Vintage Deuces Wild 1931 Penny Arcade Coin-op Game

After the Depression, the demand was for non-electrical Arcade Games. In 1931, Deuces Wild became, one of the Most Popular, Ball Flip Arcade Games. Considered a game of skill. The winner, needed to have the best Poker Hand. Often found on a bar counter, an arcade wall, a hotel game room, or any establishment, providing a great penny arcade game!   To begin, insert a penny and turn the handle on the side. This will release the playing balls. Flip each ball, up into the Poker Hand Playing Field.  The balls will land, in one of the 6 card Chutes. The Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace or The Deuces. Aim for the Deuces, because = they're DEUCES. They serve as any card you desire. Making it easier to have the Best Poker Hand. At bars, sometimes people compete. The loser, buys the next round of drinks.  At your home, in the game room, the loser might wash the dishes.   Before video games, and pinball machines, there were non-electric, ball flip penny arcade games. This Deuces Wild, 1931 Penny Arcade Game is a treasure. Great graphics, with colorful playing cards and gambling chips. Made of painted heavy wood and a […]

Good Analytics Won't Help If Your Data Sucks

At best, sophisticated analytics software can deliver good answers if the underlying data is accurate and-most critically-is the right data. For a lot of merchants, that is often not the case.

Ralph Dangelmaier, CEO of payment facilitator BlueSnap, is proposing what he sees as a better way, at least for extracting useful answers from payments data. From his perspective, there are two big mistakes that merchants tend to do. First, they give far too much weight to pageviews and site visits from a region, assuming that a lot of activity translates into a lot of sales. And secondly, when those merchants do wisely opt to isolate sales from a region, they neglect to go back and adjust those figures to account for refunds and chargebacks.

EMV Really Screwing Up Apple Pay

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when EMV data we receive. As more major retail chains fully accept EMV payments, Apple Pay is being dealt some serious experience setbacks, such as being asked twice for price verification and being asked for fingerprint biometric authentication and then, a few screens later, a signature. Neither of those steps were part of the Apple Pay process until merchants switched on EMV.

To be clear, those time-wasting moves are not part of the Apple Pay process at all, but are superimposed after the Apple Pay transaction is complete and customers think they are done. The reason this is now happening is due to very strict interpretations of EMV rules-and the fact that the nature of the payment mechanism (beyond that it's contactless) is not always communicated to the POS. Hence, it must assume the worst. When two retailers-Trader's Joe's and Whole Foods--last week made the switch through upgraded Verifone POS terminals, customers used to speedy Apple Pay experiences were literally being called back to the checkout lane to complete the additional keystrokes. Before, once Apple Pay's screen said "done" and displayed an animated checkmark, they were free to leave. Not so in an EMV world.

With A New Mission, Walmart Pay Goes Live In Arkansas, Texas

Now that Walmart no longer has to pretend to be support CurrentC-thanks to its effective demise, courtesy of MCX's concession to reality-the largest retail chain announced Monday (May 16) that it had rolled out Walmart Pay across 110 Walmart stores in Arkansas and 480 Walmart stores in Texas. Walmart Pay the concept was announced by the merchant back in December. Walmart Pay has been rolled out in a way very different than Walmart wanted to do a mobile payment, but it's a model that has been obviously shaped by Apple Pay.

Like Apple Pay, it supports "any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card." But unlike Apple Pay, it works across iOS and Android devices. And unlike Apple Pay and every other NFC payment method, it can work on a far wider range of phones-especially older phones-that do not support NFC. All the phone needs is the ability to download an app and enough of a camera to scan a QR code. But Walmart Pay suffers a major weakness that Apple Pay doesn't. As long as the shopper is willing to use the default card in Apple Pay, all that the shopper need do is hold the phone right above the card reader. It doesn't need to be connected to any network, nor does the shopper have to launch an app, key in a password or manipulate the app in any way. Contrast that with Walmart Pay, which requires the shopper to find and then open the Walmart app, select Walmart Pay and then manually activate the camera and then scan a register QR code-which as many shoppers will confirm, isn't always that easy to do on the first or second attempt.

MCX Concedes The Obvious: CurrentC Is Dead. Indeed, It Was Never Really Alive

When MCX on Monday (May 16) issued a statement that "MCX will postpone a nationwide rollout of its CurrentC application," it was akin to U.S. presidential candidates who suspend their campaigns. It's a polite way of saying "it's over" without having to say those words outloud.

But for many reasons, CurrentC never had much of a chance, having been created in the most merchant-centric (OK, I'll admit it: Walmart-centric) manner possible. It's creation was to give retailers a way to sharply cut back interchange fees and it was being pushed by a merchant who was already paying among the very lowest interchange fee percentages of anyone.

Chase Makes The Right Security Move After Swift Breaches

A report Tuesday (May 17) that J.P. Morgan Chase "has limited some employees' access to the Swift global interbank messaging service amid questions about security breaches at a pair of Asian banks that used the funds-transfer platform" raises some concerns, but it appears to be just enforcing a stricter "need to know" and "need to access" approach from Chase.

Although there have been other reports raising the possibility of an earlier Swift attack-with a major Bangladesh bank-being an insider job, it could just as easily be an attack where the bank employees were victimized. Employees might have had their credentials stolen via keystroke-capturing malware or being tricked into visiting a credential-stealing site designed to look like Swift's access area.

Rare Bob Hope Caricature U.S.O.1971 Wrist Watch

Here is an opportunity, to wear a vintage Bob Hope museum piece. As rare, as it is timely. This Bob Hope, 1971 U.S.O. wrist watch, offers a moving golf club, for a second hand. Bob's arms, are the minute and hour hands. The watch's face, has a signature caricature of Bob Hope. Although, he was a mediocre golfer. This treasure, keeps perfect time !   Charlie Chaplin and Bob Hope, both born in Great Britain, became America's most celebrated comedians. Chaplin, in films. Bob Hope, in films, radio, television and personal appearances. He even hosted, 19 Academy Award Shows. An accomplished actor, singer, comedian, dancer, and author of 14 books. Bob Hope, will be most remembered, for entertaining U.S Armed Forces from 1941, for almost 50 years.   He brought his show, of celebrities and beautiful women, to every corner of the globe. Happy to entertain U.S. troops, in harm's way. Often a heartbeat, from enemy attack. His show went to Vietnam, for 8 years. Bob's U.S.O. Armed Forces, Christmas shows were televised. He won several Emmy Awards, for these popular events.  His 6 decades entertaining audiences, made him a legend. Bob Hope found, putting a smile, on a war […]

Benefits of Medicinal Plants and Herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine

The ABCs of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

Traditional Chinese medicine is one of the oldest continuous systems of medicine in history, with recorded instances dating as far back as two thousand years before the birth of Christ.

Chinese medicine is quite complex and can be difficult for some people to comprehend. This is because TCM is based, at least in part, on the Daoist belief that we live in a universe in which everything is interconnected. What happens to one part of the body affects every other part of the body. The mind and body are not viewed separately, but as part of an energetic system.

 

Science Affirms Benefits of Chinese Herbs - But Not in the Way You'd Think

In TCM, medicinal plants and herbs are harvested, dried, and prepared according to traditional Chinese pharmacopeia methods, and either taken in small doses over time as preventive measures or consumed daily in the case of chronic illnesses. Many plants and herbs such as Ganoderma Lucidum, or lingzhi mushroom, are also incorporated into everyday cooking.

 

What Are The Benefits of Herbal Medicine?

Herbal medicine can be very useful for treating many different illnesses from minor scrapes and burns to serious diseases. Herbal medicines are mostly used for persistent illnesses such as migraines, arthritis, depression and PMS.

 

10 Benefits Of Traditional Chinese Medicine

The top benefit that comes from traditional Chinese medicine is that the medicine is all natural. Although the herbs that are used in the medicine may have some side effects, it is nothing compared to the side effects from modern medicine.

 

The Hub of Herbal Medicine in Hong Kong (China)

You can find many different types of Chinese remedies in this store. Various remedies are important ingredients for foods that improve your health. For example, this is swallow's nest, which purifies and strengthens the body's systems, and provide resistance to disease and premature aging.

The Latest Statistics of Marijuana Legalization and Crime in Colorado

Marinoff and Associates, P.C., Attorneys at Law provides representation to clients who have had been charged with a drug related offense. It is important to hire an attorney if you are charged with a drug offense to work on your…

Wendy's Admits Almost 350 Stores Hit In POS Attack

On Wednesday (May 11), Wendy's said that "fewer than 300 of approximately 5,500 franchised North America Wendy's restaurants" had malware in their POS systems and another "approximately 50 franchise restaurants are suspected of experiencing, or have been found to have, unrelated cybersecurity issues." This comes on the heels of a lawsuit that accused Wendy's of a wide range of IT security shortcomings.

In the new statement, Wendy's did not identify which POS was impacted, but it strongly implied that new Aloha POS systems-currently being installed throughout the company, with the stated goal of full deployment by "year-end 2016"-were not infected. Wendy's "has worked aggressively with its investigator to identify the source of the malware and quantify the extent of the malicious cyber-attacks, and has disabled and eradicated the malware in affected restaurants. The Company continues to work through a defined process with the payment card brands, its investigator and federal law enforcement authorities to complete the investigation," Wendy's said.

In Australia, Apple Pay Boosts Credit Card, Deposit Account Applications

In Australia, the ANZ Banking Group found something strange happen after it started accepting Apple Pay. It experienced "a surge in applications for credit cards and deposit accounts" to such a degree that it "has forced the other major banks to re-enter negotiations" with Apple, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald. In other words, Australian shoppers found the idea of the NFC payment method so significant that they wanted to engage in non-Apple Pay-related banking functions.

"ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott said at the bank's interim results last week that online credit card applications were up 20 per cent since the deal with Apple was announced on April 28," the story noted, adding that the figures "were the highest on record" and "more than double the average." Elliott was quoted as saying "that the higher level is continuing." This is consistent with much of what we've said about Apple Pay, that this huge a behavioral change needs to be a psychological shift. This will need to be a right-brain move-focused on emotions, intuition and imagination-rather than a left-brain (logic, analysis, linear) move. Bankers and payment professionals are notoriously left-brain people, while Apple is the quintessential right-brain company.

Fabric Protection and Fabric Finishing with FiberCare Cleaning Services

What is FiberCare?

FiberCare is an invisible, long-lasting finish that protects against spots, stains and spills. FiberCare works by impregnating fibers with co-polymer resins in a mineral spirit base. This means dust and dirt can't get trapped within the fiber.

How Do We Clean?

The best way to clean is with water. If your fabric can be wet cleaned that is how we will clean it. First we will vacuum, then we will pre-spray spots to loosen that particular type of stain.

To dry clean furnishings we pre-spray in small areas with the dry cleaning solvent, we employ several different techniques to remove spots and heavily soiled areas.

Flameproofing

Our state of the art chemical formulations and application techniques are environmentally safe, non-toxic and solvent dry cleanable. Certificate of flame repellant furnished with every paid order.

Stain Repellent

FiberCare can be applied to all fibers, even those that have been temporarily protected with mill level finishes such as Scotchguard or Teflon. FiberCare protects against both oil-based and water-based stains.

Lamination

A soft, protective, transparent vinyl film is laminated to the face of the fabric, this protects fabric from staining. With laminated fabric, spills clean up easily with a damp cloth.

Mildew Guard

This provides a mildew inhibitor and fungicide for fabrics exposed to damp climates.

Acrylic Backing

Acrylic Backing is an acrylic coating applied to the backside of fabrics. This backing increases the life and durability of the fabric by 50-100%. Acrylic backing stops seam slippage, prevents unraveling and adds dimensional stability.

 

CALL (214) 987-4111

FiberCare, Inc.

Dallas, Texas 75231

Email Us : fibercare@gmail.com

China Devaluing Currency And What It Means For Global Business

By now, everyone has seen the news that China has devalued its currency. This means the Yuan Renminbi is weaker. When you exchange currency, you can now buy more Yuan for each dollar spent. If China is really the world's second largest economy, than the Renminbi (People's Currency) effects world markets. China is always accused of currency manipulation. Who is to blame? Who can be blamed in international business?

This is being criticized by every foreign government and many businesses that trade with China. After all, if Chinese money is weaker, that means that US products sold into China become more expensive. Take the example of Mandarin Oranges for sale in China, but imported from the USA. An 8 kg box costs between $20 and $30. With the weaker Chinese currency, this could cost 25 percent more this year. Thus, the imported oranges are more expensive and the Chinese will buy less of them from the USA, critics say.

On the flip side, items we buy from China will cost less. Importers of (e.g.) Chinese toys will pay less. If the US importers keep the price constant, then the importers will benefit and make more money.

Here is the problem. If your firm is selling a price-based commodity to Chinese buyers (rice, soy, oil, hogs, corn, cotton, etc.) your sales may suffer because your price is too high.

But if you are selling iPhones or BMW's, the higher price may not matter. Higher prices may even work as an advantage, because the products are more expensive and hence more prestigious. Are we really going to once again, blame currency instead of the real problem….our laziness to go after and service global markets efficiently?

PCI Just Gave A Huge Gift To PFs

Merchants of all sizes love to hate PCI. In a perverse sense then, PCI can be a payment facilitator's best friend. The more complicated, difficult and agonizing PCI guidelines become, the more merchants-especially smaller ones-will find tremendous value in pawning off the PCI duties to someone else, especially someone else-such as a PF-that knows PCI and other compliance rules intimately.

It's for that reason that what the PCI Security Standards Council did last week is so important. Not only are they making the rules more demanding and complicated-a necessary move to boost the rules' security-but they are now applying the rules far more broadly, implicating executives who had never before had to directly deal with PCI. Put into corporate terms, it's one thing to infuriate a bunch of CIOs and CISOs, but it's quite a different thing to infuriate their CFO, COO and CEO bosses as well as their bosses, namely board members. And yet that's exactly what the council is doing.

FTC Investigating Venmo, Potentially Raising Compliance Interpretation Issues

Venmo has gotten into trouble-of the embarrassment sort-before with aggressive compliance efforts. That was specifically when it created a list of words that could delay transaction processing, such as the word Persian. And PayPal-owned Venmo was hardly alone, with Chase was caught doing similar word scans, as a man who had a dog named Dash discovered.

But the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has now launched a formal investigation into Venmo. With the FTC, phrasing is critical. An investigation is very different than an FTC study, such as the one the FTC launched to look into practices of the PCI Council. PayPal disclosed the investigation in an SEC filing last week. What exactly is being investigated?

PayPal's New Fraud Rules Are Key For PFs

PayPal announced Wednesday (May 4) a series of payments policy changes, including late-to-the-game restrictions on gift cards, a longtime favorite cyberthief tool. Given PayPal's massive marketshare, payment facilitators need to watch closely any policy changes the no-longer-Ebay-unit makes. In short, any fraud-related changes that PayPal makes gives political cover for any PF to mimic the move.

The biggest change is that PayPal is now excluding "items equivalent to cash, including gift cards" from its PayPal Seller Protection program. It made a similar change to its Purchase Protection program by "clarifying the exclusion for items equivalent to cash to now include stored value items such as gift cards and pre-paid cards." A few other items that will no longer be supported by purchase protection-at least as of June 25, when the new rules are scheduled to kick in-are payments on crowdfunding platforms, "gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize" and "anything purchased from or an amount paid to a government agency."

The Most-Popular Instagram Video Creators: January 2016 Leaderboard

Instagram remains one of the most important and relevant platforms to upload video content. But which creators are generating the most views on the site? We bring you right up-to-date with last month's most watched Instagram Video Creators Leaderboard.