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<title>Haaze.com / juwanparmic / All</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
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<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Vodafone: We were forced to send pro-Mubarak texts]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vodafone-we-were-forced-to-send-pro-mubarak-texts</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vodafone-we-were-forced-to-send-pro-mubarak-texts</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vodafone-we-were-forced-to-send-pro-mubarak-texts</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Egyptian government of President Hosni Mubarak forced Vodafone to send out prescripted, propagandistic text messages during the country's recent unrest, the carrier said today in a statement on its Web site.A text message by someone identified as &quot;Vodafone&quot; was sent to an Associated Press reporter in Egypt on Sunday appealing to the country's &quot;honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor,&quot; according to an AP report.Protesters on the streets of Cairo.(Credit:CBS News)But Vodafone said the Egyptian government can use its emergency powers under the country's Telecommunications Act to force Vodafone and fellow carriers Mobinil and Etisalat to send messages to the people of Egypt--and that Vodafone did not write any such messages or have the ability to respond to the authorities about their content.&quot;Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable,&quot; the statement says. &quot;We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator.&quot;According to the AP, Vodaphone said the texts had been sent &quot;since the start of the protests.&quot; Mass protests broke out in Egypt last week over the decades-long rule of Mubarak. At first the situation was relatively calm, with the president announcing that he would not seek re-election this September. But things turned violent yesterday when Mubarak supporters began attacking protesters, who are calling for Mubarak's immediate resignation. At least five people were killed and many hundreds injured yesterday, according to reports. related  Egypt roundup Vodafone was one of the carriers that shut down voice services within Egypt on Friday after an order from Egyptian authorities. But in another statement on its Web site, the company says it had little choice in this matter since the Egyptian government has the ability to block such services on its own, and if the government had done so, those services would have taken much longer to get back up and running.Voice services were quickly restored Saturday. As a type of public apology over the communications blackout, Vodafone is offering credits for service to its customers, proclaiming that &quot;this offer continues until the crisis is over&quot; and security and stability is re-established &quot;in our beloved Egypt.&quot;Internet access, which was also blocked in Egypt late last week, was finally restored yesterday.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sensor network to collect and crunch greenhouse gas data]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sensor-network-to-collect-and-crunch-greenhouse-gas-data</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sensor-network-to-collect-and-crunch-greenhouse-gas-data</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sensor-network-to-collect-and-crunch-greenhouse-gas-data</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Earth Networks sensor network will use this greenhouse gas monitoring equipment from Picarro.(Credit:Martin LaMonica/CNET)Having tracked traditional weather data for years, Earth Networks is taking on greenhouse gases. Formerly named AWS Convergence Technologies and operators of the Weather Bug Web application, Earth Networks said today it will invest $25 million over five years to equip about 100 locations worldwide with sensors to measure the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane.The company will collaborate with the Scripps Institute for Oceanography in La Jolla, California to gather and analyze the data and combine it with weather-related data. Earth Networks CEO Robert Marshall and Scripps director Dr. Tony Haymet are scheduled to hold a press conference (which will be webcast) to announce the the Earth Networks Center for Climate Research at Scripps Oceanography later today.The network of sensors will gather more accurate information on the dynamics of greenhouse gases in local areas and measure changes over time. Fifty sensors will be placed in places, such as weather towers in the U.S, and another 50 in Europe and other areas.&quot;The network being established by Earth Networks will enable Scripps to collect increasing amounts of data from around the U.S. and the world that will enable us to further refine our scientific studies on where greenhouse gases originate, how they circulate around our atmosphere, and how they move from one area to another,&quot; Haymet said in a statement.Right now, there a few dozen continuous greenhouse gas monitoring stations, which limits the usefulness of the information, Marshall said in a statement. Earth Networks plans to sell the data to researchers, policymakers, and people in the energy industry and media industries. The company can also provide verification of greenhouse gas levels and whether countries are meeting commitments to lower emissions. The project will use a greenhouse gas monitoring equipment from Picarro. Earth Networks said that it intends to make the data from the sensor network available on its consumer and professional WeatherBug applications to inform the public.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Panasonic's mid-line plasmas get 3D, Internet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-mid-line-plasmas-get-3d-internet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-mid-line-plasmas-get-3d-internet</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-panasonics-mid-line-plasmas-get-3d-internet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Panasonic&amp;39's TC-PST30 series is the company&amp;39's mid-tier model, yet still offers 3D and Internet connectivity.(Credit:Panasonic) LAS VEGAS--Today at its press conference Panasonic announced what amounts to a modest number of TV series, and the one placed solidly in the middle is the TC-PST30. Given its excellent feature set, however, this it might hit the value sweet spot. According to Panasonic's press material the only thing the ST30 is missing compared to the step-up GT30 is THX certification. Otherwise, both get the &quot;short-throw phosphors&quot; and &quot;Infinite Black panel,&quot; which makes us believe that the two might share very similar picture quality.  The ST30 is also the least-expensive 2011 Panasonic plasma to display 3D sources, and the company is touting a new SD card slot that handles 3D still photos and videos. The press material doesn't mention 2D to 3D conversion, however, which was present on the GT25 models from last year. The ST30's other big step-up feature is Viera Connect, Panasonic's new Internet TV suite. The service, which received a name change from the VieraCast of yore, keeps all of the old services and adds a few new ones, including Hulu Plus, MLB.TV, MLS Matchday Live, NBA Game Time, NHL Game Center and Facebook.  Panasonic also touted a few other notable content partners, including fitness-related Withings, Body Media, and ICON Health &amp; Fitness, all of which can interact with optional fitness gear--scales, arm monitors and excercise equipment. The company is partnering with Gameloft to offer titles like racer Asphalt 5, as well as with other game developers.  And yes, like Samsung and LG's new Smart TV platforms, Viera Connect will have an App store with free and paid offerings, complete with developer's kits. There's even an on-line store &quot;featuring an ever-growing catalog of hardware products.&quot; On the other hand Viera Connect apparently lacks the web browsers found on some of those competitors' Smart TV offerings, and no Panasonic plasma has built-in wi-fi--you'll still need to buy the $80 USB dongle.Get ready for the Viera tablet.(Credit:Panasonic) The new system will also interact with Panasonic's upcoming Android tablet, although exactly how was not specified.  Pricing was not announced for the ST30 series, but it will be available sometime this spring.Panasonic TC-PST30 series features:Plasma TV3D compatibleInfinite Black panelShort throw phosphors3D-compatible SD card slotViera Connect Internet suitePanasonic TC-PST30 series models:Panasonic TC-P42ST30: 42-inchPanasonic TC-P46ST30: 46-inchPanasonic TC-P50ST30: 50-inchPanasonic TC-P55ST30: 55-inchPanasonic TC-P60ST30: 60-inchPanasonic TC-P65ST30: 65-inchEditor's Take: I'm really curious to see whether the ST30 and GT30 indeed offer basically identical black level performance. I am leery of the lack of THX, however, since color accuracy without it has long been a Panasonic Achilles heel. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[LCD TV shipments expected to slow in 2011]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lcd-tv-shipments-expected-to-slow-in-2011</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lcd-tv-shipments-expected-to-slow-in-2011</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lcd-tv-shipments-expected-to-slow-in-2011</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Vizio)LCD TV shipments will rise this year, but that growth won't be as high as it has been over the past few years, market research firm DisplaySearch predicts.Global LCD TV shipments are expected to rise 13 percent in 2011 to 215 million units, DisplaySearch said Monday. In 2010, LCD TV shipments were up 31 percent compared to 2009, with 190 million units shipped for the year.Even with more shipments, the LCD TV market's continuing price erosion will cause it to see its &quot;first ever revenue decline,&quot; DisplaySearch claims. The researchers didn't say how much lower revenue will be in 2011--there's no way to know how prices will change--but it speaks to the issues vendors and retailers are having at coaxing some consumers into buying televisions because of the lingering effects of the recession.&quot;North America continues to be a tough market for TV sales,&quot; Paul Gagnon, DisplaySearch's director of North America TV Research, said in a statement. &quot;As unemployment remains high and consumers remain sensitive to price, budget-conscious consumers have been surprised by limited price declines, partially influenced by a much stronger mix of advanced TV technologies introduced this year like LED backlights, 3D, and Internet connectivity which offset any price declines.&quot;DisplaySearch noted that television prices in North America fell by 6 percent in 2010. Prices declined by 22 percent in 2009.All told, 247 million televisions--led by LCD and plasma--were shipped to retail stores in 2010, up 17 percent compared to 2009 figures.Further reading:Best 5 HDTVs<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[HTML5 start-up Strobe secures funding]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=html5-start-up-strobe-secures-funding</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=html5-start-up-strobe-secures-funding</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=html5-start-up-strobe-secures-funding</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Strobe, a start-up focusing on publishing tools that employ a new generation of Web standards, has secured first-round funding.Chief Executive and co-founder Charles Jolley announced the move today but declined to share exactly how much Hummer-Winblad and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures bestowed upon his company. The company's technology is based on a project called SproutCore that Jolley has been working on for years, including several while at Apple. Jolley left Apple in July.SproutCore uses JavaScript and other Web tools to endow Web pages with user interfaces more like what one would expect of a native application. It plugs into the movement toward Web applications--but Strobe isn't just about the Web, Jolley said.&quot;You build your app using Web technologies like HTML5,&quot; Jolley said. &quot;You can then deploy to either the Web or package and ship in the app store.&quot; This approach helps people find the content from would-be publishers, he believes.It's a good time to be in the Web toolmaking business, apparently. &quot;We actually had really intense competition for the deal, too--over seven firms at the table,&quot; Jolley said.Strobe has just nine employees now, with plans for 12 by the end of January. Among the employees are Yehuda Katz, who's worked extensively on Ruby on Rails and jQuery programming projects, and and Carl Lerche, who's worked on Ruby on Rails at EngineYard.&quot;Most of our team comes from Apple and EngineYard,&quot; Jolley said.With the first-round funding, Strobe also gets two board members: Bryce Roberts from O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures and Lars Leckie from Hummer-Winblad.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ask Maggie: Holiday smartphone deals and iPad-iMac choices]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-holiday-smartphone-deals-and-ipad-imac-choices</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-holiday-smartphone-deals-and-ipad-imac-choices</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-holiday-smartphone-deals-and-ipad-imac-choices</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's that time of year again when consumers dream of dancing sugar plums and gadgets.From TVs to smartphones to laptops, device makers, retailers, and service providers are all pushing the hottest gear at low prices. There's no question the holiday shopping season has turned into a bargain hunter's dream when it comes to smartphones.In this week's Ask Maggie column a reader asks if he should take advantage of these deals or wait until the new year to buy his first smartphone. With AT&amp;amp'T and Verizon Wireless offering some high-end smartphones for a penny or less, it's hard to argue that he should wait to see what new devices come out in 2011.And with the help of my fellow CNET reporters and editors, I help another reader decide between purchasing aniPad or an iMac. Finally, another reader writes to Ask Maggie about a problem he's had with AT&amp;amp'T's usage-based billing.Ask Maggie is a weekly advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. If you've got a question, please send an e-mail to maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put &quot;Ask Maggie&quot; in the subject header.Smartphone bargains galoreDear Maggie,I'm a Verizon Wireless customer, and I'm finally ready to move forward into the smartphone world. This is all very new to me. I was all set to purchase a Droid Incredible, but I have read horrible things about battery life. I've also looked at the Motorola Droid X, which seems pretty good. Anyway, do you think it's a good idea to purchase a phone right now or wait to see what new and improved phones might be arriving in early 2011Help me decide, please!Thanks,Dan Dear Dan,Honestly, I think the Motorola Droid X and HTC Droid Incredible are both great devices. I haven't heard many complaints about the Droid Incredible. But if you've read negative user reviews, you should take them into consideration. Droid Incredible (Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET) One thing to keep in mind regarding battery life is that if you are upgrading from a traditional feature phone to any smartphone, you are going to notice a major difference in battery life regardless of the smartphone you are using. While your older feature phone might have been able to go days between charges, most smartphones need to be charged at least once day.Now, for your second question: Should you get a smartphone now or in the new year It depends whether you're looking for a great deal or you need the absolute latest and greatest technology. New phones will come out early next year, but it's hard to say how much better they'll be than the existing generation. If I were in the market for a new smartphone, I'd buy now, because the deals are just too good to pass up. For example, Verizon Wireless is offering a terrific promotion via Amazon that runs until Monday. For just a penny you can get one of four different Android smartphones: the Motorola Droid X, HTC Droid Incredible, Motorola Droid 2, or Motorola Droid. Unfortunately, you have to be a new Verizon subscriber to qualify for this deal. But don't fret' Dell Mobility is also offering great deals on Android phones. Of course, the best deals are for customers switching to Verizon Wireless. But even current customers can get a reduced price. Until Monday, you can get the Droid X for $9.99 if you are a new customer and for $49.99 if you are renewing your current Verizon contract. Plus, the activation fee is waived and you get a $25 Dell gift card.If you do decide to go with the HTC Incredible, you can get the phone free from Dell Mobility regardless of whether you're a new customer. You also get the activation fee waived and a $25 gift card from Dell.These deals are only good while supplies last. But if they run out, check out your local Verizon store. Verizon is also running some of its own promotions. For example, if you know someone else who wants an Android smartphone from Verizon, you could take advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free promotion that Verizon is running through the holiday season. You can get a Motorola Droid X for $199.99 or theMotorola Droid 2 for $149.99 and get another free. This would allow you to get the Droid X for $99 instead of $199. The Droid Incredible is also being offered for $149.99.LG Quantum(Credit:Bonnie Cha/CNET)All these deals, including the Amazon and Dell promotions, require a two-year contract along with a smartphone data plan and voice service.If you're willing to switch carriers, there are other deals to be had. AT&amp;amp'T is offering a Black Friday and Cyber Monday deal for its Windows 7 phones. This is another two-for-one offer. And you can get anyWindows Phone 7 for $199. The Windows 7 phones that AT&amp;amp'T currently offers are the HTC Surround, Samsung Focus, and LG Quantum.AT&amp;amp'T and Microsoft are also sweetening the deal with a free Windows Phone 7 entertainment pack with free music via Zune and free games via Xbox Live with each Windows Phone 7.AT&amp;amp'T is also scheduled to offer several new smartphones for one penny on Cyber Monday, November 29.. Starting at 6 a.m. PT, the company will rotate devices every three hours in the promotion. The phones that will be offered include the Android HTC Aria, BlackBerry Curve 3G, Motorola Flipout, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, and Motorola Bravo. Amazon is offering the one-cent deal for other carriers including AT&amp;amp'T's Samsung Captivate, HTC Aria, Motorola Backflip, or Motorola Flipout. Sprint customers also can get in on the deal with the HTC Hero, Samsung Intercept, and Samsung Moment. At this point, however, CNET Reviews Editor Kent German doesn't recommend the Moment--it's a year old, for starters--even at that price. Sprint Nextel is also offering a discount on the Android-based HTC Evo 4G for $99.99 with a new account at Dell Mobility. And the Samsung Epic 4G smartphone on Sprint's network is available on Amazon for $99.99 through the weekend. If you're considering T-Mobile USA, Amazon is offering new T-Mobile subscribers the Android G2 for $49.99. For a more complete list of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals on smartphones check out CNET Reviews editor Bonnie Cha's story from earlier this week. So in short, now is the best time to get a deal on a new smartphone. If you wait until next year, wireless operators will have new updated devices, but they will be much more expensive. Verizon in particular is expected to announce new smartphones for its 4G LTE network, which it is launching next month. The new phones for that network are expected to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in early January and on store shelves by the end of March. Pricing has not yet been discussed. iPad or iMac Dear Maggie, I'm trying to decide between buying an iPad or an iMac for myself as an early Christmas present. I can only splurge on one, so which one should I get I am a sports reporter for a local newspaper, and I already have a laptop.  Thanks,Fredman  Dear Fredman, These are both very cool products. And I can certainly understand why you'd be lusting for either one of them. So I understand why it's a difficult decision.As I'm sure you are aware, the iPad and the iMac are two distinctly different products. And they really serve different purposes. The iPad is small and portable. It's really meant for doing things on the go. The touch screen makes this an ideal product for watching video, viewing pictures, surfing some Web sites, playing games, accessing specialized applications, and reading books, magazines and newspapers. (Credit:James Martin/CNET) By contrast, the iMac is an all-in-one desktop computer with a beautiful LED backlit screen. It comes in 27-inch and-21.5 inch sizes. It's big and immobile, so it's something that will become a fixture in your home and not something you'd travel with or even take from room to room. That said, the sleek design of the product and the beautiful glass screen is really nice enough to have it displayed anywhere in your home, including a living room or family room. The first thing you need to ask yourself is what you want to do with your new Apple product. Second, you have to figure out how much you are willing to spend. You can get an iPad for as little as $499 with 16GB of storage. This is a Wi-Fi-only device, and getting one that also has 3G wireless connectivity via AT&amp;amp'T will cost you $629, plus data fees. Meanwhile, getting the iMac is a much greater investment. The cheapest one is $1,199 for the smallest screen with the slower processor. The high-end iMac goes for $1,999. You said you already have a laptop. So you may not necessarily need the iMac. Although I am not going to lie to you, I really want one, too.  My sister has one, and she uses it as the &quot;family&quot; computer. She has four kids who range in age from 2 years old to 11 years old. The older kids use the movie and photo-editing software that comes on the iMac to make movies and picture montages set to music. I babysat them for a weekend recently, and it provided hours of entertainment for all of us. The iPad is equally cool, but in a much different way. It's much more of a toy. But it's not great for getting any work done or editing movies and pictures. Since this is really a tough decision, I asked my CNET colleagues what they thought. Here is what some of them had to say: Rafe Needleman, editor at large: If he already has a good laptop or computer, get the iPad. It adds a new way of consuming media to your life and it's a ton of fun. And you can take it everywhere in and out of the house, so the potential to use/enjoy it more is higher. If he doesn't, get the iMac first. You can actually do real work on it and the big screen makes it great for movies. But I think the iPad will make him happier. It's more gifty, more like a toy. Erica Ogg, chief correspondent for Crave: An iMac is a total desktop replacement type computer. The only thing about an iMac that's better than say a MacBook is a bit more storage. But then you can't take it anywhere! If he wants something different and new, go with the iPad.  Eric Franklin, senior associate technology editor: iPad. It's different enough, with enough unique apps and ways to use it, to make it a worthwhile investment if he already owns a MacBook or laptop. Declan McCullagh, chief political correspondent and senior writer: When my wife and I took the kid to visit relatives in Europe a few months ago, as a space-saving experiment I brought an iPad and the Apple Bluetooth keyboard instead of a MacBook Pro. The iPad was wonderful for watching movies, decent for Web browsing, and acceptable for e-mail. If you're writing a self-contained e-mail message, there's not that much of a difference, especially since the iPad supports most of the basic Emacs key bindings, but switching windows or copying and pasting from other e-mail messages or Web pages is a pain. I'm suggesting that my mother, who is finally comfortable with her iPhone, get an iPad instead of a second Mac laptop. Stephen Shankland, senior writer: If he has a modern MacBook, go for the iPad because it's new, different, and fun. The only real difference an iMac will provide for him is better performance, a larger screen, and non-portability, whereas the iPad will let him be magical. But if he's in need of better performance for photo editing, the iMac might be a better way to go. John Falcone, senior editor, home theater: I agree with most of Declan's points. iPad is a good travel companion and good for media consumption/games, but I think it's hard/impossible for working, especially when that involves a lot of typing, cutting/pasting, and toggling between open windows. (Dan) Ackerman and (Scott) Stein, (who review laptops,) disagree' they say they've found it to be a good laptop replacement. Personally, I think the new 11-inch ($999-$1,199) MacBook Air might be a better alternative, even if you already had a full-size MacBook: very light, great battery life, but still a &quot;real computer.&quot; So there you have it. It looks like most CNET editors and writers recommend the iPad. Good luck with your decision!  Watch your AT&amp;T data chargesDear Maggie, I thought you might be interested in alerting your readers to check their AT&amp;amp'T data usage because AT&amp;amp'T made a &quot;mistake&quot; (insert heavy sarcasm here) when calculating my usage and I wonder if other people might have experienced the same. Basically, my billing cycle goes from the 18th-17th. I'm on the 200MB data plan. I happened to check my usage on the 18th and noticed that instead of having 200MB free, I only had 195MB, which I thought was odd since I'd just woken up. I then noticed that AT&amp;amp'T had taken 5MB of usage from the prior day and tacked it on to this month's usage. I called AT&amp;amp'T about it and the customer representative agreed that there was something wrong, that the usage should have zeroed on the 18th and it didn't. She said she'd have the techs look into it. I wonder how many people got overage charges because of this &quot;glitch&quot; where AT&amp;amp'T mysteriously added the last day of the prior billing cycle's usage to the current month's usage Or how many people used less data than they were entitled to because they checked their usage and saw they might go over because of this misreporting I've notified the FCC, but wanted to let you know as well, so other people could check their bills. Frankly, if I hadn't checked on the 18th, I would never have noticed, since I just spot-check my cumulative usage throughout the month and generally don't look at usage on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps this was an honest mistake and maybe it has only happened to me. But just in case not, I wanted to let you know. Thanks, Matt  Dear Matt,Thanks for writing and for sharing your story. Just to refresh other readers' memories, AT&amp;amp'T eliminated its unlimited data plan in June  and replaced it with a plan that charges $15 a month for 200MB of data per month and a $25 for 2GB of data per month. If subscribers who are signed up to the new data plans exceed their usage caps, they are charged additional fees. For example, someone on a 200MB plan would be charged an additional $15 for another 200MB of data that month. All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided.  I reached out to AT&amp;amp'T's press representative Mark Siegel regarding your situation. I asked him if he has heard of other AT&amp;amp'T customers having similar problems. He said he couldn't comment on the specifics of your case. He would need your full name and cell phone number to access your account. But he said: &quot;If you are asking do we bill our customers accurately, the answer is yes, we do. AT&amp;amp'T strives to bill its customers in an accurate and timely fashion. If they have a question about their bill, they can contact us and we will be pleased to look into the situation.&quot; It's difficult to say whether this is an extensive problem for AT&amp;amp'T. According to Siegel it is not. But as you point out in your e-mail, it is very difficult for consumers to know whether AT&amp;amp'T sets the usage back to zero every month at the start of the new billing cycle. And unlike itemized cell phone calling records, it's difficult to determine from the bill and your own memory when you were accessing certain amounts of data. That said, this billing issue should not be too difficult for wireless operators to get right. After all, they've been billing customers for monthly buckets of voice minutes for years.  If any other readers have experienced a similar problem with AT&amp;amp'T's new data plan, please send me an e-mail. If this looks like a big issue, I'll press AT&amp;amp'T for more answers. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The new healthcare: Smart band aids, digital pills, wrist bands]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-new-healthcare-smart-band-aids-digital-pills-wrist-bands</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-new-healthcare-smart-band-aids-digital-pills-wrist-bands</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanparmic</dc:creator>
<category>Science</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-new-healthcare-smart-band-aids-digital-pills-wrist-bands</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The following story, by Dr. Eric Topol of the non-profit West Wireless Health Institute, is part of a series of posts about cutting-edge areas of innovation. The series is sponsored by Microsoft. Microsoft authors will participate, as will VentureBeat writers and outside experts.In the past decade, wea4a4ve experienced the digitization of our music and our books' the next logical step is to take our health care digital. My friend Don Jones, who leads Qualcomma4a4s health care effort, calls it the a4AKindelizationa4 of health care. In the same way digital entertainment and communication devices have changed the way we entertain ourselves, digital wireless devices will change the way we take care of ourselves. In the not too distant future, we will be able to rely on disposable, &amp;''smart band aidsa4 to transmit data to our smart phone, telling us in real time what our heart rate and rhythm is, how many calories wea4a4ve taken in and expended that day, and how many hours of high quality sleep (REM) we had the night before.In contrast to the crisis we&amp;'re facing in health care access and economics, we are, at the same time, experiencing the most exciting phase of innovations in medicine to date. From my vantage point, as a cardiologist, the transformation that is taking place is exceptionally striking. We have the opportunity to reset, revamp and ultimately transform health care, which is the most challenging area of our culture to change.This morphing of medicine centers on an unprecedented surge of technological and medical innovation. We have the tools to take full advantage of the genomics gold rush and to harness the power of the hundreds of ingenious wireless sensors in development. These non-invasive, wearable sensors, in the form of disposable bandages and pills, transform the human body into an information gateway. Vital signs and wellness information can be sent real-time to the people that need it most, whether it goes to a medical center, physician or back to the individual or their caregiverIn March this year, a non-profit research and educational organization &amp;8212' West Wireless Health Institute, where I serve as chief medical officer &amp;8212' was launched to identify, test and accelerate the use of wireless gadgets, sensors, and systems, and then take them through clinical validation as well as to identify unmet medical needs and find wireless solutions to address them.Wireless medicine spans many different dimensions. It is not focused on a single disease or condition. It reaches through the entire continuum of care, across the ages, from preemies to seniors, the full spectrum of diseases and health, and across the world. Many solutions exist today or are in the pipeline. A device from Airstrip helps monitor high-risk pregnancies and deliveries. Proteus pills can track medication compliance. Corventis bandages (pictured above) can relay cardiac data in real time, including a continuous electrocardiogram, fluid status, position, activity, temperature, and respiratory rate. Another highlight is a wireless device from Triage Wireless. It measures and monitors blood pressure, without the need for an arm cuff, continuously through a simple device you can wear on your wrist. It also measures all critical vital signs, including heart rate, oximetry, respiratory rate and temperature.Think about sleep disorders. Sleep disorders such as apnea affect more than 15 million Americans and likely many millions suffer from the disease but have not been diagnosed due to the expensive, complex monitoring required. Today these individuals must go to a sleep lab and spend the night with multiple wires and leads connected to their head in an environment that is far from the ideal place to actually fall asleep. This scenario is quickly going to be a thing of the past. Companies like Zeo and NeuroVigil are developing solutions that will enable people to stay at home and go to sleep with a single contact point on their head, a tiny sensor patch, which measures the brain and can be monitored by a specialist from afar.Powerful, global connectivity is at the core of this revolution. Connected devices will provide truly individualized medicine, keeping people in their own homes and out of the hospital, enabling people to remain healthy longer and to help avoid the enormous costs of care. Consumers are ready to embrace solutions, anchored by their tightly bound mobile phones, that not only help provide unique data to track particular conditions, but prevent them from getting sick in the first place. Consider the 1.2 million runners who use the Nike+ sensor in their shoe to track how many miles theya4a4ve run and calories theya4a4ve burned.Consumers are ready and the possibilities are endless. Our biggest need is true primary prevention of diseases, and this is where the breakneck pace of genomic discoveries and wireless medicine sensors will converge and potentiate individualized medicine. Never before could we track such important data on patient physiology continuously and have knowledge of the underlying individuala4a4s biology via genomics. Being able to prevent heart arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia is one such example. Others include using genomic susceptibility for cancer or obesity to make early use of wireless sensors to be way ahead of ever developing such conditions.The momentum is extraordinary, and I hope we&amp;'ll see this wave of innovation result in sensors, gadgets, and devices that are tested and proven to reduce healthcare costs and produce better outcomes for patients and consumersDr. Eric J. Topol is chief academic officer of Scripps Health, director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI), and  chief medical officer of the West Wireless Health Institute.Also see previous stories in our Conversations on Innovation series:Not everyone&amp;'s ready for the cloud: 8 roadblocks software developers faceIs it time for business to embrace the cloudSpeech, touchscreen &amp;8212' been there, done that. What&amp;'s the user interface of tomorrow How phones emerged as main computing devices, and why user interface will improve Put your finger on it: The future of interactive technology a4AToucha4 technology for the desktop finally taking offNext Story: Omniture and comScore team up to improve web data Previous Story: Week in review: HP&amp;'s DreamScreen computer, Facebook&amp;'s cashflow, and morePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'                        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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