Rift Mobile Authenticator without a Smart Phone?

Supposedly the BlueStacks emulator allows one to run the Rift Android mobile authenticator on a PC. The first URL has a link to the download, and the second (dated last January 2012) talks about BlueStacks.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/1151408-Rift-Mobile-App-without-android-apple-smartphone

http://samsunggalaxyandroid.net/2012/01/bluestacks-app-player-out-of-alpha-beta-bound-soon/

Apparently BlueStacks is still in beta.
http://androidcommunity.com/bluestacks-app-player-for-windows-enters-beta-20120327/

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Rift Anthenticator for All Devices

Downloads of the authenticator for Android, iPhone and Windows phones.
http://www.riftgame.com/en/media/downloads/authenticator.php

Instructions
http://telarapedia.com/wiki/Authenticator

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Rift Security: Coin Lock

The Solo MMO Player has been on vacation and was surprised to discover the new "coin lock" procedure (implemented March 17) had him locked out of Rift.  Here's the best summary I found about how it works.
http://forums.riftgame.com/showthread.php?122396-Update-on-Hacked-Accounts

Note that some sort of authenticator system is in the works.

Apparently the new coin lock system had problems.
http://forums.riftgame.com/showthread.php?129952-Coin-Lock-is-there..wait..no-it-s-not

So Rift updated (March 19) the coin lock system they implemented in such a way that everyone has to use an email code to get into their account. More information about how it all works here:
http://rift.ign.com/articles/news/7486/Coin-Lock-Update

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New Dial-In Authenticator UPDATED WITH REVIEW

Blizzard has come up with a third authenticator, the dial up authenticator.  Basically you give Blizzard a phone number.  You choose a pin and when you want to do something unusual, you call from that number, enter the pin number and get an authenticator security code like the ones that works on the smart phones or on the actual authenticator token.  It sounds very clunky to me but here are the details so you can decide for yourself.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=173490

A review.
http://www.isheepthings.com/blog/battle-net-dial-in-authenticator-review/

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Authenticators Limited to One Battle.net Account

This change isn't retroactive, so if you have multiple Battle.net accounts and one authenticator, you can still use it for all of them.  It's just you can't use one authenticator for them all from here on out.
http://wow.joystiq.com/2010/10/07/battle-net-authenticators-limited-to-one-account/

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Blizzard Listens In and Avoids Responsibility

The Melting Pot is a bit shocked at Blizzard's making players agree to allow monitoring of their in-game conversations,
http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2010/09/editorial-blizzard-are-a-bit-draconian/

...while Adam is annoyed that Blizzard is avoiding their responsibility to make the game less spammer friendly and allowing guilds to require authenticators.
http://thenoisyrogue.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/authenticators-are-rubbish/

Despite my annoyance at how Blizzard allows privacy to be breached, I do feel a little sorry for them trying to shut the barn door now that the animals have escaped.  Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.

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Email Confirmation Added to Authenticator Setup

Prepare for more phishing emails to your WOW email login as Blizzard has just added an email confirmation step (starting July 27) to adding an authenticator to your Battle.net account.  Apparently you have to know the answer to your security question if you want to change the email address attached to your account so this should help keep folks who have hijacked your account from adding an authenticator to keep you out of your own account.
http://www.wow.com/2010/07/28/email-confirmation-added-to-authenticator-setup-to-foil-hackers/

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Authenticators Required for Forum Postings

Out of the blue, Blizzard has announced an authenticator is needed to post on the forums.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=164302

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Another Hole in Blizzard Security? UPDATED

This tale exposes yet another hole in the Blizzard security system:  the fact that your private information is on file even after you delete your characters and stop paying to play.  The idea to change your personal information to fake stuff if you stop playing seems a good one to me.
http://www.brigwyn.com/2010/04/14/i-drink-your-milkshake-i-drink-it-all-up-a-tale-of-blizzards-information-in-security/

"Ultimately, keeping an account secure is the responsibility of the user and not that of Blizzard." If you don't have an authenticator, go get one right now!  Here's the link to the Blizzard store (US),

http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000822

and to the Blizzard store (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America), plus 

http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000823

a link to the download for a mobile authenticator on your smart phone.

https://us.battle.net/account/support/mobile-auth-download.xml

UPDATE:  Eddie's discovered how to ask Blizzard to wipe your personal information from their files when you leave the game permanently.  Short version:  "You can request your personal private information to be deleted by sending an email toprivacy@blizzard.com or sending a letter to Blizzard Entertainment Privacy Policy, Attention: Privacy Policy Administrator, at 16215 Alton Pkwy. Irvine CA 92618-3616."  The long version is below:
http://www.brigwyn.com/2010/04/15/an-update-on-your-privacy-and-blizzard/

Thanks for following up on this important issue, EC.

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Get That Authenticator NOW

The Solo MMO Player's account was blocked this week due to "suspicious activity."  After about a 45 minute wait on the telephone, he was able to talk to a Blizzard rep who looked at the account and found no signs of anything suspicious at all and apparently freed up the account while checking things.  Why his account was blocked by Blizzard is unknown.

He believes that all the email addresses used as logins have been compromised as his email address/login --which has never been used for anything else-- is being bombarded by WOW phishing emails.  (He doesn't get any other type of spam there.  I personally have never received WOW spam although I get plenty of other types of spam.  However, I do not play WOW.)

In other words, The Solo MMO Player thinks that Blizzard's list of email addresses used as logins has been stolen and is being passed around by gold sellers, spammers and phishing specialists.  The account rep says the credit card information to pay for WOW accounts is kept in another place.  Perhaps this is safe.

The rep told him that Blizzard would use his former login name when they sent emails to his address, except when they didn't.  So being able to tell a real Blizzard message from the fakes is going to be very hard.  Many of them are exact copies of official Blizzard messages except for the fake links they send the unwary to.

Go get an authenticator now.
http://us.blizzard.com/store/search.xml?rhtml=y&q=authenticator

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Mobile Authenticator Update

WOW Insider says the latest update to the mobile authenticator allows a copy/paste function so you don't have to key in the random numbers.  I suppose this will be useful for those who are using the mobile Auction House on their cell phones?
http://www.wow.com/2010/03/11/updates-to-the-iphone-mobile-authenticator/

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Exploit Involving Authenticators UPDATED

WOW Insider is reporting about an exploit in the game that is getting around the authenticators.  Details here.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/28/man-in-the-middle-attacks-circumventing-authenticators/

UPDATE:  More details about the trojan, including where you pick it up.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/03/01/a-hack-that-can-bypass-your-authenticator/

UPDATE #2:  The file name you should search for and delete.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/03/world-of-warcraft-authenticator-hacked.html

UPDATE #3:  Fake addon download sites apparently are the major source of this stuff.
http://www.wow.com/2010/03/01/update-keylogger-source-identified/

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Patch 3.3.3 Changes UPDATED

UPDATE #2:  WOW Insider is keeping a list of expected changes to the game from Patch 3.3.3 and updating it as more information comes out.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/20/patch-3-3-3-ptr-what-weve-seen-in-the-last-24-hours/

Blizzard is announcing upcoming changes to the game thick and fast.  Patch 3.3.3 has a public test realm that is up and running now, or about to be.  I think the link below is where you access the PTR (public test realm).
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/ptr/

Here is what to expect from it.  Note that the random Battleground system is included in this patch.  You can't use this unless you are wearing a Level 80 character.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/19/patch-3-3-3-ptr-patch-notes/

A more complete explanation of the changes to Battlegrounds, as well as a list of other changes.
http://mmorpgs.pvpee.com/patch-3-3-3-ptr-notes

Patch 3.3.5 apparently has a new raid called Assault on the Ruby Sanctum.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/19/assault-on-the-ruby-sanctum-coming-in-patch-3-3-3/

There is going to be some tinkering with Wintergrasp specifically in the "next minor content patch" which I suppose means Patch 3.3.3.  WOW Insider is excited about the mechanics of Wintergrasp which Blizzard explains here.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/19/wintergrasps-hidden-balance-mechanics-revealed-minor-changes-c/

More details on the Wintergrasp changes.
http://mmorpgs.pvpee.com/upcoming-wintergrasp-changes

Note this about the authenticator from WOWHead's blog entry about the 3.3.3 patch notes--
"Authenticator Frame: If a player has a Battle.net Authenticator attached to his or her account and selects Remember Account Name at the login screen, the next time that player logs into World of Warcraft, a field to input the Authenticator code will be displayed below the password field."

http://www.wowhead.com/?blog=145532

The Auction House will have major changes and there will be profession changes, too.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/19/patch-3-3-3-ptr-major-changes-to-the-auction-house-and-game-eco/

Changes to the dungeon finder.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/20/patch-3-3-3-ptr-random-dungeon-finder-changes/

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Should Guild Members Use Authenticators to Access Guild Bank?

The pros and the cons here.
http://www.wow.com/2009/09/03/requiring-authenticators-for-guild-bank-access/

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Interview with Vasco (Authenticator Manufacturer)

WOW Insider interviewed the manufacturer of the security authenticator at BlizzCon. It gives one a behind the scenes view of how Blizzard works with this tool and the mobile app that does the same thing on cell phones.

http://www.wow.com/2009/08/26/blizzcon-2009-an-interview-with-vasco/

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I've Been Wondering About Authenticator Battery Life

...and apparently so is The Queue. After all, if the battery gives out, how do you access your account? Turns out the battery is supposed to have a 7 year minimum life span. The article goes on to explain what to do if your authenticator goes on the fritz.

http://www.wow.com/2009/08/24/the-queue-nuts-and-bolts/#continued

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Authenticator Available for Other Cell Phones

The authenticator is now available in some places for other cell phones besides the iPhone (or is it?). Not that this is only available from Battlenet and only works in some countries and unlike the iPhone app, it isn't free. More details here--
http://www.wow.com/2009/07/20/battle-net-authenticator-now-available-for-other-platforms/

UPDATE: Lissanna looks at the mobile authenticator in more detail and has a link to Blizzard's mobile store. She says it seems to be available in the U.S. for those who use Sprint, Cellular and AT&T as their cell phone provider.
http://www.restokin.com/2009/07/protecting-your-account-new-authenticator-apps/

UPDATE #2:  The Blizzard authenticator app is now available for Android phones.
http://www.wow.com/2010/02/10/mobile-authenticator-available-for-android/
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