Yet he's guilty until proven innocent, and Microsoft isn't willing to hear him out. He writes:

My console and my fiance's console were caught up in the Mass Banning going on by Microsoft in their latest Pirate Witch Hunt. My fiance is a chef, and plays games like Viva Pinata, Arcade Games, and can't figure out how to remove the battery pack, much less tear apart her system to "mod" anything.

I have purchased (2) Xbox 360 consoles (one for each of us), 68 games, several hundred dollars worth of Live content and DLC, another several hundred on disks that were scratched by faulty first gen consoles, a faulty 20 gig drive that Microsoft refused to warranty, and extra controllers / etc. All together I have dropped over $5200 supporting Microsoft, which I don't have a problem with ... what I DO take issue with is that yesterday we downloaded some content for the game Left 4 Dead and played it a bit, this morning I turned on my console and when I tried to log in, it stated my console was banned. What? The only "mod" I have ever done to my Xbox 360 was replace the crapped out 20 gig drive with an official 120 gig drive I purchased at Best Buy (I know, don't hate on me for buying at Best Buy...) and that was almost 5 months ago. Of course I had a RRoD, but that was over a year ago (whic was another horror story all together).

Of course I tried to figure out what happened, but the outsourced "support" team refused to give me ANY information other than their investigations were very though. At one point a man who called himself "Charles" told me that it was my problem and I should learn to follow the rules, then hung up on me. I checked the Xbox Live Forums and while I am sure that some of the people posting in the Account Suspension and Player Feedback forum have probably done something to their consoles, I find if hard to believe that ALL of the people posting in there have modded their systems or whatever it is Microsoft has been flagging for.

One forum post shows exactly the type of sub-par support I experienced: A supposed Microsoft Support Rep named "StormShadow425" belittles a concerned customer and at one point tells him "But this is what you get back for tampering the console."

Here is the thread if you are interested in seeing what type of support you can expect from Microsoft now.

As it will take several weeks for Microsoft to check my system / account / whatever black magic they do to determine if they made a mistake, I have pretty much written off any more Xbox Live and online gaming on my Xbox for a month at least, if ever. My fiance never actually played on Live, we would either System Link via Wireless to play Left 4 Dead with each other, of if a friend came over and we wanted to play 4-way split screen, or she would just play her little games, so not a big deal there. Our accounts were going to revert to Silver in February I think so not a big deal anyway. I think I am more angry with the spectacular terrible support Microsoft has, and the way they treat their customers... especially right before the Holiday season when people are looking to spend on gifts? I was considering picking up an Arcade bundle for my nephew, but I think I have pretty much crossed that off the list, ha ha! He will have to settle for a Nintendo DSi or possibly a PS3 now that they are cheaper.

Has anyone been banned by Xbox Live for accused modding and managed to get the ban lifted? Other than buying new consoles and starting new Xbox Live accounts, there must be some way for Jeff to get out of this mess.

(Photo: jim699)

He writes:

After hours of failed attempts at activating Windows 7, I finally got connected to an actual person. He asked for my installation ID, which I gave him. He told me that the ID was invalid, which both my computer and the robot woman had said multiple times, so I began to explain my problem. Halfway through, I heard the standard "hold" music and assumed he was transferring me to another customer service rep. The person who picked up? Bonnie with Oreck Vacuums. I said I was transferred to her from Microsoft, and she was very surprised. She was amused, though she said it had never happened before. Also that if I needed my computer cleaned up, she had the perfect canister of compressed air for my problems.

It's possible he typed in a wrong number and connected me to her. But an entirely different company on the other side of the world (the man had a fairly thick Indian accent, and the woman a noticeable Southern drawl) seems farfetched. Have you or anyone else been intentionally mis-transferred?

Distressingly, the Microsoft CSR was no more helpful than the vacuum person. Have you ever been transferred to a completely different company on accident? Or better yet, have you worked at a call center and transferred a caller out of your system out of spite?

(Photo: Paxton Holley)

That's of course nothing to say for first-party software, as they will be installing all of the optional Microsoft software that you would otherwise have to download. This includes Windows Live Essentials, Bing 3D Maps, Security Essentials and the Zune client. Sure, it's not a completely crapware-free computer, but it's definitely a step in the right direction.

Of course, unless you live in Phoenix, AZ or Mission Viejo, CA you're going to have to travel quite a ways to get your hands on one.

"PC's Purchased From Microsoft Stores To be Bloatware-Free" [OhGizmo!]
(Photo: Dru Bloomfield)

He writes:

Thanks so much posting, I hope it encourages some Hotmail users to up their security or switch over to another service.

I'm glad to say we got the account back a couple of days ago. Although we filled out the Identification validation forms, I think what actually got the ball moving was contacting Xbox Live customer service (the Hotmail account is tied to her gamertag via Windows Live ID) and escalating up to the second tier. We were able to verify identification via our credit card numbers and security questions asked by a real person. After that they locked all of the accounts (Windows Live, Hotmail, Xbox LIVE) and began an investigation.

My wife has changed her passwords, sent out apologies/ new contact info to everyone in her contacts, and closed the account. I think automated customer service has its place, but offering absolutely no phone service is frustrating.

Good to know that rarely-effective Xbox Lives CSRs can go beyond the call of duty every once in a while. Bravo.

Some time this morning (10/21) my wife's Hotmail account was taken over. We're not sure how they gained access to the account as she avoids all forms of spam and doesn't visit any illicit sites. Maybe it was this fiasco? Anyway, I found out about it because I received an obvious spam message from the account (so did several others in her contacts) and called her about it. She then found herself unable to log in (her password has been changed) or reset the password (her security answers have also been changed). Sounds like time for customer support, except there is no phone customer support directly available for Hotmail (unless you know one I don't).

I tried the identification validation page they have but that is not super useful as it also requires a security answer but doesn't say for which question, and asks for an IP address from when the account was created over 5 years ago in a different house with a different ISP. We honestly don't know what to do here, but the idea of someone controlling her account due to no fault of our own (other than choosing Hotmail, I guess) and getting no help from Microsoft other than access to a page where many people are complaining about the same thing and being asked for information we know has been changed, really bugs us. So I guess I'm asking HELP! Is there an exec level CRS line? Does anyone over there no how we can get hold of a real live person so we can tell them that asking for security information that can, and has, been changed is pointless?

Richard says he and his wife have been using Gmail for more than a year, so they're not completely e-paralyzed by the theft, but it would be great to get that Hotmail account back. Is there anything you can think of for Dave and his wife to try?

(Photo: dirtyblueshirt)

Kotaku reader Greg says that while he slept his year-old Lab/Hound mix, Oscar, attacked his Xbox 360 controller managing to both turn on the console and purchase 5,000 Microsoft Points as he gnawed the hard plastic controller.

"I realized it when I checked my phone to see what time it was (I had to be at work soon) and saw the e-mail from Microsoft confirming the purchase for $62.50," he told Kotaku via email. "At that point it was a little after 5 a.m.... not something you want to wake up to."

Greg's not asking for a refund or anything, and used the points his dog purchased to download some more games.

Still, his plight is a good example of why it's smart to set up parental controls on computers that store your credit card info.

Does anyone out there have any horror stories about kids or pets making unauthorized purchases?

Dog Bites Man's Live Account? [Kotaku]
(Photo: Kotaku)

According to Engadget, the new update will allow Xbox users to access content from Facebook, Twitter, and Last.fm, but it will also block "unauthorized" memory cards. Xbox owners are using third-party cards because the largest Microsoft memory card only allows for 512 MB of storage, whereas the unauthorized cards have memory capacities in the gigabytes.

Reader Luis, who sells memory cards, expressed his concern about the limited capacity to Microsoft, who wrote back and assured him that "we are very focused on continuing to provide more options for people to get the storage they want on our system," so although it's little consolation to owners of third-party memory devices, at least future Xbox owners will have an authorized high-memory option available.

Forthcoming Xbox 360 Update Locks Out Unauthorized Memory Unit [Engadget]
(Photo: Tengaport)

Zimmerman's verdict: It's an Apple Store with Microsoft touches, which is a good thing. He says the place has a clean, futuristic classy feel to it. Perhaps its most impressive innovation is that the store is capable of printing PC games and packaging on demand.

Zimmerman writes:

If you're more of a PC gamer, you're likely to be a little bit disappointed at first. There is a small section in the opposite corner with boxed games and accessories, but it pales in comparison to the console offerings. Fortunately, there are six kiosks with touchscreen displays situated throughout the store where shoppers may order PC software and have it printed on-demand in under four minutes.

The store also fixes some broken Xbox 360s on site and if your console needs more work, it ships you a refurbished console immediately.

What do you want to see out of your Microsoft store once the company gets around to opening a location near you?

Inside Microsoft's First Retail Store [Destructoid]
(Photo: Destructoid)

If you're wondering (and of course you are) the burger is over five inches tall, weighs more than a pound, and has 2,120 calories. Wait, why didn't they market this in the U.S. again? Foreigners are eating gut-busting fast food and we're stuck with house parties. Hmph.

Burger King Japan selling Windows 7 burgers [Electronista]
Burger King's Windows 7 whopper: 7 patties, 2,120 calories [Japanator]

5. Check for retailer deals.
Many retailers will be offering discounts on new PCs with Windows 7 preinstalled, so if you're in the market for a new computer, this could be a good time to get it if you're willing to shop around. Alas, discounts on the software itself seem pretty limited; Newegg has the OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium for $110 . One UK dealer is doing a Windows 7 doorbuster, selling half-price copies of the OS to the first 200 customers tomorrow. We haven't seen any deals that good on this continent, but we'll be looking out for them.
Daily Tech Deal: Windows 7 half price - Pocket-lint

4. Buy The Family Pack
If you have three PCs at home and want to upgrade all of them to Windows 7, you can get 3 licenses for $150. Yes, we know there are other ways to do this, but we're keeping that "L" word in mind, and that makes this a pretty good deal.
Windows Anytime Upgrade and Family Pack Pricing - Windows 7 Team Blog - The Windows Blog

3. Try Windows 7 Enterprise.
So you missed the big beta blowout over the summer? Microsoft has a consolation prize that may help ease the pain. If you're an IT type (or play one on TV), you can download a trial version of Windows 7 Enterprise for free, and try it out for 90 days. At the end of 90 days, you'll have to install a commercial version if you want to keep using Windows 7, but by then you may have enrolled for half a credit at the local CC. Or convinced a neighbor's kid to order it for you. Or decided to roll back to DOS.
Windows 7 Enterprise Trial

2. Be a college student.
This is the best deal available right now. You can get Windows 7 Home Premium for just $30, as long as you have a .EDU email address, or can otherwise prove that you're a student. The offer is open to both full and part-time students, as long as you're enrolled for at least half a credit.
Win 741

1. Be any other kind of student.
Other students — including that first grader playing with his food over there — are eligible for discounts from retailers like Academic Superstore, where we recently saw Windows 7 Ultimate for $100, which is less than half of the official retail price. (Update: Some offers, including this one, aren't shown to all users. This one didn't show up for us until we "prequalified" by selecting our school from the form linked below.)
Academic Superstore

Of course, you can just skip it, especially if you're still on XP and don't have the stomach for the upgrade process, which involves backing up all of your files, wiping your hard drive, reinstalling all of your applications, and sacrificing a lamb on the altar of Ra. If you're still on the fence, here are are a few reviews and upgrade guides from people who actually seem to enjoy spending their time testing out operating systems. And if you have any other ideas about Windows 7 bargains, add them to the comments.

Prep Your PC for Windows 7 [Lifehacker]
Windows 7 Review [ PC World]
Windows 7 Review: You Can Quit Complaining Now - Windows 7 review [ Gizmodo]
Breakingviews.com - Microsoft May Exceed Low Expectations With Windows 7 [NYTimes]
Windows 7: To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade [Consumer Reports Electronics Blog]

He writes:

My name is Jon. I work for an anime convention and we just ordered 20 refurbished Xbox 360s. One of them was shipped with the wrong power brick (brick had three prongs, cord has two holes — every other console we received had two prongs on the brick and two holes on the cord). I thought that Microsoft's customer support would be understanding. They were not.

The first person I talked to did not understand that I just wanted the power brick replaced, so I got on the horn with Louis, her supervisor. I explained the situation that I wanted the power brick for this one console replaced, so I and the thousands of people who come to our convention have a playable console. I told him the other nineteen consoles were fine. He told me I had to register all of the consoles. Since I did not technically own the console I told him I was not comfortable registering something I did not own. I told him it was his company's responsibility to send out the correct materials of product they refurbish. He told me they do not refurbish consoles. I know this is a lie, as 1) I used to work for MS and know they do, and 2) I had a friend who was just laid off from refurbishing consoles at Microsoft.

He then continued to be rude and would not let me speak to his supervisor. This man continued to be unreasonable, and I eventually told him I would be informing your site and ended the call before I went off the deep end.

Is it too much to just own up to your mistakes? Anyways, I appreciate the help.

Jon gave up on Microsoft and ended up ordering the proper part online. He probably would have been better served his cause to have called customer service again another time or two, hoping for better luck with a more helpful CSR, but if his story is accurate it's inexcusable how he was treated this way.

If you're an Xbox 360 owner, you've more than likely dealt with customer service and developed your chops. If you've got tips on how to deal with Microsoft's wily customer service folk, leave them in the comments.

(Photo: tom.arthur)

"T-Mobile posts Sidekick contacts recovery instructions!" [IntoMobile]
(Photo: bovinity)

Shameless whoring or the greatest product placement ever? We'll have to wait until November to see.

There will be no commercial ad time, no network promotions, and no commercial breaks-just a 30-minute Windows 7 trailer that somehow attempts to blend the operating system with show content in the style of the old Texaco Star Theater. MacFarlane and Borstein have teamed with Windows advertising agencies Universal McCann and Crispin, Porter + Bogusky to develop, write, and produce the half-hour special that will highlight the comedy duo's humor with original animation, live-action performances of Family Guy's most memorable musical numbers, comedy sketches, and surprise celebrity guests.

Sneak peek: Family Guy meets Windows 7 [Ars Technica]

RELATED: Microsoft Wants You To Host Your Own Windows 7 Launch Party, Really
Microsoft's Launch Party Video Is Surprisingly Offensive!

Microsoft blamed a system failure for the data loss in the core database and back-up system. The company said it had taken steps to strengthen the stability of the Sidekick service and started a more resilient back-up process.

Over the weekend, T-Mobile and Microsoft initially warned that the recovery of data would be unlikely, but upgraded their prospects on Tuesday.

Microsoft said that an additional update would come on Saturday and provide a timeline and additional details on the recovery.

So the restoration won't be immediate, but the lost data may not be permanently lost. Maybe. That's certainly an improvement over the previous status of "It's never coming back, and here's $100."

UPDATE: Microsoft Says It Has Recovered Lost Sidekick Data [Wall Street Journal]

PREVIOUSLY:
T-Mobile: We Won't Swap Out Your Sidekick For A Different Phone
First Sidekick Data Outage Lawsuits Filed
T-Mobile Sidekick Data Outage Turns Into Epic Customer Data Fail

Here's the complaint Amber sent in to T-Mobile, after talking to 7 of their CSRs about the issue (we've edited it for length, and added emphasis to certain parts):

I am one of your many unfortunate Sidekick customers. In the wake of the data loss that affected one-third of your consumer base I was one of the fortunate who backed up their data on the included SD card. However even though I was one of the lucky my e-mail did not continue to work for several days. As I have a small business this was incredibly inconvenient, and detrimental to me and my own customers. Please understand that I have been more than patient. I followed all instructions that T-Mobile suggested and only called to make sure that an appropriate credit was added to my account because as a pre-paid customer I pay one dollar a day for data, that at the time, I was not receiving. The agent I spoke with was very helpful and applied a $10 credit with no problems.

My problems started on 10-13-09. I called T-Mobile to explain that I could no longer trust my Sidekick or the Sidekick data service. I asked what could be done for as I wanted to change from my Sidekick to another phone with similar capabilities. I was told by the rep that there was nothing that she could do for me. I then asked to speak to an account specialist manager, this is when I was transferred to Iris (Rep ID 72844).

After explaining to Iris my disappointment at being treated as a second class customer simply because I would not bind myself into a contract with T-Mobile, my concerns over this situation happening again and my loss of additional revenue by not being able to contact or fill my customers orders, I was placed on hold while Iris told me she would see what she could do. After being on hold for another 10 min Iris came back on the line and told me this.

That because I was such a "valued" customer she would be replacing my Sidekick with one of these options, a G1, Blackberry, or My Touch phone. My new phone would be shipped to me and I would be sending my Sidekick back to T-Mobile.

Let me clearly state this is what Iris told me would be happening.

Now I was more than pleased with this. I thought that I would be getting, at the most, a discounted price on a new phone. Iris then proceeded to gather some more information from me placing me on hold a few more times. She then came on the line and told me that she thought it would be best if she finished the paperwork and then called me back as I would have to be put on hold several more times. I agreed and Iris told me to expect a call back from her in 30 minutes at the latest.

30 minutes go by an hour goes by and no call back. So I called in where I then spoke to another manager, Marty (Rep ID 71576).

I then explain to Marty my conversation with Iris and told him I was calling to confirm that everything had been taking care of by Iris and to inquire about when I would be receiving my new phone. Marty places me on hold to check my account. He then comes back on the line asking about warranties and how I was going to take my phone in to the T-Mobile store where it was purchased ( I cannot do this by the way as the phone was bought out of town). I informed Marty that None of this was required or even asked for by Iris. I was then placed on hold again while Marty went to find Iris. I was then told by Marty that Iris apologized for the wait as she was suddenly swamped with paperwork and would call me back in 20 minutes.

I did receive a phone call but my phone oddly enough did not ring but went straight to voicemail. It was Iris telling me she was sorry she missed me but would try again in 30 minutes.

I waited and waited. No call ever came.

Today (10/14/09) I called T-Mobile to find out what was going on and to say I was angered by the experience is an understatement.

After being disconnected several times I was then connected to Robert (Rep ID 36543) who was very helpful in not disconnecting me. He then transferred me to account specialist Casey (Rep ID 12272054) who then escalated me to her manager Peter (Rep ID 81502).

After explaining my situation again. Peter was about to place me on hold when I stopped him and asked him a very simple question.

Was I being lied to?

Were these things being promised to me not going to be able to happen. I explained to Peter that I am not afraid of being told no. That I wanted to be told the truth. Was I going to be able to receive the phone that I was promised. After a brief pause Peter decided to do as I had asked.

He told me the truth.

He told me that there is no way that I would be getting a replacement phone and whomever told that I was or led me to believe I was had not told me the truth. That because I was a pre-paid customer nothing would be forthcoming. After expressing my shock, aggravation, and anger at this I then told Peter my truth. That I was done being lied to, given the runaround, and being treated like a second class customer with utter disregard for the $2,500 I have spent on Sidekicks over the years. Full price because I am a pre-paid customer. Not even calculating the money I've spent on minutes and my data plan at $1 a day. I told Peter that this is what I wanted to happen. That the original agreement, no, promise that was given to me by Iris be honored, and that I was now demanding that the phone be a My-Touch in red and that I wanted my promised phone by end of business Friday 10-16-09. I was then placed on hold.

Again.

I then spoke with Karen (Rep ID 86636). Karen informed me that Peter had explained everything to her and that T-Mobile did not offer any kind of replacement for pre-paid customers. She offered me her apologies and informed me that Iris was new and would be spoken with. Karen then told me that she could offer me three options,

1. I could be sent over to the sidekick department and taught how to troubleshoot my device and save my data to my SD card.

2. I could send in my sidekick and be sent another.

3. That she could lower my 0.15 a minute plan to 0.12 a minute.

The first and second are in complete disregard to everything I've been saying over the past two days and the third, the third is just insulting.

I then told Karen what I will now tell you:

Over the course of these last 2 days I have been patient, polite, concerned, aggravated, angry and now hurt. That a company that I have been with for 7 years thinks that it can treat me like a second class customer simply because I will not sign a contract and that it's okay. Despite the amount of money I have spent over the years I have been lied to, deceived, runaround, my business put in jeopardy, and my time wasted. All because one of T-Mobile's managers lied to me and T-Mobile will not honor the promises of its managers.

As Amber points out in her letter, as a pre-paid customer she paid full price for her Sidekick, so it's not even as if T-Mobile had to subsidize it and wait several months for her to become profitable to them. She's been pure profit from day one, and by her own admission was expecting at most a discount on a cross-grade. Amber admits she never expected a 1:1 swap; her real goal was to get away from the Sidekick data storage service and she wants T-Mobile to share the cost of that move. Instead of discussing other options with her, however, T-Mobile decided to stonewall her for two days and then refuse to cooperate at all.

(Photo: Noize Photography)

T-Mobile and Danger have offered Sidekick users a free month of data service and a $100 credit to be used however the customer likes. (We suggest using it toward a different smartphone.) The lawsuits seek to make a point, though.

"T-Mobile and its service providers ought to have been more careful the use of backup technology and policies to prevent such data loss" said Ira P. Rothken, an attorney working on that case. "We are hopeful that T-Mobile and the rest of the defendants will do the right thing, use this as an opportunity to redesign the system as a new standard for cloud computing storage, and provide full compensation for the data loss."

How much is the information on your smartphone worth? What is fair compensation? Is the best solution here a class action suit when the likely end result is a few dollars per user sometime in 2011?

Lawsuits filed over Sidekick outages [CNET]

PREVIOUSLY:
T-Mobile Sidekick Data Outage Turns Into Epic Customer Data Fail
T-Mobile Sidekick Data Outage: Day Three

(Photo: T-Mobile and TheGiantVermin)

It turns out that their promise that service would be restored "soon" actually meant "never."

Danger, Inc., now a subsidiary of Microsoft, makes the Sidekick and its platform, and users' e-mail and other phone data reside on Danger's servers. Or, well, it did, until something went horribly wrong last week. It turns out that all Sidekick users' data is lost if it has not been saved on the handset and backed up. However, as loyal Sidekick user Perez Hilton noted, "T-Mobile used to tell Sidekick users they personally didn't need to back up their data. They did it for us. That's why I never did. :-("

Here's T-Mobile's latest statement about the situation.

T-MOBILE AND MICROSOFT/DANGER STATUS UPDATE ON SIDEKICK DATA DISRUPTION

Dear valued T-Mobile Sidekick customers:

T-Mobile and the Sidekick data services provider, Danger, a subsidiary of Microsoft, are reaching out to express our apologies regarding the recent Sidekick data service disruption. We appreciate your patience as Microsoft/Danger continues to work on maintaining platform stability, and restoring all services for our Sidekick customers.

Regrettably, based on Microsoft/Danger's latest recovery assessment of their systems, we must now inform you that personal information stored on your device – such as contacts, calendar entries, to-do lists or photos – that is no longer on your Sidekick almost certainly has been lost as a result of a server failure at Microsoft/Danger. That said, our teams continue to work around-the-clock in hopes of discovering some way to recover this information. However, the likelihood of a successful outcome is extremely low. As such, we wanted to share this news with you and offer some tips and suggestions to help you rebuild your personal content. You can find these tips at the T-Mobile Sidekick Forums (http://www.t-mobile.com/sidekick ). We encourage you to visit the Forums on a regular basis to access the latest updates as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.

In addition, we plan to communicate with you on Monday (Oct. 12) the status of the remaining issues caused by the service disruption, including the data recovery efforts and the Download Catalog restoration which we are continuing to resolve. We also will communicate any additional tips or suggestions that may help in restoring your content.

We recognize the magnitude of this inconvenience. Our primary efforts have been focused on restoring our customers' personal content. We also are considering additional measures for those of you who have lost your content to help reinforce how valuable you are as a T-Mobile customer.

We continue to advise customers to NOT reset their device by removing the battery or letting their battery drain completely, as any personal content that currently resides on your device will be lost.

Once again, T-Mobile and Microsoft/Danger regret any and all inconvenience this matter has caused.

Awfully nice of them to let everyone know not to reset the device or let the battery drain now—ten days into the outage.

Our readers have contacted us with sad tales of lost address books, missed business opportunities, and general frustration caused by the data outage...and that was when everyone thought the situation was temporary. Twitter users are also raging using the #tmobilesucks hashtag.

T-Mobile Sidekick Disaster: Danger's Servers Crashed, And They Don't Have A Backup [TechCrunch]
T-Mobile Sidekick Out(r)age: Your Data's Probably Gone Forever [Gizmodo]

(Photo: T-Mobile and TheGiantVermin)

I get messages all the time over Xbox Live from people engaging in phishing scams. Thus far, I've been very annoyed because Microsoft seems completely unconcerned about it and their customer service has been very poor. I think of the people who fall for these scams and wonder why doesn't Microsoft do more.

I spoke with a customer service rep and asked about the phishing scams, and he said to file a complaint on the person in-game, which had absolutely nothing to do with phishing. He suggested I select the option to report them for cheating in-game—does that make sense? I remarked how this was confusing and that there was no option to report phishing and he said that in the next update this fall, the option would be there. I'm pretty certain he was lying. He did say, though, that it was very hard to get an account back once it was stolen, something I don't doubt he was being honest about.

Now today [October 4th, 2009], I got two messages from two different users, which are apparently audio clips of some little kid offering cheats and asking you to send a message back (during which he'll ask for your account info and steal your account). It was strange because I got identical audio from two different accounts, meaning either that these phishers are very sophisticated or that there are a lot more phishers out there than I previously realized, because there's this default phishing audio being spread around and re-used.

In the same time frame, I got another message from a different user with the same type of scam.

Frustrated with all the fraud going on, I called Xbox Live again to complain, to see if I could find some kind of fraud department, because I don't think they take these things seriously. I was a bit belligerent (but respectful) with the customer service rep., but who can blame me? Again, she told me pretty much the same nonsense the guy before told me and more. Like he said, this woman told me the same: File a complaint on their gamertag (that's their username in-game), go to the Xbox forums (where there's no real support — just other gamers like me), and so on. She then said something even more ridiculous: She suggested that I make several accounts with Xbox and use all of them to file a complaint on the same person. As with the other gentleman's remarks, I pointed how this was against the rules. It's gaming the system. She said it wasn't. I asked her why I should need several usernames to file a complaint and I told her I only pay for one account and that what she said didn't make sense. It seemed like gaming the system. I asked if she was being honest with me, because she really didn't seem like she was being honest because of how absurd it was. And then she hung up on me. Oh well.

How can Xbox not be concerned with all the fraud that goes on over their service? I've been thinking of calling Xbox Live and recording the phone conversation, then uploading it to Youtube. If I don't do it, somebody else will... Heck, even you guys over at Consumerist ought to do it because the customer service reps. seem to say the most ridiculous things. They know how the system is being manipulated and instead of fixing it, they are telling other people to just manipulate it too.

If you look on the Xbox forums, you'll see lots and lots of people complaining about "hacked" accounts and lack of support from Microsoft. Many of them either can't afford a lawyer or don't know they need one. So, many people apparently just pay for NEW ACCOUNTS on Xbox and Microsoft seems to be profiting from this phishing, which is... of course... the reason why they ignore it. Why stop people from scamming if it helps the bottom line?

(Photo: AdrianDC)

This is the letter he sent to addresses for Steve Balmer and Bill Gates he found on Google searches:

Dear Microsoft Executives,

On Sunday September 20th at 11 AM CST I updated my 80 Gigabyte Zune to the latest firmware that you offer via the Zune software. Needless to say after the update was finished my Zune has completely stopped working. So after letting it sit for a few hours hoping that maybe the battery needed to be charged I tried to get my Zune to work again. No luck so at 3 PM CST I felt an call to Zune customer support was in order.

The first representative I talked to was named Icee. He has me do all the tricks that are on the Zune support pages that I have already done to no luck. Icee then puts me on hold for several minutes before finally getting back to me saying that I would have to pay $160 to send my Zune to them to fix it. I explain that their software is liable for causing the problem and you should fix it on your dime. Icee tells me that they can't do anything since my account is "locked" and that its expecting an credit card number in order to advance with the repair.

I then ask for an manager. Icee puts me on hold for several minutes again before I get transfered to the manager Lee. I explain the issue to Lee who then tells me to "keep an eye on Zune.net" since they are investigating problems with the firmware update. I get the case number [redacted]. I made it clear to him that I am very unhappy with even the idea that I should have to pay out of my pocket for their software issues making my Zune no longer work. He simply tells me to watch the website and has no idea on when to expect an fix if any. Call at the end was 30 minutes or so.

I have spent most of today trying various methods to get my Zune working again. As of right now its refusing to work. I am at the point of where I am very unhappy with the idea of having to pay $160 out of my pocket to fix what your software messed up. This is not the first Zune that has stopped working on me as my previous 80 gigabyte model
also stopped working.

Zune support responded the next day, asking for an address to send his prepaid Zune coffin. Brian now awaits the return of the spoils of his EECB direct hit.

(Photo: organic nyc)

In the episode, Jay mentions Cialis, Snuggies, Starbucks, Pillsbury, Walmart, and Red Lobster, all before having a conversation with the Wendy's mascot. It seems like Jay likes to talk about products and brands almost as much as we do. Almost.

If you enjoyed this video, there are also far less interesting and much more paranoid examples from David Letterman and Conan.

Too many products in 'Jay Leno Show'? (video) [The Live Feed] (Thanks, Klay!)

The upgrade discs cost as much as $17 (reported by both Consumerist readers and Mouse Print) The cost includes shipping and other, more mysterious fees. Reader Seth ended up paying $17.03:

I recently got a Lenovo laptop with Vista Business and the promise of a free upgrade to Windows 7 Professional. Upon using the website Lenovo set up, I was surprised to see that the "free" upgrade actually cost $17.03 for shipping & handling. I am willing to pay reasonable shipping and handling costs, but I don't understand why the charges here should be so high. However, the laptop I purchased came with free shipping, so it would seem fairest to have the shipping for the Windows upgrade component be free as well.

I should note that the Lenovo Windows upgrade site said Lenovo Outlet purchases are not eligible, but according to the Lenovo Outlet FAQ they are: http://outlet.lenovo.com/faq

The question is, what is a reasonable shipping charge for an OS upgrade? $5? $10? Should customers who are helping vendors move computers with a musty, unloved OS out of their warehouses be paying a fee to receive their new Windows discs at all?

Hidden Fees Discovered for "Free" Windows 7 Upgrades [Mouse Print] (Thanks, Dirk!)

"Well It Turns Out That Microsoft Ad WAS A Porno" [Oh Gizmo!]

The anonymous blogger sent out an EECB to Microsoft complaining that his territory was ineligible for Windows 7 party packs, and was rewarded with the object of his desire. He writes:

A very courteous email arrived explaining reasons why the Caribbean region was not covered in the promotion. The official line was a mixed bag but was satisfactory although ultimately disappointing. I was not expecting to be graciously offered a USA Party Pack for gratis though! I submitted my delivery details as requested and sure enough today I received a giant box from Microsoft the contents of which you can see in my unboxing pictures below.

The goodies are actually very nice, especially the Windows 7 tote bags, perfect for the Cayman Islands for the beach! Also included were Windows 7 branded napkins, a puzzle pack; the pieces come together to form a wallpaper image from Windows 7. There was also a pack of Windows 7 playing cards, a colour poster and of course the piece de resistance, a FULL copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Edition (Steve Ballmer Signature Edition). What I was not expecting though was the Anytime Upgrade to Ultimate Signature 64 bit edition. A nice bonus!

As they say, ain't no party like a Microsoft party, cause a Microsoft party don't stop. If you want in on this action, apply here.

Windows 7 Party Pack Unboxed! [StuffIWrote]

Windows 7 is indeed launching soon, so we figured you'd want to see this now so you have time to stop by the Party Plus store and stock up on crepe paper—don't worry, you don't have to hang it up, just leave it on the corner of the table—and of course balloons.

Never install a new operating system without balloons.

We suspect that this promo was actually written, directed, and edited by a Songsmith-style software being developed in Microsoft's research division.

"Mainstream Press 'Cringes' At Win7 Launch Parties" [Slashdot]

Erik's college roommate sent us the following letter:

I am writing this tip on behalf of my roommate, Erik.

Around a month and half ago (8/07/2009) his account was stolen on Xbox Live. He called Microsoft Support and asked for Accounts & Billing and they transferred him to someone that knew how to help. They verified that he was definitely, without doubt, the original owner. They asked for his contact email address and he gave them his primary email. They also said that the investigation team will get on this issue right away and it would be available again within the month (at the latest). Well, it has been a month and seventeen days since the time this email was written and nothing has happened that allowed him to get the account back. They said they would be calling him once a week to let him know the status of the investigation. He only got a call the week after and the week following that one. The last time they called they said that the investigation team is still working and that the account should be available at the end of August/early September.

Erik is a very patient guy and doesn't get angry over these types of things at all. He waited patiently until September 14th and called. Microsoft told Erik, after he asked if the message had been sent, that an email had been dispatched to the contact information on his Live passport. So Erik asked where the email was sent to and they said it was sent to an email that had the name "Chris" in it. It sounds like the person took control of his Live account and changed the contact information before MS locked the account down. They also did not change any of the information back to what it should be. So basically, MS sent the directions of how to recover his Live passport and gamertag to the hacker that stole his account in the first place.

So after MS figured out they made a mistake, they said the contact information had definitely been set back to Erik and that within 5 days an email would be sent to him and the investigative team would call him to inform that his gamer tag could be recovered again. He waited out the 5 days without a call or email and called back (9/19). When he called them they apologized for not calling within 5 days and that he would definitely receive a call within 2 days. Three days later (9/22), no call or email. So, he called back. An hour on the phone, he used the prompt to speak to accounts and billing once again, they verified it was him, again, and he explained the situation, yet again. They gave him a case number but no extension to call. So, he would have to call and wait the 10 minutes it takes to talk to intelligent life at MS and let them look up the case. Every time he calls MS it takes 5 minutes for the operator to read the case's notes. So, he talked to this guy and was told that they have no way of knowing what the investigation team is doing or what the status of the investigation is. He was very sorry that he was not able to help any further. So, he told the guy thanks and that it isn't anything personal but he would like to speak to his supervisor. So, he after a 15-min wait to speak to one, he was connected. The original operator signaled that he was no longer going to participate and that William was on the line. William, the "supervisor", had a very heavy (Indian? Middle eastern?) accent and it was insanely difficult to understand what he was saying. Erik asked to speak with the investigation team, but the supervisor said that could not happen as they do not speak with the public. So Erik asked to speak with the supervisor's boss and he said that could not happen either. He does not take phone calls... So, Erik asked how this was going to be fixed and the supervisor said he doesn't know and he has no idea when the investigation will finish. Just to wait.

The person that stole the account charged $125 in MS Points to his CC, which he canceled immediately. Definitely 800 pts of those went to changing the gamer tag. Get this, the person even started a new prestige on his COD5 account. He was on his 4th and was content with keeping it like that until Modern Warfare 2 came out but I guess that isn't going to happen. Microsoft reimbursed him $75 of the $125 after the first call but he has yet to be reimbursed for the rest. Erik wasn't told whether or not he would even be able to get his original gamer tag back.

Erik no longer has any idea what to do. He has done everything they asked and they have done pretty much nothing they said they would. Hopefully, Consumerist can see how this situation is frustrating. Especially when one can't talk to the team that is "investigating" the account that one "own's".

Erik has been a faithful Xbox player and account holder for almost 8 years now and is doubting Microsoft's loyalty to their customers.

What do you think should have happened in this situation? What would you guys have done in this situation? What do you think Microsoft can do to make this better?

We suggest, in fine college freshman style, that Erik copy your letter and personalize it so that it comes from him, and then EECB these Microsoft email addresses and any others he can find. On of our commenters on that post had success with those addresses. Another commenter also suggests Erik contact MajorNelson on Twitter, who may be able to help or point Erik to someone who can.

(Photo: włodi)

According to recent reports, Microsoft is actively trying to convince Apple Store managers to come over to the dark side, offering them raises, moving expenses and other perks. After joining up, the new 'softies are expected to assimilate as many of their former colleagues as possible. According to Apple-watcher Jim Dalrymple:

Once hired, the ex-Apple employees are then contacting some of the top sales people in the Apple retail organization offering them positions at Microsoft retail. They have also been offered more money than what they made at Apple.

We still don't quite understand why Microsoft's getting into the retail game at all; the company seems to sell more than enough Xboxes, software and Zunes without the added costs of setting up shop in every mall in America. OK, maybe not Zunes, but the retail presence won't really make a whole lot of difference there.

Poaching from the competition is a time-honored tradition in just about every industry, so it's hard to fault Microsoft for going after the Apple corps. But PC World's David Coursey has a point when he says that, "if the Mac, iPod, and iPhone are really a lifestyle and not mere gizmos, then the true believers will stay. And Apple has many more of the truly faithful than East Germany had."

Then again, Microsoft can tempt them with "a few extra thousand dollars a year, maybe a polo to replace the Apple t-shirt, and the opportunity to work at a company with a better career path than Apple might offer." And don't forget those Zunes. Microsoft has to do something with all of the unsold inventory.

Microsoft poaching Apple store managers and sales staff [The Loop]
If Microsoft Poaches Apple Store Workers, Good Riddance [PC World]

(Photo: Torley)

If you didn't visit nytimes.com over the weekend, here's what happened: the paper reported on Monday that they'd essentially been tricked, by someone who knew how to game their oversight policies, into displaying malicious ads to some users who visited the site.

The creator of the malicious ads posed as Vonage, the Internet telephone company, and persuaded NYTimes.com to run ads that initially appeared as real ads for Vonage. At some point, possibly late Friday, the campaign switched to displaying the virus warnings.

Because The Times thought the campaign came straight from Vonage, which has advertised on the site before, it allowed the advertiser to use an outside vendor that it had not vetted to actually deliver the ads, Ms. McNulty said. That allowed the switch to take place. "In the future, we will not allow any advertiser to use unfamiliar third-party vendors," she said.

Security consultant Dancho Danchev thinks that a particular, sophisticated crime group was behind the ad, which happens to be the same group that Microsoft filed 5 lawsuits against in Seattle's King County Superior Court earlier this week.

The lawsuits allege that an unknown number of individuals using various business names distributed malicious software through Microsoft AdManager, the company's online advertising platform.

[...]

Click Forensics, a company that tracks click fraud, on Thursday said that it had discovered a 200,000 computer botnet — a group of compromised computers harnessed to work in unison — linked to the Microsoft lawsuits. In a blog post, Steve O'Brien, VP of sales and marketing at Click Forensics called it "one of the most advanced sources of click fraud we've seen."

The botnet, known as the "Bahama botnet" because it at one time directed online traffic through computers in the Bahamas, is believed to be linked to the malicious advertising that appeared on the New York Times Web site several days ago, according to O'Brien.

Although O'Brien suggests that the cyber crime group believed to be responsible is located in Ukraine, Richard Boscovich, senior attorney at Microsoft for Internet safety enforcement, said in a phone interview that it's not clear where the people responsible are located.

"Microsoft Files Five Lawsuits To Halt Malicious Advertising" [InformationWeek]
"Times Web Ads Show Security Breach" [New York Times]

I recently had my 4th Red Ring of Death, specifically a 0020 Error. What that essentially means is that the internal components to my xbox have been warped to a point that the cheap soldering has broken, and the thermal paste inside the box isnt protecting the GPU enough. As Microsoft states, it's a general hardware failure, one that they refuse to officially identify.

That was the 4th xbox to RROD in my home.

I figured I would try to call Xbox support and see about getting a repair. Well, didn't work out as I planned. I've spent 5 days and 15 hours on the phone, most of them on hold. The first set of guys "Leon", "Mike", and "Vlad" a rep, "Supervisor" and "Manager" respectively, told me that they could not help me as my xbox was apparently out of warranty. I've not owned my 360 that long, I bought mine on Oct. 23rd, 2007. I tried to dispute this fact with them, but I was called a "Stupid American" and was given the brush-aside by being told I would receive a phone call in 24-48 hours to speak with an upper level manager.

Well, it's been several days since that happened. I don't believe xbox is doing the consumer right, so I decided I wanted to find out exactly what was going on around campus. I intend to poll about 1000 people, personally, pertaining to individual xbox 360 failures. With this data, I intend to prove my thesis: It is not a matter of "if," it is a matter of "when." So far, I have about 200 respondants, and of them, I am sitting on a 71% failure rate. 14 students have worked with 3 xboxs, with 4 of them (including myself) working on their 4th box.

My aim is to show that through personal interview, I can get a better understanding of exactly what is going on with xboxs around the country (we are a university after all.)

I'd love to ask more people about their experiences, and when I feel that I have enough data, I plan on working with the Math department to get a good model on three variables "pass/fail test", "length of ownership", and "hours played per week."

If you are an Xbox owner and would like to help Ben with his project, email your name, phone number and a convenient time for a short interview to BenStrauss {at} sinsandsaints dot org.

RELATED: Xbox 360 Failure Rate is 54.2 Percent, Game Informer Finds
(Photo: tubbynj)

Does it matter whether the Zune can play games? In its three years on the market, the Zune has yet to emerge as a viable opposition to the iPod. It will be tough to muscle in on the market dominated by the DS and lagging PSP, especially with the PSP Go due out in a couple weeks. So, portable gamers, is there room in your cargo pants for one more gizmo?

Confirmed: Zune HD Will Play Games [Wired, via Destructoid]

Most of Microsoft's anti-Linux pitch focuses on familiarity, reliability, and ease-of-use, and the inaccuracies are on the order of statements like, "Linux is a self-help solution. There are no step-by-step tutorials provided, and help documentation is limited." True? Only if you ignore the hundreds of online tutorials, not to mention the wizards that make installing distros like Ubuntu at least as easy as working with Vista.

Still, we sort of agree with PC World's Tony Bradley, who points out that "Linux is getting easier and more mainstream as time goes on, but we're talking about Best Buy customers. ... they tend to buy a computer system like they buy a microwave or a dishwasher. They just want a computing ‘appliance' to set on the desk and connect to the Internet." If that's the case,though, how to do Microsoft's "assassins" go after the Mac? Oh, right, it's expensive. Guess they had a hard time using that argument against Linux, given its price point of, oh, free.

Microsoft trains Best Buy Linux assassins [ZDNet]
Microsoft and Best Buy Gang Up On Linux [PC World]
Microsoft helps Best Buy employees troll Mac users, too [Ars Technica]

Jake's roomie skipped out on him, and now he says Microsoft won't let him remove his account unless the roommate gives the thumbs-up. He writes:

Once upon a time I had a roommate and let him use my debit card to sign up for Xbox live as he did not have one, that was many months ago and he has since been evicted for believing going to work and paying rent was not important. About a week ago I noticed I had a charge on my debit card for $20.00 from Xbox live and seeing as I do not own an xbox I knew immediately what it was, a renewal fee for my ex-roommates Xbox live membership. So I called up Xbox Live thinking it would be an easy task to get my Visa removed from the account, turns out it's not.

Even though the Visa is under my name and address the only way they can remove it is if I have my ex-roommates phone number or email he used to sign up for the account. I don't have either and will not be able to find out what they are since as far as I know he still doesn't have a job to pay his phone and I have no idea how to get in contact with him, and even if I did he probably wouldn't speak to me because after all I was the one who kicked him out. I have talked to three representatives and all have told me the same thing so come Monday I will have to go to my bank and see if there is anything I can do from that end. Hopefully they can block Xbox Live from charging me but there is a very good chance I will never get the $20 back.

I've heard similar stories from friends. Microsoft certainly doesn't make it easy to cancel Xbox Live or remove credit cards from profiles.

Calling the bank to stop the charges is a good idea. Hopefully Jake isn't forced to cancel the card altogether. Have any of you found yourselves in similar circumstances?

(Photo: tubbynj)

"We own our platform, Steam. Microsoft owns their platform. They wanted to make sure there's an economy of value there."

You go, Microsoft, with your bad "economy of value" selves.

L4D1 DLC pricing not Valve's decision [Eurogamer, via Destructoid]

Now that this thing is floating around the internet, the Poland page has been returned to the original image.

Then things changed real quick-like. Richard writes:

Sometime after I clicked the 10% link, but before I completed my transaction, Newegg/MS had decided to lower the cashback amount to 5%.

The problem is, there was no indication of it. And by the time I found out, my no-return item had already been shipped. On a nearly $700 order, that's over a $30 difference. So I contacted Newegg, who was profusely apologetic, but seems to be claiming 'technical difficulties' and not offering any resolution other than 'let us keep your money please':

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Newegg.
We humbly apologize for the unfavorable circumstances. However, we have informed by Microsoft that we have already reached 50% of the budget allowance on the Bing 10% off cash back promotion. Therefore, the Bing banner has changed to read 5% off your order. This is being done to extend the duration of the promotion for the second half. Once we have used up 25% of the allowed funds, the discount will be changed to 2.5%. Meanwhile, Microsoft has fixed the issue with the Bing promotional banner and the promotion has resumed. We humbly apologize for the inconvenience we may have caused you and we thank you in advance for your understanding.

Further emails have only yielded variations on this theme. Microsoft also seems to be claiming technical difficulties, but has yet to offer resolution as well:

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We strive to accurately list product prices and discounts on the Bing cashback site. However, sometimes prices and/or discounts can change faster than the merchant can update our site with their new information. Our Merchant Center is currently working with all merchants to improve our processes and ensure accuracy when we list these prices.

Richard's pestering eventually paid off:

I've got a positive update, from both parties. Newegg ultimately refused to take any responsibility for it, however, they ended up offering me a $15 credit on my next order. Assuming that they bear half the responsibility for the screwy promotion, I was ok with that.

After repeatedly pestering Microsoft about their side of it, they eventually had someone from their Bing Cashback escalation department cut me a check for the full cashback amount. So ultimately I'm ahead $15 at the cost of my time and frustration. To be fair, I've used the Bing Cashback program quite a bit, and this is the only time I had an issue with it that wasn't resolved with a single email.

Sure, it cost Richard time and frustration, but add the gratification of the unqualified win to the $15 and it seems to have been time and frustration well spent.

(Photo: Dyanna)

Here's how it works:

Windows Secrets, the website that first alerted the web community to the activation loophole, has issued instructions for the "rearming" process. Users must first pull up a command line by going the Start menu, selecting All Programs, then Accessories, then Command Prompt.

Once the Command Prompt appears, users must type "slmgr -rearm", without the quote marks. Once the computer is rebooted, the activation calendar will have been reset to zero, giving users another 30 days of free use.

"Windows 7 'free for first 120 days', says Microsoft" [Telegraph via Oh Gizmo!]
"Use any version of Windows 7 free for 120 days" [Windows Secrets]

HotHardware is all over this one:

A Microsoft employee in the U.K. first noticed this requirement, and then TechFlash dug further and found that store managers need only be able to lift 50 pounds. Retail technical advisors also have the 75 pound requirement, while retail trainers have the lower, 50 pound requirement.

It might be worth noting that "Microsoft technology knowledge" is merely a "plus" in getting the job for associates and store managers are told only that "previous experience working with and selling technology" is "preferred."

Sorta makes you wonder exactly what Microsoft plans on selling in its stores. Ten-packs of Xbox 360s? Slabs of drywall? Anvils? Whatever the hefty wares may be, at least the burly employees will be able to carry them out to the car for you. Just don't expect them to be able to explain how the stuff works.

Microsoft To Prospective Employees: Get In Shape [HotHardware]
(Photo: carlylutzmann)
Thanks, William!

A Gizmodo reader spotted the as-yet officially unannounced $100 price cut in a Walmart ad.

Microsoft's attempt to steal Sony's thunder is a win for gamers who are still holding out on plunging into the current generation. Of course, the Wii is still by far the cheapest bet, and judging from Nintendo's sales dominance, it seems the 360 and PS3 are still another price cut away from challenging the current king.

Why Hello, $299 Xbox 360 Elite [Gizmodo via Destructoid]
(Photo: Tengaport)

The two biggest reasons that have half-convinced us to give Windows 7 a shot are:

1. Just like when Apple rolled out OS X with the built-in Classic mode for older apps, Windows 7 includes "XP Mode" so all of your existing XP apps (or most of them, at least) will play without problems. Update: It looks like XP Mode will only work with the more expensive Ultimate, Professional, and Enterprise flavors. *sigh*

2. Windows Media Player just works, out of the box, with Wi-Fi enabled appliances like your Xbox.

Windows 7 is an OS practically made for pirates. Want to display your movies, photos or music on your TV? Bam! Windows Media Player will do that out of the box if you have a Wi-Fi enabled TV, or an Xbox. No extra programs to install: Windows Media Player seamlessly communicates with your Wi-Fi device to display your illegal content in all its glory on your fancy HD TV.

And sharing media is easy, too. Want to download all of your brother's music? Bam! HomeGroup, an easy networking feature included in Windows 7, will make that super easy between computers running the OS. Immediately upon plugging in to your network with Ethernet or Wi-Fi, HomeGroup will ask if you wish to join the group on the network, allowing you to set up easy file sharing in minutes.

We know Wired is joking about the whole piracy aspect, but seriously, if I want to placeshift and timeshift whatever media I'm interested in at the moment, I don't want my operating system acting as a nanny. It looks like Windows 7 understands this.

Before anyone accuses us of advertising for Microsoft, we're well aware that there may be any number of ridiculous problems with the OS when it comes out. Still, it would be nice to finally have a modern Windows OS that doesn't suck before the end of the decade. We're cautiously optimistic.

"7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7" [Wired]

The poorly manufactured, red ring of death-prone console has a 54.2 percent failure rate, compared to 10.6 percent for the PS3 and the Wii's 6.8 percent.

The magazine surveyed nearly 5,000 readers to get the data. And while the 360's rate is alarmingly higher than the others, it's still bafflingly low because it blows the mind to imagine that 45.8 percent of the consoles have not broken. Also, Microsoft's numbers are inflated because 360s are used the most of the three consoles. Results said 40.3 percent of 360 owners use the console three to five hours a day, compared to 37 percent of PS3 owners. Meanwhile, the plurality of Wii owners (41.4 percent) play their consoles less than an hour a day.

Microsoft also seized the gold medal for unhelpful customer service, taking nearly a month to repair or replace a console, while Nintendo and Sony stuck closer to a week. Only 37.7 percent of Microsoft customers found the company's customer service was "very helpful," compared to 51.1 percent fo Sony and 56.1 percent for Nintendo.

The most shocking number from the survey — and frightening from a consumer perspective — is only 3.8 percent of Xbox 360 owners said they'd never buy another Xbox because of hardware failure.

EPIC FAIL (print edition only) [Game Informer]
(Photo: gongus)

But when I tried to buy the games, my 360 stopped me cold. It gave me the option to either buy the games with a credit card or input a 20-digit code, but wouldn't let me spend my Microsoft funny money.

Discouraged, I called customer service. The CSR told me Games on Demand required "real money" rather than Microsoft Points. When I told him I bought those points with "real money," he explained that Microsoft was responding to consumer demand by letting customers purchase games directly with credit cards rather than making them jump through the Microsoft Points hoops. I asked if he could refund my points or maybe transfer them back into "real money" so I could spend them on the games I wanted, but he turned me down. His supervisor, "George," gave me the same spiel and refused to let me speak to his manager, who "doesn't take calls." At least the supe gave me a reference number and advice about how to complain about his service on xbox.com. A crafty one, George reminded me of the Indian version of myself, so I couldn't find it in my heart to complain.

UPDATE: You can indeed use Microsoft points to buy Games on Demand, contrary to what the CSRs told me. A Microsoft rep said he'd be following up with the misinformed CSRs I spoke with.

(Photo: darabidduckie)