Thank You Everyone

signing off
Juliana Jodee Catherine Amreek

Review:Another spammer gets jailed

SPAM...?CAN i eat it? Well there's a different meaning in the IT world.As far as I know, spam is unsolicited email which is sent in bulk to a large number of email addresses and advertises some product. In other words, it is an email message that you did not ask for and do not want from somebody you do not know, who wants to sell you something. However not all unsolicited email is spam. Why spam cannot be stop? It is simply because it works as it is so cheap to send. By using means ranging from spam-friendly ISPs to ordinary people's computers turned spam-machines, spammers can send their junk inexpensively.

Spammers are bad as they used spam to spread computer viruses, trojan horses or other malicious software for identity theft, advance fee fraud or worse. Thus, spammers who get caught will be fine in huge amount and put into the jail for several years. For instance, Todd Moeller Todd Moeller were sentenced to 27 months jail and fined more than US$180,000 by a New York judge. And, spam king, Robert Alan Soloway might be given a penalty of USD$250,000 fine and maximum of 65 years jail as mentioned in Mr Hen’s blog: http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/search/label/Legal.

In Soloway’s case, he used computers infected with malicious code to send out millions of junk e-mails since 2003. The computers are called “zombies” because owners typically have no idea their machines have been infected.
He continued his activities even after payment of $7 million to Microsoft and $10 million to the operator of a small Internet service provider in Oklahoma.
Thus, I doubt how much he actually earn from spam business and whether the fine imposed to him adequate to stop him to practice spamming again.
Perhaps, the government need to impose a significant penalty to spammer to refrain from spamming.

related web sites:

• One of world's top 10 spammers held in Seattle
  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18955115/


• How Spam Works — and Drives You Crazy! http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/56/07645596/0764559656.pdf


• Spamhaus Statistics : The Top 10
  http://www.spamhaus.org/statistics/spammers.lasso

E-Government in Malaysia: Its implementation so far and citizen's adoption strategies.

E-Government or Electronic Government is defined as the use of information technology in public sector as a medium of delivering information and services. It is to provide citizens and organizations with more convenient access to government information and public services to citizens. It is an efficient and effective way of conducting government business transaction with citizens and business and within governments themselves. Through the adoption of e-government, government objectives can be achieved by integrating the processing and communication technology. Furthermore, government processes can also be improved through the adoption of e-government delivery of services to Malaysia people. It seeks to improve the convenience, accessibility and quality of interactions with citizens and businesses as well as, improving the speed and quality of policy development, coordination and enforcement by improving the flow of information and processes within government in connecting citizens and building interactions with and within the society.

The E-Government was launched in Malaysia to lead the country into the Information Age. It will improve the government internal operations and the Malaysia so far has implemented systems such as Electronic Services System (E-services), Human Resource Management Information System (HRIMS), E-Syariah and myGovernment Portal, which serve the purpose of providing government information and services to the citizens. For example, the myGovernment (My-Gov) portal acts as a one-stop source of Malaysian government information and services to the citizens. Recently, it has won Global ICT Awards at the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Some of successful applications of e-government are:

• Electronic Labor Exchange (ELX) (http://www.elx.gov.my/) which is a one stop-centre for labor market information, as supervised by the Ministry of Human Resource (MOHR) has matched 75,000 potential employees with employers since 2005. It enables employers and potential employees to communicate. The purpose is to create an effective job matching process and to ensure man power's utilization is optimized. Over the years, many Malaysians have started to use ELX to search for jobs.


• Online renewal of driving licenses


• E-Filing or Electronic filing of income tax forms.


• Voter’s information


• Details for government tenders

The adoption of e-government has brought a lot more convenient to Malaysia citizens. This is because most of the transactions can be done at a single click, at any time infact people no longer need to queue up to perform certain government transaction such as filing the income tax form. Eventhough, e-government is still unpopular among the citizens but sooner people will realize its importance.

Learn more about e-government: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Government

Credit:
http://www.american.edu/initeb/ym6974a/egovernment.html

Review :Q Jelly Bakery Shop

Jelly Cakes Goes Online!!!

Q JELLY BAKERY SHOP, previously known as Homemade Jelly Cake. The 1st booth located in Sunway Pyramid in year 2000 and now they goes online. Promoting a healthy lifestyle with jelly cakes that are low in cholesterol, contain nearly 87% water and are rich in vitamins as well as other important nutrients and most of all the food colour dyes are approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.


Having to surf around their site is a fun loving moment whereby you can see more than 1,000 designs of colourful jellies cake that are available for you to choose from.If you are interested,just click on and fill in your particulars.TADA~ delivery is on the way!

I know..there are too many to choose but little money to pay,and you wish to get a perfect design that suit your taste, no hassle ,the site provides you a shopping cart, ,that allows you to choose first and decide later.

Besides that ,if you are curious on whatever they are selling in the site,dont worry, FAQ serves you right. All information on food safety,whether or not it is Halal,how to keep the jelly cakes in an upmost quality before you serve is all there to answer you.

Well i can say it is a user friendly site where the outlay of the website speaks it all.Easy and Simple.

Being a regulars to the site, I've noticed some changes going on...yes..they added new features allowing customers to subscribe to their Newsletter.Well isn't it cool that you can receive latest cake's design in your mailbox.

If there is a birthday..anniversary..special occasion, try get a jelly cake online this year. Happy surfing (and eating too).

Credit:

• http://www.qjelly.com/
  
• http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/13/sundaymetro/20874410&sec=SundayMetro

Electronic Currency

The Evolution...

Over the years, money as we know it has been undergoing transformation. The shape and form of money has changed from precious metals to metal coins and paper money with no intrinsic value and today it presents us with a formless form in the name of digital or e-money. Electronic currency is also known as e-money, electronic cash, electronic money, digital money, digital cash or digital currency.

Electronic currency allows consumers to pay for goods and services by transmitting a number from one computer to another. These numbers function much like the serial numbers on "real money." They are unique, and represent a specific amount of actual cash. Unlike credit-card transactions, electronic-cash transactions are anonymous. E-cash works just like paper cash. Once it is withdrawn from an account it does not leave a trail of digital crumbs. E-cash by its nature is portable and therefore more convenient for mobile commerce (Internet-capable cell phones and personal digital assistants).

The Pros

1) Convenience-With the introduction of online banking, debit cards, online bill payments and internet business, Debit cards and online bill payments allow immediate transfer of funds from an individual’s personal account to a business’s account without any actual paper transfer of money. This offers a great convenience to many people and businesses alike.

2) Ease of transter-Banks now offer many services whereby a customer can transfer funds, purchase stocks, contribute to their retirement plans and offer a variety of other services without having to handle physical cash or cheques.Customers do not have to wait in lines, and this provides a lower-hassle environment.

The Cons

1) Fraud-over digital cash has been a pressing issue in recent years. Hacking into bank accounts and illegal retrieval of banking records has led to a widespread invasion of privacy and has promoted identity theft.

2) Failure of technology- There is also a pressing issue regarding the technology involved in digital cash. Power failures, loss of records and undependable software often cause a major setback in promoting the technology.

3) Possible tracking of individuals and loss of human interaction- There is a fear that the use of debit cards will lead to the creation by the banking industry of a global tracking system. Some people are working on anonymous ecash to try to address this issue. The issue of providing anonymity to users itself introduces more problems, where there is a possibility that a fully anonymous digital cash system could induce people to commit the “perfect crime” to occur, where a criminal uses someone else’s electronic cash to make a payment, but cannot be traced.

Electronic Cash Payment Systems

Examples of providers:

Pay Pal- an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet.
eCash- a computer generated system which allows items to be purchased by credit card, check or by money order, providing secure on-line transactions and processing.
First-E – an Internet-only bank.

Credit:

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_money
• www.projects.ex.ac.uk/RDavies/arian/emoney.html
• -http://http//www.murdoch.edu.au/elaw/issues/v6n3/ishman63.html
  

THE APPLICATION OF PRE-PAID CASH CARD FOR CONSUMERS

Pre-paid cash card is a card that has similar function as a credit card, but the only difference is a certain amount of money must be deposited or reloaded before it can be used. It is better known as a stored-value card that gives the consumer the ability to purchase the products and services by just swapping the card at the counter. Basically, a prepaid card, limits consumer’s spending by the amount of money that has been loaded onto the card. It is a good way to keep track of our spending so that we don’t overspend. Whenever, a consumer make a purchase with the pre-paid card, the purchase amount will be deducted from the card balance. A consumer can add more money whenever the balance runs low because he or she can’t spend more than the balance left in the card. Infact, a pre-paid cash card is very convenient as a consumer no need to carry cash with them.

An example of pre-paid card widely used in Malaysia is Touch 'n Go which was used to pay the highway toll payment. It is very convenient for highway user as they don’t have to go through the long queue congestion at toll plazas. Users just need to tab the card on the sensor and the amount will be automatically deducted. User can reload the card at many places such as toll plazas, train stations, Automated Teller Machines, and Cash Deposit Machines.

Nowadays, touch 'n Go card usage becoming wider as it can be used for parking services, public transport, theme park and cashless payment at retail outlets. Another extension of Touch’n Go card is Smart Tag which has slightly advanced technology whereby the card is inserted into reader device installed in the vehicle for fully non-stop payment at toll plazas. All you have to do is just drive through the toll and the sensor will automatically read the device installed in the vehicle. More on Touch n Go...

Another foreign example of pre-paid cash card is the Octopus cash card used in Hong Kong. Basically, the application of this card is similar to Touch’n Go card. The people in Hong Kong use this card to pay public transportation fees whereby it only take a couple of seconds and even easier as they no need to carry coins(Yes!it is the card that you always see in HK drama). Octopus card can also be used in some retail shops that accept this card, such as convenience stores, supermarkets or even restaurants. The user only need to wave the card over the Octopus Reader (even if it's in your wallet or handbag), payments will be deducted instantly (provided there is enough money in the card). The reader will also show the new balance of the Octopus Card. It is very convenient to use Octopus cash card as it can be purchased from any public transportation company's customer service centre, such as MTR's or KCR's and infact, can top-up the card easily.

Some other, country’s pre-paid cash card are Coinstar prepaid debit card in Canada, Advance Visa prepaid card in America, Just Cash Maestro prepaid card in West Yorkshire and ACE Cash Express prepaid card at United States. In conclusion pre-paid cash card is gaining its popularity among other countries and there is no risk for the user to get themselves into debt as it has no credit or overdraft facility.

CREDIT:

• http://www.touchngo.com.my/
• http://www.hong-kong-travel.org/Octopus.asp
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:AdultOctopusCard.jpg
  
  

Credit card debts: Causes and Prevention

Do you know when and who has invented the credit card? The concept of paying merchants using a card was invented in 1950 by Ralph Schneider and Frank X. McNamara in order to consolidate multiple cards. The Diners Club, which was created partially through a merger with Dine and Sign, produced the first "general purpose" charge card, which is similar but required the entire bill to be paid with each statement. It was followed shortly thereafter by American Express and Carte Blanche.

Credit card debt is a burgeoning problem throughout the world undoubtedly. As a credit card holder you must be one that with budget and good in self-control. Otherwise, you might unable to pay off accumulated debts and then lead to bankruptcy.
what causes credit card debts? Here it goes:
1. Poor money management~ you may encounter problem like over spending, non-payment of the debts without money spending plan. With that, you will know that how much money you can spend on. Thus it is vital to have it.

2. Multiple credit cards ~ there are some people like to show off their social status by having multiple cards which in turn creating sky high credit card debts.

3. Financial illiteracy ~ many people do not realise how money works and grows and how to save and invest money for future needs. Financial mistakes are increasingly expensive and complicated to resolve. Thus, it is essential to learn from expert and get in control.

when comes to debts it is to say prevention is better than cure.
Below are methods to prevent credit card debts:
1. You can pay off smaller balances first. It is common for a person to try to focus on their cards with larger balances first. Pay off the smaller ones. It will take less time and you will feel a sense of satisfaction when you have actually completed your goal. This will boost your confidence and make it easier to tackle the higher balances.

2. You can pay double the minimum payment if affordable. The minimum payment usually pays just enough to cover the interest and a little more that pays down the balance. Paying extra will pay your balance more quickly.

3. You can keep your credit cards to a limited number. It is not necessary to have more than one credit card. If you want to have a card that you can use everywhere, try just having a Visa, MasterCard, or American express card which are all used everywhere

4. You can create a letter to your credit card company stating that you are thinking of switching to their competition because other companies are offering a far more reasonable interest rate. Most probably Credit card companies will match or even offer a lower rate than the competitor as they do not want to lose your business.

5. You can also avoid making any purchases with your credit during peak buying season. As credit card companies charge you more interest during these peak seasons because they know that everyone is buying more items with their credit

6. You can have a direct debit set up. So that you have to pay back full amount each month.

credit:

• WORLD'S FIRST CREDIT CARD


• Diner's Club, Inc. (Early Credit Card Company) - New York1963


• The first credit card was issued in 1951


• Credit Card Debt Prevention

You may also want to have a look at this sites:

• Top 10: Best Credit Cards http://www.askmen.com/money/investing_200/225b_investing.html

Review:OpenTable.com - Online restaurant reservations

Online restaurant reservations
Read more ...
Have you ever made a reservation trough the net?? Well such e-commerce business model is not something new in the overseas but certainly an innovative idea to be implemented in Malaysia itself.

Imagine, you making a reservation in a single click within seconds? It just spells convenience isn’t it?, what else better than being F.O.C (Free of Charge). All you need to do is to click upon the restaurant ,fill in your particulars, number of seats ,time and date..Voila~..here’s you reservation sir/miss.

I've tried myself by just searching randomly with a keyword "Steaks", pops, here it goes, information on the restaurant just pop out within seconds.Easy,Fast and Useful.OpenTable.com is certainly a recommending site.Our neighbour, Singapore is now starting to implement such concept. If you have any chance to be in Singapore,try to make a reservation online.

Though in Malaysia we don’t own site with such services, we shouldn’t be ashamed of as we had site with similar characteristic, Foodvenue.com which provides food delivery trough the net, reviews on food from hawkers to high end restaurants in Malaysia and listing almost 3000 restaurant in their list. What the site is lacking of is online reservation like OpenTable. Haha, should I make a suggestion to Foodvenue, telling them to include such features? instead of just plainly listing the restaurant's name.
credit:

• http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2007/06/opentablecom-onlne-restaurant.html
• http://www.foodvenue.com

REVIEW:INTERNET SECURITY

After reviewing the post (http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-than-1-million-computer-viruses-in.html) I realized that using computers can create headache and make me feel not to use computers at all. But computers cannot be omitted from being used as it is becoming an essential tool in our daily life. What I notice from this post, it is not secure to perform internet transaction due to unauthorized access or damage to computer systems via internet transaction. It could be Denial-of-service (DoS) attack, virus, worms, Trojan horses, crackers, hackers, malware, spyware, and other attacks.

I even realized how dangerous computer viruses can be and the problems encounter by computer users such as data lost, important information being deleted, computer system breakdown, and others. The most common attack for me would be virus which is defined as a computer program that can copy itself, change computer settings and slow computer down without the knowledge of the user. The most common way these viruses come into contact is through online whereby, the user who may surfing the internet for some information may be unaware of the risk contacting with virus. Virus can also be transferred through device such as thumbdrive or could be due to some incomplete coding. Over the years, many types of viruses have been discovered such as e-mail worm, file infecting virus, or macro virus.

In order to prevent virus attack, a user should install a reliable antivirus software that helps to eliminate, identify, or neutralize wide range of threats, including worms, phishing attacks, trojan horses and other malware. Installing a good antivirus is not sufficient, the virus definition should be updated regularly and it is advised to scan the computer at least 2 to 3 times per week before switching off the computer off. Furthermore, always remember to scan those portable drives before opening it eventhough you assume it is clean from those viruses.

Ways to Safeguard your personal and financial data

As you know internet brings a lot of benefits to users . You can perform online transaction via internet for instance online banking and shopping just to name two. These are significantly convenient as compared to traditional way in terms of time saving and petrol saving indeed especially when during peak hour. However, Internet is also convenient for attackers, giving them multiple ways to access the personal and financial information of unsuspecting user. Attackers may use other people’s private information for their own financial gain, either by making purchases themselves or by selling the information to someone else. Thus it is vital that users take some precaution steps to prevent their vital data from being stolen.

The followings are some ways to help internet user to protect their essential data.

1. Use and maintain anti-virus software, a firewall, and anti-spyware software regularly
It is strongly recommended to use anti-virus software and a firewall in your computer as it helps to protect you against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal the data on your computer and leave you vulnerable. Besides, whenever possible make sure you keep the virus definitions up to date. Use a legitimate anti-spyware program to scan your computer and remove any sypware or adware hidden in software programs as it may also gives attackers access to your data.Review 2008 top ten internet security software.

Watch this!

2. Keep software up to date especially web browser

Install software patches in your computer so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Patches are updates that fix a particular problem or vulnerability within a program. It repairs holes in software programs.

3. Evaluate your software's settings
The default settings of the majority software enable all available functionality. However, attackers may be able to take advantage of this functionality to access your computer. It is particularly crucial to check the settings for software that connects to the Internet such as browsers, email clients and so forth. Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need.

4. Develop a strong password
Through a strong password may add layers of protection from attackers. Avoid using readily available information, such as your mother's maiden name, your birthday.

5. Be cautious of emails requesting information
Never open an attachment or click on a link by an unknown party. Attachments can contain viruses and links can lead unsuspecting users to dummy sites where they are asked to input financial information or requesting you to confirm purchase or account information. Legitimate businesses will not request this type of information through email.

6. Dealing with reputable vendors
It is encouraged to interact with a reputable, established vendor before providing any personal or financial information as many attackers are trying to trick via creating malicious web sites that appear to be legitimate. Hence you should verify the legitimacy before supplying any information

7. Make certain that your information is being encrypted
Many sites use secure sockets layer (SSL) to encrypt information. Indications that your information will be encrypted include a URL that begins with "https:" instead of "http:" and a lock icon in the bottom right corner of the window.

Credit:

• http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103893/Six-Ways-to-Safeguard-Your-Online-Assets


• http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/six-ways-limit-your-risk/story.aspx?guid=%7BDD417708%2D0E40%2D465D%2D9720%2D4FB486EA87BD%7D&siteid=e2eyahoo
  
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adware


• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware