The Coming Revolution In Paying for Groceries, et al

For years I have seen other countries (such as Canada) beat us to the easy-pay draw.  That is, they developed plastic cards or something that could pay for small items like newspapers, parking meters and lunch, without the typical scanning, paper receipts, signatures on one copy.

Lately the magazines have been talking about the coming of a card (or something in a smart phone) with an embedded chip, that you could just pass over a sensor at a store, and it would subtract the money from your bank account, or charge it to your Visa card.  No signing, and no buttons to push.  I thought that day wouldn’t come, but, look around, suddenly merchants have been trying to make the buying experience easier – without the use of special new cards.

Example One.  Walgreens is now letting me buy $25 or less with just swiping my card, and in the case of AMEX, giving them a zip code, and I get a paid receipt, but don’t have to sign anything.

Example Two.  Tonight I went through the checkout at Wal-Mart and while the cashier was ringing my groceries I swiped my AMEX card.  I kept waiting for the little screen that asks me to enter my zip code.  It never came.  Then I waited for the signing screen, it never came.  I was stunned when the cashier handed me my receipt and said “have a nice day”.  I asked here why I got to pay without any of the usual hassle, she didn’t know. I know Target does something similar now as well, but tonight was the first time I had seen that happen at Wal-Mart.

Example Three.  McDonalds will now let you swipe your credit card in front of the register, and it will accept the payment and they just hand you the receipt.  No more "making change".  No signing receipts or zip-code entry there either. 

Does this mean that some stores have learned the quality of certain customers from prior shopping and have decided it is worth the risk to just let them “go” and not hold them to signatures and zip codes?  Is AMEX taking the risk of fraud, or the store? Or is fraud such a small part of their overall operation it is a risk worth taking if it makes customers feel more like they are hitting the “one touch” checkout at Amazon.com?  

Pay Pal revolutionized my on line shopping many years ago. I have rarely, since joining Pay Pal, given any website my credit card information.  I consider Pay Pal a big boost.  First, my credit card is in their vault, not the merchant’s internet store-front. I am sort of blind, so it would be hard for a dishonest merchant to make some later charge to my card.  Second, Pay Pal knows where I want all my things shipped, so I don’t have to enter that information at checkout.  Greatly speeding things along. Third, Pay Pal’s website is a useful way to track my spending, and checkup on charges. 

Has anyone else found some new and faster checkout ?

After thought  --  I know some gas stations allow a “pass” card to be waived at the pump, and it will then pump the gas and charge it to some corporate identity. I used to have a car that would recognize me when I walked up and unlock the door and turn on the interior lights – all powered by some chip that was embedded the key.  The ignition was then, of course, key-less as well.  The chip guided the operation.  Even with a real key, there is often a chip in the plastic part that tells the engine it is OK to start.  With a cheap metal key copy, it will not start. The dealer is the only place to get an extra key, they program the plastic grip.

What Happens When Toddlers Zone Out With An iPad?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304363104577391813961853988.html

Today’s Wall Street Journal (and other publications) are running a story by Ben Worthen about the effects of the iPad on young children (ages 2 to 4). 

I noted with interest that, although the iPad has only been on the market a year or so, more than half of American children have access to one.  Talk about market penetration!

Having two grandchildren with iPad access, and owning one myself, I feel connected to the idea that this can be a good learning tool.  I also have a long history of opposing letting young persons watching television.  I took my TV out for 15 years when my children were growing up. They watched plenty at other people’s homes, and at their grandparents (under very close supervision) , but at home, it was family time and creative time.

I also believe that young children learn as much with their hands as their heads at early ages, so feeling and touching toys (but better yet – real things) is much better for them than lectures on topics they know nothing about.  At least with the iPad they can touch, and connect action with reaction.  And be interactive.  But, as the article states, too much of anything, even the iPad, can be a bad thing for “certain children”.  The article stops well short of condemning iPad use, but puts up a warning to watch for “over use” and  zoning out while using the iPad.  Or over-use to avoid bedtime and so forth. 

I have enjoyed the good designs of some iPad Apps for children, they seem to be updated versions of old games I used to play as a child.  And they provide some positive reinforcement that we used to provide for ourselves (pride in doing something, just for the sake of doing it). Which is better? 

The article mentions an App I had not heard of  “Martha Speaks”, and says that simple testing has shown that 5 year old's made a 27% gain on vocabulary tests after playing with this App. 

Your comments ?

Solar Light Accidental Shopping Discovery Today

Stick-in-the-ground Solar lights are very popular to light paths and drives.  Often you can find them at Wal-Mart and places for $2 each, sometimes less.  I have owned a few of these over the years.

My objection to them goes something like this

1.      ugly, painted aluminum or something, smallish

2.      the light gathering area is small, and plastic looking, not very effective

3.      rechargeable batteries inside are minimal and when they go, you have to toss the entire thing, as replacements cost more than new ones

4.      they don’t put out much light

5.      the light they do put out is LED bright white, a light I don’t care for

Enter Costco.  This weekend I saw a set of 8 solar lights that were

1.      Stainless steel, with screw in final on the top to dress them up

2.      Very nice, glass light gathering area, with peel off protective cover

3.      Pebble finish , real glass globes under the dome, that throws a nice light pattern on the ground

4.      The maker encourages replacing the rechargeable battery, and gives plenty of instructions on how to do it.

5.      The overall design looks rugged and the lights look like semi-permanent lights, not toss-away.

6.   MOST IMPORTANT, the light is supposed to be amber or incandescent , not LED white.  That is a convincing selling point to me. 

Price was $3 each light, but only sold in sets of 8. So buy a box, and share with your friends, would make a nice gift, two to mark your driveway entry at night?

Noise Canceling Headsets

I have a pair of Bose noise-cancelling headsets and they are large and comfortable and work very well.  But very expensive.   

I also have a Sony Noise Cancelling headset, model No.  MDR-NC40.  These are only $35 new, if you can find them new on Amazon (which is a sometimes thing).  Retail they are about $69, I think.

They are called Ultra-Lightweight Noise Canceling 90% Ambient Noise Reduction head set.   They work well on planes, to cancel out continuous noise of engines.  They have a single AAA battery that handles the noise reduction, and you can turn it on and off.  Of course it has a plug for your iPod device so you can listen to music or whatever and have the noise cancellation at the same time. Battery seems to last a long, long time.  It comes with a very nice black leather-look case, about the size of the palm of your hand.

I have found them to have very good fidelity and be very comfortable on my ears.  As a plus they fold up pretty tiny and will fit in carry-on stuff super well.  They are quite adjustable as well.  The R and L markings for the ears are there, but hard to read (black on black).   They are also very good for walking a mile or two a day as well, never interfere with my walking and they give me something of interest (usually a lecture, or book on tape, but sometimes music) to think about.   

I didn’t find those little stick-in-your ear headphones to be fun for me, thus this over-the-ear system is a welcome option.  You can hear the flight attendant fairly well, it cancels out steady noises to a greater degree than “irregular sounds”.