Week 8- Summary

Final Summary IST 195 review :

In these last eight weeks I have learned a lot from social networking to databases and hardware. This project has really come full circle for me and I am now able to see how it could really play out as a mix of Google wallet and of the Starbucks scan and go card. I really believe that with a little bit more time and concentration that the ‘electronic credit card’ and Google could mix together and become one massive security system for credit card holders everywhere.

This summery is not going to break down each and every week and each and every step taken to come to this final conclusion but it is going to be an analysis of how I came to my discoveries and the challenges I foresee. Every good project or idea has to have some faults, mine are as follows:

1. Networking:

I foresee the network connections becoming a problem for users who like to do online banking solely on their phone instead of through an app or gadget.  When too many outlets are used for one product or system that tends to cause mix up’s ad data to be hacked easily. Mind you the entire goal of this project was to create a safer and more reliable way of banking, and making purchases while out and about.

2. Organization:

Initially I talked about organizing user’s information through Excel and have codes for each person so that no two codes would ever mix up or match. However, now that I have learned more about this project and that I see that there are easier ways to store the date, I feel as though it will be completely necessary to have a solid database to transfer data files, systems, and private information from bank to bank.

3. Hardware:

I am still not completely sure what kind of hardware other than what I mentioned before which was lots of memory, serves, RFID chips, and minor other things you would need for such a large scale, I did not find any reviews on other material or hardware that will make the building project any easier. The best bet is to go with nanotechnology and have scientists build the most powerful nano- chip out there.

In conclusion,

I have learned that as technology constantly changes, I am not the only one who is thinking of things. You just have to find the right people who will help your ideas come true. This project was very helpful, I learned a lot about time management and organization and how every good idea is a process, it requires lots of research and analyzing before you can just write down anything.

Thank you to everyone who read this blog and was interested in how I figured it out….

The Answer:

After completely my professional blog review, I became really interested in have a personal lock or password entry spot on one credit card that links multiple cards, accounts, and deposits together to allow for people to have the physical form of a credit card. This would also take away from RFID problems or scanners picking up false items and charging the wrong people. The only new thing I would add to the credit card would be a time out lock like many cell phones have now, if someone is trying to hack the card, there should be a time out password that the user sets up when they get the card, this would help to ensure the protection of the user  and the cards, if the users loses theirs.

 Below this are my three comments I have made on my peers blogs.

Thank you once again,

Rachel 

 Comment 1:

http://cnemetzist195.blogspot.com/2011/09/chilly-sheets.html?showComment=1319745454264#c5935203470297725484

Comment 2:

http://corkchain.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-is-corkchain.html?showComment=1319746901007#c4853546918074089685

Comment 3:

http://danielnunezscomments.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-sports-innovation.html?showComment=1319774361568#c1815035502242757907

Week 7- Databases

Databases are probably the most important aspect to this project because with multiple persons linked to multiple accounts and multiple places it is only necessary to have multiple "levels" or organization in order to maintain the proper systems and coding for everything.
I have noticed that many banks have extensive amounts of organization just within a branch. I am sure that the cel phone companies and internet providers have something similar in their databases.
When creating a database I will need to make sure that I do not overlap or rename things too many times because then the database will run into a system error when searching for something or trying to file something away.
This will cause the system to stop completely and then interrupt business.
In order to avoid problems and such, one will need to really create a database schema that will list and categorize each bank a person has, each account a person has in that bank, and whether it's a checking or savings account, then which card is used in what places.
This can be done by first creating a well organized schema, because my idea is very similar to google waller, I would bet that using their schema as an initial base would really be beneficial, then we can create a database with such tables as mentioned above that would then be categorized into attributes which will then be broken down to primary keys and then for foreign keys which will not only protect the users but keep everything organized as well.

Week 6 - Networking

Networking is a large part of communicating with people. This week in lab we talked about how people connect networks and how networks are responsible for transferring information from one person or system to another.
This will be very useful in my project because the phone company network will need to communicate with each different bank and maintain a stable network system. Cell Phones already have built in antennas that allow for signals to be received and sent out to towers/ receivers that then transfer the information to the appropriate receivers so that the correct person or place will have the message.
Networking between the immediate user and the bank will need to be maintained constantly so that banks security system's can monitor activity from each transaction and immediately notify the owner or activity that may or may not be fraudulent.
This will be incorporated to my project by using SSL or FTP. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, which will insure that files that are encrypted are secure and transferred in a timely manner. In other words, when someone transfers large amounts of money, or makes a large transaction the details of that will be protected. An FTP stands for File transfer Protocol, which basically ensures that before any file is transferred if must match all requirements and follow a procedure to make sure it is secure.

Week 5- Professional Review

The review I decided to do was of a short video blog called 'HowStuffWorks.' This blog website allows for inventors to post 'how to' videos and demo clips. I viewed
Invention Of the NEW Credit Card

This short video really allowed me to see how I can improve my 'electronic card.' I am now thinking that having a physical card over attaching the card to someones phone might be safer, however for the intentions of this project I will continue with the same idea that a cell phone is safe.
This video showed me that I am on the right path with having multiple passwords to entire and use any one account, this can prove to be very secure as long as the right coding system is used to monitor the codes of the accounts. What I mean is that each cell phone company will need to link into one coding system so that each account is interchangeable and managed on a more convent level.

Week 4- Hardware + Privacy

In weeks lecture I learned that the motherboard is what holds all of the major important parts to a computer or output device. For the intentions of this project the motherboard is going to be useful in Cell Phones.

The Cell phone companies will need to incorporate a larger memory space so that each account from a person can be stored physically on the phone; much like a person can "backup" their phone numbers to a secure database, they will be able to backup any new information a person enters into their cell phone, like tracking new purchases, payments, or deposits. 

Again that idea of a password comes into mind, this password/ "security code" will consist of a secure link password that only the user knows. This will only allow access into files and memory data by the user to ensure that if the phone is stolen from the user and is able to unlock the initial password that they will not be able to unlock the account to steal money. 

I will do this by incorporating an ALU processor which with compare the password characters to the correct one and either open the account or hide the accounts into a secure file in the phone and notify the bank of potential harm. 

Week 3- Input and Output

Okay, I am going to recap on what I have done with my electronic credit cards. First I touched on the biggest problem this project will have – privacy. How will people not get your credit card information off of your phone? How do I know the connection on my phone is protected? Well, each account is linked directly to your bank account that you have online, the only additional feature will be the barcode, very similar to the starbuck’s app that you hand to the cashier and they scan.

            In week two, I touched on how credit card companies and banks will create Excel spread sheets that will run automatic program checks to notify workers of what ever category they call for. This will insure that they have maximum organization and that each person is not overlooked.

Overall, I feel like the basics are laid down for a very successful application.

This week I am going to look at the input and output of the program. I know many questions are rising of the true safety and reliability of a credit card on your phone. Google just released their new application called Google Wallet( http://www.google.com/wallet/). This application allows users to ditch the big bulky wallets and electronically scan everything (where it’s accepted) and go worry free about ever forgetting something important again.

            The new and most innovative technology out there is called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). This software allows users to simply scan and go without having to wait for a conformation that it was scanned. It has been most commonly used for EZ-Pass. The RFID chip would be imprinted into the backs of each new cell phone coming out into the market. The user would then use the online banking system of their choice to link there credit cards to their phones.

            How is this going to be protected? 

First each RFID chip will be pass word protected, before a person can scan the item from any distance they will need to input a personalized password allowing the software to send out frequency waves that will be received by a reader which will then instantly send the information to a computer system at the user’s respective bank or credit card company.

            The cheapest and most effective way to embed these tags into cell phones is going to use passive tags. This will require the user to be close enough to the readers that other systems or person’s attempting to hack your information will not have access to it.

            The tag will not be any more noticeable than the back of a regular cell phone case will a small symbol to identify that it is RFID enabled.

            What about the metal interactions?

            Each case will be protected by anti-static guard material. This means that the case will be coated in a hard, smooth plastic that will protect the chip from metal to metal connection, therefore insuring that the chip will not shock out.

            If you have any questions thus far, please feel free to comment on this article.

Stay tuned next week for Storage Capacities! 

Week 2- Microsoft Excel and Electronic Credit Cards

This week’s blog is all about the essentials of working and balancing any business. Last week I introduced the electronic credit card that would allow people to feel more at ease when they use their card. Shopping will become faster and more convenient when customer’s can just scan their phones and go. I’m sure the next question on everyone’s mind, is how is this great idea going to work. Well, before I reveal all the glorious details of my plan we have to start with how to organize all of the data for each company so that each bit of data is organized then complied into a format that will be universal for each company.

             How is that going to happen? Microsoft Excel spreadsheets is the simplest way to organize data and allow for the user to call all people that match a certain characteristic’s such as people who have over due budget’s or people who have just made a payments. This is made possible by the formula function. You can write an if statement stating that if the balance is higher than 0 hide it, and if the balance is below 0 then it will be highlighted in red. This way the banks can easily identify who is an asset and who is not. I am sure that banks have an automated system that would do this for them, however with the use of Microsoft Excel companies can easily attach the new card system with the old system. Thusly not causing mergence problems from the automated system with plastic cards to the electronic ones.

            I know the use of Excel for such a detailed idea is not the most common method for major companies to use, however, in order for technology to become more efficiently used using simple systems is the way to go! Stay tuned for next week’s input on how to make electronic credit cards! 

Week 1- Privacy

            Credit Cards have been one of the easiest ways for hackers to steal a person’s identity. If the Credit card is not signed or the picture is not on the front of the card, then the card is almost free game for another person to use it. Clerks and Cashiers are not trained to monitor personal credit cards, especially during the ‘busy season,’ which just so happens to be the time when identities are stolen.

My mom’s identity was stolen in December of 2009. I can remember the day specifically. We were in Marshall’s Arts and Crafts store looking for Christmas flowers and glitter so I could make door deco’s for our house; her purse was in the cart, closed only by a small snap on the inside; her wallet was, of course, the first thing on top. It was a matter of maybe 30 seconds when she turned her back to the cart to look at me hold up different flowers at the end of the aisle. She did not realize that her wallet was completely gone until we reached the register, which by that time was maybe an hour later. To make a long story short, it was not a very pleasant Christmas that year.

             My Entrepreneurship Project idea is to transform the Credit Card Industry; from a plastic, man made, mass produced industry, into an electronic one with our online bank accounts linked to electronic cards on our phones that are password protected in order for credit cards to not only exist in a physical form, but online. This invention is completely possible because of the invention of the electronic store cards already being distributed in replacement to wasteful plastic ones. Stay tuned for all of the surprising twists and turns of this once in a lifetime project