Necz Blogs

Friday, September 7, 2007

Google Adsense Referral Adverts Not Displaying

Google Adsense Referral Adverts Not Displaying
September 5th, 2007 · No Comments

We’ve heard that many publishers are having trouble viewing referral 2.0 ads on their pages, and we’d like to explain some of the most common reasons why this might be. First, keep in mind that not all referral ads are available in all sizes. For instance, most horizontal referral ad units smaller than 180×60, square referral ad units smaller than 125×125, and text links are only available at this time for Google products such as AdSense or AdWords. This means that if you generate code for referral ads in an unsupported size, you won’t see any referrals shown on your webpages. To avoid this issue, we recommend first selecting categories or products for your referrals before selecting a size at this time. Similarly, you may not see the referral ads you’ve selected on your pages if you’ve grouped a number of referral ads into your Ad Shopping Cart which are each available in different sizes. If this is the case, you may wish to try regenerating your referral code with a particular ad format in mind — this way, you can be sure to select products available in that format. Here are several other reasons your chosen referral ads may not show: The particular referral ad you’ve chosen is not available in your country. When generating your code, you can view the ads available for specific countries by clicking the ‘change’ link above the referrals wizard. You’ve unselected the ‘Pick best performing ads’ checkbox for a referral where the advertiser has run out of budget or ended the campaign. To take advantage of the available inventory of related products, we recommend leaving this box checked. You’ve added more than three referral units to your page. Our current policy allows a maximum of three referral ad units on any policy-compliant page. Our system has determined that your pages contain potentially mature or sensitive content. However, as your content changes, you may begin to see referral ads appearing. The referral ad code may have been modified. Be sure to copy the code exactly as it appears in your account and paste it directly onto your pages. Please know that we’re working as quickly as we can to fine-tune the process of generating referral code. Also, we appreciate all of your feedback on referrals 2.0 so far, and we encourage you to let us know how we can keep improving AdSense - Rajiv Sud - AdSense Publisher Support

Monday, September 3, 2007

Beware of ‘clone’ credit cards, NBI warns

Beware of ‘clone’ credit cards, NBI warns
By Allison Lopez
Inquirer
Last updated 01:51am (Mla time) 08/30/2007

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected member of a syndicate which makes duplicates of credit cards has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in an entrapment operation.

According to NBI Director Nestor Mantaring, the group uses an improvised “skimming” device to download the information in a credit card’s magnetic stripe. The information is then used to create a duplicate of the card.

Mantaring said it was the first time they seized a skimming device in the country. The battery-operated gadget, however, seemed to be improvised, he added.

Arrested was Melvin Ticson Garcia, 30, a driver and resident of San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan. He admitted that he paid Menandro Caleze, a waiter of a bar on Roxas Boulevard, to swipe their customers’ credit cards on the skimming device.

The gang’s illegal activities, however, were discovered by the bank which issued the credit card. Bank officials then alerted the bar owner about their discovery.

Caleze admitted that he earned P2,500 from swiping five of their customers’ credit cards on Aug. 15 and 16. He also pointed to Garcia as the one who gave him the skimming device.

An investigation by the Anti-Fraud and Computer Crimes Division, headed by Vicente de Guzman, showed that the gang used its duplicate credit cards in stores like the SM Hypermarket in Marilao, Bulacan.

De Guzman said the gang was able to buy P64,808 worth of groceries using one of the “clone” cards.

Protect yourself from Credit Card thieves

The Consumer : Protect yourself from card thieves

By Linda Bolido
Inquirer

Posted date: August 22, 2007

MANILA, Philippines—What was a pleasant dinner with family in a nice restaurant turned later into a nightmare for one American, according to an Internet story.

His credit-card bill reflected charges running up to several hundred dollars immediately after that evening that he did not make.

Eventually, of course, he managed to sort out the problem but it took a while. In the meantime, because his card was “maxed out,” he could not use it.

People who use credit or even automated teller machine (ATM) cards now have to deal with this constant threat.

Technology has not only made life easier for law-abiding people but also for scam artists.

One report said a portable card scanner is actually being sold in gadget shops in the United States for a legitimate purpose. Many conference organizers now issue identification cards to participants that are scanned for access to events.

As is usually the case, it did not take long before people with not-so-pure intentions saw another use for the gadget.

Banks constantly remind clients not to write down their personal identification numbers (PIN) or, if they have to, not to keep them with their ATM cards.

I personally know of two incidents where thieves hit the jackpot. Pins to the ATM cards they stole were stuck to the cards themselves.

To reduce the chances of your being victimized, here are some helpful tips from Citibank, which recently issued the booklet “Use Credit Wisely” to help cardholders not just to manage their finances better.

“Credit card, ATM and Internet fraud can often be prevented. Most credit thieves use stolen credit cards within 48 hours. Call your credit-card company immediately to report a lost card,” the booklet advises.

It points out that different card companies have different rules regarding a cardholder’s responsibility for unauthorized charges. Find out what those rules are so you would know what to do if you are victimized.

Some banks may require you to pay the unauthorized charges if your card is used before you report it lost or stolen. “Follow up your call with a letter giving your account number, the date the card was missing and when you called in the report.”

Another useful advice is, “Be careful about how and when you use your credit cards. Never lend them to anyone, don’t give your numbers to anybody and never leave your cards or receipts lying around, no matter where you live.”

If you get a call or e-mail purportedly from your bank asking for account numbers and other information, ignore it. Banks have repeatedly said they would not ask for the information because they have it—they gave it to you.

More tips

Here are other things to remember:

Always know where your cards are and keep them in a safe place.

Don’t give your account number over the phone unless you know the company and you made the call.

Get a card that has added security features, like a photograph.

Draw a line through the blank space above the total on charge slips to prevent changes and tear up carbons from slips.

Don’t sign blank charge slips.

Always check receipts against your monthly statements. Errors must be reported within 20 days (or whatever your bank’s or credit card issuer’s deadline) of the statement date.

Report any discrepancy no matter how minor. Felons often start with small amounts just to see if you will notice.

Record card numbers, expiration date and phone numbers. Keep this record in a safe place separate from your cards. Use it if you need to report lost or stolen cards.

Never put your account number or personal identification number on the outside of an envelope or postcard. Never put your PIN on the card or in your wallet.

Carry only the cards you need, especially when travelling.

Online scams

The website MSN Money cites ways thieves try to get information from you through the Internet to be able to access your bank accounts or credit cards:

Phishing. You get an e-mail that appears to be from your bank or an online service instructing you to click on a link and provide information to verify your account.

Pharming or spoofing. From a legitimate website, you are redirected to an impostor site that asks you for confidential information.

Smishing. This is phishing done with a text message on a smart phone. It instructs you to visit a bogus website.

Spyware. You unknowingly download illicit software when you open an attachment, click on a popup or download a song or a game. Felons use spyware to record your keystrokes and obtain credit-card numbers, bank account information and passwords when you make purchases or other business online. They also can access confidential information on your hard drive.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wowowee" controversy is an "honest mistake"—ABS-CBN executive

Wowowee" controversy is an "honest mistake"—ABS-CBN executive

Julie Bonifacio

Sunday, August 26, 2007
12:07 PM

Sinikap ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) na kunin ang paliwanag mula sa mga executive ng ABS-CBN hanggang sa production heads ng noontime show na Wowowee kaugnay ng latest issue tungkol sa pandaraya diumano sa bagong game portion sa programa na "Wilyonaryo."

Noong Huwebes, August 24, sa presscon at taping ng bagong teleserye ng ABS-CBN na Pangarap Na Bituin, nando'n ang isa sa mga co-hosts ni Willie Revillame sa Wowowee, si Mariel Rodriguez, as part of Entertainment Live.

Kasabay nito, nagaganap ang isang close-door meeting ng buong staff ng Wowowee. Kaya si Mariel na muna ang hiningan ng PEP ng comment regarding the issue

"I think bago kasi 'yung game. So, siguro kulang pa lang sa polishing. I mean, bago kasi 'yung game and that was only second time we did it. But one thing is for sure, wala namang dayaang naganap or whatever. 'Tsaka sa machine kasi, so hindi namin lahat nakokontrol 'yung mga nangyayari," paliwanag ni Mariel, na kasama ni Willie nang maganap ang kontrobersiya sa Wowowee.

Ipinaliwanag naman sa PEP ng isang ABS-CBN executive na hindi naman talaga nakuha ng contestant na nagngangalang Weng ang wheel na naglalaman ng P2 million noong August 21. Zero talaga ang laman ng wheel ni Weng, but just the same, hindi naman siya umuwing luhaan dahil nanalo pa siya ng halagang P137,000.

Ayon pa sa ABS-CBN executive, it's an honest mistake and unintentional ang pagkakahila ni Willie ng number 2 na nakadikit sa wheel kaya zero ang lumitaw. Sa kabila nito, sinabi sa amin ng naturang executive na maglalabas sila ng official statement kapag kinakailangan talaga.

Pero ayon sa kanila, sa ngayon ay nararamdaman nila na hindi na kailangang magpaliwanag at sagutin ang isyu. Mas lalaki lang daw ito at idi-dignify lang ang malinaw na pang-iintriga sa kanilang programa. Naniniwala sila na bahagi lamang ito ng smear campaign laban kay Willie upang pabagsakin ang Wowowee.

Dagdag pa ng ABS-CBN insider na aming kausap, malaki ang pasasalamat nila ngayon sa pagkaka-absuwelto ni Willie sa Wowowee tragedy case na ibinasura ng Department of Justice noong Biyernes.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2007, 10:28:09 PM by imbestigador007 »