Tech Talk recently wrote about a local mother of two young girls who begged a friend for help over a series of text messages — she feared her attacker would locate her if she spoke to a 911 operator.  Perhaps her two daughters would still have their mother if such a system had already been rolled out in Connecticut.  You can check out the post about the attack here, and my call for this technology here.

This service, which needs to be replicated across America, will allow cellular users to communicate in areas with less than ideal reception, as well as folks with hearing or speaking disabilities.  It also gives a voice to those who are too afraid to speak.

USA Today reports that municipalities across the United States are watching what happens in Iowa, as they wait for money before implementing any similar programs. 

Hopefully they don’t wait too long.

RELATED TECH TALK ENTRIES:

• Conn. needs to implement emergency text service
• Murder victim texts for help in frantic attempt to save self, girls

A growing threat to the security of personal bank accounts around the world has reared its ugly head in Connecticut.

A man who would only identify himself to police as “Martin” allegedly attached skimming devices to ATMs in two Wallingford, Conn. banks, the New Haven Register reported late Wednesday.

As a result, he has been charged with criminal attempt to commit larceny, criminal attempt to commit identity theft and unlawful possession of a skimming device, the newspaper reported on its Web site.  He has been scheduled to appear in court Aug. 6.

The man allegedly targeted North Colony Road branches of Wachovia Bank and Bank of America.

“As technology evolves, there are more and more ways for criminals to circumvent the process,” Connecticut State Police spokesman Sgt. Chris Johnson told the Register.

Thieves can capture ATM, debit and credit card information through a process called skimming anywhere such cards are used by capturing the information contained on the cards’ magnetic strip.  In many cases, cameras are also attached nearby to capture PIN information.

ABCNews.com recently reported on how simple it is to be victimized:

Sean Seibel thought it looked just like any other ATM — at least at first.

Earlier this month, the 33-year-old Microsoft employee, who lives in New York City, stopped in the closest Chase bank to get some cash to pay his barber. But when he inserted his ATM (automatic teller machine) card in the machine, he noticed a bit of resistance.

The screen said the machine was unable to read his card. So he tried again. But a second time, the machine gave him an error message.

He was about to give up and try another machine, when a thought popped into his head. He had heard about devices that fraudsters attach to the outside of card readers on ATM machines and, though it seemed unlikely, wondered if that was the source of his problem.

“I’m looking at the thing and thinking this can’t be – no way,” he said. “There are all these stories and myths about it, but I actually found one in the wild.”

With a combination of fear and exhilaration, he tried to pull on the green plastic surrounding the card slot and found that it peeled right off.

So if a seemingly informed and technologically savvy person like Sean Seibel could be nearly victimized, any of us could.

However, by following but a few simple tips, you could avoid becoming a victim.

Consumer Reports recommends:

• Don’t type in your pin at the gas pump for your debit card because they are produced by only a couple manufacturers making it easier for someone to gain the ability to insert a skimming device inside the pump where it cannot be seen.  If a credit card is unavailable, the publication suggests choosing the screen prompt that identifies the card as a credit card so a PIN is not required; greater protection from liability is gained if fraud occurs this way.
• Closely monitor your bank accounts — preferably online — because federal law limits consumers’ liability for fraudulent debit-card charges to $50, but only if the  theft or loss is reported within two business days. Failing to report unauthorized charges within 60 days of the date of the statement could make you liable for any unauthorized withdrawals afterward.  Visa and MasterCard have zero liability policies that go beyond federal law by exempting debit users from liability in most circumstances when a bank investigation confirms a transaction is fraudulent.  However, dealing with debit-card fraud has the potential of having a greater impact on your finances than credit-card fraud as you won’t be out any money while the disputed charges are being investigated.
• Use ATMs at banks because there’s generally more traffic and surveillance cameras to prevent someone from attaching a skimming device.  Granted, as noted in the ABCNews.com report, bank ATMs could also be targeted.  And, in fact, ABCNews.com reports that criminals are beginning to target ATMs in banks because the increased traffic gives thieves the potential for more activity and subsequent money.

ABCNews.com offers six recommendations of how to spot ATM skimmers:

• Be aware of your surroundings. Be extra careful of machines in dark areas or in places that don’t look well guarded and monitored.
• Pay attention to the front of machines. If it looks different from others in the area (for example, it has an extra mirror on the face), has sticky residue on it (potentially from a device attached to it) or extra signage, use a different machine and notify bank management with your concerns.
• Notice how it feels to type in your PIN code. If it’s difficult to punch the keys or you feel resistance, it could mean that a keypad overlay is present.
• Cover your hand as you type in your PIN. If a camera is present or someone is trying to look over your shoulder, this will obstruct their view.
• If you think the area around the card entry slot looks peculiar, pull on it. If it comes off or loosens, alert bank management but try to leave the machine as you found it. Leaving the evidence in place could help authorities track down the criminals.
• If you find a skimming device, in addition to notifying bank management, the ATMIA says to notify local law enforcement.

However, American consumers still appear to be concerned about their money.

According to the same ABCNews.com article:

A February study commissioned by Level Four, an ATM software company, found that 67 percent of American adults would consider switching to a competitor if their bank suffered an instance of ATM fraud. Steven Lund, president of Level Four Americas, LLC, told ABCNews.com that rising fraud in many European countries is what led them to replace the magnetic strip technology with the “chip and PIN” approach (also known as EMV for Europay, Mastercard and Visa).

If things get completely out of hand, American banks might resort to a South African technique of loading pepper spray into automatic teller machines to deter crooks, as Tech Talk reported several weeks ago here.  Granted, a few modifications would have to be made first.

What began just 13 years ago as a small community of people united by a common desire to celebrate Jerry Garcia’s music has transformed into a powerhouse.

In this photo, courtesy of the Vibes, fans huddle around the event's stage.

The Vibe Tribe, as the individuals are known, is a growing group of folks who take a single weekend out of their busy summers to simply enjoy life to the soundtrack of great music at the Gathering of the Vibes.

Event organizers have made it easier for the tribe to connect ahead of this weekend’s festival at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park with an increased focus in social networking.

“We’ve always had some online social networking,” Kevin O’Brien, marketing director of the Gathering of the Vibes, said. “But as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter has really blown up in the last couple of years we’ve realized we needed to be in that world.”

The Gathering of the Vibes recruited two recent University of Colorado graduates to help.

Jason Mitchell and Eric Dieter, co-founders of Movement Strategy, created a Twitter account and managed the Vibes’ other social networking sites.

“They came through for us,” O’Brien said.

Mitchell said he and Dieter attempted to get people talking.

“We wanted to build a community around the Vibes and what people are interested in,” he said of Movement Strategy’s efforts. “We wanted to give fans a place to have a conversation and I think we’re pretty successful with that — particularly on Facebook.”

In all, Movement Strategy has managed the Vibes’ Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube accounts.

“People are really sharing their stories and uploading their photos and videos,” Mitchell said. “One thing that was very successful for us was getting people to upload videos from previous shows.”

Just hours before the event kicked off, there were 6,172 fans on Facebook; 2,561 followers on Twitter and 7,760 friends on MySpace.

“We definitely focused a lot on Facebook because when you look at numbers around social networking, that’s where people are — and it allows you to share tour photos and videos,” Mitchell said. “I hope we can continue to build the community.”

In addition to the social network aspects, the Vibes also have a very active forum with 18,002 threads, 326,648 posts, 12,522 members and 2,736 active members.

The Vibes have also hosted weekly streaming video conferences with an average of 40 “dedicated fans” regularly attending, Mitchell said.

“The Gathering of the Vibes community has definitely gathered around social networking more than other communities have,” Mitchell said. “We understand better than other people that social media is about asking people to participate.”

Users input through the social networking sites have been noted and have directly affected decision-making, O’Brien said.

He pointed to one item in particular — the passing of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas.

“It was a huge concern,” O’Brien said. “So we have implemented strike forces and a 24-hour call line.”

He said if people are scared to come to the festival, they just won’t attend, so feedback is always considered seriously.

Mitchell said he will be at this weekend’s event shooting video and still photos and regularly uploading their materials throughout their social networks.

“We will encourage people there to upload their own stuff,” Mitchell added.

He said he hopes to have a contest of user generated materials following the weekend-long concert.

“The idea is to get people to become part of the Gathering of the Vibes community — not just the weekend or the week leading to it,” he said.