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Friday 13 May 2005

Newsletter Issue 96, May 2005


Sam Young Newsletter

Issue 96, May 2005
Hi guys,
There's two new smartcard systems out there and it will be interesting to see which one wins in Smartcards Are Coming below.
If you need to know how to create an Access Unmatched Query, see below. 
Don't forget, if you want to be taken off my mailing list, click here to send me a reply e-mail and I will remove your name.

Smartcards are Coming

Smartcards are tipped to be the new great thing.
MasterCard first introduced the multi-application smartcard in December 2000, under its US$2.99 chip program. In December 2003, the company succeeded in reducing the price of the card by 33%, to US$1.99. Now this price has been halved again.
Apparently there are now 31 million chip-based smartcards deployed in the Pacific, with banks and merchants hurriedly working towards the January 2006 deadline for compliance with the jointly-developed Eurocard, Visa and MasterCard smartcard standard, EMV.
Smartcards are more secure than magnetic-stripe card, which are vulnerable to copying ('skimming') and other fraud techniques. After the 2006 deadline, unless transactions were made using an EMV card, merchants will have to bear fraudulent transactions costs. Bit of an incentive to get geared up.
The EMV card comes pre-loaded with a number of applications, including debit, credit, stored-value (the electronic cash wallet), and telephone and transport payment options. Naturally, not all of the applications need to be activated, but they are instantly available if needed.
Older cards need to have them new facilities loaded through a terminal.
It is predicted that there will be high customer appeal for having to carry only one card, and that this will lead to a mass migration of what were previously separate applications to the EMV smartcard.
Multos, the US system at US$0.99 per chip, is an old operating system and because of this has met with a mixed reaction from the banks. However, it is widely used and carries the highest security classification.
If this sounds a little reminiscent of VHS and BetaMax to you as well, perhaps you too will be interested to see how consumers vote on this.

Access Unmatched Query

In a recent issue of TechRepublic's Office newsletter (available at http://techrepublic.com.com), I noticed a simple tip for unmatched queries.
When working with tables in Access, you often want to cross-reference data between tables, which can pose a problem if the data in the tables isn't related. You keep returning an empty query result, which is frustrating.
The good news is that you can create a select query to find records in one table where there aren't related records in another table, provided you have a field that is common to both queries (such as an autonum ID field).
For example, suppose your database contains (a) a table named Contacts, which lists the people you have contacted through your business and (b) a second table named Clients, which lists all your current customers. To find out which of your contacts are not yet clients, follow these steps:
  • In the Database Window, select Queries under Objects
  • Go to New | Find Unmatched Query Wizard and then click OK
  • Select [Contacts] and then select [Clients]
  • Select the matching field ([ID])
  • Select the fields you wish to have reported in the new query and click Finish.
The resulting query table will list all those contacts who are not currently in your clients table so you can plan your new business call cycle.

Spyware Definition

There has been lots in the media this year about adware, spyware and malware: and lots of semantics about what constitutes what, what is desirable and what isn't.
Brian Livingstone from Windows Secrets Newsletter has hit the nail on its head. Brian says "It isn't a display of ads that makes a program malware. It's the fact that the application has [firstly] the ability to run commands on the infected PC, [and secondly, to] download new versions of itself, which may have negative features, [and thirdly, to] download entirely new programs that aren't in the best interest of the computer owner.
"The fact that a PC user is giving control of the machine to someone other than its owner is the heart of the matter."
In addition, I also agree with Shakespeare: "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". It doesn't matter what you call it, ad/mal/spyware is something that we didn't want to install, we didn't know we were installing and we feel unhappy about having installed it once we know it's there.
 

TLAs for SMEs

Here are this newsletter's TLAs for you;
  • s/b, Should Be. Used in online chat, e-mail, and newsgroup postings

Please feel free to email me with any TLAs that you want to get the bottom (meaning!) of.

Short+Hot Keys... and now tips
Now we are back to looking at all you can do in Outlook for the next few newsletters. This time we focus on all you can do with the spacebar;
  • "Display the active window's title bar menu or program icon menu or display the active window title bar menu" Alt & Spacebar
  • "Select several nonadjacent items when navigating in Outlook Timeline" Ctrl & Left Arrow & Spacebar
  • "Select several nonadjacent items when navigating in Outlook Timeline" Ctrl & Right Arrow & Spacebar
  • "Select or unselect the active card or item or clear formatting" Ctrl & Spacebar
  • "Perform the action assigned to the selected button; select or clear the check box or display the program Control menu (when the menu bar is active)" Spacebar

Hot Linx
Needing a quote for a special occasion? Then here is another site for you to look up just what you want at http://www.quoteland.com/random.asp
Anti-factory farming? Want to know what you can do about not contributing to the problem? Then check out the Meatrix site at http://www.themeatrix.com/
Check out Tony Booth's movie "Gone to the Dogs" website at http://www.gone2thedogs.com/index.html?GXHC_GX_jst=8258c07950ea6164. You can also see what kind of dog you are at http://www.gone2thedogs.com/index.html?GXHC_GX_jst=8258c07950ea6164
Beware of false Spyware detection software. Check the link to the definitive list BEFORE you download at http://www.spywarewarrior.com/rogue_anti-spyware.htm#products

                                Catch you again soon!! E-mail your suggestions to me here