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<title>Haaze.com / SusanHomer / All</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Flash use dips at top Web sites since November]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Web-page speed guru Steve Souders, putting to use the latest in a string of useful tools he's created, has found that the top 17,000 Web sites have eased off use of Adobe Systems' Flash Player in the last half year.Specifically, Souders has started showing data collected by his HTTP Archive project, which logs a wide range of statistics about a collection of 17,000 top Web sites. He began logging data last year but only announced the HTTP Archive at the end of March.The site lets people compare statistics about how Web sites are built from two points in time. One figure that's interesting, given Apple's high-profile attempt to wean the browser world from its reliance on Flash, is a 2 percent drop in Flash usage from 49 percent on November 15, 2010, to 47 percent on March 29.That's not a huge fraction, but it is probably notable given that it took place over only four and a half months. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if a trend emerges, but I'm hesitant to be too conclusive at this stage' for example, Flash usage actually increased to 50 percent for the December 16 HTTP Archive data.The archive is fun to poke around, but it's also a handy tool for engineers seeking real data about the Web. Souders hopes it'll be useful for improving Web page performance, which is a very big deal.That's because people on the Web abandon sites that are slower to respond and spend more time with those that are snappy. Google, which makes money when people spend more time on the Web, is working to improve performance not only of its own sites but of the Web overall. It's got tools for measuring page speed, the Chrome browser that makes speed a top priority, and technologies such as SPDY and Google Public DNS that it's trying to promote to speed things up.Souders, a Google employee with the unusual title of performance evangelist, calls the archive a tool in cultural development as well as performance improvement. He describes the HTTP Archive thus:Successful societies and institutions recognize the need to record their history - this provides a way to review the past, find explanations for current behavior, and spot emerging trends. In 1996 Brewster Kahle realized the cultural significance of the Internet and the need to record its history. As a result he founded the Internet Archive which collects and permanently stores the Web's digitized content.In addition to the content of web pages, it's important to record how this digitized content is constructed and served. The HTTP Archive provides this record. It is a permanent repository of web performance information such as size of pages, failed requests, and technologies utilized. This performance information allows us to see trends in how the Web is built and provides a common data set from which to conduct web performance research.The 17,000 Web sites are a combination of several collections including the top 10,000 lists of Alexa and Quantcast and the Fortune 500. They're scoured by a computer set to look likeInternet Explorer 8 using a DSL connection in Dulles, Va.Peter-Paul Koch, a consultant and close watcher of Web site practices, lauded the HTTP Archive as useful in a blog post this week.&quot;Once it's been gathering data for a year we'll have a fascinating insight into what works, what doesn't, and what clueless Web developers do,&quot; he said.The total size of images on a list of about 17,000 top Web pages is steadily increasing.(Credit:HTTP Archive)And who doesn't want more data For example, Koch focuses heavily on mobile phone use of the Web right now. It &quot;would be interesting to see what happens when we change the UA [user-agent identification] string to amobile browser,&quot; he said.Among other changes from November to March: &amp;149' The average size of images across the collection increased from 415KB per page to 450KB per page' the average size of scripts increased from 113KB to 123KB' and the average size of Flash content dropped from 90KB to 84KB.&amp;149' Use of the jQuery library of JavaScript tools increased, from its use on 39 percent of pages in November to 43 percent of pages in March. The Google Analytics JavaScript library increased in usage from 61 percent of Web pages to 62 percent, while Quantcast's decreased from 15 percent to 14 percent. Facebook saw an increase from 12 percent to 17 percent and Twitter from 2 percent to 3 percent.&amp;149' Among image formats used, JPEG was level, accounting for 43 percent of the images. PNG rose from 16 percent of graphics to 18 percent, and GIF dropped from 41 percent to 38 percent. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[This week in Crave: The lost-in-Vegas edition]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-lost-in-vegas-edition</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-lost-in-vegas-edition</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-lost-in-vegas-edition</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Pleo has been reborn as a tougher bot.(Credit:Tim Hornyak/CNET)This week could be summed up in three words--or one three-letter acronym. Yep, just in case you hadn't noticed, this week was all aboutCES. You can read CNET's every last word, as well as see our every last picture and video on the subject, at our CES 2011 hub here. Below, we've called out a few of the bigger and wackier highlights: &amp;149' Verizon got hit by an HTC Thunderbolt (and nine other first-wave 4G LTE devices). &amp;149' Ford electrified with its new Focus. &amp;149' Motorola Xoom-ed onto thetablet scene.  &amp;149' IoSafe's Rugged Portable drive took a bullet (or 20).  &amp;149' Samsung offered its funky spin on a Windows ultraportable.  &amp;149' Thumbs-up for the Genius Ring Mouse. CNET&amp;39's Dong Ngo takes aim at an IoSafe Rugged Portable drive. Does it survive (Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET) &amp;149' Sony saw the world through 3D-colored glasses. &amp;149' For Lady Gaga, it was more about Polaroid.  &amp;149' Pleo the dinobot: not extinct, after all.  &amp;149' Vader invaded Vegas.  Now please excuse us while we drag our CES-addled bodies out for a robomassage.  So, what stood out for you most at CES Vote in our poll. And if you have a story idea for us--CES-related or otherwise--write to us at crave at cnet dot com. Could the long-awaited VerizoniPhone finally be coming Tuesday Stay tuned! <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Kinect sex is here, game company says]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kinect-sex-is-here-game-company-says</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kinect-sex-is-here-game-company-says</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:11:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=kinect-sex-is-here-game-company-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Kinect, from Microsoft, has been out for less than two months, and already, an adult game company has produced a demo using the motion controller in a 3D sex game.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Kinect sex has arrived, and it took the adult gaming community less than two months to get there.Just more than two weeks ago, one of the world's leading experts on sex and video games said that while there were not yet working adult games using Microsoft's Kinect motion controller, the potential was there. That barrier has been broken, as one game company illustrates in a demo for a new game.The demo (a NSFW YouTube video) comes from ThriXXX software, a maker of 3D role-playing sex simulation games, which said in a statement today that &quot;the open-sourcing of device drivers for Kinect have enabled the...device to be used directly from connected PCs operating onWindows 7...The Kinect interface provides another exciting interface option for users of the sex simulation software to control the experience in extraordinary new ways. Controller-free is the next generation of game user interfaces, allowing users to use gestures, spoken commands, or objects to control in-game action that creates a completely new sex game activity and magical experience.&quot;This image (not video) offers a peek of what ThriXXX has posted on YouTube.(Credit:ThriXXX)The demo shows that the Kinect is suitable for fairly well controlled hand gestures and that those gestures can be incorporated into a sex game. Without being too graphic, it's clear that the game makers imagine that players will be using the Kinect to interact directly with women (for now) in the game.And Kyle Machulis, who is considered one of the world's experts on sex and digital toys and games, said he's impressed with how quickly the Kinect community has taken the new device and advanced it for adult purposes.&quot;The Kinect is obviously a natural technology for this kind of usage, since the 'hands-free' approach means that the user's hands are available for other actions, be it manipulating the game, or themselves--or, in this case, possibly both at the same time,&quot; Machulis told CNET. &quot;I'm impressed with the quick development turnaround for getting new controls into their engine like this, especially using resources from the open-source community.&quot;However, Machulis said he wasn't sure about whether ThriXXX's Kinect implementation would be kosher under the Kinect's license agreement. &quot;There's been some question about whether you can use the Kinect in commercial projects,&quot; he said. &quot;I don't quite understand it myself, since I'm not sure you can [control, through end-user license agreements,] hardware like that, but it's something that needs a nice lawyer response.&quot;Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Machulis also pointed out that OpenNI, &quot;an industry-led, not-for-profit organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of natural interaction (NI) devices, applications and middleware,&quot; has begun offering its own motion controller (see video below) with open-source drivers. The $199 camera comes, in part, from PrimeSense, which Machulis explained is behind the depth-sensing technology in the Kinect camera.&quot;The advent of the PrimeSense reference kit could completely assuage fears about using the Kinect for further adult development,&quot; Machulis said.ThriXXX admitted that it doesn't have a green light from Microsoft to move ahead with its Kinect implementation.&quot;We do not have permission from anyone on any of this stuff, and have been using stuff from the hacker community to do a working prototype, following what [is] going on in that world,&quot; Brad Abram, ThriXXX's vice president of business development, said in an e-mail to CNET. And with the OpenNI drivers, we &quot;don't know how [Microsoft] can contain the current activity worldwide. We have no idea how [Microsoft] will react...but we think the genie is out of the bottle, so to speak.&quot;In regards to commercial games, we do not sell at retail, do not have a need for [game ratings], and everything is done offshore in Europe, where [Microsoft] is being lambasted by the courts for [anticompetitive] behavior. If we have to, maybe we would give it away for free as part of the open-source community efforts, but we don't know yet where any of this will lead.&quot; For his part, Machulis is pleased that the ThiXXX met one of his general goals for the Kinect and sex.&quot;Note that this [happened] 10 full days before Christmas,&quot; Machulis wrote on his blog, &quot;which was my deadline for when we'd see our first public usage of the Kinect in porn.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Coming attractions: Preview search now in Google]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=coming-attractions-preview-search-now-in-google</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=coming-attractions-preview-search-now-in-google</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=coming-attractions-preview-search-now-in-google</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google is ready to unveil a feature that lets you check out a site on its search-results page before clicking through.Google&amp;39's new search preview feature will be rolling out over the course of the next few days (click for larger version).(Credit:Google) Search previews are scheduled to go live later today around the world, although it may take some time to roll out on a computer screen near you. Google tipped its hand a few weeks ago when it started testing the feature, but enough testing has taken place for it to formally go live, said Jeremy Silber, tech lead and manager of Web search features. Google is calling this instant preview, Silber said. At some point today, Google searchers will start seeing little magnifying glasses next to search results. Clicking on that magnifying glass will produce a grainy preview with an enlarged snippet of the search terms highlighted, and if you like what you see, you can click through to the site. Silber said that searchers won't really be able to see the entire page, which might assuage the fears of those who think Google has come up with a way to bypass their pages entirely. While testing the feature, Google did not record any meaningful drop-off in click-through rates to sites called out in search results, he said. The idea is to give searchers a better sense of which site best meets their needs beyond the simple text snippet below search results that describes the linked page, Silber said. Google's not the first search company to implement previews--Ask.com had its binoculars--but doing it at Google's scale without slowing results is a difficult undertaking.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Critical security risk posed by new 'Boonana' Trojan horse for OS X]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=critical-security-risk-posed-by-new-boonana-trojan-horse-for-os-x</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=critical-security-risk-posed-by-new-boonana-trojan-horse-for-os-x</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=critical-security-risk-posed-by-new-boonana-trojan-horse-for-os-x</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new Trojan horse malware that affectsMac OS X has been uncovered by Macintosh Security site SecureMac. The Trojan is called &quot;trojan.osx.boonana.a&quot; and is being disguised as a video and distributed through social-networking sites like Facebook.The Trojan horse appears as a link on people's Facebook pages that may have the text &quot;Is this you in this video&quot; in the link. When the link is clicked, the Trojan will run a Java applet that will download other files to the computer and run an installer automatically.The Trojan will run in the background and appears to report system information to servers on the Internet, which can be a big breach of personal information. The Trojan also will attempt to spread itself by sending messages from the user account to other people through spam e-mail messages.As with most Trojans, this will require you to enter your password to install the software and make modifications to the system, so be sure you never supply your password unless you specifically open an installer file and know and trust where that installer came from.Unlike others in the past, this current Trojan was built in Java, and is cross-platform compatible so it can run in both Windows and in multiple versions of OS X, including the latest Snow Leopard release.Expect antivirus and malware scanner software companies to release updated malware definitions to tackle this threat, but meanwhile be sure to verify with your friends that videos on their social media sites are legitimate. Additionally, if you run a video from an e-mail or Facebook site and it asks for a password, do not supply it with anything, quit the installer, and remove the video from your system.The installer cannot do anything to your system if you do not supply your password, so unlike a virus that can self-propagate, this should be relatively easy to remove by just deleting the file. Once the Trojan is installed, however, removing its components will be a lot more difficult.SecureMac has a removal tool for people who have installed this Trojan, so if you are unsure about whether your system is compromised, then we recommend you run the removal tool to be on the safe side: SecureMac Trojan Removal Tool.For more information on this new threat, see the SecureMac Boonana security bulletin.UPDATE: Security firm Intego has released a security bulletin of its own, mentioning they have been monitoring this threat for a while' In contrast to the bulletin by SecureMac, they call the threat level posed by this trojan relatively low given its flawed implementation in OS X. Nevertheless, it has potential to be developed into a more serious threat, so people should be aware of it and avoid it.Questions Comments Have a fix Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon wins fight to keep customer records private]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-wins-fight-to-keep-customer-records-private</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-wins-fight-to-keep-customer-records-private</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:24:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-wins-fight-to-keep-customer-records-private</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In a victory for the free speech and privacy rights of Amazon.com customers, a federal judge ruled today that the company would not have to turn over detailed records on nearly 50 million purchases to North Carolina tax collectors.The state had demanded sensitive information including names and addresses of North Carolina customers--and information about exactly what they had purchased between 2003 and 2010.U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman in Washington state said that request went too far and &quot;runs afoul of the First Amendment.&quot; She granted Amazon summary judgment.The Tar Heel State's tax collectors have &quot;no legitimate need&quot; for details about the literary, music, and film habits of so many Amazon customers,&quot; Pechman wrote. &quot;In spite of this, (North Carolina) refuses to give up the detailed information about Amazon's customers' purchases, while at the same time requesting the identities of the customers and, arguably, detailed records of their purchases, including the expressive content.&quot;Amazon has provided the state tax collectors with anonymized information about which items were shipped to which ZIP codes. But North Carolina threatened to sue if the retailer did not agree to divulge the names and addresses linked to each order--in other words, by providing personally identifiable information that could be used to collect additional use taxes that might be owed by state residents.Pechman's opinion did leave open the possibility of North Carolina tax collectors deleting the data they currently have and firing off a narrower request to the online retailer: &quot;Issuing the declaratory relief as phrased does not prohibit (N.C. tax collectors) from issuing a new request for information as to only the names and addresses of Amazon's customers and general product information, assuming that (the state) destroys any detailed information that it currently possesses.&quot;Because Amazon has no offices or warehouses in North Carolina, it's not required to collect the customary 5.75 percent sales tax on shipments, although tax collectors have reminded residents that what's known as a use tax applies on anything &quot;purchased or received&quot; through the mail. The dispute arose out of what had otherwise been a routine sales and use tax audit of Amazon by North Carolina's tax agency.As CNET previously reported, Amazon filed a lawsuit in April after negotiations with the state tax collectors broke down. Neither side could be reached for comment this evening.In addition, the ACLU intervened in the lawsuit asking for an even broader injunction against the tax collectors. They wanted Amazon to be prohibited from disclosing customer purchases without a subpoena, which the court did not grant.In general, as Amazon stressed in its lawsuit, purchases of books, DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and other media enjoy special privacy protections.In a 2002 decision, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects &quot;an individual's fundamental right to purchase books anonymously, free from governmental interference.&quot; The justices tossed out a subpoena from police to the Tattered Cover Bookstore asking for information about what books a certain customer had purchased.And in a 2007 case, federal prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to force Amazon to identify thousands of innocent customers who bought books online, but abandoned the idea after a judge rebuked them. Judge Stephen Crocker in Wisconsin ruled that &quot;the subpoena is troubling because it permits the government to peek into the reading habits of specific individuals without their prior knowledge or permission.&quot;In addition, a federal law called the Video Privacy Protection Act makes it illegal for anyone selling movies to disclose customer information to anyone, including state tax collectors. The 1988 law specifically covers &quot;prerecorded video cassette tapes,&quot; and also sweeps in &quot;similar audio visual material&quot; such as DVDs and Blu-Ray discs.North Carolina's legal setback comes as other states experiment with new ways to collect taxes from online retailers. California may require retailers to report the total dollar value of purchases made by each state resident. A decision is expected at any time in a related case that Amazon filed against New York state.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Failure to launch: Why Barry Diller&'s IAC can&'t innovate]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=failure-to-launch-why-barry-dillerrsquos-iac-canrsquot-innovate</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=failure-to-launch-why-barry-dillerrsquos-iac-canrsquot-innovate</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=failure-to-launch-why-barry-dillerrsquos-iac-canrsquot-innovate</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Media mogul Barry Diller, the chief executive officer of Web titan InterActiveCorp (IAC), now finds himself in a peculiar and unfamiliar positon: playing defense.Yet another component of IAC a4&quot; 3D Web-gaming site InstantAction a4&quot; folded today after receiving a majority investment from IAC in 2007. Just earlier this week IAC&amp;'s search engine, Ask.com, announced that it would no longer work on search technology and instead license search results from one of its rivals.The pattern emerging is one of a company and a CEO which can&amp;'t create value from the assets it acquires or builds.Diller&amp;'s response to those two miscues Apparently, it&amp;'s the bold move toduct-tape together the failing Newsweek magazine publication and IAC&amp;'s online news site, The Daily Beast, together in the hopes of remaining relevant in an era awash with original content and headline aggregration. The two properties will be a 50/50 joint venture between IAC and Newsweek&amp;'s new owner, Sidney Harman.By some estimates, a third of The Daily Beast&amp;'s content is original, and the rest consists of links to and commentary on news reported elsewhere &amp;8212' a formula perfected by The Huffington Post, a vastly more successful site:Historically, Diller made his name buying and selling properties, frequently reshaping his company&amp;'s focus from movies and TV to e-commerce to search. Over time, his company has repeatedly changed its name and focus. But after splitting up the company through a series of spinoffs in 2007, a smaller IAC has concentrated on online media and advertising properties.Compared to his old deals, like the asset-swapping that led to the creation of NBC Universal, the Beast-Newsweek combination seems like weak sauce. The Washington Post offloaded the magazine and its debt to Harmanfor a whopping $1. Assuming it hasn&amp;'t ballooned in value since then, what does that say about Diller&amp;'s estimate for the Daily Beast&amp;'s worthIt wouldn&amp;'t be the first aspersion Diller has cast on his own Web properties. He earlier said thatAsk.com had no real value in IAC a4&quot; and would have been better off if it were spun off into its own company. The Oakland, Calif.-based company was founded in 1996 and was a public company between 1999 and 2005, when IAC acquired the search engine. Diller managed to cede search engine dominance to another Silicon Valley startup named Google and push Ask.com into obscurity in just about five years.He&amp;'s now done the same for Web-based games, which would seem like a no-brainer business to succeed in. Zynga, one of the largest producers of web browser games, is now valued as much as Electronic Arts a4&quot; one of the largest game publishers in the world a4&quot; after launching only three years earlier. Huge publishers are also picking up browser-based game companies left and right for huge gobs of cash. Disney bought social networking game company Playdom for a cool $763 million, and Electronic Arts picked up Playfish for $400 million. In a space seeing so much innovation and success already, it&amp;'s hard to imagine Diller was able to bring it down in only a few years.Is it time for Diller to take a last bow and exit the business stageNext Story: Are fleet sales the future of electric cars GE will take 25,000, please Previous Story: Blog startup Tumblr goes bi-coastal with Sequoia investmentPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: browser-based gaming, online gamesCompanies: Electronic Arts, Iac, InstantAction, InterActiveCorp, Newsweek, Playdom, Playfish, The Daily Beast, The Drudge Report, ZyngaPeople: Barry Diller, Sidney Harman          Tags: browser-based gaming, online gamesCompanies: Electronic Arts, Iac, InstantAction, InterActiveCorp, Newsweek, Playdom, Playfish, The Daily Beast, The Drudge Report, ZyngaPeople: Barry Diller, Sidney HarmanVentureBeat 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[WikiLeaks continues to fund itself via tech startup Flattr]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wikileaks-continues-to-fund-itself-via-tech-startup-flattr</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wikileaks-continues-to-fund-itself-via-tech-startup-flattr</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wikileaks-continues-to-fund-itself-via-tech-startup-flattr</guid>
<description><![CDATA[WikiLeaks, which publishes anonymous leaks of secret material (most recently 250,000 previously secret US embassy cables) still has a trick up its sleeve. In the last few days its sources of funding have been gradually cut off. MasterCard, PayPal and now Visa have all suspended payments to the organsation and founder Julian Assange has been remanded in custody in London without bail (so far).However there remains one source of funding so far untouched, and that is a small startup, Flattr, created by Peter Sunde, co-founder of torrent site Pirate Bay, who has been reminding Twitter users today via his personal Twitter account that it&amp;'s still possible to &amp;''help&amp;'' Wikileaks.Now, any site at all can use or incorporate Flattr &amp;8211' a sort of Digg or Facebook &amp;8216'Like&amp;', but with money attached. But it is significant that on this day, when other sources are slowly shut off, a tech startup remains a revenue source for Wikileaks. Although there is no Flattr button on the infamous &amp;''Cablegate&amp;'' pages. Nor is Flattr listed as a supporting partner and there is &amp;''no official association whatever&amp;'', according to Flattr, with Wikileaks.Here&amp;'s how Flattr works: Users can a4AFlattra4 content by setting up a Flattr account which sets a a monthly fee a4&quot; a minimum a4s2 a4&quot; that they are willing to contribute for any kind of online content. When the user finds something they like that has a Flattr button, they can click the button to a4Arewarda4 the content provider. At the end of the month, the usera4a4s monthly fee is split equally among the holders of the content that they a4Aflattereda4. Although Flattr is currently in beta and an invite is required to set up an account it is already in use by two major German newspapers, completely unprompted: taz.de and Freitag.de.WikiLeaks has been using Flattr since August, and received well over 3,000 Flattr donations for its Afghanistan War Diary &amp;8211' but the amounts of cash involved remain unknown. Flattr does not need Paypal to distribute payments &amp;8211' so long as it can verify an account holdera4a4s identity to comply with anti-money laundering and KYC (&amp;''know your customer&amp;'') requirements, funds can be transferred via bank transfer or cheque. However, Flattr, which also works with newspapers many of them in Germany, is not confirming if it is doing this for WikiLeaks as this is considered client confidentiality.Wikileaks could well have hit on an unstoppable model via Flattr, which also won the recent Europas award for best new startup in Europe, 2010.CrunchBase InformationFlattrInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google invests in RelayRides to turn your car into a Zipcar]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-invests-in-relayrides-to-turn-your-car-into-a-zipcar</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-invests-in-relayrides-to-turn-your-car-into-a-zipcar</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-invests-in-relayrides-to-turn-your-car-into-a-zipcar</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It seems Google is willing to wait a little longer tofulfill CEO Eric Schmidt&amp;'s dream of cars that drive themselves.Google Ventures has instead invested an undisclosed sum into RelayRides, a car-sharing service similar to Zipcar, to help it launch in San Francisco today. August Capital also took part in the company&amp;'s first round of fundraising.It&amp;'s a service that lets anyone list their car on the web site for rental like other city-based car-sharing services. The car owner sets the price, which is usually around 10 percent less than other car sharing services, and what time of the week the car will be available for rental, said RelayRides CEO Shelby Clark. The owner then gets 65 percent of the total rental fee, and RelayRides takes a 15 percent cut. The other 20 percent goes toward a pretty sizable insurance policy a4&quot; just in case someone crashes your car into a wall.Borrowers will still have to pass through a verification process to ensure they have a clean driving record before they get rolling. Once that&amp;'s done, the RelayRides experience is basically identical to other car-sharing services. After an owner lists his or her car on the site, RelayRides will come out and install a device on the car to detect cards that activate the service.The owner is still responsible for maintaining, cleaning and taking care of the car. So it does beg the question of whether there&amp;'s a hidden cost in the service here. Clark said car owners get around $250 each month from renting out their car to RelayRides members, with some users getting as much as $600 to $700. He said the owner would be paying for maintenance anyway, but that doesn&amp;'t factor in wear and tear from the additional usage the car might see as a result of other RelayRides users borrowing the car.RelayRides has been active in Boston for about six months now, and the company was founded in November 2008. It&amp;'s competing with Zipcar, which has been around for some time now and has a few hundred cars strewn across San Francisco.Photos:  Center for Neighborhood Technology, Felix KramerNext Story: On the GreenBeat: Building energy management M&amp;038'A kicks off with Schneider buys, BYD plans U.S. electric car launch Previous Story: Mobile ad network Moolah Media says ita4a4s all about performancePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: car-sharingCompanies: August Capital, Google, Google Ventures, RelayRides, Zipcar          Tags: car-sharingCompanies: August Capital, Google, Google Ventures, RelayRides, ZipcarMatthew 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[In Time For The Holidays, Borders Slashes Prices Of E-Book&nbsp'Readers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-time-for-the-holidays-borders-slashes-prices-of-e-booknbspreaders</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-time-for-the-holidays-borders-slashes-prices-of-e-booknbspreaders</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-time-for-the-holidays-borders-slashes-prices-of-e-booknbspreaders</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The arrival of the holiday shopping season is certainly escalating the e-book wars. Today, Amazon released data showing rapid Kindle sales and Barnes and Noble is expected to release a color version of the Nook. Borders is jumping into the mix by announcing a number of deals on its assortment of e-readers in time for the holiday shopping season. For the next week, Borders is offering free shipping on online eReader orders, a $25 gift card, free eBooks, 20 percent off device accessories and more incentives for shoppers to choose Borders for the e-book gifts.  So if you purchase the Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet, which costs about $299.99, you will receive a $25 Borders gift card. Borders is also knocking $30 off the Velocity Micro Cruz Reader with WiFi to bring the price down to $169.99. The Kobo eReader, which lists for $129.99, is now priced at $99.99' and the Aluratek Libre is now $99.99 through Nov. 15.Borders is also throwing in five free eBooks with any pre-order of the Kobo Wireless eReader ($139.99) and offering a Sony Reader cover with built-in light with the purchase of any Sony device. The company will be knocking off 20 percent on all eReader accessories with the purchase of any e-book device.It&amp;'s a competitive market, and Borders doesn&amp;'t nearly have the share that Amazon does. Price cuts can be a sales driver during the holiday time, and these sort of deals are necessary to compete with the big guys. And Borders has previously used price cuts on readers to draw traffic and sales.  Earlier this year, Borders launched a branded eBook store and released the BlackBerry, Android, iPad and iPhone eReading applications, all powered by Kobo. And as more and more players enter the market, prices will continue to drop. I think we can expect more price-cuts, features and deals coming from all e-book distributors over the next few months. CrunchBase InformationKoboInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The Truth: Why iPhone Users Will Ditch AT&amp'T and Run to&nbsp'Verizon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-truth-why-iphone-users-will-ditch-atampt-and-run-tonbspverizon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-truth-why-iphone-users-will-ditch-atampt-and-run-tonbspverizon</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-truth-why-iphone-users-will-ditch-atampt-and-run-tonbspverizon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Last week we saw the carriersa4a4 growth numbers for Q3 2010, and AT&amp;amp'T completely blew away Verizon with new subscribers. Despite mass availability of Android phones, Verizon only added 1 million subscribers in Q3, its lowest total in years.  AT&amp;amp'T added 2.6 million.Ita4a4s now completely clear why Verizon has finally capitulated and cozied up with Applea4&quot;even with tons of Android models, Verizon simply cana4a4t compete with AT&amp;amp'T in terms of new subscriber growth.Right now the question du jour among iPhone aficionados is how many net subscribers will leave AT&amp;amp'T and switch to Verizon once the iPhone becomes a reality in January 2011. That number is going to be a lot larger than people think for a series of compounding reasons.First off, leta4a4s establish that iPhone service on AT&amp;amp'T has not improved. Dropped calls are one issue. But so are dead connections, intermittent signal, and my personal favoritea4&quot;the inability to use the phone for voice or data even when you have a4Afull signala4.There is a reason why these issues are endemic to iPhones on AT&amp;amp'T, but dona4a4t affect either Android smartphones on Verizon, or iPhones on other GSM carriers worldwide. And it always intrigues me that ita4a4s hardly ever mentioned by either analysts, the media, or by Apple and AT&amp;amp'T themselves.I suppose the former community doesna4a4t understand the issue, and the latter doesna4a4t want you to know the truth. Earlier this summer I uncovered the real reasons why AT&amp;amp'Ta4a4s network is so terrible, just prior to iPhone 4 and iOS4 being released.Contrary to whata4a4s normally discussed in the press, the issues are not capacity related. It&amp;'s not about the number of cell towers or wireless bandwidth.  Instead, they relate to a4Asignalinga4, control and status information which is communicated back and forth across wireless networks.  Smartphones use signaling for network polling and status updates, for functions like SMS, billing, and for DHCP requests.When I wrote that piece, Steve Jobs had just gone on record at D8 saying that AT&amp;amp'T was working hard and the issues would get better by the end of the summer.Well guess what  They havena4a4t.The issues have not been alleviated because they require a completely rethought approach to network topology at the signaling layer, and after three years ita4a4s clear AT&amp;amp'T has no clue how to do this, especially amidst a continual onslaught of iPhone subscriber growth.Attempts to overhaul its signaling network present a chicken-and-egg problem. AT&amp;amp'T must also build out its LTE network, which is the real solution to creating robust signaling.This dilemma is compounded by the fact that 3G isna4a4t going awaya4&quot;I recently learned Apple plans to bypass LTE in 2011, instead opting to wait for a4A4Ga4 to mature. This means that AT&amp;amp'T subscribers will be relying on AT&amp;amp'Ta4a4s woefully strained 3G network for another 18 months or more.Unless they switch to Verizon.The premise that Verizona4a4s network will support the iPhone fine is now anecdotally supported by the fact that Verizon smartphone subscribers use more data than iPhone subscribers, and because Android phones actually use the same power saving disconnect methods that the iPhone popularized.Up until this point AT&amp;amp'T could physiologically assuage the concerns of iPhone users since they had exclusivity. But soon people will be able to compare Apples to Apples, if you will.  An iPhone user on Verizon will not experience the same issues as an iPhone user on AT&amp;amp'T.  If you don&amp;'t believe me, this will become clear for everyone when the Verizon CDMA iPhone becomes available.The really interesting part is that it appears Apple is going to supply a dual mode GSM/CDMA iPhone in mid-2011 which supports all carriers worldwide. a4sImagine the scenario of a new customer walking into the Apple storea4&quot;why on earth would they go with AT&amp;amp'T when their neighbor talks about how well the iPhone works on VerizonThis confluence of reasonsa4&quot;the general delay of 4G, coupled with Applea4a4s plans to support a dual mode GSM/CDMA iPhonea4&quot;will hurt AT&amp;amp'T. Ita4a4s beginning to look like there are going to be a lot more AT&amp;amp'T defections to Verizon than the majority of people think. And once again, Steve Jobs will smile like the Cheshire cat while Apple stands above the fray, as the primary beneficiary._________________________Contributora4sSteve Cheney is an entrepreneur and formerly an engineer &amp;amp' programmer specializing in web and mobile technologies.CrunchBase InformationAppleAT&amp;amp'TVerizonInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft&'s Kinectified game business grows 55 percent &8212' fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoftrsquos-kinectified-game-business-grows-55-percent-8212-fastest-selling-consumer-electronics-device-in-history</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoftrsquos-kinectified-game-business-grows-55-percent-8212-fastest-selling-consumer-electronics-device-in-history</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoftrsquos-kinectified-game-business-grows-55-percent-8212-fastest-selling-consumer-electronics-device-in-history</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Call it Kinectification. Microsoft said today that its video-game business grew dramatically thanks to sales of its Kinect motion-sensing system.The Entertainment &amp;amp' Devices division &amp;8212' which includes Xbox 360 and PC games, Zune, Windows Phone 7, and consumer software &amp;8212' generated $3.7 billion in revenue in the quarter ended Dec. 31, up 55 percent from $2.4 billion a year earlier.Peter Klein, chief financial officer, said in a conference call that Kinect is the &amp;''fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history.&amp;''That shows that, after many years of skepticism and losses, Microsoft&amp;'s game business has hit its stride. Kinect has given the company a much-needed boost in sales at a time when Microsoft might normally have had to introduce a new game console. The Xbox 360 was introduced in 2005. If it were a normal console cycle, Microsoft would have to introduce a new box this year. But Kinect let the company postpone the new console and keep gamers entertained with something new.Operating income for the Entertainment &amp;amp' Devices division was $679 million, up from $365 million a year ago. Microsoft saw 42 percent growth in U.S. console sales in 2010, mainly because it introduced a slimmed-down version of the Xbox 360 in June. Kinect also drove new game software and console sales as well.Microsoft sold 6.3 million XBox 360 consoles during the holiday season, up 21 percent from a year ago. The company sold 8 millon Kinect sensors in the first 60 days after launch.  Memberships of its premium XBox Live online service grew 30 percent to above 30 million active members in  the second quarter of its 2011 fiscal year, according to the company.  Microsoft is expecting 50 percent growth in its entertainment division  in the third quarter, and 40 percent overall for its 2011 fiscal year.Microsoft said Windows Phone 7 is available on 9 smartphones launched by 60 operators in 30 markets.Next Story: Netflix makes friends and enemies with ISP report cards, new social features Previous Story: Whoops! Microsoft&amp;'s leaked Q2 earnings show strong game and business software salesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Kinect, xbox 360Companies: Microsoft          Tags: Kinect, xbox 360Companies: MicrosoftDean 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[Eric Schmidt: &''It Is A War For&nbsp'Talent&'']]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eric-schmidt-8220it-is-a-war-fornbsptalent8221</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eric-schmidt-8220it-is-a-war-fornbsptalent8221</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=eric-schmidt-8220it-is-a-war-fornbsptalent8221</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ During Eric Schmidt&amp;'s talk on stage here at Web 2.0 Summit, John Battelle asked the Google CEO about the origin of the 10% raise leak that eventually led to the firing of a Google employee last week.Schmidt explained that the decision to give a raise was made in the spring, and that the company is still carrying residue of the recession, &amp;''We wanted to share our success and knew even upper-level workers are struggling with real estate costs.&amp;'' Along with the increase in employee salary, Google made the commitment to focus on further acquisitions that lead to core products like Android and Maps.While Schmidt chalked rumors of Google&amp;'s brain drain to &amp;''poor story writing&amp;'' by the media, he did say that &amp;''It is a war for talent&amp;'' and that the company is now hiring hundreds of people a week. Said Schmidt, &amp;''Any company of scale is subject to the following narrative, &amp;8216'Big fat dumb and happy,&amp;'&amp;'' implying that this is not the case with Google.When asked about Google&amp;'s M&amp;amp'A failures, Schmidt granted that Google&amp;'s had both successes and failures in terms of acquisitions.a4s&amp;''People are ecstatic to work for Google, and people are dying to work for Google,&amp;'' he insisted.CrunchBase InformationGoogleEric SchmidtInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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