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Pandora channel gets refresh, version 3.0 arrives on Roku
Pandora's music-sharing channel on Roku has been spruced up with a new station screen design and a few minor (but welcome) new features. Version 3.0 adds genre station functionality within a new grid interface, while the whole family (or at least up to five of them) can now connect their Pandora accounts to the same Roku hardware. For extended play, a new screen saver will display track details alongside album art and the renovated search will also display those album covers in results. Roku owners can expect their channel to auto-update in the next 48 hours, but anyone who hasn't yet sampled the delights of Pandora can pick up the free download from the streaming box's channel store.
All heroes in Heroes of Newerth will be free as of tomorrow
The free-to-play fantasy MOBA Heroes of Newerth just got a little more free. Starting tomorrow, all of the heroes in the game will be free to everyone. S2 Games has announced that the entire pool of 107 heroes will be unlocked for play all the time when patch 2.6.11, aptly dubbed All Heroes Free, goes live on July 20th. This new system replaces the current one in which the pool of 16 free heroes rotate weekly. Players who purchased a released hero within 15 days of the patch's launch will receive a refund. In addition, any player who has ever purchased a hero with real-world currency will receive an exclusive new super robot avatar, Mecha Gemini. Legacy players will also be rewarded for their loyalty by earning more rewards for each match played. [Source S2 Games press release]
South Korea forces Blizzard to give Diablo III refunds
After investigating numerous complaints that Blizzard wasn't granting refunds to dissatisfied South Korean Diablo III players, the government there demanded that the studio do so anyway. The South Korean consumer protection law ensures a refund if there's a problem with the product that isn't related to the customer. Many South Korean players were angered due to massive server crashes and high latency while playing Diablo III. The Wall Street Journal reports that 66% of Diablo III online traffic in Asia comes from the country. As for the refund itself, there are a few stipulations. It currently extends to players who haven't reached level 40. If eligible, the customer has to file for a refund between June 25th and July 3rd. Past that date, Blizzard said that it will offer refunds for any players under level 20 within 14 days of their purchasing the game. The studio is also extending an olive branch to upset gamers by handing out 30-day trials to StarCraft II.
Korean government raids Blizzard over alleged Diablo III wrongdoing
Blizzard is on the hot seat as the Korean Fair Trade Commission raided the studio's Seoul office to gather evidence as to whether or not Blizzard violated the country's law. The FTC performed the raid due to allegations that Blizzard is refusing to refund players who purchased and were attempting to return Diablo III. Dissatisfied customers who couldn't log into the game were denied a full refund by Blizzard, which said that it was under no obligation to do so under the game's contract. The studio claims that it has a strict policy of "no refunds" in the country if a product is used. The players turned to the FTC for help, and the commission responded by launching an investigation. The investigation will sort through the seized documents and evidence to see if there is a possible violation of Korea's electronic commerce and commercial contracts law. The FTC confirmed that it had received "many complaints" from Diablo III players but did not comment further on the investigation. Blizzard has since vowed to increase server capacity but is not budging on the refunds.
Minecraft XBLA refunds available to SDTV owners
Minecraft's XBLA port features local split-screen multiplayer – but only when played on an HDTV, a stipulation that wasn't ... stipulated very clearly. Microsoft announced two efforts to rebuild the shattered relationship between it and SDTV-owning fans who found themselves lacking in modes. The full (but brief) statement is after the break.First, Microsoft is now issuing refunds to affected customers who contact the publisher through customer support. Second, it is preventing other customers from being Mineshafted by adding clearer notification to the XBLA listing: "To experience split-screen functionality a high-definition television is required."
Kickstarter talks to us about product 'pre-orders,' won't force refunds when creators flake
Kickstarter has proven an incredibly effective venue for connecting project creators with monetary support -- inventors pitch directly to consumers, indie filmmakers meet indie producers and food trucks get the financial push necessary to take their restaurants to the road. With the latter two, backers don't necessarily expect goods in return, save for an overvalued t-shirt, bumper sticker or film credit. When it comes to electronics, however, funders are often promised a first-off-the-line gadget -- one that may never arrive at their door. One oft-overlooked, yet critical detail should help curb expectations, while also serving to filter out pledges that are motivated by the pre-order promise, from those that offer financial support without a guaranteed return. Like it or not, all transactions fall into that second category. Pre-order offers may go unfulfilled, and some pledges may be reduced to donations, if a project creator ends up unable to deliver an item as intended. And such situations may not prompt a refund, souring the experience for an increasing number of hopeful device owners. Join us past the break for an explanation from the Kickstarter team, and a closer look at some recent examples.
How would you change the Jawbone Up?
Ordinarily, we'd be dismissive if you answered that question with "Doy, make it work!" but in the special case of the Jawbone Up, it's entirely apt. The wristband promised plenty of technological advances that would track your sleep, calories burned and diarize your food intake, all within the confines of a slender cord wrapped around your wrist. The downside? A significant proportion of the units conked out days after being opened, forcing the company to offer no-questions-asked refunds and halt production. So, what we want to know is: do you have a working Up? Does it still work? Do you like it? If Hosain Rahman was reading the comments below, how would you suggest he goes about fixing things?
Apple offers refund over Australian 4G iPad confusion
Confused over Apple's liberal use of the 4G moniker? The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission reckons you have a point and took those concerns to Apple Australia. The company has now responded to the country's federal court, offering to contact -- by email -- everyone who bought the retina-screened slab and promise a refund if they felt misled over its connectivity capabilities. Apple will also amend its point of sale details to explain that while it can connect to 4G (LTE) networks in the US and Canada, it won't connect to Australia's own next-generation network offered by Telstra. Apple also thinks that the existence of HPSA capability -- and its nebulous definition as either a third-generation or fourth generation network -- in the Land Down Under meant it could still hold onto those 4G credentials.
Samsung may cough up millions over kaput TVs
A class action lawsuit filed by owners of faulty Sammy TVs has finally reached a settlement. The manufacturer has promised to foot the bill for new repairs, reimburse for previous repairs and hand out up to $300 to customers who no longer possess their broken TVs but can prove they once did. The fault can affects any of the models listed above -- possibly up to seven million sets in total -- and centers on an errant capacitor in the power circuit that stops the TV turning on, makes it slow to turn on, produces a "clicking sound" or makes it cycle on and off. If you think you're affected then check the source link for details on what to do next. Curious to know how much the lawyers got? A cool half-million for their troubles, which means they'll be upgrading to OLED.Update: A Samsung spokesperson offered up the following response, Approximately 1 percent of Samsung televisions sold in the U.S. from 2006 to 2008 have experienced some performance issues caused by a component called a capacitor. Since originally confirming this issue in early 2010, Samsung has voluntarily provided free repairs for U.S. customers with affected televisions. Recently, a nationwide class settlement covering all affected televisions in the U.S. was reached in Russell, et al. v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a lawsuit filed in the District Court of Oklahoma County in the U.S.
ASUS offers refunds and extended warranties to piqued Prime customers in the UK
If the Ice Cream Sandwich update, bug fixes and piles of apologies from the folks at ASUS just aren't cutting it and you happen to live in the UK, then we've got some good news for you. You are free to take your Transformer Prime back to the shop for a full refund. Don't expect turn around and pick up that updated TF700T with your haul, though, it won't be hitting shelves in merry ol' England till at least June. If you choose to keep your dockable tablet, ASUS will offer an extended warranty of 18 months, just to soothe your panicked mind that wakes you with night terrors about GPS issues and unknown serial numbers.
Apple refunds purchases for 'prematurely released' GameStore app
As those who follow such comings and goings closely may have noticed, a rather mysterious "GameStore" app seemingly made by Apple itself recently appeared in the App Store. It didn't provide much in the way of functionality for its $0.99 price tag -- displaying only a few in-app purchases that couldn't actually be purchased -- and now Apple has offered an explanation, of sorts, for the app's existence. In a message to folks who bought the app, Apple said that the app (since pulled from the App Store) was "prematurely released," and that it has refunded all purchases. Of course, that raises the question as to whether it will eventually be released officially, but Apple expectedly isn't getting any more specific at this point.
Jawbone Up refunds start rolling out, feel free to keep your bricked band (or not)
Not entirely satisfied with that Jawbone Up purchase? Well, plebes, if you also applied for the "no questions asked" refund, you ought to check your inbox. A reader of Wireless Goodness has received a confirmation (as seen above) that greenbacks from their purchase are inbound. For those of you who forgot to file that claim, peep the more coverage link below. Everyone else, might we humbly suggest our review?
Apple refunds iTunes Match purchases for international users after premature 'launch'
Although options to sign up for iTunes Match started appearing in several international markets yesterday, many suspected that the launch was premature since iTunes Match wasn't showing up on the main page of respective countries' iTunes Stores. It turns out the "launch" was indeed premature, as iTunes Match remains unavailable outside of the United States and Brazil. Users who signed up for iTunes Match in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, and other markets where the service was prematurely unveiled will be offered refunds for the signup fee, according to iPodNN. International users who signed up for the service were justly concerned that since iTunes Match is a yearly subscription, an unknown portion of their first year's subscription would be essentially invalid; the refunds Apple is offering address this concern. It's unclear why iTunes Match was kind of but not really launched internationally, but it does at least confirm that Apple is working on expanding the service to markets beyond those where it's currently available. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how long it will be before iTunes Match officially launches internationally, but here's hoping it's sooner rather than later.
Jawbone refunds all UP purchasers whether they return the device or not
Complaints over the durability (or lack thereof) of Jawbone's UP wristband have led the company to the unusual move of promising refunds to all customers -- even if they decline to return the device to Jawbone. Jawbone says current UP owners can keep their wristbands, according to TechCrunch, so long as they promise not to sell them on eBay or otherwise profit from it. A letter from the company's CEO lays out the plan and promises that Jawbone is retooling to fix the issues. Meanwhile, all pending orders for the Jawbone UP have been canceled, and Jawbone offers existing users a choice of cash refunds of US$109.43 or Jawbone.com credit of $150. The Jawbone UP wristband fitness tracker has received generally good reviews, but many users have complained that the hardware fails after a short period of time. In response, Jawbone has withdrawn UP from circulation until it can sort these issues out. This recall/refund scheme will no doubt cost Jawbone a great deal of money, but it may be an acceptable tradeoff if the company reaps enough goodwill in return.
Jawbone offers 'no questions asked' refund for troubled Up band, even if you keep it
While Jawbone attempts to fix the handful of substantial issues plaguing its new Up fitness band, it's now announced that it will begin giving free refunds to dissatisfied customers -- and you can even keep hold of the band afterwards. Production of it has been put on pause, but the company is continuing to roll out software tweaks for existing lifestyle metric obsessives. The new guarantee starts on December 9th, and will only cover Up bands purchased this year. You can read up on all the refund specifics -- along with Jawbone CEO Hosain Rahman's apology -- at the source links below.
Report: Steam offering refunds to From Dust customers
Ubisoft has authorized Valve to offer refunds to Steam customers who are unhappy with their purchase of the troubled From Dust PC port. Rock Paper Shotgun reports that some of their readers have received emails from Steam support that note: "If you don't want to wait for the patch or if you haven't played the game, per Ubisoft's request, we will issue refunds this title." Ubisoft's From Dust PC port has been a (dark) comedy of errors. The game suffered though the usual eleventh-hour delay, mixed messaging about DRM, and then bugs and technical issues in the final release. It's quite a shame, since it's actually a pretty good game.
Cloud Engines recalls potentially flammable Pogoplug Video (update)
Looks like sharing videos over the cloud may be a risky task -- if you're using the box shown here on the left, that is. The Pogoplug Video hit the retail scene about two months ago, but Cloud Engines has already issued a recall after two devices nearly went up in flames. According to The Official Pogoplug Blog, the internal chip that handles video encoding can experience "thermal runaways" after long periods of use, which could cause the device to reach unsafe temperatures; this despite having a fan to keep things cool. The affected model numbers include Pogo P-11 through 14, and the company asks that owners get in contact to setup a return and refund. In the meantime, it also suggests that the units be unplugged -- a good idea if you want to avoid possibly burning the house down. Update: It appears that Cloud Engines' initial statement has been condensed and slightly modified. Zenverge, the chip's manufacturer, has also informed us that the silicon itself isn't exactly the problem. The end result remains the same, however: this Pogoplug is too hot for video.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me get a MobileMe refund
Dear Aunt TUAW, I renewed MobileMe in April for $99. It appears there will be no refund. Where's the loud and insistent outcry? Your rather ticked-off nephew, Z Dear Z, Auntie totally gets where you are coming from (although as far as she's concerned, MobileMe is something that always happened to other people). Apple has renewed all MobileMe customers until the middle of 2012 but, honestly, what's the point? Anyway, Apple has clarified its MobileMe refund policy on this Knowledge Base page. Unused activation codes and codes used for 45 days or less will be fully refunded. Codes used for 46 days or more will receive pro-rated refunds. Shipping costs and rebates will be deducted from any refunds. You'll need to provide proof-of-purchase documentation before submitting any claims. You can contact Apple directly and request a refund by phone. This worldwide list of numbers provides contact information on a country-by-country basis. That's what Uncle Steve did. He renewed at the start of the year, getting a few months of service but paying for the entire year. He might have gotten a couple of months more value than you but he's totally in the same boat. So Auntie made him call up Apple and demand, I tell you, demand that refund. Here's what happened. He was quickly transferred to the MobileMe department, and the phone rep there recommended that he wait on canceling. "You can cancel your MobileMe subscription at any time for a pro-rated refund," they told him. "However, if you use MobileMe for email, contacts, calendar, iDisk files, and MobileMe Gallery, that information is going to be deleted and you won't be able to sync devices." The Apple support rep recommended waiting until iCloud becomes available. "[If you wait until] those services are available to you, you can cancel the MobileMe subscription and receive a refund for the remainder of the year. You cannot reactivate your MobileMe subscription after you cancel it, so be sure that if you are going to cancel that you have alternative sources for email, and for syncing. " Uncle Steve chose to wait. He's going to cancel after iOS 5 and iCloud are firmly chugging along this Fall and request his pro-rated refund at that point. You might want to wait and do the same. That's because Uncle Steve is very sensitive about his "mac.com" email address. He wants to keep it forever and ever, and hug it and love it and call it "George." It appears that he'll be able to do so. Yay! He's more than a little concerned about the 5 GB free storage limit on iCloud, though. His email will chew that up in no time -- much like how Auntie's little Pekingese puppy Spunky Sue (AKC registered name "Spunky Sue Your Pants Off Champion Johnnie Cochran") chewed up Auntie's favorite slippers last week. You'll discover a wealth of information about iCloud both in the press release announcing the service and in the web pages that describe it, so be sure to do a little reading for your homework. Do you have any other concerns about MobileMe and the transition to iCloud? Let Auntie know in the comments. Hugs, Auntie T.
Sony update on PSN / Qriocity outage: 'some services up and running within a week' (updated)
As the PlayStation Network / Qriocity outage stretches into its second week, over on the PlayStation Blog rep Patrick Seybold has just posted an updated Q&A based on the inquiries of concerned users. Beyond the security of our personal information, the most important question is when service might be restored and he reiterates Sony expects to have "some services" up and running within a week from yesterday. When it comes to the most important personal information like credit card numbers, there are assurances that the credit card database was encrypted and there is no evidence anything was taken, but that's a possibility that still cannot be ruled out completely. To keep things secure, Gamasutra reports game developers are getting new SDKs with updated security features as well. When the service comes back up, expect a mandatory system update that requires a new password before getting back to your Mortal Kombat or Portal 2-related plans. Update: Sony posted Q&A #2 with a few more details addressing custom compensation. Regarding a "goodwill gesture," Sony says, "We are currently evaluating ways to show appreciation for your extraordinary patience as we work to get these services back online." The company is also working on a "make good" plan for gamers with a subscription to the PS3 MMOs DC Universe Online or Free Realms, details of which are coming soon.
Netflix applies credits for those impacted by outage, 3 percent
If you're like us and would rather throw change into the jar at the store than to carry it around in your pocket all day, you'll probably be just as excited as we are to hear Netflix is offering credits to some of those impacted by yesterday's outage. We have never been good at calculating percentages, but it doesn't take a math major to figure out that three percent of a $9 bill isn't anything to get excited about. It isn't completely unprecedented though. While most subscription services we pay for wouldn't think to issue even a penny when there's an outage, even though who are obligated via some sort of service level agreement, typically issue miniscule amounts like this using the logic that they were still up 97 percent of the pay period. If you're wondering how to get your 25 cents, keep an eye on your email and hope you are lucky enough to get the customized link that leads to your fortunes.