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<title>Haaze.com / bearringse / All</title>
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<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 07:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Unmanned Phantom Ray makes first flight]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=unmanned-phantom-ray-makes-first-flight</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=unmanned-phantom-ray-makes-first-flight</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 May 2011 07:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bearringse</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=unmanned-phantom-ray-makes-first-flight</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In December, Boeing&amp;39's Phantom Ray hitched a ride to California on the back of NASA&amp;39's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.(Credit:Boeing)Boeing said today that its Phantom Ray unmanned aircraft has flown on its own for the first time.The prototype unmanned airborne system, which sports a striking flying-wing design, flew for 17 minutes on April 27, reaching a speed of 178 knots and an altitude of 7,500 feet. More flights will take place in the coming weeks, Boeing said.&quot;The UAS bar has been raised,&quot; Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing, said in a statement. &quot;Now I'm eager to see how high that bar will go.&quot;Related links&amp;149' Phantom Ray hitches ride on 747&amp;149' X-47B robo-plane takes (flying) wing again&amp;149' Photos: The extreme history of X-PlanesThe debut flight took place at NASA's Dryden Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California, following high-speed taxi tests in March. The flight test program is expected to last roughly six months.The 36,500-pound Phantom Ray is 36 feet long, has a wingspan of 50 feet, and is powered by an F404-GE-102D turbofan engine. Eventually, it's expected to have a cruising speed of 614 mph, or 0.8 Mach, and an operating altitude of 40,000 feet. Boeing formally introduced the Phantom Ray almost exactly a year ago. It will be using the aircraft, which the company says it's funding on its own nickel, as a test bed for future unmanned system technology. Eventually, the UAS could be used for a range of military missions including attack, surveillance, and autonomous aerial refueling.Edwards AFB is also playing host to a similar UAS design from Northrop Grumman, the X-47B, which took its maiden flight there in February. That aircraft is being developed under a contract with the U.S. Navy, with the goal of getting an unmanned aircraft that can take off and land on an aircraft carrier.Both the Phantom Ray and the X-47B have their roots in the discontinued Joint-Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) program that brought together DARPA, the Navy, and the U.S. Air Force. &quot;Autonomous, fighter-sized unmanned aircraft are real,&quot; Brown said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Deals &038' More: Ruckus Media grabs $3.5M for family-friendly apps]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deals-038-more-ruckus-media-grabs-3-5m-for-family-friendly-apps</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deals-038-more-ruckus-media-grabs-3-5m-for-family-friendly-apps</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bearringse</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=deals-038-more-ruckus-media-grabs-3-5m-for-family-friendly-apps</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today&amp;'s funding announcements include software for children&amp;'s apps, easy advertising, malware protection and bionic knees:Ruckus Media lands $3.5M for storybook apps: The developer of mobile apps geared toward children has raised a first round of funding led by Alsop Louie Partners. The Norwalk, Conn.-based company, which currently offers apps through Apple&amp;'s iTunes, plans to expand its offerings to other app stores and platforms with the funding. Ruckus has distributed 15 kid-focused apps since its September launch.Vurve brings in $4.5M to simplify online advertising: The Palo Alto-based developer of software for managing ad campaigns has raised a first round of funding from Spark Capital, 500 Startups and True Ventures, TechCrunch reports. Based on a user&amp;'s budget, the company automatically generates ads on sites like Facebook, Bing and Google, then takes a 15 percent cut of the budget as a fee. The site launched to the public in November.Cyphort gets $1.2M to prevent cyber crimes: The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has raised funding to develop software for malware protection, according to a filing with the SEC. Founded in 2008, the startup, still in stealth mode, is developing solutions to protect enterprises and governments from attack.Tibion raises $10.2M for robotic knees: The developer of bionic devices for stroke victims has raised a second round of fundingfrom Claremont Creek Ventures, Three Arch Partners and Hambrecht &amp;amp' Quist Capital Management. Based in Sunnyvale, Calif., the company&amp;'s devices, which are managed by a computer, help users learn to walk again. The company began marketing its device to rehab centers in 2010 and hopes to sell 60 to 70 devices this year.Next Story: Apple in talks for unlimited music downloads, not streaming Previous Story: Q&amp;038'A: Nvidia chief explains his strategy for winning in mobile computingPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: advertising, apps, cybercrime, robotics, securityCompanies: 500 Startups, Alsop Louie Partners, Claremont Creek Ventures, Cyphort, Hambrecht &amp;amp' Quist Capital Management, Ruckus Media, Spark Capital, Three Arch Partners, Tibion, True Ventures, Vurve          Tags: advertising, apps, cybercrime, robotics, securityCompanies: 500 Startups, Alsop Louie Partners, Claremont Creek Ventures, Cyphort, Hambrecht &amp;amp' Quist Capital Management, Ruckus Media, Spark Capital, Three Arch Partners, Tibion, True Ventures, Vurve 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[Meteor Games renews its social gaming assault with Serf Wars]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meteor-games-renews-its-social-gaming-assault-with-serf-wars</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meteor-games-renews-its-social-gaming-assault-with-serf-wars</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bearringse</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=meteor-games-renews-its-social-gaming-assault-with-serf-wars</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Like many game startups, Meteor Games has been through a strategic pivot. It started in hardcore online games and has now shifted to where the users are. The company is now focused on making games for Facebook and it is launching its new title Serf Wars today.The game and others like it from Meteor are a test as to whether veteran game developers who have been successful in past lives can strike it rich again on Facebook, where newcomer Zynga dominates the field. It hasn&amp;'t been easy for anyone to challenge Zynga, but the rivals keep trying, since they know that Zynga has earned itself a multibillion dollar valuation based on its Facebook success.&amp;''We&amp;'re not worried,&amp;'' said Donna Powell, president of Meteor Games. &amp;''The market can support multiple companies.&amp;''The Serf Wars game is the latest product from Donna (pictured center) and Adam Powell (pictured right), the married couple that brought us Neopets, the first major web-based kids game of its kind. They started Neopets in 1999 and sold itto MTV in 2005 for $160 million and then started Meteor Games in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2007.At Meteor, the Powells (along with CEO Zac Brandenberg, pictured left) wanted to create a massively multiplayer online game that combined social and hardcore features. But they abandoned that title as it became more and more evident that they should make Facebook titles with casual themes. By early 2009, Meteor Games switched all of its resources into making Facebook titles.&amp;''We had to go one stage simpler,&amp;'' said Donna Powell.Their first Facebook hit was Island Paradise, a farming game with a tropical theme. About a month into the launch, users started buying items such as fertilizer with real money. It has been monetizing ever since. The casual titles remains a hit with more than 400,000 daily active users. Enough players are buying virtual goods within that game to make Meteor into a profitable entity, even with more than 70 employees.That success gave the company more confidence to invest in multiple projects at the same time, with roughly 15 to 20 people on a team working for months at a time. Meteor has also launched Sweet Shop and Ranch Town as well, although those games haven&amp;'t been as big as Island Paradise.Donna Powell said that Serf Wars is an attempt to straddle multiple audiences. It has a battle element that will appeal to males, with a beautiful art style that will appeal to females. It combines both hardcore and casual features. Donna Powell said she thinks the new age of Facebook games resembles the early age of web games in the 1990s. Serf Wars can be played in short game sessions, but it also has a lot of depth to keep players busy for a long time.The Neopets online game was novel in that neophyteaudiences who tried the gamehad to be taught how to play a game. Neopets drew the players and then kept them playing by creating missions and avatars, going on quests and earning achievements. Donna Powell feels the same thing is happening now, where Facebook players have to be taught.Donna Powell said that the company is also making a branded-title with a major movie studio. That game is expected to launch in May, and there are a couple of other titles launching later this year. The company isn&amp;'t yet investing in mobile games.The focus is not to build games around a monetization scheme. Rather, the company focuses on fun. Eventually, the market may mature to the point that the company&amp;'s original hardcore game might become marketable again.&amp;''We believe that the best game will win,&amp;'' Donna Powell said. &amp;''People will be ready to play the best games and get engaged. We see that engagement is the most important trend to watch.&amp;''So far, Meteor Games has been self-funded. But Donna Powell said there is a lot of interest from investors in the game market now and the company is evaluating its opportunities.Next Story: LiquidSpace launches its workspace-finding mobile app Previous Story: Google snaps up Brit pricing site BeatThatQuote for $61MPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Neopets, Serf WarsCompanies: Meteor GamesPeople: Adam Powell, Donna Powell          Tags: Neopets, Serf WarsCompanies: Meteor GamesPeople: Adam Powell, Donna PowellDean 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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