Tagged With "lodging"
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Re: Devils Tower National Monument
Nice photos of a fascinating place, Ottoman! I also visited the monument many years ago, and recall what an imposing and striking place it is. I can certainly see the cinematic appeal to Mr. Speilberg, who uses the physical drama of the place so very well in the last half of the movie.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
You would think the cost of all this fraud would be more than enough to validate new chip and PIN rollout in the USA. Can't quite understand why the US banks are so resistent to this PHeymont. Have you an understanding of what their reasons are?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
It's been a long path. For a long time, observers thought it was because they were committed to contactless (RFID) technology as the next step...but that hasn't advances as fast as some predicted, and it has big security issues, too. Now that MC and Visa have set down a "you must comply or you will be responsible for fraudulent charges" rule for next year, we're seeing motion. BUT...so far most issuers have been sticking to chip-and-signature, not and-PIN, which guts the whole process.
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
I don't quite see why using a pin would prevent fraud of the type we're seeing on a large scale. Presumably, if the hackers continue to target terminals, the pin would be compromised too. Yes, we could change the pin but it would need to be done immediately, before the damage is done. What am I missing?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
As I see it, PM, mostly they are just stealing the data off the magnetic strip. Or the PIN in the card has data that can also be copied, but that's a little hard than just scamming the read off the strip. With a PIN, that data, validated by your unique PIN (which you pick) are encrypted and sent off to the bank for approval. Not just the strip data, but the two together are the key. I have a credit card with a Canadian bank (chip and pin) which I prefer to use over the swipe and sign USA...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
In the most secure system, the PIN is known to you, the user, but is not in your records at the issuer. That's why if you forget your PIN, a new one can be generated, but no one can send you your "lost" PIN the way that passwords can be. In the PIN system, the first communication takes place at the terminal. The terminal reads the PIN from the chip on your card, and asks you to enter it on the pad. If it matches, the terminal does NOT send the PIN to the clearing house or merchant...it only...
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
So, if I understand it then, even if the hackers can read the entered pin keystrokes from the terminal keypad which we enter, it cannot be used without the card with the unique chip, which cannot be duplicated as a magnetic strip can be duplicated?
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Re: Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
That's correct. It is, of course, not totally impossible to create a duplicate chip, but it takes major equipment, not $5 worth of RadioShack parts...and it would also require much more information than can be harvested easily. The relative security (and it is relative) has driven over 80% of the world's credit card fraud toward the U.S. as other areas become more difficult. And once everyone is on board, the Trojan Horse mag stripe can come off the card as well.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2014: Bats, Botswana
It makes me wonder if I could relax sufficiently to sleep while hanging on with my toes. Or what would happen if I did. Fascinating.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2014: Bats, Botswana
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: It makes me wonder if I could relax sufficiently to sleep while hanging on with my toes. Or what would happen if I did. Fascinating. I do not recommend you try this, PM. Bats have a reflex that let's them hang on while sleeping. Our poor stubby human toes don't come with this capability.
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Devils Tower National Monument
Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion or laccolith in the Bear Lodge Mountains (part of the Black Hills) in northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. It rises dramatically 1,267 feet (386 m) above the surrounding terrain and...
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Marriott, Hotel Lobby, drop request to allow WiFi jamming
Marriott, which last year was fined $600,000 for blocking private WiFi hotspots at a convention hotel (forcing participants to pay up to $1000 for hotel service) has withdrawn from a petition it started (along with the American Hotel and Lodging...
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Yellowstone Lake
Moving on to Yellowstone Lake, PortMoresby enjoys lake views and the contrasting ambiance of posh hotel and lakeside lodge.
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Jan. 31, 2018: Lake Crescent, Washington
Jonathan L takes us into the Olympic National Park to visit Lake Crescent.
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Olympic National Forest Pt 2: Forks to Aberdeen ,WA
Jonathan L continues his visit to this magnificent forest, including the Hoh Rain Forest.
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No Joke: Instagram & Pinterest Changing Hotel Industry
How hotels are attracting customers is definitely changing. Is this the end of advertising as we once knew it? READ what's in store for 2014 and beyond. http://bit.ly/1gImjEG
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Check Your Statement! A Big Hotel Credit Card Breach...
White Lodging, which operates hotels under a number of major brands including Westin, Marriott, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, has acknowledged a major theft of customer credit card information including names, numbers, security codes and more. The breach...
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Re: Yellowstone Lake
I'm one of those people who get caught up in the geysers and animal chasing. Yellowstone Lake represents a gap in my visits to the park. I like the tranquil nature of it and will need to spend a few days here during my next visit.
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How to Choose the Best Lodging Options for Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is one of America's most beautiful. Hannah presents some ideas on places to stay at when visiting the park (sponsored content)
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Horses at Pasture, Montana
DrFumblefinger was envious of the scenic views these horses enjoy every day.
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Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
Many responsible safari companies and lodge operators are doing a sterling job preserving the environment, protecting wildlife and engaging with local communities.
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Re: Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
I would love to visit Zambia! From the sounds of it, you certainly deserve a fantastic trip! I was supposed to go to Uganda and missed out because of COVID. Here's to the future!
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Re: Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
My wife and I traveled with "and Beyond" to Botswana and Zimbabwe in 2011. I think it rates as the best travel experience of our lives. Not cheap, but every experience was amazing and without compromise. Time to start planning a return soon.
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Re: Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
Thanks for all the comments. Here's hoping we can all get to wherever we want to go in the coming months.
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Re: Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
Excellent article; amazing photos! I love Tanzania and would go back in a heartbeat!
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Re: Grumeti River Lodge, Tanzania
Like you, we had intended to return to Southern Africa in 2020, but the pandemic thwarted our plans. We tried again in 2021, but Covid put an end to that attempt, too. We hope that things will finally work out this September. We had to make a few changes to the original itinerary, because accommodation providers have ceased operating and the car hire company has gone bust. One of the airlines involved (Comair) has now also gone into liquidation and as a result we will be visiting Zambia,...
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Timber Mill, Deer Lodge, Montana
One of many lumber mills in the forests of the northwestern United States, this one near Deer Lodge, Montana.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2014: Bats, Botswana
There's something both fascinating and oddly repulsive about bats. Mostly we never see or hear them, except perhaps at dusk when they fly into the night to feed on insects and other things.
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Vermont: Scenes from Stowe
Samantha and her husband had a wonderful time in the Stowe area in Vermont and having a beer at the Von Trapp Brewery and Restaurant.
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Scarlet Macaws, Peruvian Rainforest
One of the most beautiful birds in the world is the scarlet macaw. DrFumblefinger describes an adventure in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest where he had the opportunity to see many of them up close.
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Re: Hiking the Blackcomb Ascent Trail, British Columbia
What an experience. It's all so beautiful. Thank you for this article and the wonderful photos!
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Hiking the Blackcomb Ascent Trail, British Columbia
Lester takes us along on a strenuous mountain hike with great view, along trails labeled Little Burn, Big Burn and Heart Burn