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<title>Haaze.com / ternusir342 / All</title>
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<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[AT&T sees slowdown in new wireless subscriptions]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-sees-slowdown-in-new-wireless-subscriptions</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-sees-slowdown-in-new-wireless-subscriptions</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-sees-slowdown-in-new-wireless-subscriptions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Wireless subscriber growth has slowed for AT&amp;T as the company prepares to do battle with rival Verizon Wireless.AT&amp;T added 400,000 new contract customers in the fourth quarter of 2010. In the year-ago quarter, by comparison, the company added 910,000 so-called postpaid subscribers. And in the third quarter of 2010, it added 910,000 contract customers. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless, which reported earnings earlier this week, said it added about 872,000 contract customers in the fourth quarter of 2010. Verizon also saw its sales of new contract customers slow. In addition, AT&amp;T reported that it added 442,000iPad andAndroid tablet customers, who are primarily prepaid. Postpaid or contract customers are more valuable because they tend to spend more than prepaid customers and to be more loyal to the service. For the fourth quarter, AT&amp;T reported earnings of $1.1 billion, or 18 cents a share. This includes a 26 cents a share charge for pension accounting. On a non-GAAP basis, earnings were 55 cents a share, a penny better than what analysts had expected. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $31.4 billion, up 2.1 percent from a year ago.For the year, AT&amp;T reported earnings of $19.9 billion, or $3.35 a share, on revenue of $124.3 billion. This compares to earnings of $12.1 billion, or $2.05 a share in 2009.Next month, AT&amp;T will lose its exclusive hold on the Apple iPhone, when Verizon Wireless begins selling its version of the popular smartphone. There has been a lot of speculation about AT&amp;T losing customers to Verizon, which many critics say has a more reliable network. But AT&amp;T claims that its lineup of new smartphones and tablets puts it in a strong position to compete against Verizon. AT&amp;T reported that it was still able to activate 4.1 million iPhones during the fourth quarter, even as it was being widely reported that Verizon would announce its version of theiPhone in January. The company activated 5.2 million iPhones in the third quarter of 2010.AT&amp;T's CEO Randall Stephenson said during the company's quarterly conference call today that the introduction of the iPhone on Verizon Wireless's network next month will make it difficult for AT&amp;T to predict sales in the first part of 2011. But he said he thinks the company will finish the year strong in terms of sales of smartphones.  &quot;The iPhone going onto a second network will create some volatility in the first part of year as Verizon launches the iPhone,&quot; he said. &quot;But I feel fairly confident that we can grow through the disruption.&quot;Stephenson pointed to the fact that the company had its second best quarter thus far selling &quot;integrated devices.&quot; &quot;Just look at the fourth quarter. It was no secret that the iPhone was going to Verizon,&quot; he said. &quot;And in spite of that, iPhone sales were still strong. We sold 4 million iPhones. So that gives us some confidence in terms of customers' loyalty to the network.&quot;Stephenson said the mix of product sales will likely be different now that the iPhone will be offered on at least one other carrier. In particular, he said the company will be making its first big push into offering new Android smartphones this year. And the company will be selling more tablets. AT&amp;T sold about 442,000 tablets in the fourth quarter of 2011. And Stephenson said this was just the beginning. &quot;(The tablet market is) being dominated by Apple products today,&quot; he said. &quot;But new stuff is just now coming online. So I see a lot of opportunity in tablets.&quot;Update 8:36 a.m. PT:This story has been updated with information from the company's conference call. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Virtual goods and prepaid game card sales show steep rise on Black Friday (exclusive)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=virtual-goods-and-prepaid-game-card-sales-show-steep-rise-on-black-friday-exclusive</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=virtual-goods-and-prepaid-game-card-sales-show-steep-rise-on-black-friday-exclusive</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=virtual-goods-and-prepaid-game-card-sales-show-steep-rise-on-black-friday-exclusive</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sales of virtual goods and prepaid game cards grew steeply on Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekend compared to a year ago. That means that online gamers are increasingly embracing opportunities to spend their real money on virtual goods for online games.According to virtual goods company PlaySpan, sales of Ultimate Game Card prepaid cards for online games were up 48 percent on Black Friday compared to a year ago. Sales were also up 69 percent from the week before Black Friday. PlaySpan has a good view of the business because it operates a platform used by a lot of big players in the industry who want to make money from online games.PlaySpan sells the Ultimate Game Card prepaid online game cards, which can be used in more than 1,000 online games, in more than 50,000 retail locations. Users buy the cards and enter a code online. They can then get virtual currency to spend in their favorite online games. Since the Ultimate Game Card is used in so many games, its sales are a good proxy for the health of the online game market, said PlaySpan chief executive Karl Mehta.The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company also operates a virtual goods platform that game publishers use to add virtual transactions to their games. PlaySpan also runs the PlaySpan Marketplace, a site where online gamers can shop for virtual goods in a wide variety of games.The PlaySpan Marketplace saw a 56 percent sales increase on Black Friday compared to a year ago. For the entire four-day holiday period, sales were up 19 percent from a year ago on the marketplace. By comparison, the console video game market in the U.S. is down 8 percent year to date, according to market researcher NPD.Virtual good sales are still fairly small in the grand scheme of the game business. The virtual goods business in the U.S. is expected to hit $1.6 billion in 2010, according to Inside Network. That&amp;'s substantially less than $20 billion expected for the console game business in the U.S. But the growth rates are worth noting.Next Story: IBM makes breakthrough in super-fast laser chips Previous Story: That was fast: Windows Phone 7 jailbreak tool pulledPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: virtual currency, virtual goodsCompanies: Inside Network, PlaySpanPeople: Karl Mehta          Tags: virtual currency, virtual goodsCompanies: Inside Network, PlaySpanPeople: Karl MehtaDean 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.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[Apple: No demo, trial, or beta software on Mac App Store]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-no-demo-trial-or-beta-software-on-mac-app-store</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-no-demo-trial-or-beta-software-on-mac-app-store</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-no-demo-trial-or-beta-software-on-mac-app-store</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Unlike Apple&amp;'s iPhone App Store, developers won&amp;'t be able to submit trial versions of applications to the company&amp;'s upcoming Mac App Store.Beta and demo versions won&amp;'t be accepted either, Apple announced on its developer news site last night.&amp;''Your website is the best place to provide demos, trial versions, or betas of your software for customers to explore,&amp;'' the company wrote. &amp;''The apps you submit to be reviewed for the Mac App Store should be fully functional, retail versions of your apps.&amp;''It&amp;'s a surprising move by Apple given how successful trial apps have been for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Trial versions allow users to test out new games or apps with no commitment to purchase. They also serve as a gateway to paid apps. While it&amp;'s not all that difficult for users to download the trial versions from a website instead, it seems like an odd choice for Apple to keep them off the Mac App Store entirely.The extra steps of going to a website, downloading the software, and installing it, could easily keep some users from experimenting with Mac desktop apps as they have with iPhone OS apps. It seems like a key element of the app store model &amp;8212' which offers consumers a one-stop location to find and purchase new apps. Leaving room for trial versions of apps seems like a given.Apple announced the Mac App Store in late October at its &amp;''Bring Back the Mac&amp;'' event. The store will be available on the upcoming Mac OS X &amp;''Lion&amp;'' update, and it will also be available on the current &amp;''Snow Leopard&amp;'' OS by the end of January.Via Apple InsiderNext Story: Groupon is Google&amp;'s $6 billion Facebook hedge Previous Story: Will the rise of natural gas threaten solar and wind T. Boone Pickens &amp;''might get his way&amp;''PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: App Store, apps, Lion, mac, Mac App Store, OS X, Snow LeopardCompanies: Apple          Tags: App Store, apps, Lion, mac, Mac App Store, OS X, Snow LeopardCompanies: AppleDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.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[The best and worst in mobile 2010: It&'s all about Apple and Android]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-best-and-worst-in-mobile-2010-itrsquos-all-about-apple-and-android</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-best-and-worst-in-mobile-2010-itrsquos-all-about-apple-and-android</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-best-and-worst-in-mobile-2010-itrsquos-all-about-apple-and-android</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ita4a4s been a big year for mobile news. Android continued its strong growth in the smartphone market, Apple shook things up with the iPhone 4 and completely rejuvenated the tablet market with the iPad, and former mobile titans like RIM, Palm and Nokia struggled to maintain their relevancy.I may be a little biased as VentureBeat&amp;'s lead mobile writer, but this year made it clear to me why mobile is one of the most exciting and vibrant areas in technology right now. The research firm IDC predicted in September that smartphone adoption will grow around 55 percent this year over last, and it doesna4a4t look like that will slow down anytime soon. Come next year, we can expect cheaper and more capable smartphones, and tablets that can finally stand up to the iPad.But before we enter 2011, leta4a4s take a look back at some of the best and worst stories in mobile news this year.Applea4a4s wildly successful tablet was one of the worst kept secrets in the technology industry by the end of 2009, when multiple reports pointed to the fact that Apple was gearing up to introduce a tablet device. But not everybody was excited for yet another computing platform (myself included). But, Apple being Apple, it managed to defy expectations when the iPad was announced in January, and it continued to do so as the tablet sold like crazy, surpassing 7.5 million units sold in October.Mere speculation of the iPad sparked an entirely new wave of tablets earlier this year, but most of those early entries failed, like the HP Slate and Microsoft Courier (more on the latter below). As it was becoming clearer that the iPad was a success, pretty much every major technology company threw their hats into the tablet arena, with the majority adopting Android as their tablet platform of choice. While Samsunga4a4s Galaxy Tab is the only legitimate Android iPad competitor right now, we can expect even stronger competition next year. RIM also unveiled its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which looks cool, but didna4a4t do much to negate the companya4a4s failure to innovate this year (see below).Googlea4a4s Android platform wasna4a4t truly successful until the release of the Motorola Droid in November 2009, which was buoyed by a strong anti-Apple marketing campaign. Verizon apparently spent $100 million advertising the Droid, an investment which went on to help the entire Android platform in 2011. Earlier this month, Googlea4a4s Andy Rubin said that 300,000 Android phones are now being activated every day (nearly 10 million a month), up from around 50,000 activations at the beginning of the year. In comparison, Apple recently revealed that it shipped 14.1 million iPhones in its last quarter.We can also point to the slew of great Android devices this year as a driving force behind the platforma4a4s success. The year started off with the first true a4AGoogle phonea4, the Nexus One, which Google attempted to sell on its own through an online store. That plan didna4a4t work out so well for Google, but the Nexus One heralded other superpowered Android phones like the Evo 4G and Droid X. In the second half of the year, Samsung unveiled its ambitious Galaxy S line of phones across all major US carriers, which wea4a4ll discuss further below.Basically, if you were on the lookout for an Android phone this year, it was tough to be disappointed.Despite the many great Android phones that hit the market this year, Apple held its own with the iPhone 4 &amp;8212' which brought a sexy new design, high-definition video recording, front facing camera and FaceTime for video conferencing, and a high-resolution a4ARetina Display.a4 Apple didna4a4t increase the iPhonea4a4s screen size to compete with larger Android phones, but the iPhone 4a4a4s display looks so good it didna4a4t seem to matter that it was still 3.5-inches.But while the iPhone 4 is definitely one of the best phones to come out this year, it isna4a4t without ita4a4s problems, as wea4a4ll discuss below.Samsung has been building mobile phones for years now, and ita4a4s also released a couple of low-end Android phones. So you can imagine the surprise when, seemingly out of nowhere, Samsung unveiled an entire family of high-end Android smartphones featuring its droolworthy 4-inch Super AMOLED screens and its powerful 1-gigahertz Hummingbird processor. And the company didna4a4t just focus on hardware &amp;8212' Samsung also managed to bring its Galaxy S phones across all major U.S carriers.The companya4a4s ambition has seemed to pay off. Samsung announced in November that it shipped 3 million Galaxy S phones in the US, and earlier this month we reported that it stole the top Android manufacturer throne from Motorola. Much of the hardware in the Galaxy S phones went into Samsunga4a4s Galaxy Tab tablet, which has sold 1 million units two months after it launched. And of course, Samsunga4a4s Galaxy S experience led directly to the Nexus S, the second Google phone and Nexus One successor.Before we knew the official specifications of the iPhone 4, it was widely known that it would pack a front-facing camera for mobile video conferencing. At the time, I argued that the iPhone 4 would spur on a wave of innovation in mobile video chat, something I believed would be the next killer feature in smartphones. When Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 4, its FaceTime mobile video chat software was one of the biggest announcements. Finally, we had a simple way to initiate mobile video chats from our phones as easily as making a standard phone call.While FaceTime is certainly restricted by only working on WiFi networks, Apple made the technology even more useful by bringing the software to Macs and the most recent iPod Touch version (which also sports cameras).Android phones like the Evo 4G, MyTouch 4G and Nexus S also feature front-facing cameras, and I suspect the feature will become even more common next year. The new wave of front cameras also opened the doors for mobile video chat startups like Tango, which has created mobile video chat apps that will work across the iPhone and Android.Perhaps it was the low expectations going in, but count me as shocked that Microsoft was actually able to make a desirable smartphone platform in Windows Phone 7 &amp;8212' one that offered some key difference from its competitors, as well as an attractive and refreshing user interface.Microsoft announced WP7 in February, but didna4a4t officially launch the phones until October. And by that point, it was obvious that Microsoft was going to do whatever it took to regain its relevancy in mobile devices. The company reportedly spent around $500 million marketing WP7, and racked up about 15,000 app developers a few weeks after the phones hit shelves. Microsoft announced yesterday that its partners have shipped 1.5 million phones to carriers and retailers, which doesna4a4t tell us much about actual users, but ita4a4s a sign that consumers definitely want the phones.Microsoft knew what it needed to succeed: Attractive high-end smartphones, a strong app community and a modern OS. With Windows Phone 7, it managed to put together all of the right pieces to deliver a platform that can just about match the iPhone and Android, even if it is several years too late.Kin. Need I say anything else From the moment Microsoft announced the Kin phones, its misguided attempt at capturing the youth market, it was clear that Kin was an idea several years too late. They were severely restricted phones that had subscription plans just as expensive as real smartphones. So it was no surprise when Microsoft, surely with plenty of egg on its face, ended up killing the project several weeks after the phones hit stores.At the time of the Kina4a4s death, I wrote:What started as an ambitious attempt to justify Microsofta4a4s purchase of Danger, the company behind the popular Sidekick messaging phones, turned into a misguided attempt at trying to figure out what young people find cool. Never mind that many teenagers and twenty-somethings had already moved on to legitimate smartphone platforms.The Kin phones lacked an application store and seemingly basic  functionality like a calendar and instant messaging software a4&quot; a glaring  omission for something aimed at a4Aconnecteda4 youth. Ultimately, the  Kina4a4s failure is one Microsoft needs to remember: Instead of trying to  force-feed a lackluster product to consumers, perhaps it should devote  more time on creating something people actually want a4&quot; like it did with  the Xbox 360.At a time when every company seemed hell-bent on taking on the iPad with tablets of their own, Microsofta4a4s Courier was a breath of fresh air. Courier was a dual-screened a4Adigital journala4 that was touch-screen capable, but also featured a stylus pen for hand written text, diagrams and more. Video demonstrations of the product made it seem like the evolution of the digital planner, combined with a personal journal and web-enabled tablet.It was an ambitious move for Microsoft &amp;8212' so of course the company killed it before the project even got off the ground.As beautiful as Applea4a4s iPhone 4 may be, it became clear over the course of the year that Apple may have actually over-designed the phone to the point where its looks was interfering with its functionality.The first big issue was antennagate: As soon as the iPhone 4 started getting into consumersa4a4 hands, many began to notice that they could repeatedly kill their iPhonea4a4s reception by holding the lower-left corner of the device. This time around, Apple made the devicea4a4s antenna an integral part of its design, and it appeared as if that allowed users to easily block reception. The issue became so widely known that Apple CEO Steve Jobs held an unprecedented press event to address the issue, where he mentioned that ita4a4s fairly easy to block any phonea4a4s reception in a similar manner. Jobs admitted that Apple isna4a4t perfect, and instituted a program to offer free cases to every iPhone 4 owner.But the iPhone 4a4a4s troubles didna4a4t stop there. Several gadget sites eventually reported on another phenomenon, dubbed a4AGlassgatea4, where certain cases that slid onto the back of the iPhone could trap dirt and debris, eventually leading to scratches and cracks on its rear glass panel. Apple never admitted to the issue, but ended up removing sliding cases from its online stores and retail locations. The company is reportedly investigating just how widespread the issue is. It doesna4a4t appear to be affecting as many users as antennagate, but I wouldna4a4t be surprised if Apple is keen on avoiding any further controversy with the iPhone 4.The iPhone 4a4a4s design was also reportedly the reason we never saw a white version of the device. Apple showed off white iPhone 4s when it was first announced, but that version never found its way to stores. Apparently, the white iPhone 4a4a4s glass back was leaking in light &amp;8212' to the point where it was washing out pictures taken by the devicea4a4s camera. The issue was apparently discovered at the last-minute by Apple. The company ended up delaying the release of the white iPhone 4 three times without explanation&amp;8211' now ita4a4s expected to land some time in Spring 2011.Following lackluster sales of the Palm Pre and Pixi, former mobile leader Palm was in a tough spot at the beginning of the year, and it quickly became obvious that the company was looking to sell. HP ended up snagging the company for a cool $1.2 billion after a frenzied bidding war from four other major companies. The acquisition showed that HP was serious about becoming a player in the smartphone business, and we argued it had the potential to completely reshape the mobile computing landscape.That may still happen eventually, but for now it doesna4a4t look like HP has done much with Palm. In October, the company announced the next version of Palma4a4s innovative webOS operating system, but at the same time it revealed the Palm Pre 2, which was nothing more than a speed upgrade to the original Pre. At a time when killer Android phones were coming left and right, it seemed downright crazy that Palm still didna4a4t have a major new handset. At least HP seems interested in bringing webOS to tablets early next year with the a4APalmPad.a4I suppose it was too much to ask to see some spark of innovation from either Research in Motion or Nokia this year. Both companies managed to release new flagship devices that somehow feel several years too late.RIM unveiled the BlackBerry Torch in August, ita4a4s first attempt at combining a multitouch screen with its beloved BlackBerry hardware keyboard, which ran its new BlackBerry 6 operating system. Unfortunately, the new OS wasna4a4t the major upgrade that RIM needed to compete with more modern competitors, and the Torch was hampered by a slow processor and low display resolution. In the end, it was a minor release when RIM needed something major. Next year RIM may release a phone featuring the next-generation OS on its PlayBook tablet, but who knows when that will actually happen.Nokia faced similar software problems with its N8 smartphone. In my review, I found the N8a4a4s hardware to be impressive, but it was ultimately hampered by its aging Symbian OS. Nokia too is gearing up to release a next-generation OS next year, dubbed Meego, together with Intel. But Meego has seen some serious delays, and unless it comes out early next year, it risks being too little, too late, for Nokia.[Photo via Ed Yourdon]Next Story: On the GreenBeat: Abegnoa finalizes $1.45 billion DOE backing, oil refiners refuse to sell E15 Previous Story: Most augmented reality companies not doing augmented realityPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Android, Courier, Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab, iPad, iPhone, Kin, Nexus S, Palm Pre, smartphones, tablets, Windows Phone 7Companies: Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, motorola, Palm, Samsung          Tags: Android, Courier, Galaxy S, Galaxy Tab, iPad, iPhone, Kin, Nexus S, Palm Pre, smartphones, tablets, Windows Phone 7Companies: Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, motorola, Palm, SamsungDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.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[A roadmap to CES 2011: parties, gadgets, apps, and exhaustion]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-roadmap-to-ces-2011-parties-gadgets-apps-and-exhaustion</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-roadmap-to-ces-2011-parties-gadgets-apps-and-exhaustion</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-roadmap-to-ces-2011-parties-gadgets-apps-and-exhaustion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Techno geeks will converge on Sin City this week for a taste of gadget heaven. The Consumer Electronics Show will likely draw more than 126,000 people to Las Vegas, from opening previews on Tuesday through valiant last stands on Sunday.As we noted in our earlier preview, CES (officially called the International Consumer Electronics Show 2011) is a huge extravaganza that will have the latest trendy products from connected TVs to smart grid monitors. VentureBeat writers Dean Takahashi and Devindra Hardawar will cover the show from beginning to end.It is a bellwether for the tech economy and it is a place where companies have to appear if they want to be perceived as cool. The show floor will span 1.5 million square feet, up from 1.44 million a year ago. Last year&amp;'s attendance was 126,641, and this year the organizers expect more people. The exhibitors on the show floor will number 2,500, but that doesn&amp;'t include all of the companies showing off stuff in hotel suites.The show will likely be a manifestation of growing optimism that the economy is slowly but surely pulling out of the recession. Bring your comfortable shoes, use a backpack with wheels, and try not to stay out too late at the parties. If the parties are what you care about, check out the Karennet party list. Here&amp;'s how we expect the news to unfold:Tuesday: Lots of embargoed news will break on Monday and Tuesday as marketers try to steal each other&amp;'s thunder and catch some early buzz. The event officially kicks off on Tuesday afternoon with a press-only CES Unveiled reception, where scores of companies that have won innovation awards will be the first to show off. The Consumer Electronic Association will likely update its forecast for 2011' the industry is expected to grow U.S. revenues by 3 percent in 2010.Wednesday: Press Day at CES will have press conferences galore, starting LG Electronics at 8 am through Sony at 4:45 pm. This year, the computer companies have jockeyed to get their own press conferences into the line-up. Intel, Nvidia and Microsoft have wiggled their way into the rooms at the vast Venetian Hotel conference center. During the day, you can expect to see lots of new tablets aimed at stealing the limelight from Apple&amp;'s iPad, but Apple, which does not exhibit at the show, will likely cast a big shadow over everything on display at CES. The iPad 2 is expected to be announced later in January.There will also be smartphones and connected TV announcements, with much attention focused on apps running on TVs. Glasses-free 3D TV will also make a showing. Google&amp;'s Android will power a lot of new gadgets, but most will probably have to wait for the arrival of the Honeycomb version of the operating system. A lot of the smartphones will feature cool dual-core ARM chip designs from a variety of vendors, but there will likely be challengers to ARM&amp;'s supremacy. In the late afternoon, Motorola is expected to show its 10-inch Android-based tablet.At 6:30 pm, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer will give his usual opening keynote speech in the Las Vegas Hilton on the same stage where Elvis Presley used to dazzle audiences with his gyrating hips. This preshow keynote was traditionally held for Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, but Ballmer has assumed the podium in the past few years. A year ago, Ballmer held up what was the biggest vaporware of 2010: a Windows-based tablet from Hewlett-Packard. After the iPad debuted, HP went back to the drawing board, acquired Palm, and started readying its WebOS-based tablet, which could debut at the show. This year, the press is betting that Ballmer will talk about a version of the full Windows operating system that can run on ARM-based gadgets. And it&amp;'s likely that Ballmer will wax on about smartphones and tablets, again. I&amp;'m looking forward to any comment Ballmer makes on sales of this season&amp;'s big hit, Microsoft&amp;'s Kinect motion-control system for the Xbox 360. Pepcom will close the day with one of many huge parties with its invite-only Digital Experience party at Caesar&amp;'s Palace.Thursday: The exhibit floor will open and we&amp;'ll see keynotes from Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg and Audi chairman Rupert Stadler. Seidenberg will give an update on Verizon&amp;'s FiOS fiber-based broadband network expansion while Stadler will talk about the connected-car trend. Boo-Keun Yoon of Samsung displays will deliver an afternoon keynote. Press events will be held by Skype, Dell, Verizon Wireless and others. The invite-only Showstoppers party at the Wynn hotel will feature hundreds of new products. One of the highlights will be an update from Verizon Wireless on its 4G (next-generation cellular) network, but it&amp;'s anybody&amp;'s guess as to whether it says anything about a Verizon iPhone or iPad.Friday: A three-way keynote will kick off the day with Cisco CEO John Chambers, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt, and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns speaking. Ford CEO Alan Mulally will talk about the latest advances in computerized cars using Ford&amp;'s Sync system.  Show chief Gary Shapiro will interview Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, about a range of policy issues, from Net Neutrality to the Comcast-NBC merger to the allocation of more spectrum for wireless communications. An afternoon panel will focus on entertainment technology.Saturday: We&amp;'ll finally get a breather from announcements and get our chance to walk the floor and do interviews. Everybody will be tired at this point from lack of sleep and sensory overload, so don&amp;'t expect us to be able to form coherent sentences. Still, we&amp;'ll be on the lookout for quirky and cool products that have been lost in the noise.Sunday: VentureBeat&amp;'s Devindra Hardawar may be the last visitor on the show floor at this point. If you can survive this long, it&amp;'s actually not a bad day to walk the empty floor and see some products up close.Previous Story: Week in review: Apple increases 2011 iPhone shipmentsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: AndroidCompanies: Audi, Cisco, ford, General Electric, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, XeroxPeople: Gary Shapiro, Julius Genachowski, steve ballmer          Tags: AndroidCompanies: Audi, Cisco, ford, General Electric, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, Verizon Wireless, XeroxPeople: Gary Shapiro, Julius Genachowski, steve ballmerDean 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.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[As social games cause disruption, Disney lays off hundreds of game studio employees]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-social-games-cause-disruption-disney-lays-off-hundreds-of-game-studio-employees</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-social-games-cause-disruption-disney-lays-off-hundreds-of-game-studio-employees</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ternusir342</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-social-games-cause-disruption-disney-lays-off-hundreds-of-game-studio-employees</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Mickey Mouse may not be destined for video game heroism after all. Walt Disney has confirmed that it has laid off hundreds of people in its game development studios as it moves from console games to casual titles.The news is the latest sign that games are undergoing a transformation, with a lot of revenue and attention shifting from traditional console games to the new markets of Facebook and iPhone games, where the content is aimed at casual players, or those who play in short bursts in contrast to hardcore console gamers who spent hours in front of the TV.CNBC first reported that Disney had eliminated up to 350 of the 700 jobs in the company&amp;'s game business. Disney confirmed that it has cut a significant number of jobs but didn&amp;'t say how many. The cuts reflect a weakening of corporate resolve, as Disney had been on a five-year plan to triple its revenues in the game business and compete with the likes of Electronic Arts and Activision Blizzard.But that vision came apart in recent months. First, social games became a hot market with companies such as Zynga making lots of money on Facebook titles. Disney jumped into the market, acquiring social game startup Playdom for up to $763.2 million. It also bought iPhone music game maker Tapulous for an disclosed price. With those deals, Disney acquired some new executives. Bart Decrem, co-founder of Tapulous, became chief of Disney&amp;'s mobile game business. And John Pleasants, former No. 2 at EA and CEO of Playdom, became the co-chief of Disney&amp;'s Interactive Media Group. Steven Wadsworth, the executive who formerly had the job Pleasants got, resigned in September from the group, which includes the game division.Then Graham Hopper, the longtime head of Disney&amp;'s game studios, resignedin November. Hopper, who ran the game business for eight years, was determined to make Disney a player in console games. He acquired a number of prestigious game studios, including Warren Spector&amp;'s Junction Point Studios, which went on to make Disney Epic Mickey. Spector&amp;'s goal was to make Mickey Mouse into a video game hero with that game.The Los Angeles Times reported Epic Mickey sold 1.3 million copies, despite having a late Nov. 30 start in the holiday selling season. But, given that the game took four years to make, the sales were not as spectacular as many game blockbusters and could thus be classified as a disappointment. Epic Mickey also drew complaints from reviewers that it had some bugs. That outcome was similar for many of the other titles Disney had' sales were good, but not so good Disney&amp;'s games dominated the scene.Meanwhile, Pleasants is evidently betting that the company should focus on the fast-growing social and mobile games businesses. That means the company has to shift into a very different mindset. The casual games are cheaper to produce, so Disney can get by with far fewer people than it has in console games. But they&amp;'re also made under extreme time pressures, with titles launching and then going through immediate revision based on precise feedback and analytics data from fans.Playdom had proven adept at making such games. But it also isn&amp;'t dominating the field. Playdom is ranked No. 6 on the top social game companies on Facebook, with 27 million monthly active users, according to market analyst AppData. That&amp;'s below Playdom&amp;'s peak in 2010. When Disney bought it last year, Playdom had 42 million users.Disney also canceled Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned, a big console title, without explanation. CNBC said that Disney shuttered the studio that made that game, putting 170 people out of jobs from that action alone.Next Story: Is Yahoo still relevant Search portal expects another weak first quarter Previous Story: Can new startup resu.me succeed in being the &amp;''LinkedIn killer&amp;''PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Disney Epic MickeyCompanies: Junction Point Studios, Playdom, Walt DisneyPeople: Graham Hopper, John Pleasants, Steve Wadsworth, Warren Spector          Tags: Disney Epic MickeyCompanies: Junction Point Studios, Playdom, Walt DisneyPeople: Graham Hopper, John Pleasants, Steve Wadsworth, Warren SpectorDean 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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