replacements
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Replacement screens can be used to hijack your phone
A new study has shown that one of the most common fixes to a stock smartphone ailment can be used to steal your data, and compromise your device. In the newly published paper, researchers from Israel's Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reveal how a replacement screen can easily be altered to override your mobile. By embedding a malicious integrated chip within a third-party touchscreen, the research team were able to manipulate the communications system on a Huawei Nexus 6P and LG G Pad 7.0. This essentially allowed them to record keyboard inputs, snap pictures of the user and forward them via email, install apps, and direct the user to phishing websites. A second class of attack also saw them exploit vulnerabilities in the handset's operating system kernel.
Samsung offers Note 7 owners $100 off another Galaxy phone
In an attempt to keep users, Samsung is issuing a $100 credit to exchange the defective Galaxy Note 7 for a Galaxy S7 Edge or other Samsung device. By comparison, it'll give you just $25 if you switch to Apple, HTC or any other brand. It has also expanded the recall to include all Galaxy Note 7 devices, including those issued as replacements for the original defective phones. That move was expected, since both have proved to have defective batteries that can cause fires and explosions.
Apple extends 1TB Seagate HDD replacement program to cover additional iMacs
Last year, faulty 1TB Seagate drives living in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs purchased between May and July of 2011 were at the heart of Apple's HDD replacement program. Now, Cupertino has extended the initiative to encompass rigs sold between October 2009 and July 2011. Customers with an affected iMac are eligible to receive a free drive until April 12, 2013 or for three years after their desktop's original purchase date. Curious if your machine contains an afflicted hard drive? Simply visit the source link below and plug in your computer's serial number to find out. If you do need a replacement, an Apple Store or authorized service center will be happy to help -- just remember to back up your drive before parting with it.
Italian anti-trust body fines Apple for misleading customers on product guarantees
Apple Italia has been fined a total of 900,000 euros for failing to inform its customers that products purchased were already covered by two years of free assistance under national law. It appears that Apple employees encouraged the extra purchase of its own AppleCare plans. With the European court's continued investigation of possible e-book price-fixing and ongoing legal jousting with Samsung unlikely to end any time soon, it looks like Apple will be busy in the courts next year too. [Thanks Giulio]
Verizon swaps misbehaving Fascinates with phones that'll make you flip
If you're among the unfortunate handful of Verizon users whose Samsung Fascinate consistently fails to receive inbound calls after the latest update, we've got good news: Big Red is replacing these unruly handsets free of charge (and without contract extension). Now keep in mind, an in-store Verizon representative must confirm that your phone cannot properly receive calls, because telephone support agents obviously can't verify this one. Once you jump through a few hoops, however, the company will toss you a Certified Like-New Replacement of a Droid Charge, Droid Incredible 2, or Droid X2 as compensation for your plight. Sure it's used, but so is your Fascinate, so chin up -- this time, there's reason to be glad your smartphone doesn't work. [Thanks, Geremy]
Some Xbox 360s won't read discs; Microsoft to comp owners with a new system, year of XBL (Update)
There may have been a good reason for that wide beta test Microsoft ran to test out its new disc format for the Xbox 360. While it will allow for an extra 1GB of storage space for new games and (it hopes) stop piracy, apparently some consoles contain drives that cannot read the new XGD3 discs. The details can be seen in the email pictured above posted by Reddit user Avery Penn and were verified as real by the Xbox Support Twitter account, but now it's responding to inquiries by saying the replacements are in response to a previous update and not the upcoming one that has been in beta. Adding to the confusion, Microsoft Europe confirmed the initial report and points affected users towards the support page to get sorted out. One way or another, affected owners can expect to be mollified by getting their Xbox 360s replaced with new 250GB Xbox 360S models plus a free year of XBL for the trouble. We haven't gotten an official response about the plan yet but are still checking, so your plan to hoard old consoles and get free replacements en masse is probably equal parts premature and Seinfeldian genius. Update: Microsoft has responded, confirming that the earlier statement was incorrect and this is not related to the update being beta tested. If you're wondering how many people are in for a swap, all we could find out is that something less than 10,000 of the 50 million or so Xbox 360s sold worldwide are affected. Check after the break for the official word, but if you have one of the boxes and are connected to XBL you should expect to receive a notice in your email.
New Xbox 360 update incompatible with some models, MS offering replacements [update]
Microsoft has confirmed that some Xbox 360 consoles weren't happy with a recent firmware update upcoming, mandatory firmware update. The console manufacturer will replace consoles that have become unable to read retail game discs with a new Xbox 360 S with 250 GB hard drive. "Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs," a Microsoft statement reads. "This issue manifests itself a as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen and is unrelated to our recent public beta (alteration from original Eurogamer statement). We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console." The firmware update implements new anti-piracy measures (along with a 1GB bump in disc storage capacity) that apparently don't play nice with certain DVE drives. Given that the Xbox 360 has had several revisions to its guts over the years, this is the reason why only certain models will be affected. We've contacted Microsoft to find out what North American consumers should do if their console is incompatible with the update. European consumers have been told to go to Microsoft's general support page. Update: Altered text above with new information. Microsoft's official statement can be found after the break.
NVIDIA's faulty GPU class action settlement challenged, but time's running out
Remember when NVIDIA was caught selling defective mobile graphics chips, and agreed to provide bargain-basement replacement laptops to make a class-action lawsuit go away? At least one gentleman wasn't happy with how that went down, and is suing to see that affected customers get a fair shake. Ted Frank of the Center for Class Action Fairness says that NVIDIA has no business passing off cheap laptops, and we think he might have a case -- after all, the judge ordered that NVIDIA provide "a replacement computer of like or similar kind and equal or similar value," and it doesn't take a lawyer to see that the $400 Compaq Presario CQ56-115DX that the company's offering doesn't come close to compensating owners of faulty machines. We joked that you might be better off selling your old laptop for parts on eBay, and that might not be far from the truth. The thing is, whether Ted Frank and company win or lose in court, defective laptop owners have only two weeks remaining to sign up for whatever NVIDIA ends up handing out, as March 14th is the final deadline to have settlement claims postmarked. Read the arguments at our more coverage link, and decide for yourself.
Wii Warm Up: Are you ready for your replacement?
Reader Joe wrote in to us to inform that he had gotten his mailer for his replacement copy of Guitar Hero III. It's something we talk about quite a bit around the offices here and you all no doubt have a somewhat bad taste in your mouth after finally getting the Guitar Hero franchise on a Nintendo console. We're hip to it, we understand.But, were you one of the folks who are in need of a replacement disc? Have you received your mailer too? Or, are you waiting for this all to blow over before jumping into Guitar Hero III? Perhaps you're waiting on the competition first?
Switching out for a replacement in instances
Last weekend, my guild was heroically wiping our way through Gruul's Lair, when a friend called to go see Transformers. I did want to go, but I didn't want to leave my guild without a healer. So I did exactly what you should do when leaving a group-- I dropped a /tell to a priest in the battlegrounds and asked him if he could replace me. He could, I told the raidleader I had to go, helped him summon the priest, and I was off to see Optimus Prime fighting Megatron. Horrible story and acting, by the way, but amazing action with awesome robots.So that's exactly what you should do when leaving a group unexpectedly (find a replacement), but unfortunately, it's not always what everyone does. Sometimes it's a matter of availability-- just last night, our tank in Shattered Halls said he had to log out, and we just weren't able to find any warriors to replace him-- but the point is that the responsibility for filling the evacuated role should be that of the person leaving, not the group. Saying "bye" and logging is definitely one way to do it, but it's not the best way-- what you should be doing is finding a replacement.And how's that done? First, check your guild to see if there are others of your own class around to join up. Even if not, keep in mind that you can change things around if necessary (as a Shaman, I can switch prettty easily between DPS and healing, so if our priest leaves, we're fine adding either another priest or a replacement DPS). If no one in the guild is available, then it's time to go for your own Friends list-- I've met quite a few other players in PUGs that I usually hit up for group members when necessary, and sometimes I'll even ask them to check their own guilds for replacements. And if you have to, it is possible to simply do a "/who 70 priest" query-- you run the risk of getting someone who doesn't know what they're doing, but as my grandmother always said, beggars can't be choosers.Of course, throughout all of it, you've got to be patient-- it's fine to send someone a /tell asking if they want to join up, but if they say no or don't answer, leave them alone after that. And if a replacement can't be found, both the group and the person leaving should understand (although for Transformers, I might have delayed the movie rather than letting the 25 man raid go without). But most people play this game to actually run the instances-- with a little effort, switching out a replacement can keep an instance run rolling right along.
Sony offers fix for broken DVDs
For those still living in the 90's and having problems with Sony's ARccOS copy protection scheme for DVDs, Sony has updated the system and is offering replacement discs to those who request them. Some studios just won't give up on DRM, and while CSS and more recently AACS have been compromised, they continue to look for ways to "protect" their content. As in any cat-mouse-game, you have to constantly adapt to stay in the game -- so you can bet that this won't be the last time Sony updates this format. If you are one of the few watching DVDs on an incompatible player, do yourself a favor and call in to get a replacement disc, or if even if you don't have one and just want to chat about DRM for a bit.[Via Slashdot]
Belkin replaces defective iPod remotes
After some Canadian customers reported technical issues with the remote control packaged with their Belkin TuneCommand AV units, Belkin started marking affected packages with information stickers and set up this page for Canadian customers to request a free replacement. If you purchased an affected product, use this form to submit your shipping information. Contrary to some rumors floating around the Internet, this is not a general offer for a free remote. It's meant only for Canadian customers affected by specific technical concerns.
