The Strawhecker Group, a new Omaha-based consulting firm focused on the merchant acquiring sector of the card payments industry, has just published the first issue of Exchanges (PDF), a new newsletter for clients and friends of the firm. The inaugural issue includes an article by Cliff Gray of the importance of PCI compliance to ISO's and acquirers along with news about a new eCommerce Gateway Analysis the firm recently completed.

Paul Gores reports for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that consumers in the Milwaukee area are increasingly accepting of technology that uses fingerprints to buy groceries. "It's very well received," said Juanita Kocanda, Jewel-Osco's manager of public affairs. "We get positive feedback, especially from the people who write checks, because it comes right out of your checking account and you don't have to write a check."

Yuba Bessaoud reports for the London Sunday Times on plans by banks in the UK to provide hand-held terminals to bank customers that will generate unique eight-digit codes on every transaction - and plans to use them for online banking access. If successful for bank access, Bessaoud reports that APACS might later extend the use of the terminals to retail websites as well.

Laura Smitherman writes for the Baltimore Sun about the authentication techniques banks in the Baltimore area are implementing to "better identify online customers after federal regulators, alarmed by the rising incidence and sophistication of identity theft, imposed a year-end deadline."