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<title>Haaze.com / Aubery / All</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What creatures inhabit the surface of your cell phone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-creatures-inhabit-the-surface-of-your-cell-phone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-creatures-inhabit-the-surface-of-your-cell-phone</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 07:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-creatures-inhabit-the-surface-of-your-cell-phone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Germaphobes may want to navigate away from this page, lest they find themselves tempted to scrub their cell phones as often as their hands. Because cell phones are not only dirty, some of them even play host to what researchers are calling &quot;worrisome&quot; drug-resistant bacteria.Various surfaces within treatment facilities can play host to creatures that are difficult to attack with antibiotics. Thus, proper surface sanitation and infection control are a real concern.(Credit:Wikimedia Commons)A team from the Department of Medical Microbiology at Inonu University in Malatya, Turkey, set out to answer the question that serves as the title of their report: Do mobile phones of patients, companions, and visitors carry multidrug-resistant hospital pathogensThey cultured 200 mobile phones, collecting swab samples from three parts of each phone: the keypad, the microphone, and the earpiece. They also separated the phones into two groups: those belonging to medical employees (67) and those belonging to patients and visitors (133).Not surprisingly, the team found bacteria. But the disparity was significant, with pathogens on about 40 percent of phones belonging to patients but only on 20 percent of phones belonging to staff. Furthermore, seven of the phones (all belonging to patients or visitors) were found to host multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens.&quot;The types of bacteria that were found on the patients' [mobile phones] and their resistance patterns were very worrisome,&quot; the authors write in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. &quot;Our findings suggest that mobile phones of patients, patients' companions, and visitors represent higher risk for nosocomial pathogen colonization than those of [health-care workers]. Specific infection control measures may be required for this threat.&quot; Nosocomial infections are, generally speaking, infections related to health-care facilities.Of course, the study's sample size is small, but it may serve as a reminder to those entering hospital rooms to first stow your cell phones and then wash your hands.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Schneider Electric buys Telvent smart-grid software]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-electric-buys-telvent-smart-grid-software</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-electric-buys-telvent-smart-grid-software</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-electric-buys-telvent-smart-grid-software</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Power grid and building equipment supplier Schneider Electric said today has agreed to acquire Telvent in a bid to boost its smart-grid software portfolio.France-based Schneider Electric said it will pay about $2 billion for shares of Spain-based Telvent, which makes software designed to run the electric grid more efficiently. Telvent's products, for example, collect information from meters or sensors and presents it to utility employees so power grid systems can be better managed. It also makes real-time analytical software for agriculture, oil and gas, and transportation companies.The deal is a sign of how large suppliers of industrial equipment and smart-grid systems are acquiring smaller companies to fill out their product lines. Software, in particular, is important to energy efficiency offerings.&quot;To improve efficiency of solutions you need more software. Think about smart grids, smart transport, it all requires more software,&quot; Unicredit analyst James Stettler told Reuters.  Schneider said Telvent's software complements its existing infrastructure products and gives Schneider a reach into new countries. &quot;We will be able to provide our customers with high value added solutions that integrate smart devices and full software capability, hence reinforcing our position in the smart grid and critical infrastructure space,&quot; said Schneider Electric president and CEO Jean-Pascal Tricoire said in a statement. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rumor: iPhone 5 may use curved glass screen]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-may-use-curved-glass-screen</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-may-use-curved-glass-screen</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-iphone-5-may-use-curved-glass-screen</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Will the next iPhone used a curved glass screen(Credit:Apple)The latest news to hit theiPhone 5 rumor mill is that Apple's next smartphone may sport a curved glass screen, similar to the one found on the iPod Nano 4G.This latest report comes from Taiwan's DigiTimes. Citing industry sources, DigiTimes reported today that Apple has bought 200 or 300 glass-cutting machines to be used by glass makers, who are apparently hesitant to invest in the expensive equipment on their own.To no surprise, no time frame has been released yet as to when the iPhone 5 may ramp up production, as DigiTimes says that Apple is still working with suppliers of the glass cover, glass cutting, lamination, and touch sensors to make sure everything works together.If the rumors are true, the iPhone 5 would follow in the footsteps of Samsung's Nexus S, which was the first smartphone to offer a &quot;Contour Display,&quot; as the company calls it. The idea behind using a curved display is to create a device that fits more comfortably in your palm. CNET found the contour display in the Nexus S gimmicky. However, the iPhone would not necessarily adopt the same design found in the Nexus S.Tech enthusiast sites such as MacRumors have raised some skepticism over the DigiTimes report, citing other claims that the iPhone 5 would use the same form factor as the iPhone 4, with just a few tweaks, and may even be dubbed the iPhone 4S.However, one commenter at MacRumors dubbed AppleScruff1 may have just come up with the best design idea yet, suggesting that Apple make the iPhone 5 round like a rubber ball. That way if you drop it, it won't break and will just bounce back up into your hand.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Intel reveals more about multiple Win 8 versions]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-reveals-more-about-multiple-win-8-versions</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-reveals-more-about-multiple-win-8-versions</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 18 May 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-reveals-more-about-multiple-win-8-versions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Intel has revealed a few more details about Microsoft's plan to offer Windows 8 in multiple versions.Intel&amp;39's Renee James(Credit:Intel)Renee James, an Intel senior vice president who heads the software and services group, reiterated at an investor's meeting yesterday in Santa Clara, Calif., that the Windows 8 operating system will launch in versions designed for both Intel-based x86 computers and ARM-based devices. Microsoft had already announced at CES in January that it would support ARM devices in the next version of Windows.Microsoft will offer a traditional version of Windows 8 designed to run on PCs powered by Intel's x86 processor, James said, according to a report in The Register. This version will support older legacy applications for backward compatibility, as Microsoft typically does. &quot;Windows 8 Traditional&quot; would include a &quot;Windows 7 mode,&quot; similar to the wayWindows 7 currently provides a Windows XP mode to run older software.Beyond that, Microsoft will offer a version of Windows 8 designed to run ontablets, smartphones, and other devices powered by ARM chips. A total of four different Windows versions are being planned for ARM-based devices. That's because each version for ARM needs to be written for a specific chip, Intel CEO Paul Otellini explained at the meeting, according to a report in EE Times.However, the ARM-based versions won't support legacy applications or offer any backward compatibility mode, according to James, a fact that she stressed in Intel's favor.&quot;On ARM, there'll be the new experience, which is very specifically around the mobile experience, specifically around tablet and some limited clamshell, with no legacy OS,&quot; James said, according to The Register. &quot;Our competitors will not be running legacy applications. Not now. Not ever.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google scores big federal government contract]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Google)Google has won a major contract to provide Google Apps for an entire federal government agency.Teaming up with Unisys and two other companies, Google will deploy Google Apps for Government to all 17,000 employees and contractors at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA handles business for the entire federal government by providing real estate and building management services along with buying assistance to other agencies, according to a Google blog post.Awarding the $6.7 million contract to Google and its partners, the GSA becomes the first federal agency to migrate all its e-mail to the cloud, a move expected to help it cut costs by 50 percent over the next five years.&quot;Cloud computing has a demonstrated track record of cost savings and efficiencies,&quot; said GSA spokesman Casey Coleman in a statement. &quot;With this award, GSA employees will have a modern, robust e-mail and collaboration platform that better supports our mission and our mobile work force, and costs half as much.&quot;To fulfill the contract, Google will work with Unisys, Tempus Nova, and Acumen Solutions. Unisys will create the actual e-mail and collaboration platform based on Google Apps for Government and provide data migration and training for the new system. Tempus Nova offers tools to migrate data to Google Apps from Lotus Notes, which is currently used by the GSA, while Acumen Solutions has its own cloud-computing practice dedicated to the public sector.The competition to win the lucrative GSA contract stretched out over six months, according to Google, as the agency considered several different proposals. One key competitor was Microsoft, which expressed surprise over losing the bid in a Microsoft blog post by Tom Rizzo, senior director of Microsoft Online Services.&quot;Today, the General Services Administration made the decision to replace several different versions of IBM's Lotus Notes and Domino software with Google for its own e-mail,&quot; Rizzo wrote. &quot;While we are disappointed we will not have the opportunity to meet the GSA's internal messaging needs, we will continue to serve its productivity needs through the familiar experience ofMicrosoft Office and we look forward to understanding more about GSA's selection criteria--especially around security and architecture.&quot;In his post, Rizzo also took a few jabs at Google. He acknowledged that businesses have been talking to Google but claimed that the company often can't meet basic requirements. Citing &quot;inadequate product support, failure to provide a road map, poor interoperability with other line of business applications, and limited functionality,&quot; Rizzo said that these constraints are reasons why other public sector organizations have not chosen Google for their needs.In October, Google filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department, claiming that the agency had failed to evaluate Google Apps properly in its search for a new Web-based document system. The company alleged that the Interior Department's specification that the system be part of Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite left Google without a chance to win the bid despite attempts by the company to explain its Google Apps product.Launched this past July, Google Apps for Government offers the same cloud-based Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and other services found in Google Apps for Business. But the government edition carries with it a higher level of security as dictated by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification, which requires regular audits and reviews of information systems used by federal agencies. The Google Apps for Government suite costs $50 per user per year.The migration to Google Apps for all GSA employees and contractors across the agency's 17 locations is scheduled to occur next year, according to Google.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Wi-Fi and HomePlug Powerline groups join forces]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-and-homeplug-powerline-groups-join-forces</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-and-homeplug-powerline-groups-join-forces</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-and-homeplug-powerline-groups-join-forces</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Wi-Fi Alliance and HomePlug Powerline Alliance have joined forces to promote the adoption of powerline and Wi-Fi networking technologies in smart-grid applications, which could mean more streamlined connectivity for consumers. The Wi-Fi Alliance tests and certifies Wi-Fi products, including Wi-Fi Direct, to ensure their interoperability, and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance does the same thing for powerline devices. The agreement, announced today, enables cooperative efforts for the joint technical review of Wi-Fi Alliance's and HomePlug's specifications and standards that facilitate interoperability of smart-grid applications. Both parties will also promote the adoption of wireless and powerline technologies.The collaboration is a rather natural next step, as both groups have been participating members in the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel, a forum for the ongoing development for the smart grid. The Smart Energy 2 Applications Profile (SEP 2.0) was selected last year by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Institute of Standards and Technology as an initial interoperable standard for smart energy management with home area network devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance are now collaborating to enable SEP 2.0 applications to operate across a diverse mix of wireless and wired networks. The liaison between the two groups is effective immediately. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Snooki, Lady Gaga top Halloween costume queries]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=snooki-lady-gaga-top-halloween-costume-queries</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=snooki-lady-gaga-top-halloween-costume-queries</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=snooki-lady-gaga-top-halloween-costume-queries</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Lady Gaga costumes have been a Halloween staple for the past few years.(Credit:CC: Flickr user billiejoesentourage)No surprise here: Eccentric pop star Lady Gaga and &quot;Jersey Shore&quot; star Nicole &quot;Snooki&quot; Polizzi are the top Halloween costume searches this year, according to Experian Hitwise. Also big this year are Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, and tween sensation Justin Bieber--though in Bieber's case, people are specifically searching for wigs.Other Halloween costumes that have been popular searches this year are &quot;queen of hearts,&quot; &quot;mad hatter&quot; (those two perhaps in reference to Tim Burton's summer hit flick &quot;Alice in Wonderland&quot;), &quot;catwoman,&quot; &quot;gypsy,&quot; and &quot;tinkerbell.&quot; Searches that tossed in the word &quot;homemade&quot; were topped by Lady Gaga, &quot;pirate,&quot; &quot;mummy,&quot; and &quot;scarecrow.&quot;Hitwise figured out its top costume rankings by tabulating searches that had &quot;costume&quot; attached to them, like &quot;lady gaga costume&quot; and &quot;snooki costume,&quot; over the course of the four weeks ended October 24.Completely absent from this year's list was one of last year's bizarre favorites, &quot;adult care bear costume,&quot; which thoroughly creeped me out, until a reader kindly e-mailed me photos of himself and his fraternity brothers dressed up as Care Bears, and I was forced to acknowledge that it was kind of hilarious.As for the tykes, this year, Hitwise found that the top searches for babies' costumes included &quot;vampire,&quot; &quot;tinkerbell,&quot; and &quot;peter pan.&quot; Toddler costume searches were topped by &quot;cow,&quot; &quot;strawberry shortcake,&quot; and &quot;pink poodle,&quot; all of which sound like recipes for blackmail-worthy photos in about a decade or so.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft to acquire gesture control maker Canesta]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-to-acquire-gesture-control-maker-canesta</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-to-acquire-gesture-control-maker-canesta</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-to-acquire-gesture-control-maker-canesta</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft plans to acquire Canesta, which makes technology that enables human gestures to power devices, the companies said today. The Microsoft purchase, about which no financial details were disclosed, indicates that &quot;there is little question that within the next decade, we will see natural user interfaces become common for input across all devices,&quot; Canesta President and CEO Jim Spare said in a statement. &quot;With Microsoft's breadth of scope from enterprise to consumer products, market presence, and commitment to NUI (natural user interfaces), we are confident that our technology will see wide adoption across many applications that embody the full potential of the technology.&quot;Canesta makes a camera that picks up 3D images, such as a person sitting in front of a laptop, game console, or TV, and enables him or her to use facial expressions or hand gestures to control the device.Canesta had previously signed an agreement with Hitachi to bring its technology to TVs. Sony has also incorporated Canesta's technology in the EyeToy accessory for thePlayStation. Similar motion control technology at work right now is Microsoft Kinect for the Xbox. A year ago, Canesta took a $16 million round of funding from several partners, including contract manufacturer Quanta, which has said it would incorporate the technology into laptops.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Etsy's crafty balance: Fans vs. trademark holders]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=etsys-crafty-balance-fans-vs--trademark-holders</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=etsys-crafty-balance-fans-vs--trademark-holders</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=etsys-crafty-balance-fans-vs--trademark-holders</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A bottle cap pendant--they&amp;39're all over Etsy--depicting pop singer Justin Bieber.(Credit:Etsy seller misskitty61881)BROOKLYN, N.Y.--It's a languid, late-summer Wednesday afternoon at the offices of online handmade-goods marketplace Etsy, and Chief Technology Officer Chad Dickerson is sitting at a table in a conference room decorated to look like a cartoonish version of the interior of a Mercury-era space capsule.Surrounded by fake panic-button consoles, plush jet packs, and quilts depicting outer-space views of moons and planets, Dickerson is peering at his laptop screen to report a particularly important number that he's just been asked to look up: &quot;We've got 263 search results for 'Justin Bieber.'&quot;That's 263 listings at this precise moment in time by Etsy sellers hawking homemade shoelaces, tapestries, pendants, and pillows (to name a few) featuring the visage of the sugary pop singer. Bieber is hardly alone on Etsy' poke through its listings, and you'll find necklaces in the shape of the &quot;Golden Snitch&quot; winged orb from the &quot;Harry Potter&quot; series, cuff links painted to look like the head of &quot;Star Wars&quot; robot R2-D2, and bottle cap pendants featuring the bronzed face of &quot;Jersey Shore&quot; star &quot;DJ Pauly D.&quot;Fan creations are a funny thing. For well more than a decade, the Web has provided an unprecedented gathering space for loyal and zealous followers of literary, cinematic, and televised franchises who might not otherwise ever interact, allowing many phenomena that were once cult hits to achieve mainstream, mass-market success and often phenomenal profitability. Sometimes, as with the sale of unofficial DJ Pauly D pendants and Star Wars cuff links, the fans stand a chance of profiting, too. And the trademark and copyright holders aren't always happy about it.Necklaces shaped like the &amp;39'Golden Snitch&amp;39' from the &amp;39'Harry Potter&amp;39' novels and films are a big hit on Etsy.(Credit:Etsy seller birdsNbeez)At Etsy's sunny loft offices near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, it's easy to fall under the impression that the company exists outside all norms and restrictions of corporate New York. Walk into the front door, and you're greeted by a tangle of employees' bicycles, bold Etsy seller-created artwork, and an imposing 9-foot-tall owl made out of cardboard.(The owl, named &quot;Mr. Grit,&quot; is the subject of a handful of Paul Bunyan-like creation myths. There's a rumor that he had been present in Etsy's office when the company moved in because the space's previous occupant, an artist, had built the hefty strigiform inside and then couldn't get him out the door. Other Etsy employees dispute this narrative.)But a giant owl, however wise, won't keep Etsy's marketplace free from the concerns of copyright and trademark lawyers. That's the job of Sarah Feingold, Etsy's in-house lawyer, who authors a column on the company blog in which she explains the ins and outs of intellectual property--like the attempts on behalf of DJ Pauly D's co-star on &quot;Jersey Shore,&quot; Michael Sorrentino, to trademark his famous nickname, &quot;The Situation.&quot;&quot;What Etsy's take is, we try to educate a little. I'd feel bad if people were taking these risks without even realizing it,&quot; Feingold told CNET in an interview. &quot;That's why we try to put up the educational resources, but at the same time, I can't really step into the shoes of an intellectual-property holder or their attorney, and determine what is or is not fair use, what is risk of confusion, and what is amazing fan art done by someone who loves the brand--and is free advertising.&quot;And those brands' opinions, of course, vary. &quot;A very popular brand contacted me once about a couple of items. I called because I had a question,&quot; Feingold related to CNET, &quot;and the attorney said, 'Listen, I know there's a ton of fan art on your site, and for the most part, my client loves it. However, if the licenser complains, then we're going to ask you to take it down, and if it's pornographic, we'll ask you to take it down.'&quot;One of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world, for example, is almost completely absent from Etsy: the Twilight teen-vampire book and movie series. There are items that describe themselves as &quot;Twilight inspired,&quot; but posts in Web forums by Etsy sellers who have had Twilight-related items removed from the e-commerce site indicate that Summit Entertainment, the movie studio that owns the trademark to the Twilight franchise, has been policing Etsy for more obvious infringements.For legal reasons, Etsy's Feingold declined to comment on these reports or on which specific brands' trademark holders have called up the company with takedown notices, and Summit representatives did not respond to a request for comment. But considering Summit's history of filing suit against unofficial Twilight media, it's not surprising.One of the reasons why this is so complicated is because trademark holders are required to enforce their property or risk losing the trademark altogether.&quot;They are required to protect their trademarks, if they are to continue to have them, so that it doesn't fall into the public domain,&quot; explained David Foox, a onetime patent litigator who is now an artist. Foox said he's experienced these complications from both sides. &quot;If you have a trademark, and you registered it, it means you have carved out a part of this idea that has been developed into a brand.&quot;Foox said that as an artist, he sees fan creations, including those where the fans aim to profit, as a measure of success, but that as an attorney, he recognizes the legal requirement to protect trademarks. He ran headlong into this friction a few years ago with one of his side hobbies, the tabletop game Warhammer, which pits armies of miniature elves and dwarves and vampires (and so forth) against one another on complex boards of &quot;terrain.&quot;Foox and one of his fellow Warhammer aficionados, disappointed with the terrain that parent company Games Workshop was selling, decided to make their own.&quot;We would use balsa wood and cut things to spec, and it would all match the size and spec of the 28-millimeter figures,&quot; he told CNET, &quot;all handpainted so it looked very real, and very much Warhammer, and offered them for sale on eBay for other people who were really into the game and wanted more terrain.&quot;Games Workshop was not happy. &quot;We got so many takedown notices and a horrible notice from their IP [intellectual property] department, and it really sucked, and it really made me kind of not as into the game anymore,&quot; Foox said. And, sure enough, Games Workshop began selling more complex Warhammer terrains within a few years. &quot;Warhammer, they're not that friendly to fans. Even fan pages--they shut things down real quick.&quot;This brings up another major complication in the debate: Fan followings are, of course, built by fans. IP enforcement, if it's particularly aggressive or if it's inconsistent, can really tick them off and hurt brand perception.&quot;We can't step in and decide who's right and who's wrong,&quot; Etsy's Sarah Feingold said. &quot;It's ultimately up for a court to decide, and it's sometimes a shame. I'll sometimes see things and think, 'Oh, they're being bullies,' and sometimes I'll see things online and wonder why the copyright or trademark people aren't going after them.&quot; With digital media stirring up real debate about the need for copyright and trademark law to evolve--from family home videos on YouTube getting takedown notices because of a song playing in the background, to the complications involving TwitPic photos of professional sports games--even experts and those deeply involved in the space aren't sure where things will go. &quot;This is something that I feel like is building towards a crescendo, and I think, believe it or not, large entertainment industries are going to have to come to terms with it, not the fans,&quot; Foox said.At Etsy, there have been signs that some trademark holders want to capitalize on fan creations, rather than simply police them. Early this month, it finally launched a long-awaited contest in partnership with NASA, in which Etsy crafters are challenged to concoct their own NASA fan art. The winning artwork will be flown into space.&quot;They're granting our sellers a limited license to use the mark,&quot; Sarah Feingold explained of the NASA contest and how sellers are not just permitted, but encouraged, to use its emblem. That kind of promotion--in which a brand invites its trademark to be used in Etsy tribute art--has never come to the handmade-goods marketplace before. But, should this one go successfully and bring positive press to the space agency in turn, more companies could potentially approach Etsy with similar partnerships.&quot;I think if lawyers and if intellectual-property holders start to have more of an open mind, and start to see this as beneficial to their brand, there could be even more art out there,&quot; Feingold said. &quot;It's a shame when I have to do these takedowns, when it's clear that the fan art was made with a lot of love.&quot;Mr. Grit the 9-foot-tall owl likely gets sad, too.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Web service uses gaming to motivate salespeople - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-service-uses-gaming-to-motivate-salespeople---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-service-uses-gaming-to-motivate-salespeople---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Style &amp; Leisure</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-service-uses-gaming-to-motivate-salespeople---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[OK, so there''s definitely a gaming trend going on here. Just in the past two weeks or so, we''ve seen EpicWin convert users'' to-do lists into games, and we''ve seen Ridekicks take a similar, fun-based approach to ride-sharing. The latest spotting Finnish Deal Machine, which uses game mechanics to motivate and reward corporate sales staffs.CRM and ERP packages are commonplace in many companies today, but they can be time-consuming to use without necessarily helping salespeople achieve their goals. The typical sales position, meanwhile, can be broken down into components remarkably comparable to those seen in many common games, including goals, achievements and earned rewards. Aiming to draw upon the fun and motivation inherent in gaming, Deal Machine applies a gaming model to reward salespeople for every step they take toward their goals. Sales managers set the rules used on Deal Machine, and they can tweak those rules as their effect becomes evident. A real-time leader board, meanwhile, is automatically generated by the site to provide analytics for management while also letting players know who is winning. After a 30-day free trial, Deal Machine is free for up to two users, EUR 19 per month for 3 users, EUR  49 monthly for up to 10 users and EUR 99 per month for up to 25 users. Users also get more free time by inviting other organizations to use the service. One to try out on your own sales staff &amp;8212' or to emulate with yet another game-based innovation... (Related: Crowdsourcing the sales force.)Website: www.dealmachine.netContact: timo.herttua@dealmachine.netSpotted by: John Greene<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The Sexy Details of How the iPad and MacBook Will Hook&nbsp'Up]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-sexy-details-of-how-the-ipad-and-macbook-will-hooknbspup</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-sexy-details-of-how-the-ipad-and-macbook-will-hooknbspup</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-sexy-details-of-how-the-ipad-and-macbook-will-hooknbspup</guid>
<description><![CDATA[During the &amp;''Back to the Mac&amp;'' event two weeks ago, Steve Jobs made a particularly witty remark as he unveiled the MacBook Air, one that made the audience chuckle in laughter:a4AWe asked ourselves, what would happen if a MacBook and an iPad hooked up Well, this is the result, we think ita4a4s the future of notebooks.a4There is always a strategic intent with the things that Apple says at product launches, especially when they come from Steve Jobs. This is because Apple cares deeply about the perception of its products. By intimating that the Air is the future, and that it blends the best of the MacBook Pro and iPad, Apple is signaling a lot. There is no doubt that this first phase in a4Ahooking upa4 between the MacBook and iPad foretells a deeply converged future on many levels.iOS and OS X Aren&amp;'t Hooking UpOften when people visualize the convergence of the iPad and MacBook lines, they wonder whether a unified operating system will take over, which somehow blends the best of both the touch and a4Amousea4 metaphors.This is unrealistic and silly. Though iOS is OS Xa4a4s little cousina4&quot;both use different APIs and layers, but reside on top of UNIXa4&quot;merging them makes little sense from an end-user perspective. iOS and OS X serve different use-cases, applications, and markets, and the touch metaphor on a MacBook simply wouldna4a4t serve a user well in the majority of cases. And running multiple browser tabs and multitasking between 8 open applications requires a much more immersive experience than iOS may ever provide.But despite the fundamental difference in how we interact with a MacBook and iPad, Jobs made sure to deeply blend how we view the two products at the marketing level, by touting attributes like the Aira4a4s ability to turn on instantly, and last 30 days without a charge.Why the Hardware is Rapidly IntersectingOne reason why Steve Jobs wants us to think about the MacBook Air as an extension of the iPad, is because there is a hardware convergence happening under the hood. The MacBook Air benchmarks were the most telling sign that this is occurring. Apple was able to double the system performance of the MacBook Air, despite using the same 3 year-old CPU technology from Intela4&quot;Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at pokey speeds.Though profound this isna4a4t surprisinga4&quot;the Air uses flash instead of spinning disks, and SSD technology dramatically cuts data transfer bottlenecks for applications that are I/O (Input/Output) constrained. And guess what Most simple computing tasks are memory and IO-constrained. This fact helps the flash-based Air operate on par with Applea4a4s high end MacBook Pro line, except under taxing CPU-intensive scenarios such as video rendering.So leta4a4s get this straight: Apple is using several year old technology, and the Aira4a4s system performance screams. This is nothing short of incredible proof that after a certain threshold, CPU advancements are only adding incremental benefit to 90% of what the user cares about today.Instead, performance is more dependent on graphics processing than ever. This is why Apple designed the Lion OS to heavily focus on OpenCL, which leverages parallel constructs within the GPU to extend its utility to non-graphics tasks. And a big reason why Apple didna4a4t go with Intela4a4s newer CPU line is they lack support for OpenCL, and Apple is probably designing new applications like iLife 11 to take advantage of OpenCL&amp;'s power.The fact that Applea4a4s sexiest new Notebook didna4a4t go with Intela4a4s latest technology is damning for Intel and is the best signal yet of how innovation in PCs is getting blown away by whata4a4s happening in the mobile ecosystem. Right now, benchmarks show that the fastest ARM-based smartphone CPUs are only about 25% as fast as the Core 2 Duo that Apple is using in the MacBook Air. But this delta will compress fast.In about 2-3 years we will be seeing integrated chipsets make their way up the food chain, and potentially fit in notebook-class form factors. Multicore ARM solutions, based on ARM-15, will make this a reality in about 2 cycles of Moorea4a4s Law.Skeptics will say &amp;''no way &amp;8212' never, not with the need for Flash&amp;''. I agree that Flash is probably here to stay on desktops. But all the pressure on Adobe to make Flash  better is, ever so slowly, improving how rendering and  compositing are done in hardware. And even in the midst of their darkest public battle last Spring, Apple  and Adobe were cooperating in getting Flash acceleration to work on desktop Macs. In the future, ita4a4s conceivable that Flash could be the  only remaining bottleneck that prevents Apple from using an embedded SoC  in a MacBook Air. But hardware acceleration for Flash is  approaching which can solve this dilemma.All of this rapid advancement in what&amp;'s under the hood has huge ramifications for the future of the MacBook Air and iPad. Anyone want a MacBook Air that is several pounds, Runs OS X, lasts for 30 hours, has a detachable keyboard, and then converts to an iPad running iOS once the screen is removedI am not saying that Apple is going to make this device, nor that ita4a4s even in their best interest to pursue one-size-fits-all form factors. But there is no denying that the hardware is converging, and the a4ABack to the Maca4 theme of Applea4a4s latest event deeply intimated this.The Mac Store&amp;'s Incredible Network Effect The remaining puzzle piece in the intersection of the MacBook and iPad is all about the applicationsa4&quot;both end-user discovery &amp;amp' distribution and developer support. The iOS storefront was the genius behind the iPhone becoming a low friction distribution warehouse for content.In much the same way, the Mac Store is Applea4a4s umbrella strategy to encourage developers of long-tail content to have an easy landing pad on the Mac, developers who are already building apps on top of iOS.Interestingly, the Mac Store allows Apple to do the reverse of what Microsoft is doing with Windows Mobile 7: whereas Microsoft can leverage .NET familiarity to encourage the desktop dev community to write apps for WM7, Apple will use its iOS franchise to kick-start a vibrant ecosystem of Mac developers.But therea4a4s also something more magical that this network-effect provides for Apple: by specifying that developers use Applea4a4s tools, namely Xcode and LLVM, Apple gains a layer of control in how this hardware convergence plays out.How so Apple can have developers simply flip a recompile switch and upload universal versions of apps to the Mac App Store, which work on both ARM and x86. In this way, Apple is setting up a distribution mechanism to host and install code which will allow them to transition hardware seamlessly.This is the ultimate in streamlined distribution, since a developer can focus on one unified environment based around Cocoa Touch and Objective-C, along with a set of UI / UX constraints. Apple then abstracts all this from the user, independent of the hardware.Apple Hates Control and Loves Optionality If ita4a4s not completely clear yet, Apple is setting the stage to be processor and component agnostic. This not only allows them the above-mentioned architecture-neutrality, but also affords them incredible pricing power, and ensures they can tap into consistent component supply, which will be a critical challenge as they lock up an even bigger slice of the supply chain.Apple can build an A4-variant themselves, or they can partner up with one of many vendors. If Intel starts innovating again, thata4a4s an easy choice for Apple. If nVidia, with its graphics pedigree, emerges as a winner in combining GPUs with ARM-based CPUs, Apple can partner more deeply or buy the company. Or Apple might decide to stick with x86, but use GPU/CPU technology from AMD.Ita4a4s all about optionality. And Apple is building that into its long-term strategy, by combining its rapidly expanding footprint in mobile hardware / software with its iOS developer mind-share to rev its Mac franchise into much higher gear. Wow Hooking Up Feels Amazing &amp;8211' When&amp;'s Our Next Date  I believe it&amp;'s pretty clear: Apple wants to use OS X, running on an incredibly battery efficient MacBook Air-like form factor, as a bottoms-up strategy to attract loyal iOS fans over to the Mac franchise. After all, there are around 150M users of iOS worldwide. Apple knows that iOS is a secret weapon to bring both consumers and corporate users to higher end Mac products. And the marketing around the Back to the Mac event is just a precursor for Applea4a4s underlying strategy in mixing these two worlds.Behind-the-scenes, Steve Jobs is setting up all the pieces for Apple to converge these product lines. But ita4a4s all about optionality for Apple. When and how they choose to get there is up to them. And my guess is Steve Jobs is going to do so in a way that continues to make the Apple experience a superior one for you, its loyal customer.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Turn All Your Location Check-Ins Into A Travel Map With&nbsp'Mentaway]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=turn-all-your-location-check-ins-into-a-travel-map-withnbspmentaway</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=turn-all-your-location-check-ins-into-a-travel-map-withnbspmentaway</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=turn-all-your-location-check-ins-into-a-travel-map-withnbspmentaway</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Location-based startupa4sMentaway did not get funded by YCombinator buta4sit did get our attention (as mentioning whiskey shots in a pitch email is wont to do) . One upping the Facebook app &amp;''Where I&amp;'ve Been.&amp;'' Mentaway automatically compiles checkins from Foursquare, Twitter, Flickr and Posterous and turns them into pins on a personalized travel map.The Brazilian startup is able to show every leg of a trip or multiple on a Google map with added photos and texts. All you need to do is just set up your Mentaway profile and keep using the services you&amp;'re used to.&amp;''This is not another social network you need to feed,&amp;'' says founder Gisele Muller referring to the best part about Mentaway. Muller and co-founder Eduardo Sasso set out with the goal of makinga4sthings easier for both professional travel bloggers and people who have a love of travel and technology, and have achieved it with some success.While the service does have glitches (Muller says they&amp;'re working on known UI issues) it does do its basic duty of synching up all user checkins, tweets, and photo uploads from GPS enabled smart phones. You can even link youra4sInstagram account with Flickr and set it up Mentaway to defacto support Instagram.Mentaway plans on integrating Facebook, Gowalla and Tumblr next and intends to monetize through a &amp;8216'Freemium&amp;' model. Muller tells us that basic use will be advertiser supported and premium accounts will eventually offer more features and increased privacy control. The travel space is huge with TripAdvisor, TripIt, Kayak all competing for eyeballs, a fact that bodes really well for small startup Mentaway. Interested TechCrunch readers can sign up for the beta here with the promo code &amp;''9z3e.&amp;''CrunchBase InformationMentawayInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Italian bank targets immigrants - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=italian-bank-targets-immigrants---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=italian-bank-targets-immigrants---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=italian-bank-targets-immigrants---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It was back in 2003 that our sister site first wrote about the immi-merce trend, noting the increasing prevalence of businesses catering to immigrants. Fast forward to today, and we see Extrabanca, a major Italian bank offering services tailor-made for foreign citizens.About four million foreign citizens live in Italy, according to the Italian Statistics Institute, almost a quarter of them in Milan. No huge surprise, then, to see Extrabanca open its first branch in that Italian city earlier this year. With a multilingual staff representing 11 nationalities, Extrabanca aims to open as many as 40 branches in Italy by 2015, it told Businessweek. Beginning with EUR 23.6 million, Extrabanca has 44 investment partners. a4AOur services aim to tackle immigrantsa4a4 needs and are offered by mother-tongue employees speaking 13 languages,a4 Chairman Andrea Orlandini told Businessweek, citing extended hours and weekend openings. There''s nothing like an economic crunch to motivate businesses far and wide to seek out new markets. For some banks, that''s meant targeting women or the gay demographic, so why not immigrants for others One to consider emulating in your neck of the global woods Website: www.extrabanca.euContact: contatti@extrabanca.euSpotted by: Ruben Reynolds <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With Chrome, Google Is Moving Towards Deeper Location&nbsp'Integration]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-chrome-google-is-moving-towards-deeper-locationnbspintegration</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-chrome-google-is-moving-towards-deeper-locationnbspintegration</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-chrome-google-is-moving-towards-deeper-locationnbspintegration</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It should be pretty clear by now that Google is taking location very seriously. The original launch of Latitude in early 2009 was just a first step. Now they have robust APIs, Google Places, and key executive Marissa Mayer is now in charge of these and various related projects. And earlier today they finally rolled out a Latitude iPhone app. But if a fairly small tweak to Chrome is any indication, Google means to go deeper still.More specifically, Chromium, the open source browser on which Chrome is based, just recently received a new experimental feature hidden behind a flag (meaning you have to explicitly enable it). In the latest builds of Chromium version 10, you&amp;'ll see an option called &amp;''Experimental location features&amp;''. Apparently, when switched on, this allows the browser to run &amp;''experimental extensions to the geolocation feature.&amp;''The description clarifies it a bit more: &amp;''Includes using operating system location APIs (where available), and sending additional local network configuration data to the Google location service to provide higher accuracy&amp;nbsp'positioning.&amp;'' Obviously, that last bit is particularly interesting. Clearly, Google hopes to improve location accuracy within the browser a4&quot; a problem since most of it is drawn from WiFi triangulation data rather than GPS (which most computers don&amp;'t have). But it would seem that they also mean to build out their own location database and services with the data they collect from this feature in Chrome.There&amp;'s currently a war brewing underneath the location apps that consumers see. It involves location and place databases and services. It used to be that everyone, including the big boys, went to companies like Skyhook Wireless and Localeze for location data and&amp;nbsp'functionality. But increasingly, the tech superpowers like Apple, Google, and Facebook are building out their own. Why Because they all want to own the local space.But Google has perhaps the most interesting positioning here. After all, their millions of Android phones come with location built into their Maps product. Apple has this too with the iPhone, but remember that it&amp;'s Google Maps that&amp;'s also included on the iPhone (though it is said that Apple builds the app on their own, simply using Google&amp;'s data). And now Google is starting to really push their location services like Latitude and the new Hot Pot. And just in case you don&amp;'t think anyone is actually using Latitude, Google made it clear today that it has 9 million active users a4&quot; that&amp;'s nearly double Foursquare&amp;'s total user base.Of course, there are still questions as to just how many people are actually using Latitude, versus how many enable it via Maps on Android devices and don&amp;'t even really realize it. But it almost doesn&amp;'t matter, Google is still getting that data. That&amp;'s why it&amp;'s so vital that they control all of these various entry points. And soon, it looks like Chrome will be another one. And that&amp;'s key just in case the Chrome notebooks take off. Location services will have successfully made the jump from smartphones to notebooks.And all of this is key to what Mayer talked about on stage at LeWeb last week: the move towards &amp;''contextual discovery&amp;''. Getting results without searching.CrunchBase InformationGoogle LatitudeGoogle ChromeInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[One expert&'s take on fixing wind energy: Think smaller]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-expertrsquos-take-on-fixing-wind-energy-think-smaller</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-expertrsquos-take-on-fixing-wind-energy-think-smaller</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-expertrsquos-take-on-fixing-wind-energy-think-smaller</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It&amp;'s been a weird time for wind energy latelyin the U.S.New wind installations in the U.S. were at a three-year low last quarter, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The U.S. wind energy industry also pales in comparison to that of China, which is fast becoming a green energy leader, thanks in part to wind. One out of every two wind turbines installed this year will be in China, CNET reports.Two of China&amp;'s largest wind companies are also preparing for IPOs this week that look to raise funds in the $1 billion range.Meanwhile, one American wind IPO in recent memory went sour when First Wind pulled its filing, saying it couldn&amp;'t get the pricing it wanted. And recent reports have found that natural gas &amp;8212' a fossil fuel, albeit a much cleaner one than coal &amp;8211'could challenge the growth of wind and solar. The regulatory environment is also uncertain, given the gains Republicans made in Congress and in state leadership in November.One expert has an idea for wind: Think smaller, says R.J. Lyman, a partner at law firm Goodwin Proctor and former Massachusetts assistant environmental secretary. Nix the massive utility-scale projects. And even though there&amp;'s offshore wind potential in the U.S. (supported by the government through recent streamlined permitting process and by a Google-backed effort to develop a major offshore wind transmission backbone), they are big, expensive projects that still have kinks to work out &amp;8212' like how to anchor a turbine in the deep sea.&amp;''Less is more and boring is good,&amp;'' Lyman says. &amp;''We&amp;'ve never builtsomethingout there in the deep water. We haven&amp;'t yet laid the cables to run the stuff back here.&amp;''&amp;''If you want to get to the point of selling power to the grid so you make money, simplify, simplify, simplify.&amp;''Lyman advocates for smaller wind farms and smaller technologies, placed close to the source to avoid the inherent line losses that come when you transport, say, wind energy from West Texas to the other side of the country. Shoot for fewer gigawatts, projects with costs in the single-digit millions, rather than projects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take years to get started.&amp;''You hit a lot of singles and doubles and a lot of runners eventually make it across the plate. If you swing for the fence every time &amp;8212' there&amp;'s been a lot of failures with the &amp;'swing for the fences&amp;' strategy,&amp;'' Lyman said.He added that the American wind sector&amp;'s performance of late can be attributed in part to the fact that wind is a trailing economic indicator. Projects rely on governmentsupport and take a long time to implement &amp;8212' so the industry is just now experiencing the fallout from the economic crisis that other industries were experiencing in 2008 and 2009.Lyman also believes that there has been more need for replacement and repair of wind turbine components than financiers expected, increasing operating expenses or resulting in downtime for turbines while they&amp;'re being repaired. Many turbine manufacturers offer 2o-year warranties, a strategy also taken by other cleantech manufacturers to offset the inherent risk in trying an innovative product. But Lyman says the length of the warranties are based on three years of lab testing &amp;8212' meaning stuff breaks more often than buyers had thought. The technology kinks have been a turn-off to new investors.There&amp;'s also an inherent issue with wind in that it&amp;'s intermittent &amp;8212' which will limit its growth, according to a recent analysis by Boston Consulting Group. Wind typically blows stronger at the off-peak time of evenings &amp;8212' one executive from Texas utility Oncor suggested that wind energy could be the perfect solution to charging electric vehicles since most will be plugged in at night. There are also infrastructure &amp;''catch-up&amp;'' issues that need to be worked out such as finding good wind sites that match up with transmission capacity.All in all, it looks like wind in the U.S. is experiencing some growing pains. Whether investors will continue to have an appetite for big projects remains to be seen.[Image from Flickr/vaxomatic]Next Story: Three reasons you might actually buy a Chrome OS netbook Previous Story: Palm&amp;'s Jon Rubinstein confesses: &amp;''I&amp;'ve touched an iPhone&amp;''PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: China, offshore wind, wind, wind energyCompanies: Ernst &amp;amp' Young, First Wind, Goodwin ProctorPeople: R.J. Lyman          Tags: China, offshore wind, wind, wind energyCompanies: Ernst &amp;amp' Young, First Wind, Goodwin ProctorPeople: R.J. LymanIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you  pronounce her last name).VentureBeat 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[Clothing brand rewards fans for being kind online - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clothing-brand-rewards-fans-for-being-kind-online---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clothing-brand-rewards-fans-for-being-kind-online---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clothing-brand-rewards-fans-for-being-kind-online---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[No end in sight to the a4Arandom acts of kindnessa4 trend, which has now apparently struck Spanish clothing brand Desigual. Rather than trying to inspire kindness through cards, umbrellas or t-shirts, however, Desigual has launched an effort to reward its fans for being kind to bloggers online.Desigual fans interested in participating begin by signing up with its a4AHappy Huntersa4 site and indicating which item from the Desigual line they''d like to be rewarded with. They then wait for Desigual to alert them to a particular blog post to target with their cheerful comments a4&quot; those selected are not Desigual''s own blogs, but rather its favourites from across the web. Once that happens, Happy Hunter members post their positive comments on the blog in question, and the first 100 to get a reply from the blogger win the clothing item they picked. All Happy Hunter members also get a discount of 20 percent on Desigual.com.With free love for fans and bloggers alike a4&quot; not to mention a heaping helping of good karma coming back to Desigual itself a4&quot; the Happy Hunter initiative just may achieve for the brand what no traditional ad ever could. Time to usher in a kinder, gentler era for your generous brand...Website: www.desigualhappyhunters.comContact: www.desigual.com/desigual/company/help.jspsectionId=1000014Spotted by: Leticia Prez Prieto<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google now demotes bad merchants a4 somehow]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-now-demotes-bad-merchants-âÂ€¦-somehow</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-now-demotes-bad-merchants-âÂ€¦-somehow</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-now-demotes-bad-merchants-âÂ€¦-somehow</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Has Google been rewarding businesses that behave badly A New York Times article published last week suggests that it has. Now Google says it has fixed the problem, although the exact nature of that solution remains vague.The Times article described an online glasses merchant called DecorMyEyes that actively provokes customers into leaving bad reviews, under the assumption that those reviews will only increase its rank in Google. The merchant was even responding to unhappy customers with hostile, vaguely threatening emails.In a blog post today, Google said that the DecorMyEyes case was a4Aan edge case and not a widespread problem.a4 For one thing, when you link to a company that you dona4a4t like, you can use a a4Ano followa4 link that doesna4a4t increase their search ranking. In fact, Google says that the links on Get Satisfaction, the customer service site where many of the complaints were published, were made in that format.Still, Google said it has gone ahead and demoted DecorMyEyes in its search rankings. The blog post runs through a number of possible solutions that Google could have pursued &amp;8230' and the post explains why the company didna4a4t use them. It didna4a4t just block DecorMyEyes because that doesna4a4t solve the wider issue. It isna4a4t using sentiment analysis to turn negative comments into a search demerit because that would be a problem for politicians. And it didna4a4t add user reviews into the search listings because that wouldna4a4t affect the search ranking itself.As for the actual solution, Google is pretty cagey about it, because a4Aattempts to game Googlea4a4s ranking, like the ones mentioned in the article, go on 24 hours a day, every single day.&amp;'' In other words, revealing too many details about the algorithm would make gaming attempts easier. However, the blog post says, a4Awe developed an algorithmic solution which detects the merchant from the Times article along with hundreds of other merchants that, in our opinion, provide an extremely poor user experience.a4This caginess was also present in the Times article, when a Google spokesperson basically dodged the reportera4a4s questions and redirected him to search consultant and blogger Danny Sullivan. So does Sullivan have the answer this time Not exactly. Sullivan wrote today that Google is probably using merchant reviews as a way to adjust the ranking, but the company wona4a4t confirm that.Previous Story: Google to rock the ebook world with &amp;''Editions&amp;'' store soonPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: search rankingsCompanies: DecorMyEyes, GooglePeople: Danny Sullivan          Tags: search rankingsCompanies: DecorMyEyes, GooglePeople: Danny SullivanAnthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.VentureBeat 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[Not satisfied with iPhone sales, Apple aims for RIM&'s share in enterprise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=not-satisfied-with-iphone-sales-apple-aims-for-rimrsquos-share-in-enterprise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=not-satisfied-with-iphone-sales-apple-aims-for-rimrsquos-share-in-enterprise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=not-satisfied-with-iphone-sales-apple-aims-for-rimrsquos-share-in-enterprise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Some companies might call it a victory when they ship 14.1 million phones. Apple apparently takes it as a sign that it needs to barge into another company&amp;'s market space.Apple could be making a move into the enterprise space after hiring five executives in the past year and a half that specialized in marketing Research in Motion&amp;'s BlackBerry phone, one of the most popular phones in the world for business professionals.That shouldn&amp;'t come as any kind of surprise, as Apple has always been a bit of a silent powerhouse in the enterprise market. The iPhone has taken the lead in enterprise phone sales, if you discount RIM&amp;'s BlackBerry a4&quot; which has a dominant share of the enterprise market and around 46 million customers. The iPhone 4 accounted for more than 30 percent of mobile device activations for enterprise purposes, and more than 10 percent of activations were iPads, if you discount RIM&amp;'s presence in the enterprise market.The iPad, Apple&amp;'s tablet computer, is particularly popular among the largest companies in the world on the Fortune 100 list a4&quot; about 50 percent of them are either using the iPad or are rolling it out. An analyst with Wall Street firm Piper Jaffray saidApple could probably sell 21 million iPads next year as a result of its presence in the enterprise space.Maynard Um of UBS Investment Research said earlier this month that Applecould sell up to 28 million iPads in 2011, as well.Apple&amp;'s Mac computers are also becoming increasingly popular among enterprise users. Apple&amp;'s sales to government organizations grew 201 percent in the second quarter of this year when compared to the same quarter a year earlier. Its enterprise sales as a whole grew 50 percent in the second quarter when compared to the same quarter a year earlier a4&quot; compared to an average 16 percent across all companies.And it&amp;'s a good time to jump into the enterprise market. RIM is struggling a bit trying to comply with government requests for access to private corporate data. India, as well as ahandful of other countries, threatened to ban BlackBerry services if RIM did not comply with demands to make enterprise email and messages available for government viewing in August. RIM has said time and again that it cannot physically decrypt the data. It then doubled back and said it would allow the Indian government to view that information.So there could be some concerns about the security of the BlackBerry messaging service among corporate users that need to keep their email messages secure. Apple hasn&amp;'t publicly offered any kind of security guarantee a4&quot; but there aren&amp;'t a number of countries ready to ban the phones, either. So the new hires come at a fortuitous time for Apple, when it has a chance to capitalize on RIM&amp;'s security woes.Next Story: Nokia gets a public image facelift, appoints Jerri DeVard as chief marketing officer Previous Story: Review: Logitech&amp;'s Revue with Google TV has potential, but isn&amp;'t for everyone (yet)PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: corporate communications, enterprise salesCompanies: Apple, Research In Motion          Tags: corporate communications, enterprise salesCompanies: Apple, Research In MotionMatthew Lynley is VentureBeat's enterprise writer. He graduated from University of North Carolina, where he studied math and physics, in May 2010. He has reported for Reuters. He currently lives in San Francsico, Calif. You can reach him at mattl@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @logicalmoron.VentureBeat 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[a4AUnlimited juicea4 electric vehicle charging plans: Good idea or exploitation]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=âÂ€Âœunlimited-juiceâÂ€Â-electric-vehicle-charging-plans-good-idea-or-exploitation</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=âÂ€Âœunlimited-juiceâÂ€Â-electric-vehicle-charging-plans-good-idea-or-exploitation</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=âÂ€Âœunlimited-juiceâÂ€Â-electric-vehicle-charging-plans-good-idea-or-exploitation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[We often get asked by readers just how much it will cost to run an electric vehicle (EV). And while wea4a4re able to say that an EV costs less to run once purchased than a gasoline car wea4a4ve had to guess refer them to their local utility company for exact pricing.So what if you could enter into a monthly service contract with an energy provider to provide electric vehicle charging equipment and power in much the same way you pay use your cellphone Is it a sensible idea, or an overpriced way to extract money from EV ownersEnter NRG Energy. Last week it announced the first privately funded electric vehicle network in the U.S.Called eVgo, it aims to offer residents in Houston, Texas a no-hassle way to charge their electric cars both at home and in public, with level 2 and/or DC fast charging points at shopping malls, retail outlets and supermarkets. Cellphone style tariffsUsing a model similar to a cellphone tariff, the company will offer three tiers of service, from a simple three-year service contract for the loan of a home charging unit through to a fully comprehensive package offering equipment and as much electricity as you need at home and from mobile charging stations.35 Gallons of gasBut the premium service isna4a4t cheap. At $89, we calculate that you could purchase over 35 gallons of regular grade gasoline from the cheapest gas station in Houston.At an average fuel economy of 22.4 mpg, thata4a4s equivalent to over 780 miles of gas per month, or 25.6 miles per day.Shopping around could be cheaperBack in 2002, Senate Bill 7 brought about the deregulation of electricity in Texas, meaning most of the residents in the state can choose who supplies their power.The resultant price-war means that rates in Houston can be as low as 7.1 for each kilowatt-hour of electricity.A 2011 Nissan Leaf is capable of traveling between 60 and 130 miles on its 24 kilowatt-hour battery pack, or $1.70 of electricity on the lowest available Texas rate at the time of writing.Based on this tariff it would be theoretically  possible to drive a 2011 Nissan Leaf between 3,141 and 6,805 miles on $89 of electricity per month, depending on your driving style. Obviously for this comparison we&amp;'re ignoring that energy tariffs normally raise the price of each kilowatt-hour after a set number of units have been passed &amp;8211' so you won&amp;'t actually get this mileage in real-life. Surficed to say though, the price you pay independently for electricity is cheaper when purchased this way than it is from this unlimited plan &amp;8211' unless you expect to cover 100+ miles every single day.Installation and service includedHowever, the illustration above does not include the cost of electric vehicle supply equipment or in more common parlance, a charger.Since prices for a fully-installed charger can start at $1,500 and even cost as much as $7,000 a three-year service agreement may be an attractive solution to anyone unwilling to pony up the cash up-front.For that reason, the $49 tariff offered by eVgo makes more sense, since it only covers installation and service agreement for your home charger. You pay for the electricity on top.At $49 a month for 36 months we work the total cost as $1,764 &amp;8211' a more competitive price than many charging solutions. In fact, it works out less than the standard pruchase and installation cost of the Areovironment EV charger &amp;8211'  the unit eVgo are using.Overly priced or convenientWe know some consumers would rather pay more for a predictable monthly outlay covering all their electric car charging requirements. But is such a markup worth it for the convenience of charging where and when you likeWea4a4re not convinced.Written by Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield,this post originally appeared on AllCarsElectric, one of VentureBeata4a4s editorial partners.Next Story: Tiny Speck reveals a glimpse of its zany Glitch video game Previous Story: Office How quaint: Google announces Docs connectivity with Microsoft OfficePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: charging infrastructure, electric car charging, electric cars, electric vehicles, eVgo, LeafCompanies: Nissan, NRG Energy          Tags: charging infrastructure, electric car charging, electric cars, electric vehicles, eVgo, LeafCompanies: Nissan, NRG EnergyVentureBeat 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[Twilio raises $12M to let you call a computer with telephone-to-web technology]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=twilio-raises-12m-to-let-you-call-a-computer-with-telephone-to-web-technology</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=twilio-raises-12m-to-let-you-call-a-computer-with-telephone-to-web-technology</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=twilio-raises-12m-to-let-you-call-a-computer-with-telephone-to-web-technology</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Twilio, which provides software to connect phone calls to web applications, announced today that it has raised $12 million in its second round of funding to bring additional engineers on staff and continue marketing its services.The San Francisco, Calif.-based startup provides developers with an application programming interface (API) that connects landline, voice-over-IP and wireless phone calls to Web applications. That could lead to a variety of uses a4&quot; such as an online call center, or calling a database to find information.Twilio thencharges for the phone calls. It charges 1 cent each minute for inbound calls to a web application, and 2 cents for outbound calls from an app. Twilio also upgraded the service earlier this year to connect text messages to Internet applications. Outbound SMS messages cost 3 cents per message. Each dedicated Twilio phone number that connects to a web application costs $1 per month. Twilio also provides a number of other premium services, like text-to-speech and transcripts of phone calls.Dave McClure&amp;'s 500 Startups firm is an investor in the most recent round of fundraising. That should come as no surprise, sinceDave McClure is on the board of Twilio and is quite enamored with the service. He evenstarted a $250,000 micro-fund for startups using Twilio&amp;'s API in September. Even prior to announcing the micro-fund, 500 Startups had already invested in startups using Twilio a4&quot; includingTeachStreet,HomeBoodle, andMogotix.The recent round of fundraising, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, brings Twilio&amp;'s total funding up to $16 million. That includes its first round of fundraising closed just about a year ago, which wasworth around $4 million. Union Square Ventures also participated in this round of funding.Twilio now has around 20,000 developers working on applications that include its API, according to TechCrunch. Its clients include Cheetos, Sony Music and Tumblr.Next Story: YouTube Remote: Control YouTube on your TV from your (Android) phone Previous Story: Get Matt Marshall&amp;'s take on the business cloud live &amp;8212' register now to reserve your spotPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: API, telephone API, voipCompanies: 500 Startups, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cheetos, Sony Music, Tumblr, TwilioPeople: Dave McClure          Tags: API, telephone API, voipCompanies: 500 Startups, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cheetos, Sony Music, Tumblr, TwilioPeople: Dave McClureVentureBeat 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[Interview With Matt Galligan: What Does SimpleGeo Do&nbsp'(TCTV)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=interview-with-matt-galligan-what-does-simplegeo-donbsptctv</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=interview-with-matt-galligan-what-does-simplegeo-donbsptctv</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=interview-with-matt-galligan-what-does-simplegeo-donbsptctv</guid>
<description><![CDATA[We cornered SimpleGeo founder Matt Galligan yesterday and talked to him about SimpleGeo&amp;'s newest hire, Mike&amp;'s infamousa4s&amp;''What Is It You Do The Need Fora4sSimplicity&amp;'' post (which focused on the fact that it&amp;'s difficult to pinpoint what SimpleGeo actually does) and the difference between a location-based service vs. a location-aware service.At the center of the geo-locational explosion, SimpleGeoa4sprovides infrastructure tools (likea4sa Software Developer Kit) to developers who want to add location services to their apps. Potential clients run the gamut from a huge corporation that wants to integrate &amp;''some fancy check-in thing&amp;'' to homegrown apps that want their app to do something simple like providing data on the weather.Location is increasingly becoming a layer as opposed to a core feature in web services, much like social has become a layer with the conceptual shift from Friendster to Facebook. Galligan holds that eventually most apps will have to integrate some kind of location element, &amp;''It&amp;'s no longer the area of location based services, it&amp;'s the era of location aware services.  Galligan also underplayed thea4sentrance of social incumbents like Facebook into the location space, &amp;''It&amp;'s only matter of time before we stop saying &amp;8216'Omg they just added location now they&amp;'re going to own this&amp;' because the reality is that eveyone is going to use location in this way.&amp;''CrunchBase InformationSimpleGeoInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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