EventHorizon1984 Log

The Hype of Mobile Payments

The Hype of Mobile Payments
14 April 2012
EventHorizon1984

 

There is a growing trend of companies playing fast and loose with the "mobile" descriptor.  When these folks talk "mobile" payments, sales, etal., readers/listeners are guided to the assumption that any statistics given are solely for smart phone transactions.  Which is not true.

"There are a lot of people talking about mobile payments these days."
John Donahoe, 2012

"I do not think it means what you think it means."
Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride (1987)

By example, eBay paid writer Richard Brewer-Hay stated, "eBay Inc. anticipates continued growth in mobile sales and payments in 2012 as shopping on smartphones and tablet devices."  Qualifying "mobile sales and payments" are not only smart phones.

So what is a "mobile" or "mobile payment"?

A standard definition of mobile payment:

"Any payment where a mobile device is used in order to initiate, activate and/or confirm this payment can be considered as a mobile payment.  This definition includes a wide palette of approaches, and points out the fact that mobile payments do not restrict themselves to payments via the mobile phone but virtually any mobile device such as a smartphone, PDA, tablet PC or even merchant-operated mobile terminals."
IEEE Symposium on Trends in Communications (SymptoTIC '04), 24-26 October 2004, Bratislava, Slovikia.

Or if you prefer United States based and short:

"Mobile Payment - Payment initiated from a mobile device."
Mobile Payments in the United States
Mapping Out the Road Ahead
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, BetterBuyDesign, March 25, 2011

Now a few are asking, 'smart phone, mobile, what's the big deal?'

It's a matter of choice to be completely factual, or choosing to be fast and loose with the details.

"we live in a mobile home.  That's a cave that goes places.  Only we never went anyplace." Alex Rogan
"A mobile cave that never went anywhere.  Fascinating."  Grig
The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Merriam-Webster definition of mobile is, "capable of moving or being moved".

By this definition, some companies are loosely telling the truth about "mobile".  While that definition of "mobile" is an excellent means of inflating numbers, it is misleading.

Again by example, selected at random a link to point-of-sale (POS) mobile terminals:

http://www.networksolutions.com/merchant-accounts/retail-pos.jsp

These are POS devices that use cell phones for connectivity.  As written for one device, "mobile payment processing through your 3G/3GS/4G iPhone".

Note they state "mobile payment processing", i.e. mobile payment.

By one standard definition, these are "merchant-operated mobile terminals".

Let's suppose you're small warehouse seller Acme Widgets.   With these mobile devices, in 2011 you processed $1 million in credit card transactions.  Acme Widgets could state factually, mobile payments in 2011 reached $1 million.  Or state they processed $1 million in transactions through smart phones.  Even though they processed zero customer initiated smart phone payments.

Anyone with similar portable, read mobile, POS systems can make the same claims.  It's truthful, but nevertheless inflating the mobile payments numbers.

By the way, next time you're shopping at a brick-and-mortar, check out the wireless POS devices.  Wireless systems are considered Merriam-Webster mobile.  Like your wireless mobile laser printer.

You might ask, 'why bother massaging numbers, mobile payments are huge.'

"eBay's global mobile GMV reached $5 billion in 2011"
Richard Brewer-Hay, 11 January 2012

$6.0 trillion - 2011 total volume of transactions
Visa Inc

While we believe in the future mobile payments will be huge, as a percentage of eCommerce and Commerce today, they are rather small.

The figures for eCommerce as a percentage of total Commerce:

• "E-commerce sales in the fourth quarter of 2011 accounted for 5.5 percent of total sales."

This percentage tracks rather well with numbers from a handful of brick-and-mortar stores:

• "Online share of sales at big brick-and-mortal retailers
• 8.7% Sears
• 7.2% Macy's
• 2% Target
• 2% Walmart"

In the case of Walmart, "2011 online sales amounted to less than 2 percent of its $264 billion in U.S. revenue".

Let's shrink the pie further.

The figures for United States mobile payment/m-commerce:

• In the US, m-commerce revenues are expected to hit $6 billion by the end of 2011, growing to $31 billion by 2016, according to Forrester Research (June 2011).
• But m-commerce will only be 2 percent of e-commerce in 2011 and 7 percent of e-commerce in 2016.
• The average annual spend on mobile purchases was US$300.

Worldwide the numbers are:

• $86.1 billion in 2011

Yes that would be United States eCommerce is 5.5% of Commerce.  With m-commerce being 2% of that 5.5%.

What should you take away from this article?  The next time you see someone waving a smart phone and saying $Blahblah "mobile", look for the specific dollar amount breakdowns attributed to smart phones and other devices by region.

Bet you won't see any.

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"In 2011, PayPal's net total payment volume, or TPV, for transactions using mobile devices reached $4 billion"
eBay INC Form 10-K, 31 January 2012

http://www.frbatlanta.org/documents/rprf/rprf_pubs/110325_wp.pdf
"U.S. financial institutions have not offered mobile financial payments because of a perceived lack of a good business case, although the growth of mobile banking implementations and recent mobile payment trials signal this may be changing."
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 25 March 2011

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The Sutchi Hui Pedestrian versus Chris Bucchere Bicyclist Incident. San Francisco Vehicular Fatality.

The Case of Sutchi Hui Pedestrian versus Chris Bucchere Bicyclist.  One Dead In San Francisco.
9 April 2012
EventHorizon1984

 

We are not a current events type of space.  But sometimes something comes up ......

On 29 March 2012, in the city of San Francisco, a bicyclist identified as Chris Bucchere collided with a pedestrian identified as Sutchi Hui.  Mr. Bucchere survived the impact.  Mr. Hui died later at the hospital.

While this type of sad event happens around the world daily, it's what happened after the collision that made headlines.

One viewable by the public online post.

"Never post anything you don't want repeated in RL."
SoccerkickrevivaL

An individual identifying themselves as "Chris Bucchere" wrote a post about the incident on the Mission Cycling AM Rider Google group (http://groups.google.com/group/mc-am-riders).

We pieced together and verified from various sources, the contents of that Mission Cycling AM Rider Google group post.  See below.

Wrecked

Dear Missionistas / Raiders of the Morning, Famiglia and Amigos,

I wrecked on the way home today from the bi-weekly Headlands Raid today. Short story: I'm fine. The pedestrian I clobbered? Not so much.

Around 8 a.m. I was descending Divisadero Street southbound and about to cross Market Street. The light turned yellow as I was approaching the intersection, but I was already way too committed to stop. The light turned red as I was cruising through the middle of the intersection and then, almost instantly, the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro filled up with people coming from both directions. The intersection very long and the width of Castro Street at that point is very short, so, in a nutshell, blammo.

The quote/unquote 'scene of the crime' was that intersection right by the landmark Castro Theatre – it leads from a really busy MUNI station to that little plaza where The Naked Guy always hangs out. It was commuter hour and it was crowded as all getup. I couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop, so I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the least-populated place I could find.

I don't remember the next five minutes but when I came to, I was in a neck brace being loaded into an ambulance. I remember seeing a RIVER of blood on the asphalt, but it wasn't mine. Apparently I hit a 71-year-old male pedestrian and he ended up in the ICU with pretty serious head injuries. I really hope he ends up OK.

They asked me a bunch of stupid easy questions that I couldn't answer, so they kept me for a few hours for observation, gave me a tetanus shot and sent me on my way.

Anyway, other than a stiff neck, a sore jaw/TMJ, a few bruises and some raspberries, I'm totally fine. I got discharged from the hospital durning the lunch hour. The guy I hit was not as fortunate. I really hope he makes it.

The cops took my bike. Hopefully they'll give it back.

In closing, I want to dedicate this story to my late helmet. She died in heroic fashion today as my head slammed into the tarmac. Like the Secret Service would do for a president, she took some serious pavement today, cracking through-and-through in five places and getting completely mauled by the ragged asphalt. May she die knowing that because she committed the ultimate sacrifice, her rider can live on and ride on. Can I get an amen?

Amen.

The moral of this little story is: WYFH

Hoping you'll all keep the rubber side down,

Chris

We here would love to make a few choice personal comments about this masterpiece, but it would not be fit to print.

"All we want are the facts"
Joe Friday, Dragnet

Let's go over some of this

The above post was attributed to Chris Bucchere, because his email address was attached to it.  One problem with that logic; if you want to get one of his email addresses it's easy enough to use Google to get one.

For instance you can get a Chris Bucchere email address from http://feedhaus.com/.

Or make one up, with his name imbedded within.

All well within the realm of what any simpleton Internet Troll could accomplish.

To objectively state that Chris Bucchere made that post, where a computer is involved, you need to link the IP address associated with that email address to him.  Match the MAC address to a device he has access to or owns.  And then prove he was at that specific device at the time of the post.

If that post was made from a smart phone, best of luck trying to reverse trace the phone number and phone that made the post. 

Ok, neither are outrageously difficult to obtain, but that's another discussion.

Not to say this is impossible.  But the reverse process, a search warrant for Chris Bucchere's phone and Internet records, requires some probable cause. 

You can read the appropriate California statute for yourself: 

Penal Code Section 1523-1542

So did Chris Bucchere, the one in the collision, make that post? 

The site associated to that group, MissionCycling.org, had this to say:

"The mailing list this was posted to exists solely to allow the broader cycling community to communicate about cycling events and related topics. It was by no means an official Mission Cycling members list. Chris Bucchere’s post came as a surprise and shock to all of us who read it."

The owners of that Google group say it's him, but that's not proof.

Let's take a different and public tact.

"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!"
Cosmo, Sneakers (1992)

There is a growing misconception that the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" only made that one incident post.  This is not true.

View for yourself some posts attributed to poster "Chris Bucchere", going back to 2010, on the Mission Cycling AM Google group.

To do this, use Google and search for "site:groups.google.com groups.google.com/group/mc-am-riders "chris bucchere"".

Because that group closed itself to the public, use the Google "Cached" option to view messages.

A cursory examination shows that the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" had a good online rapport with other group members.  Not out of the ordinary with online groups.  Plus he left multiple Internet links identifying himself.  Abet any Internet Troll could do this.

But when you read his postings, you will find out he had a good offline, that is a person to person relationship, with other group members.  Internet Trolls are not known for doing this, unless they're into Identity Theft.

A Detective would have no problem determining if the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" is the Chris Bucchere the Police interviewed on 29 March 2012.

The original post was deleted, making an online public reading difficult.  But not impossible.  If you're really the curious type, do a Google search for "Wrecked - Mission Cycling AM Riders".  Suggest using the quotes ("").

We suspect that link leads to the post that's making news around the world.

Currently that link will not yield that post, and at present it's not Google cached yet.  However the original post might show up in the Google cache in the coming weeks.  Should it appear, you'll probably see it circulating around the Internet.

Unless Google decides to quash it, or has already deleted it.

"the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"

What does the area involving the death of Sutchi Hui look like?

The view as provided by www.dailymail.co.uk:

The view as provided by www.sfgate.com:

The view as provided by zzz.sfbg.com:

The view as provided by sfist.com:



"I was cruising through the middle of the intersection and then, almost instantly, the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro filled up with people"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"

There is an article, "The Chris Bucchere Accident", which includes video of pedestrians in the Castro & Market Street area.  The area of the above photos.

You can judge for yourself whether pedestrians can fill a crosswalk "instantly."

"I couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop, so I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the least-populated place I could find."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"

One might wonder what "laying the bike down" means.  It's a term taken from a motorcycle maneuver, which involves hitting the pavement and sliding.

Here's a motorcycle explanation and photo:

How to Lay Down the Bike

There is an interesting section within; "Today's bikes are also capable of stopping faster than ever before, making the advice about always lying down to avoid a crash obsolete."

Now imagine a bicycle and bicyclist going sideways, not upright.  Into a crowd of pedestrians.

Likely scenario would be the two wheels are facing the crowd, with the bulk of the bicycle protecting the rider.

Our opinionated question is 'Why didn't he turn (left or right)?'.

"The light turned red as I was cruising through the middle of the intersection."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"

"The light was yellow, sir."
Jake Elwood, The Blues Brothers (1980)

According to the Police there is a, 'motorist who reported seeing Bucchere and another cyclist fly through several red lights and stop signs before the deadly Castro district crash.'

We'll have to wait and see what statements were made by other people AT the incident area.

It was after all, the commuter hour and crowded.

Unconfirmed at this point, is the notion that there were traffic cameras, and other cameras, automatically recording the incident.

"I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"

Is a bicycle considered a vehicle in California?

V C Section 21200 Laws Applicable to Bicycle Use Peace Officer Exemption:

"A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division"

Answer:  Yes.

Much has been made of whether the light was yellow or red.  Isn't a bicycle/vehicle supposed to yield to pedestrians, whether the light is red, yellow, or gren?

Right-of-Way at Crosswalks

21950.  (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.

According to part (d) a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk has right-of-way.  Meaning the vehicle yields.  Read, STOP.

"Reporters.  They want a comment."  Robert Goren
"Can they print a hand gesture."  Alexandra Eames
Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Then there's this tragedy.

Teen Driver Arrested After SUV Hits 3 Cyclists In Concord, Killing 2

The driver was "arrested on manslaughter charges in the death of 2 bicyclists.  Essentially reckless driving, speeding, and two fatalities.

That incident took place on 7 April 2012 at "9:30 a.m."  The arrest was recorded in an article posted at 10:50 AM.

Contrast that action with Chris Bucchere, who according to MissionCycling.org, "reckless riding on that day", probably GPS tracked going 35.2 mph in a 25 mph zone, resulting in one fatality?

This incident took place on March 29, 2012.  Over a week later the "Prosecutors have not filed charges but are looking into the case."

Guess in San Francisco, if you're under two vehicular fatalities, it's ok.

/*

"Don't try to usurp my throne, bitch! *I* am the slowest person in the group."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere", 7 December 2011

"Recently retired from asking for or seeking anything from anyone. Now simply accepting my destiny."
Chris Bucchere

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Some references.

• http://www.google.com
• http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2126649/Chris-Bucchere-accused-KILLING-71-year-old-defending-actions-cycling-internet-forum.html
  --  'I plowed through... and blammo': Cyclist accused of KILLING 71-year-old after brazenly telling internet forum how he ran him over
• http://www.marinij.com/sausalito/ci_20334356/cyclist-involved-fatal-s-f-crash-was-coming  --  
Cyclist involved in fatal S.F. crash was coming from Marin Headlands ride
• http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2012/04/05/was-cyclist-who-killed-pedestrian-reckless  --  
Was the cyclist who killed a pedestrian reckless?
• http://sfist.com/2012/04/05/cyclist_who_struck_pedestrian_at_ca.php  --  
Cyclist Who Struck Pedestrian At Castro: "I Just Plowed Through The Crowded Crosswalk"
• http://dothedude.blogspot.com/2012/04/asshole-cyclist-looking-for-sympathy.html  --  
Asshole Cyclist Looking For Sympathy Buys Himself A Heap Of Trouble
• http://tarckbike.com/node/17985
Jackass of the day  --  Jackass of the day
• http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2012/04/06/did-strava-com-help-kill-pedestrian-sutchi-hui-whats-your-time-on-the-castro-street-descent-aka-castro-street-bomb/
  --  Did STRAVA.Com Help Kill Pedestrian Sutchi Hui? Timing Yourself on the “Castro Street Descent” (AKA Castro Street Bomb)
• http://holierthanyou.blogspot.com/2012/04/chris-bucchere-accident.html  --  Holier than You Blog:  The Chris Bucchere Accident
• http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=forum.posts&thread=1982296&forum=2&page=1&pc=24  --  Talking about your legal issues on a public forum

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Sony Online Entertainment Hacked

Sony Online Entertainment Hacked
3 May 2011
EventHorizon1984

Nothing like having a hacking problem surface.  A week late.  As noted in the Guardian article "PlayStation Network hack: why it took Sony seven days to tell the world."

Between then and now, Sony had this to say:

SECURITY UPDATE

As previously announced, we have been conducting an ongoing, thorough investigation stemming from the cyber attack in April and promised to notify you should there be any changes to the situation. 

A press release was issued today outlining these details. We will promptly send a customer service notification via email to all of our impacted account holders whose customer data may have been stolen as a result of an illegal intrusion on our systems. This information was discovered less than 24 hours ago and in response, we took down our services until we could verify their security.

SOE is committed to delivering secure, stable and entertaining games for players of all ages and we're working around the clock to ensure this situation is resolved as quickly as possible. We deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused and appreciate your continued patience and feedback.

Sincerely,
Sony Online Entertainment

Of course now, about a week later Monday (5/2/2011), Sony decided to rectify the situation:

Sony Says 25 Million More Accounts Hacked

"The data breach comes on top of the 77 million PlayStation accounts"

"Sony said that it shut service Monday morning to Sony Online Entertainment games, which are available on personal computers, Facebook and the Playstation 3 console.  Its most popular games include "EverQuest," "Free Realms" and "DC Universe Online."

Of course now, about a week later Tuesday (5/3/2011), Sony decided clarifiy the situation with this email:

Important Customer Notification

Tuesday, May 3, 2011 12:25 AM

From: "Sony Online Entertainment" <Sony_Online_Entertainment@soe.innovyx.net>

Customer Service Notification May 2, 2011 Dear Valued Sony Online Entertainment Customer: Our ongoing investigation of illegal intrusions into Sony Online Entertainment systems has discovered that hackers may have obtained personal customer information from SOE systems. We are today advising you that the personal information you provided us in connection with your SOE account may have been stolen in a cyber-attack. Stolen information includes, to the extent you provided it to us, the following: name, address (city, state, zip, country), email address, gender, birthdate, phone number, login name and hashed password. Customers outside the United States should be advised that we further discovered evidence that information from an outdated database from 2007 containing approximately 12,700 non-US customer credit or debit card numbers and expiration dates (but not credit card security codes) and about 10,700 direct debit records listing bank account numbers of certain customers in Germany, Austria, Netherlands and Spain may have also been obtained and we will be notifying each of those customers promptly. There is no evidence that our main credit card database was compromised. It is in a completely separate and secured environment. We had previously believed that SOE customer data had not been obtained in the cyber-attacks on the company, but on May 1st we concluded that SOE account information may have been stolen and we are notifying you as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the attack and as a result, we have: 1. Temporarily turned off all SOE game services; 2. Engaged an outside, recognized security firm to conduct a full and complete investigation into what happened; and 3. Quickly taken steps to enhance security and strengthen our network infrastructure to provide you with greater protection of your personal information. We greatly appreciate your patience, understanding and goodwill as we do whatever it takes to resolve these issues as quickly and efficiently as practicable. For your security, we encourage you to be especially aware of email, telephone, and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Sony will not contact you in any way, including by email, asking for your credit card number, social security number or other personally identifiable information. If you are asked for this information, you can be confident Sony is not the entity asking. When SOE™'s services are fully restored, we strongly recommend that you log on and change your password. Additionally, if you use your Station or SOE game account name or password for other unrelated services or accounts, we strongly recommend that you change them, as well. To protect against possible identity theft or other financial loss, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. We are providing the following information for those who wish to consider it: U.S. residents are entitled under U.S. law to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus. To order your free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call toll-free (877) 322-8228. We have also provided names and contact information for the three major U.S. credit bureaus below. At no charge, U.S. residents can have these credit bureaus place a "fraud alert" on your file that alerts creditors to take additional steps to verify your identity prior to granting credit in your name. This service can make it more difficult for someone to get credit in your name. Note, however, that because it tells creditors to follow certain procedures to protect you, it also may delay your ability to obtain credit while the agency verifies your identity. As soon as one credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the others are notified to place fraud alerts on your file. Should you wish to place a fraud alert, or should you have any questions regarding your credit report, please contact any one of the agencies listed below. Experian: 888-397-3742; www.experian.com; P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013 Equifax: 800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241 TransUnion: 800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790 You may wish to visit the web site of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or reach the FTC at (877) 382-4357 or 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580 for further information about how to protect yourself from identity theft. Your state Attorney General may also have advice on preventing identity theft, and you should report instances of known or suspected identity theft to law enforcement, your State Attorney General, and the FTC. For North Carolina residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; telephone (877) 566-7226; or www.ncdoj.gov. For Maryland residents, the Attorney General can be contacted at 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; telephone: (888) 743-0023; or www.oag.state.md.us. We are committed to helping our customers protect their personal data and we will provide a complimentary offering to assist users in enrolling in identity theft protection services and/or similar programs. The implementation will be at a local level and further details will be made available shortly in regions in which such programs are commonly utilized. We thank you for your patience as we complete our investigation of this incident, and we regret any inconvenience. Our teams are working around the clock on this, and services will be restored as soon as possible. Sony takes information protection very seriously and will continue to work to ensure that additional measures are taken to protect personally identifiable information. Providing quality and secure entertainment services to our customers is our utmost priority. Please contact us at (866) 436-6698 should you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Sony Online Entertainment LLC

THIS IS A CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTIFICATION. SOE Privacy Policy | SOE Terms of Service www.soe.com

Sony Online Entertainment LLC 8928 Terman Court - San Diego, CA 92121

 

Somehow those affected, 100 million or so, may not be getting that warm and fuzzy feeling about the situation.

/*

"I've got a bad feeling about him."
Dr. Frank Poole, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

"I have a very bad feeling about this."
Luke Skywalker, Star Wars (1977)

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Microsoft - My Zune 30 is frozen. What should I do?

1 January 2009

http://www.zune.net/en-US/press

note for zune 30 players

We were recently alerted to a widespread issue affecting the 2006 model Zune 30. The issue should be resolved and all Zune 30 players should now be functional.

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http://www.zune.net/en-us/support/zune30.htm

zune 30 faq

My Zune 30 is frozen. What should I do?

Follow these steps:

1. Disconnect your Zune from USB and AC power sources.
2. Because the player is frozen, its battery will drain—this is good. Wait until the battery is empty and the screen goes black. If the battery was fully charged, this might take a couple of hours.
3. Wait until after noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (that's 7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).
4. Connect your Zune to either a USB port on the back or your computer or to AC power using the Zune AC Adapter and let it charge.

Once the battery has sufficient power, the player should start normally. No other action is required—you can go back to using your Zune!

My Zune 30 has been working fine today. Should I be worried?

Nope, your Zune is fine and will continue to work as long as you do not connect it to your computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009 (7 a.m. Eastern or 4 a.m. Pacific time).

Note: If you connect your player to a computer before noon GMT on January 1, 2009,  you'll experience the freeze mentioned above—even if that computer does not have the Zune software installed. If this happens, follow the above steps.

What if I have rights-managed (DRM) content on my Zune?

Most likely, rights-managed content will not be affected by this issue. However, it's a good idea to sync your Zune with your computer once the freeze has been resolved, just to make sure your usage rights are up to date.

What if I took advice from the forums and reset my Zune by disconnecting the battery?

This is a bad idea and we do not recommend opening your Zune by yourself (for one thing, doing so will void your warranty). However, if you've already opened it, do one of the following:

• Wait 24 hours from the time that you reset the Zune and then sync with your computer to refresh the usage rights; or
• Delete the player's content using the Zune software (go to Settings, Device, Sync Options, Erase All Content), then re-sync it from your collection.

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From eBay Stores Forum - Do NOT download EBay's new Store Template - TROJAN VIRUS!!! PINKS

For new newsgroup readers, these are not our forum posts. Any comments to the posters below should be made on the applicable thread, marked in bold below.

FYI mark_your_word and lalamama5002 are eBay Trolls.
eBay deleted lalamama5002 (ID created 05-23-07) post #22.

The immediate post below is eBay's Official Response, approximately 16 hours later, to this incident.

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storesteam@ebay.com

View Listings | Report                Jun-21-07 18:30 PDT         36 of 47
Hi everyone,

Thank you for alerting us to the problem with the design templates found at http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/designtemplates.html. We are removing templates #1 and #2 right now (note: it will take about an hour for the change to hit the site) so we can investigate and remedy the problem. We will update this thread when we add those two templates back. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Regards,
eBay Stores Team

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From eBay Stores Forum
Do NOT download EBay's new Store Template - TROJAN VIRUS!!! PINKS
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000389221&tstart=0&mod=1182553134809

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 01:54 PDT
I just got an email from ebay offering new 'seller tips' so, after checking it out, I decided to download their new ebay store templates and redesign my store.

Immediately I tried to download it I got a warning from my computer saying "Trojan Virus" in that file (tried two different template files, both have the virus). So I tried to download it on my second computer - same thing, Trojan Virus warning.

Do NOT attempt to download their template and, EBay, you might want to look at those template files as it looks like they're contaminated.

Pity too, as the store designs looked nice

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blazebird  (1966 )     Jun-21-07 02:21 PDT     1 of
Are you sure the email was from eBay?

If it isn't one thing, it's another.

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 02:23 PDT     2 of
Yes, it's a new ebay template - available also thru your Store Manager section.

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 02:24 PDT     3 of
Hmm.... I got the message in my eBay message box too. The store designs does look nice but I don't dare to open them after BBK warning. Maybe we can go under Manage Store?

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 02:30 PDT     4 of
Maybe that is why the email message is

Stores Design Secrets, Save Big on UPS, Build A Viral Buzz

LOL.

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 02:33 PDT     5 of
            It's this link:

http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/designcenter.html

Also accessible thru 'Design Your Store' and then 'Design Center'.

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 02:34 PDT     6 of
seoul, LOL

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 02:37 PDT     7 of
Ran a second virus program on the two templates I tried to download and it's also flagging it as a 'Trojan' virus file and won't let me download it to my computer.

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 02:58 PDT     8 of
            I open it with my PC to check and scan it and no virus found on mine. Wonder what is going on!!!

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 03:03 PDT     9 of
Is your virus scan up to date?

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 03:08 PDT     10 of
Yap. That PC is always up to date. Still I am wary..better stop till we see what is going on.

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frantichippie  (13 )     Jun-21-07 03:39 PDT     11 of
I didn't get any warning trying to download them and when I opened them up, they are just one simple .htm file you view to get the code to setup your store.

As far as I know, there isn't anything malicious that can be included in an .htm file and there are no other files included, so I don't see how it couldn't be safe.

I have no idea why some are getting trojan warnings though.

Susie

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rykar  (1137 )     Jun-21-07 04:54 PDT     12 of
I thought maybe a change might be nice.

So I started to download the first template and received the virus warning. I didn't proceed with the download.

Although, I thought, that it must be a mistake. Then I started to think..Oh, no! this probably wasn't from Ebay because I opened it up through my regular email.

I went to my Ebay message center. I was relieved to find out it was legit.

So I was dumb and went to the second template. Warned again...but, I thought no that can't be right and completely downloaded the second template. Only to find out that my virus software said it was unable to block the virus. I immediately did a virus scan and it didn't show any virus.

I don't understand it. The software said it couldn't be blocked and yet it doesn't show up as a virus.

It's freaky that Ebay doesn't test software with all the technological expertise at their fingertips. It will make me think twice before downloading anything new from Ebay.

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tattered*primitives  (323 )     Jun-21-07 05:01 PDT     13 of
I downloaded templates 1 & 2 with no problems. Manual scan of file shows no virus.

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mark-your-word  (0 )     Jun-21-07 05:15 PDT     14 of
Why do you need new templates when your closing your store in 9 days?

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againandagainvintage  (917 )     Jun-21-07 05:30 PDT     15 of
As a rule of thumb, I automatically delete any email from eBay, Paypal, or any company. Or, I look at the email, but do not click on any links or downloads. I only click on emails (or downloads)from people who are friends and whom I know well. It is too risky with eBay emails. I assume they are all spoofs.

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animalpaws  (824 )     Jun-21-07 05:33 PDT     16 of
I downloaded with no virus. However, the first one did fine but the second one just downloaded the first one.

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rockinghorsegirl4now  (2311 )     Jun-21-07 05:42 PDT     17 of
I just tried to download one template and it came up partway. No virus warning but IE said it had restricted the download because of Active X and something else. All I got was instructions how to proceed.

But since I downloaded IE 7 a few months ago---or maybe it's the updates of my firewall---I sometimes can't get simple end of auction emails from Ebay because my computer found them to be suspicious. So a siren goes off and a warning comes on that the email has been blocked because a potential virus was detected. The emails are just wiped out totally and I can't get them at all.

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tribblekitty  (1603 )     Jun-21-07 05:45 PDT     18 of
I tried one of the templates. Turned out I didn't like it anyway, but I ran 2 different virus checkers on it & they both showed OK.

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rockinghorsegirl4now  (2311 )     Jun-21-07 05:46 PDT     19 of
The siren and total elimination of the emails only happen with Ebay emails.

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rockinghorsegirl4now  (2311 )     Jun-21-07 05:50 PDT     20 of
I like my plain jane store just the way it is. I just wish all the glitches would get fixed. Ebay doesn't need to keep changing things and keep adding new things---it just needs to fix all their programming problems first. New bells & whistles come with even more glitches.

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ttlphotogallery  (265 )     Jun-21-07 06:10 PDT     21 of
I tried downloading the first 2 templates and got the same warning. I couldn't open them if I wanted to because McAfee deleted them because of the trojan!

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lalamama5002  (0 )     Jun-21-07 06:15 PDT     22 of
Bankook, there is no virus. You probably got it from looking at porn sites...

hahaha...

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dorothysew  (806 )     Jun-21-07 06:18 PDT     23 of
Anyone whose gotten the viral notice should report it to the tech board or to live. Just posting on this board may not get any notice from anyone who will do anything about it.

D

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 06:30 PDT     24 of
One thing I like about Op is whenever there is a problem, she would always alert us! Thanks!

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mainstreetmallonline  (3518 )     Jun-21-07 06:36 PDT     25 of
You cannot put a trojan in a .html file but you CAN put one in a .zip file. It can be activated by the unzip process. Not all anti-virus programs pick up .zip file trojans so do be careful.

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frantichippie  (13 )     Jun-21-07 08:30 PDT     26 of
Maybe we should narrow it down to which virus programs are finding the trojan and which aren't.

I'm using a fully up-to-date version of AVG and it says the file is clean (only downloaded the first one).

Susie

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seoulsoulsofun  (285 )     Jun-21-07 09:02 PDT     27 of
I am using AVG too and it passed.

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tattered*primitives  (323 )     Jun-21-07 09:42 PDT     28 of
I use Trend Micro. Files were clean upon scan.

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theoldlady100  (2289 )     Jun-21-07 10:14 PDT     29 of
A momentary OT hijack:

Hey tattered, I just took a peak at your store, thinking maybe you had changed it with the new templates. Wanted to let you know that I LOVE the look of it right now, your color combos are just fantastic, and if I remember correctly, your logo is new, and I really, really like that too! Congrats on a job well done.

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theoldlady100  (2289 )     Jun-21-07 10:22 PDT     30 of
peak = peek, blame it on low-blood sugar, I need food!

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elonica  (0 )     Jun-21-07 10:30 PDT     31 of
There is no ONE software that can catch ALL the spyware,Trojans, viruses etc. That's the reason I always cross-check with 4 different programs.

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sliique  (408 )     Jun-21-07 15:42 PDT     32 of
I BET the almighty, rersource hogging Norton was showing a "hit," on a trojan.

I also BET Nod 32 wasn't.

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vintageantiques358  (166 )     Jun-21-07 16:17 PDT     33 of
For me McAffee seemed to think just about everything was a virus. IE will give an alert/warning about ActiveX. It alls comes down to if you trust your download source. Obviously some anti-virus say the templates are OK, some don't, and some the templates have come come up both ways (virus/no virus). And I really can't see ebay unleashing Trojans upon the community.

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summer.doze  (7 )     Jun-21-07 16:48 PDT     34 of
Ha ha ebay revenge for ebay live.
They come back from emtpy live and decide it's all store sellers fault so they try to infect everyone's computers.
Nice try. We're not that stupid right Bankgokbint?

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 17:22 PDT     35 of
There is no ONE software that can catch ALL the spyware,Trojans, viruses etc. That's the reason I always cross-check with 4 different programs.

I have 3 and this download from EBay definitely has a Trojan virus on it. My friend, who is a computer geek, also tried to download it last night. He runs 6 different virus programs and YES it picked up the Trojan on his computer. So I'm not opening it.

My best friend here just got rid of a Trojan virus on her computer. It's totally screwed up her computer to the extent that, when she opened a program, it would simply close itself again. Took her technician 4 days to get rid of it.

Obviously it's up to y'all what you download, but my computer runs my business so I'm not taking chances. I download files all the time from the net and this is the only one I've ever had pop up a Trojan virus.

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storesteam@ebay.com     Jun-21-07 18:30 PDT     36 of

Hi everyone,

Thank you for alerting us to the problem with the design templates found at http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/designtemplates.html. We are removing templates #1 and #2 right now (note: it will take about an hour for the change to hit the site) so we can investigate and remedy the problem. We will update this thread when we add those two templates back. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Regards,
eBay Stores Team

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overthere!  (73 )     Jun-21-07 18:35 PDT     37 of
You guys should check out http://virusscan.jotti.org/
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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 18:58 PDT     38 of
Pinks,

Thanks a LOT! Those templates look really nice, but I didn't want to take the chance while my virus programs are telling me - DON'T YOU DARE - LOL!!

Personally I think the people that create these viruses should all be lined up against a wall and pelted with wet paint.

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cheropache  (17 )     Jun-21-07 19:27 PDT     39 of
BANG, thanks very much for carrying the flag on this matter... you did a great service to fellow users, with your vigilance....... cheers...
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psychocat1959  (268 )        Jun-21-07 20:48 PDT       40 of
Ummmm... Pinks? Any chance of finding out how this happened and what caused the problem in the first place?

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elonica  (0 )     Jun-21-07 21:03 PDT     41 of

psychocat1959, I have the same question, I can guess these templates are made by a third party and I can not imagine they have not been checked thoroughly, that's much more than just negligence. But we are not surprised, right? And we can not wait to download other "state of the art" new and amazing ebay products.

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psychocat1959  (268 )     Jun-21-07 21:38 PDT     42 of

Not surprised, but disappointed that they did not take the time and effort to check it out well before making it availiable to download. I've gotten to where I'm always skepticale of anything free and new that eBay offers.

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summer.doze  (7 )     Jun-21-07 22:21 PDT     43 of
Like I said - revenge people. I'm telling ya.
Unless they hire highly inept people.

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bangkokbint  (456 )     Jun-21-07 22:41 PDT     44 of
Well you won't see me often standing up for EBay LOL, but in this case it's probably not their fault.

You can get contamination from viruses and worms anywhere, email, zip files, even from visiting certain sites. It happens to the best of us (in the US once our entire office was shut down for 3 days because we lost our entire computer system to the LOVE YOU virus).

It's these freakin' scamming virus creators that should be rounded up and jailed. I mean what sad individuals that they've nothing better to do with their lives.

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tattered*primitives  (323 )     Jun-22-07 05:18 PDT     45 of
Lady,

Thank you! I torture myself over those templates. I was sick of seeing my old one and needed a change. Hope I don't go through this again....I can't stand using new templates all the time. Just a pain in the butt! I need easy!

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c5photography  (75 )     Jun-22-07 09:53 PDT     46 of
I was trying to use template 1 or 2 and was able to dl it, but when I type the info in, the preview did not work. I am glad to find out it was not me. I am also glad to see ebay jump on this.

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onsnapper  (271 )     Jun-22-07 15:58 PDT     47 of
Well I just do not see the difference in the templates versus what I have now. Can someone please point out what am I not seeing ? Excuse me, I think my geezer is showing !! LOL...
So what is there to like ?

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