Acro.net – Technology Rants & Raves by Acroplex®

Over the course of the past 18 months I’ve moved the majority of my domain portfolio over to Fabulous.com and I couldn’t have been happier.

I’ve written before why I think Fabulous is *the* best domain registrar catering to domainers.

This time around, I will discuss an important layer of security, available to Fabulous.com customers via an one-time fee: A security token or “fob”.

When I met Mike “Fabulous” Robertson at TRAFFIC Las Vegas in January, I could not but mention how great Fabulous.com is for domainers like me. For being an Aussie, Mike was particularly sober but regardless, he promised to send a spanking new Fabulous fob to my mailbox. I just could not wait!

A few days ago, as promised, the fob arrived in a small envelope. For almost an hour I simply examined it, planning what to do with it. Eventually, I simply ripped the envelope open and the fun began!

The envelope’s particulars showed a total weight of 11 grams or less than 1/2 an ounce. That thing was light as a feather, yet it managed to make it all the way from ‘down under’ intact. After I opened the envelope, I saw that it was packed in some bubble wrap for protection. And no, that’s not the layer of Fabulous security I was referring to!

Inside the bubble wrap was a small square plastic folder, complete with a label. My excitement peaked, as I saw the Fabulous.com logo with the blue gradient and the stars of Australia! The words “Security Key” made it clear that this was the real deal.

I opened the plastic folder, barely wider than a business card. Inside was a printed piece of paper that consisted of the front cover with the logo, the back bearing instructions and finally, the Fabulous fob in all its glory!

Here is a scan of the instructions portion. Since this was my first time to ever face a ‘security fob’ I had no idea how it’s used. The instructions miss one important detail: you have to plug the Fabulous fob into a USB port before you proceed with the steps above!

You can see how tiny the Fabulous fob is, the hole on the left allows you to put it in a keychain – although I would not recommend it – and the right side is what you plug into an available USB port in your computer. So what is the center part that looks like a ring? Hold on!

This is the magic glow of the Fabulous fob, after it was plugged into the USB port! It is now ready to be used and provide an extra, solid layer of security to your domain portfolio with Fabulous.com

After your Fabulous fob is installed, log into your Fabulous.com account as usual and go to the Admin section, then click on “Security”. A menu will be available. Select “Fabulous Security Key” and you’re ready for the registration part.

At this point, you need to ensure that you have easy access to the USB port; first click inside the form field as displayed above. Then press your finger firmly on the round, green ring of the Fabulous key.

As if by magic, the form will fill with a long set of encrypted characters in just a few seconds. That’s the time when you should lift your finger from the Fabulous fob and press the “Register Fabulous Security Key”.

The next step will confirm that everything went as planned with the registration of the security key token. Head over to this discussion if you want to know how the security fob works. Who said I’m not assisting you with your technology education!

At the bottom of the same confirmation page as above, you will see this nifty menu of options which will allow you to set up the extent of security that you’d like to implement. For example, you can enable authentication via the use of the Fabulous fob only when you want to make finance changes, or before you push a domain to a different account. Since you have this Fabulous device in your hands, you might as well check them all!

Finally, this is what you’re looking at when authentication is needed. To proceed with authorizing any action specified in the checkboxes above, the Fabulous fob must obviously be plugged in. Then, click inside the form field, tap and hold the glowing green ring of the fob until the form field fills – then hit Continue and you’re in!

I hope you found this review and tutorial about the security key, a.k.a “Fabulous fob” rather helpful. Fabulous.com is indeed a quiet giant, in the dark blue sea group of companies and it’s the domain registry of choice for anyone serious in the domain business.

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Unless your trip to TRAFFIC Las Vegas or to DomainFest in California was paid for by your employer, it’s time to take a good look into your credit card and even your bank account, for any unauthorized charges.

The days in TRAFFIC Las Vegas were packed with events – and of course after hours everyone had a great time attending parties, social gatherings and impromptu get-togethers – all while consuming higher than usual quantities of alcohol. Welcome to Vegas, baby.

Unless I spend cash that happens to be in my wallet, I use my credit cards, as they provide protection over unauthorized charges. However, there was a single time while in Las Vegas that I made the mistake of using my debit card in order to withdraw cash.

Even though I went to an ATM of my very own bank somewhere off the Strip, it appears that the location was rigged with a card skimmer. In essence, my debit card was “copied” without ever realizing it and three days later I received automated phonecalls and emails from my bank’s alert system.

The bank notified me of suspicious activity and use of my debit card and upon examining my account online I noticed two transactions that had occurred outside of the US. Some crook used my card and spent approximately $300 buying chocolates at an overseas supermarket. I hope he chokes on it.

Thankfully, my bank immediately closed my card and reversed the charges at no cost to me. It’s definitely the last time that I’ll be using my debit card to withdraw cash at a tourist location away from home. Crooks are everywhere – just search for “Card Skimmers Las Vegas” in Google.

Yesterday I went to Raglan Road, a posh Irish pub in the Downtown Disney area. The temperature outside hovered just above the freezing point; it was the first time ever that I didn’t feel out of place wearing a hat and gloves in Florida.

Inside the restaurant, the beautiful dancer occupied most of the central stage, while us, the patrons enjoyed our meals, ogling her moves. Fish and chips was definitely creamy and fresh, despite being served in a clean piece of cooking paper instead of the traditional newspaper. This is Disney property, after all, and sanitation is more important than tradition.

The various items on shelves, full of rich Irish culture reminded me of times that have long passed by; when deals closed with a firm handshake and a man’s word was unbreakable.

The Irish immigrants to the US were looked down upon, they had to stick to their own but once cornered, those feisty individuals wasted no time in defending their own.

On their footsteps, Greek immigrants helped build the railroads that connected the east and west through the mid-west and the plains of America, often being treated with contempt and racial discrimination for their initiative and dare to venture onto a new land that wasn’t their place of birth.

Every time someone attempts to belittle you, who speaks low of you, who due to his own failed mind attempts to bring you down, that’s the time that the gloves are off. That’s the time that you become a giant, a union of all men whose steps you’re following to achieve your life’s goals with no power other than your own.

The DomainGang.com project has been a baby of mine for the past three months. Although it was conceived long ago, sometimes it’s easy to plan and dream than to create, nourish and grow. Other times, it’s easier to be pure and full of ideals than to be wary of other people’s intentions and to carry a stick for defending yourself.

In the long run, it’s better to squash the bugs before they become roadside monsters that demand your unwilling contribution each time passers-by want to reach your entertainment establishment.

In just 90 days, DomainGang.com has achieved a Google PR3, an Alexa rating of about 43,000 and a followship that despises regurgitated news. DomainGang.com is offering the option to its readership to expand their minds, to remove their blinders and to read between the lines of the domain industry.

DomainGang LLC will be present in both TRAFFIC Las Vegas and DomainFest, in different formats. To those that are willing to see what DomainGang does, what it offers currently and what the future beholds for the domain business – see you there.

Just remember: the gloves are off.