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<title>Haaze.com / rezinu-PKv2011 / Published News</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Telecom tycoon beats out Gates for top billionaire]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=telecom-tycoon-beats-out-gates-for-top-billionaire</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=telecom-tycoon-beats-out-gates-for-top-billionaire</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rezinu-PKv2011</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=telecom-tycoon-beats-out-gates-for-top-billionaire</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Forbes' latest list of the world's billionaires still points to Bill Gates and other familiar faces in the tech world, but Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim Helu again took first place as the richest.Carlos Slim Helu(Credit:carlosslim.com)Helu, whose family fortune is estimated by Forbes at $74 billion, up from $53.5 billion last year, owns America Movil, Latin America's largest wireless carrier. But the mogul upped his wealth over the past year through a series of mining and real estate deals as well as gains in the peso and the Mexican stock market.Still in no slouch in second place, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is worth $56 billion after having given away $30 billion through the Gates Foundation in an effort to combat disease, hunger, and other global problems. Seventy percent of his wealth is held in an investment fund, while the rest is in Microsoft stock.Another billionaire well known in the tech world is Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who made fifth place with a net worth of $39.5 billion. That marks an $11.5 billion increase since last year courtesy of a 30 percent gain in Oracle's stock price. Though he slashed his salary as head of Oracle to $1 in 2009, he's managed to scoop up $960 million in compensation over the past five years, according to Forbes, mainly from cashing in on stock options.Further down the list were such tech players as Google founder Larry Page and Sergey Brin, each one with fortunes of $19.8 billion thanks in large part to the huge run-up in Google stock. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made the list with a net worth of $18.1 billion, now $5.8 billion richer than last year as the price of Amazon stock has shot up 50 percent, according to Forbes.Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg(Credit:Facebook)With the growing popularity of Facebook, its founder Mark Zuckerberg joined the billionaires club last year and now is back with a net worth of $13.5 billion. A big jump from his $4 billion fortune in 2010, Zuckerberg's wealth grew by 238 percent thanks to funding from investment firms such as Goldman Sachs, which increased Facebook's valuation to $50 billion.Tracking the spread of wealth around the world for the past 25 years, Forbes found that the combined fortunes of all the world's billionaires this year hit $4.5 trillion. To rank the planet's richest people, more than 50 Forbes reporters worked throughout 13 different countries to tally each person's public holdings, private companies, real estate, art, and other possessions.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[BlackBerry PlayBook: Who will buy it]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-who-will-buy-it</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-who-will-buy-it</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rezinu-PKv2011</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-who-will-buy-it</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:BlackBerry/RIM)After spending some quality time with RIM's in-production BlackBerry PlayBook at CES, I can tell you it's a beautiful 7-inchtablet. A sharp, high-resolution screen, pleasing rubberized perimeter, and gesture-based interface converge to create a piece of electronic equipment that I would proudly make my mini-computing companion. (Hands-on CNET videos here and here.)However, the PlayBook comes with several thick strings attached that are awkward enough to trip up prospective tablet-buyers. No 3G without a BlackBerryThe tautest tripwire pertains to data. Many top-tier tablets come in Wi-Fi and data (3G) versions. For a little less, you can buy the Wi-Fi version and access Web content (from apps, e-mail, and the browser) whenever you're connected to a Wi-Fi network. For a little more, you can often buy a 3G-capable model--and a carrier's monthly data plan--that lets you access the Internet so long as there's coverage.RIM, on the other hand, has decided to sell the PlayBook as a Wi-Fi-only device. The only way to access 3G data on the PlayBook will be through a BlackBerry smartphone.Tethering the PlayBook to a BlackBerry will work wirelessly through Bluetooth pairing, but it means that your BlackBerry needs to be powered on for you to use 3G on your PlayBook. On one hand, using your phone as a portable hotspot is handy--but only if you already own a BlackBerry smartphone. On the other, hotspot tethering also drains a phone's resources.No native e-mail, calendar eitherA 3G data connection isn't the sole thing you'll give up if you want use the PlayBook without a BlackBerry. Without tethering, you're out of luck accessing BlackBerry's secure e-mail client, the calendar, BlackBerry Messenger, and the address book. Sure, there will be Web apps that Wi-Fi-only customers can use instead, like Gmail.com and Google Calendar.Missing out on native e-mail apps may not bother some non-Blackberry-owning PlayBook buyers who wouldn't be using a RIM-controlled e-mail address or calendar anyway, though it doesn't hurt RIM to offer all buyers a native experience.Those with a BlackBerry on hand, however, will be able to use the BlackBerry Bridge software to access contacts and content, plus transfer files between the smartphone and tablet. Tethering will let companies that supply BlackBerrys to their employees also extend IT policies to the PlayBook.To RIM, '3G' is spelled 'BlackBerry.' (Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)So, who is the PlayBook forWith one set of options for BlackBerry owners and another set for everyone else, RIM seems to have a disjointed, unrealistic vision of the PlayBook's audience. But that's not the case. RIM knows exactly who it wants to buy the tablet--everyone.The problem is that RIM can't get the kinks worked out with things like e-mail--controlled by one set of software on the smartphone--in the new BlackBerry Tablet OS technology in time for the PlayBook's release. What we're left with are work-arounds until the OS further develops.Because of 3G tethering, current BlackBerry owners will benefit from the PlayBook most, at least at the tablet's launch. There's an even more specialized case for corporate BlackBerry users, whose companies could control secured e-mail and calendar items on the tablet as well as on the phone.Prospective PlayBook buyers with other cell phones have less incentive to invest in a PlayBook over an Apple iPad, Motorola Xoom, or other tablet, despite the very competitive specs. Even if they predominantly use Web mail and Wi-Fi, and don't give a hoot about missing out on BlackBerry Messenger, many people I've talked to still feel the alienating effects of being told what they can and can't have. That's not encouraging for a company that's trying to appeal to first-time owners of any BlackBerry product.4G, updates aheadThat isn't to say that RIM will be forever mired by tethering troubles. The company did confirm a 4G model coming out later this spring with Sprint, which opens the data door for those first-time buyers who don't own BlackBerrys. RIM PlayBook product manager Ryan Bidan has also mentioned the possibility of future firmware updates that might soothe some of these launching pains.Still, if RIM doesn't carefully manage its perception, the PlayBook could well remain a hidden gem. That's one of the last things the Canadian mobile hardware-maker could want. RIM, which is struggling to remain relevant in an ecosystem largely dominated byiPhone and Android, has already poured research and manufacturing dollars into bringing the PlayBook to market as a big-time competitor. Of course, it's far too early to eulogize the PlayBook, and indeed, I hope I don't have to. The tablet won't hit shelves until later this fiscal quarter (Q1), which gives RIM time yet to nail down a strategy for attracting and keeping new customers.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[China&'s Tencent acquires majority stake in online game firm Riot Games for nearly $400M]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-tencent-acquires-majority-stake-in-online-game-firm-riot-games-for-nearly-400m</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-tencent-acquires-majority-stake-in-online-game-firm-riot-games-for-nearly-400m</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rezinu-PKv2011</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chinarsquos-tencent-acquires-majority-stake-in-online-game-firm-riot-games-for-nearly-400m</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tencent, Chinaa4a4s most valuable internet company, has acquired a majority stake in U.S. online games firm Riot Games for nearly $400 million.The deal is another validation of the social game business, which is one of the hottest sectors for user growth and acquisitions. And it shows that big international players such as the Chinese internet giant are moving in on the fast-growing market for social games in the U.S.Los Angeles-based Riot Games is one of the industry&amp;'s venture-backed success stories. The company unveiled its hit game, League of Legends, in October 2008. The online game combined quick-hit fighting sessions in a fantasy action setting. It was like the video game equivalent of a pick-up basketball game. The game was inspired by the free &amp;''mod,&amp;'' or user-generated modification, Defense of the Ancients, a popular version of WarCraft III. Riot Games said the company has more than 1 million active players. They log in more than 500 million minutes each month.&amp;''We shared a philosophy and built a mutual respect with Tencent,&amp;'' said Brandon Beck, CEO of Riot Games, in an interview. &amp;''It is an interesting time for games. Social and mobile games are very interesting, but it&amp;'s not our focus. We are very focused on core game experiences, which are also evolving from a packaged good to an online service.&amp;''Beck said the company would tap Tencent&amp;'s resources for a worldwide expansion. Bloomberg reported the rumored deal first, and we&amp;'ve confirmed it in an interview. The companies did not confirm the purchase price, but Bloomberg reported the deal was valued at $350 million, based on a knowledgeable source. We hear it&amp;'s closer to $400 million and that there isn&amp;'t a huge earn-out in the number. (An earn-out is an extra payment if the acquired company meets performance targets in the future).Shenzhen-based Tencent, which has more than 600 million users for its QQ messaging service in China, is already a part owner of Riot Games. Other Riot Games investors include Benchmark Capital and FirstMark Capital. Tencent also owns 10 percent of Russian investment firm DST, which owns stakes in Facebook and Zynga.The deal by Tencent is the biggest cross-border incursion made by a Chinese company in the games business. Early last year, China&amp;'s Shanda Games bought Mochi Media, a Flash game platform company in San Francisco, for $80 million. Other big deals in social and mobile games include Disney&amp;'s purchase of Playdom for up to $763 million and DeNA&amp;'s purchase of Ngmoco for $403 million.Riot Games was founded five years ago by Beck and Marc Merrill, who saw potential in an idea dubbed &amp;''session-based&amp;'' gaming, or short games you could play during a lunch break. Their game is a downloadable title that is free-to-play, where users pay real money for virtual goods such as character strengtheners. The deal is expected to close within 30 days. During its history, Riot Games raised $18 million in two venture rounds and one angel round. It has more than 150 employees and has 100 open jobs now. Not bad for a company that has only one published game.Mitch Lasky, a partner at Benchmark and a member of Riot&amp;'s board, said that Riot Games built a &amp;''disruptive&amp;'' position in the game market. Beck said the deal was structured in a way that will allow Riot Games to operate independently, and David Wallerstein, senior executive vice president at Tencent, said that Riot will have support and autonomy. Lasky said the combination of the loyal fan base and great monetization through virtual goods made Riot Games so valuable, although he declined to say what the actual value was.League of Legends is available in Europe and the U.S., but it will expand to other regions this year. Tencent is publishing the game in China. Beck said the game has a passionate fan base that plays for an enormous amount of time. The company updates the game at least once every two weeks with new content, bug fixes, and changes to suit gamers. As for the future, Beck said, &amp;''We really feel like we&amp;'re just getting started.&amp;''Next Story: Is the Answers.com sale in trouble Previous Story: Facebook (basically) confirms its move to Menlo ParkPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Defense of the Ancients, League of LegendsCompanies: Benchmark Capital, Firstmark Capital, Riot Games, TencentPeople: Brandon Beck, Marc Merrill          Tags: Defense of the Ancients, League of LegendsCompanies: Benchmark Capital, Firstmark Capital, Riot Games, TencentPeople: Brandon Beck, Marc MerrillDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Uncharted 3 team shows its stereoscopic 3D muscle]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=uncharted-3-team-shows-its-stereoscopic-3d-muscle</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=uncharted-3-team-shows-its-stereoscopic-3d-muscle</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rezinu-PKv2011</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=uncharted-3-team-shows-its-stereoscopic-3d-muscle</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The team behind adventure game Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception is pulling out all stops to create a legendary cinematic experience a4&quot; this time including stereoscopic 3D, which it demonstrated at the Game Developer&amp;'s Conference last week.Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won numerous awards as the best game of the year in 2009. This demo shows that the Naughty Dog team that made the game for the PlayStation 3 wants to push the envelope even more with the newest game, which comes out this fall. If they succeed, then they could easily have game-of-the-year material again. And that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Sony.The Naughty Dog team demoed a 3D-enhanced level that made players controlling the game&amp;'s hero, Nathan Drake, escape from a multi-story chteau that was on fire and collapsing. The level requires gamers to wear battery-powered 3D glasses a4&quot; but it&amp;'s well worth the slight discomfort. The demonstration is gorgeous, even though there are a few slow-downs from time to time.It&amp;'s one of two ways the industry has seemingly embraced to push the envelope with video games. Independent studios with smaller budgets are forced to come up with clever ideas and game mechanics to create popular and innovative titles. Studios like Naughty Dog a4&quot; with titanic budgets and teams of people that surpass 200 a4&quot; work to create more cinematic experiences that stretch the limits of the gaming console and what games can offer gamers.Naughty Dog&amp;'s last blockbuster, Uncharted 2, featured a level where players were running along a moving train that was riding through the jungle. Just about every part of the scene was constantly moving and the game didn&amp;'t slow down at any point. The chteau scene featured loads of fire and falling pieces of wood as the house crumbled around the hero Nathan Drake and his partner Sullivan. It&amp;'s also just about as active as the train level in Uncharted 2, but it looks like the 3D engine might need a few minor tweaks before it comes out.Naughty Dog also unveiled the game&amp;'s main villain, Katherine Marlowe. She&amp;'s the head of an ancient organization that is obsessed with recovering Drake&amp;'s ring, which belonged to explorer Sir Francis Drake a4&quot; one of Nathan Drake&amp;'s ancestors. While Uncharted 2 featured a more militaristic enemy bent on achieving immortality, Marlowe is a little more subtle and seems a bit more sinister.Previous Story: Ask the accountant: Will my international startup owe U.S. taxesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: adventure games, cinematics, indie games, Uncharted 3Companies: Naughty Dog, Sony          Tags: adventure games, cinematics, indie games, Uncharted 3Companies: Naughty Dog, SonyMatthew Lynley is VentureBeat's enterprise writer. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, where he studied math and physics, in May 2010. He has reported for Reuters. He currently lives in San Francisco, California. You can reach him at mattl@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @logicalmoron. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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