1. A media sampling apparatus, comprising: a mounting bracket located within a store, wherein a location identifier is attached to the mounting bracket, said location identifier identifying the location of the mounting bracket within the store; and a media sampling device attached to the mounting bracket, the media sampling device comprising: a housing; a processor housed in the housing; a display screen coupled to the processor and the housing; a bar code scanner coupled to the processor and the housing; a headphone socket coupled to the housing for enabling a user of the device to listen to user selected audio content; and a connector socket, coupled to the processor and the housing, for receiving a plug connected to a cable, wherein the media sampling device is configured to (a) receive all of its electrical power from said cable and (b) use said cable to transmit data to a server component of said media sampling apparatus, the media sampling device is configured to prompt a user to input into the device the location identifier attached to the mounting bracket at the time that the cable is first plugged into the device, the processor is configured to determine whether the media sampling device has been idle for at least a predetermined amount of time, the processor is configured to transmit to said server a first request for information in response to determining that the media sampling device has been idle for at least the predetermined amount of time, and the server is configured such that, in response to receiving the first request for information, the server: retrieves the location identifier, which identifies the location of the mounting bracket, uses the location identifier to choose an idle loop content file from a set of available idle loop content files, and transmits to the media sampling device one of: an identifier identifying the selected idle loop content file and a default content item, wherein the media sampling device is further configured to transmit to said server a second request for information in response to determining that the media sampling device has been idle for at least the predetermined amount of time, the server is further configured such that, in response to receiving the second request for information, the server retrieves a default volume value and transmits to the media sampling device the default volume value, and the media sampling device is further configured such that, in response to receiving the default volume value transmitted by the server, the media sampling device automatically resets a volume level to the default volume value.