diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
index b217d41546..3a1fe51cf5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/device.py
@@ -455,29 +455,22 @@ class Device(DeviceConfig, DevicePlugin):
         usb_dir = None
 
         def test(val, attr):
-            q = getattr(self, attr)
-            if q is None: return True
-            return q == val or val in q
+            q = getattr(self.detected_device, attr)
+            return q == val
 
         for x, isfile in walk('/sys/devices'):
             if isfile and x.endswith('idVendor'):
                 usb_dir = d(x)
-                for y in ('idProduct',):
+                for y in ('idProduct', 'idVendor', 'bcdDevice'):
                     if not os.access(j(usb_dir, y), os.R_OK):
                         usb_dir = None
                         continue
                 e = lambda q : raw2num(open(j(usb_dir, q)).read())
-                ven, prod = map(e, ('idVendor', 'idProduct'))
-                if not (test(ven, 'VENDOR_ID') and test(prod, 'PRODUCT_ID')):
+                ven, prod, bcd = map(e, ('idVendor', 'idProduct', 'bcdDevice'))
+                if not (test(ven, 'idVendor') and test(prod, 'idProduct') and
+                        test(bcd, 'bcdDevice')):
                     usb_dir = None
                     continue
-                if self.BCD is not None:
-                    if not os.access(j(usb_dir, 'bcdDevice'), os.R_OK) or \
-                            not test(e('bcdDevice'), 'BCD'):
-                        usb_dir = None
-                        continue
-                    else:
-                        break
                 else:
                     break
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/__init__.py b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/__init__.py
index 6adc250bb7..2df13ce7c8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/ipc/__init__.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/ipc/__init__.py
@@ -11,8 +11,15 @@ from threading import Thread
 
 from calibre.constants import iswindows
 
-ADDRESS = r'\\.\pipe\CalibreGUI' if iswindows else \
-    os.path.expanduser('~/.calibre-gui.socket')
+if iswindows:
+    ADDRESS = r'\\.\pipe\CalibreGUI'
+else:
+    from tempfile import gettempdir
+    tmp = gettempdir()
+    user = os.environ.get('USER', '')
+    if not user:
+        user = os.path.basename(os.path.expanduser('~'))
+    ADDRESS = os.path.join(tmp, user+'-calibre-gui.socket')
 
 class RC(Thread):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
index 7c361953b1..dfcadf03ed 100644
--- a/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
+++ b/src/calibre/web/feeds/news.py
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
 
         return index
 
-    def download_cover(self):
+    def _download_cover(self):
         self.cover_path = None
         try:
             cu = self.get_cover_url()
@@ -839,6 +839,14 @@ class BasicNewsRecipe(Recipe):
                         f.write(mi.cover_data[1])
             self.cover_path = cpath
 
+    def download_cover(self):
+        try:
+            self._download_cover()
+        except:
+            self.log.exception('Failed to download cover')
+            self.cover_path = None
+
+
 
     def default_cover(self, cover_file):
         '''