(2) A peripheral device that reads the magnetic stripe on the back of a credit card. Such readers are found in ATM machines and all point of sale (POS) terminals that accept credit and debit cards.
![]() | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- MyPDFSigner 0.9.0 (Mac)
- MyPDFSigner is a simple tool to digitally sign PDF documents using tokens stored in a "smart card", like a citizen card issued by many governments in Europe. It is the ideal tool for users that do not want to buy Adobe Acrobat and are unable to sign PDF documents with...
- Software downloads 2009-11-18
- Alienware M15x (Intel Core i7 720QM, 250GB HDD, 3GB)
- Keeping the same revised look and feel as the recent 17-inch M17x version, the Alienware M15x is an imposing black slab of computing power that's thicker and heavier than most 17-inch laptops. We love having high-end options such as Intel's uberpowerful Core i7-920XM CPU, and it's a plus that...
- Product reviews 2009-11-13
- Gateway NV7802u
- Editors' note: This review is part of our 2009 Retail Laptop and Desktop Holiday Roundup, which covers specific fixed configurations of popular systems found in retail stores.Gateway continues to offer some of the best bang-for-your-buck retail laptops. The NV7802u is a fine example: It's a 17-inch wide-screen model with a...
- Product reviews 2009-11-13
- Dell UltraSharp U2410
- About $600 for the Dell UltraSharp U2410 gets you a 24-inch, H-IPS monitor with great performance in games and movies, a host of connection options and ergonomic features, and a robust OSD. Unfortunately, its RGB presets are marred by dithering when viewing dark gray images and the screen has a...
- Product reviews 2009-11-12
- USB Lock RP 5.21 (Windows)
- USB LOCK RP network information protector and centralized endpoint control to protect information in network PCs. Block, or allow removable storage use by class in real-time. Authorize Groups of devices by VID, PID,and/or specific devices by hardware ID to operate on specific clients or across the network. Automatically receive alerts,...
- Software downloads 2009-11-11
- Nokia Booklet 3G (black)
- Mobile phone maker Nokia is jumping into the Netbook pool with its recently announced Booklet 3G laptop, offering a premium-feeling system for a rock-bottom price, as long as you agree to a two-year AT&T mobile data contract. The Booklet 3G is easily one of the most upscale-looking Netbooks we've...
- Product reviews 2009-11-10
- Amazon's Kindle for PC app available; It's a handy download
- Open formatYou say the Kindle is less open than the Sony or B&N readers. Are you saying that a Sony book can be read on the Nook? Or that a Nook book can be read on a Sony reader? I think you're pretty well mistaken on...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-10
- MyPDFSigner 0.9.0 (Windows)
- MyPDFSigner is a simple tool to digitally sign PDF documents using tokens stored in a "smart card", like a citizen card issued by many governments in Europe. It is the ideal tool for users that do not want to buy Adobe Acrobat and are unable to sign PDF documents with...
- Software downloads 2009-11-10
- Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU
- Editors' note: This review is part of our holiday 2009 retail desktop and laptop review roundup, covering specific fixed configurations of popular systems that can be found in retail stores. There's something to be said for simplicity. The Dell Inspiron i1545-4374PBU might not look like much and its limited supply...
- Product reviews 2009-11-07
- Dell Inspiron i545s-1476N
- The $480 Inspiron 545s-1476 is the third Dell desktop we've reviewed with the company's current slim tower chassis, and we can't say our opinion has changed since the last time we saw it. We're still satisfied with its design, but we remain disappointed with the features Dell seems to have...
- Product reviews 2009-11-06
- Toshiba Satellite T135-S1309
- Sometimes, it takes a good retail excursion to find a deal that isn't otherwise possible. Case in point: the Toshiba T135. While we have already reviewed two different versions of Toshiba's Windows 7 entry to the thin-and-light laptop landscape, we were pleasantly surprised by this retail-only configuration. This is not...
- Product reviews 2009-11-06
- Gateway NV5207u
- The Gateway NV5207u is what happens when a slow processor happens to an otherwise respectable budget-priced laptop. It's a good-looking notebook with a large screen, a decent port assortment, and a couple of extra features to sweeten the deal. But its AMD processor is a poor performer despite being dual...
- Product reviews 2009-11-05
- Droid Preview: iPhone's first real competition has arrived
- The MicroSD card is not only expandableIt is hot-swappable. So basically your storage is only limited to how many cards you can afford.Competition is GREAT!I am glad Android is taking off, the future is Linux driven devices/appliances.To the naysayers that Linux distro devices/appliances are a 'niche' I guess Google is...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-05
- AVADirect Nano Cube
- AVADirect's $2,266 Nano Cube tries to take on Shuttle's XPC H7 5800 at its own small form factor game. Both systems come with smaller-than-normal SFF cases, and each requires sacrifices, even more than with a standard SFF PC, in exchange for its tiny dimensions. Therein lies our problem with this...
- Product reviews 2009-11-04
- Toshiba Satellite A505-S6980
- You can't argue with a large-screen, value-priced laptop when it delivers good performance, and looks nice to boot. We appreciated the Toshiba Satellite A505-S6960 when we reviewed it in our 2009 back-to-school retail roundup, liking its affordability, large screen, strong battery life, and excellent-sounding speakers. Just a few months later,...
- Product reviews 2009-11-04
- Adobe Shockwave haunted by critical security holes
- > Adobe Shockwave haunted by critical security holesShould Adobe rename parts of their software suite not only this one as Shockware? ;-) The simple justification is that it was shocking to the vendor.On one of my machines with all security software up to date and running in the background, visiting...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-03
- Spring Design sues Barnes & Noble over Alex, Nook
- I kind of want to see barnes and noble win this one...The whole concept of a sliding image preview isn't exactly revolutionary, and it does look decidedly different from the bulky, 2003-esque block interface of the alex.On a personal note, I think the alex looks like some children's toy out...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-03
- Sony Vaio X (VPC-X115KX/N Signature Collection, gold)
- Sony has thus far taken a position just adjacent to Apple's when it comes to the question of Netbooks. Rather than embracing these low-cost, low-power systems that have become incredibly popular with bargain-hunting consumers, Sony stayed out of the market initially. Its subsequent entries have skirted the outer edges of...
- Product reviews 2009-11-02
- Toshiba Satellite L455-S5975
- We've said it before, and we'll say it again: especially in this economy, it's hard to hate a laptop that only costs $350. It's even harder to hate a Windows 7 laptop that costs that much. The Toshiba L455-S5975 is, by 50 dollars, the least expensive notebook computer in our...
- Product reviews 2009-11-02
- Clean install with Windows 7 upgrade media? Get the facts!
- Unbelievable"Last week I complained about Microsoft?s shoddy documentation of how its upgrade procedures are supposed to work. I?m delighted to report that I got a tremendous and immediate response from within Microsoft, offering assistance in my testing and also promising to clean up and expand their documentation."So what exactly did...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-02
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- The best support in the Linux business
-
If Linux is going to power your mission-critical applications, you'd better have the best support known to business. Novell was rated the top provider of Linux technical support.

- Learn more >>
- Reduce risk. Reduce complexity. Increase reliability.
-
A simplified IT environment isn't just less complex. It's also more reliable. Standardize on a single Linux platform with SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell, and get the world's most interoperable Linux

- Learn more >>
- Learn more about tools to grow your business
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Save time with the UPS Business Essentials Guide
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.

- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
-
-
Smart Tech
Expert advice on innovations in healthcare and the green technologies that make it happen.
Find out more
-
Smart Business
Discussion and advice on management issues that revolve around making your world smarter and more useful.
More Smart Advice
-
Smart People
The best and worst moves in the management and strategy trenches.
Learn More





