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<title>Haaze.com / zimansuf2 / All</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[CES: Grab a robotic massage from the WheeMe]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-grab-a-robotic-massage-from-the-wheeme</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-grab-a-robotic-massage-from-the-wheeme</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-grab-a-robotic-massage-from-the-wheeme</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Lance Whitney/CNET)LAS VEGAS--After a long, hard day atCES, there's nothing like a good massage, even if it is performed by a small robot.Stopping at the booth for an Israeli company called DreamBots, I got a hands-on, or rather backs-on, demo of its WheeMe portable massage robot. Fitting in the palm of your hand, the tiny massager works its magic around your back by digging in with four studded wheels, or fingerettes. The WheeMe is able to navigate your body without falling off through a series of sensors that tells it when to stop and when to shift into reverse.How did the WheeMe perform on my back The device is small and light, so obviously, it can't provide the type of deep Shiatsu-type massage you'd get from a trained professional. But it did give me a tingly sensation that definitely put a smile on my face. And the people from DreamBots told me the massage would've been more intense, had I taken off my shirt.Retailing for $69, the WheeMe is set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2011. DreamBots tells me that it's moving into manufacturing after having picked up a huge number of preorders from around the world. The company is looking for partners to help with the manufacturing and is planning to open a New York office.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Verizon powers up smart-home services]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-powers-up-smart-home-services</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-powers-up-smart-home-services</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-powers-up-smart-home-services</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Verizon)A smart-home automation system using Fios, Verizon's fiber-optic communications network, is about to be tested in some New Jersey homes, the company announced yesterday.The management system, which Verizon simply refers to as Home Monitoring and Control, enables real-time access to view and make changes to a home's lighting, security cameras, locks, and thermostats, as well as appliances and consumer electronics devices connected to the home network.The software application that offers the real-time monitoring and control can be accessed by smartphone, computer, or Fios TV.Verizon will be demonstrating the smart-home system at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas early in January, and says the system should be widely available within the first half of 2011.In the meantime, the company is looking to N.J. homes to test it out.&quot;The homes selected for the program will be outfitted with an energy reader, smart appliance switches and thermostats, a smart power strip, a smart door and window locks, motion sensors, an advanced pan-and-tilt camera, and a fixed indoor and outdoor camera,&quot; Verizon said in a statement.Verizon has long been anticipating a possible foray into home automation, as it sought to expand what services could be offered using its existing high-speed Fios broadband network. But the telecommunications giant is not alone in attempting to be in on the early side of smart home services.In July, Microsoft began offering Microsoft Hohm in conjunction with PowerCost Monitor for managing home electricity use. That same month GE began offering a smart-grid home-monitoring system that can also be tied to using a home electric vehicle (EV) charger. In 2009, Google began offering PowerMeter home-monitoring system to U.K. residents, and is now using the &quot;white space&quot; spectrum of the broadcast system left open by TV's switch to digital for smart-grid communications in Plumas-Sierra County, Calif.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Green-tech companies look overseas for foothold]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-tech-companies-look-overseas-for-foothold</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-tech-companies-look-overseas-for-foothold</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=green-tech-companies-look-overseas-for-foothold</guid>
<description><![CDATA[CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Rather than follow a well understood game plan, energy technology entrepreneurs need to think more like chess players on the fast-changing global stage. A panel of clean-tech entrepreneurs and financiers here at the MIT Venture Capital conference yesterday discussed ways to navigate the regulatory and commercial landscape. Their strategies reflect how energy innovators and their financial backers have had to adjust over the past few years to have a shot at succeeding.One persistent challenge for energy technology entrepreneurs is getting the money and permits to build either an initial production facility to make goods, such as solar panels or biofuels, or test a product at large scale. In many cases, young companies are looking outside the U.S., where the regulatory environment is simpler and governments are more welcoming, panelists said. Introducing products for use on the U.S. electric grid, in particular, is very complex because each state can have separate rules.&quot;If somehow the regulations in the U.S. don't start to be more amenable to the clean technologies we're starting to develop, then I'm already looking to China to move products because I know I will have a lot fewer regulatory issues getting products online there,&quot; said Tom Zarella, the CEO of a Dartmouth University spin-off called SustainX, which is making a novel storage system that uses compressed air.Zarella was previously the CEO of GT Solar, which makes solar manufacturing equipment and made 85 percent of its revenue in China. Even as it looks overseas, SustainX hopes to get a toehold in the U.S., too. It received funding from the Department of Energy to test out its storage device, which Zarella said will be ready next year.James Kim, a partner at Khosla Ventures, shared a similar story. He had invested in a small-scale nuclear power company in the U.S., where it will take 10 years to get the permits to test to see how well the product works. Now having invested in a second nuclear company, he expects to have the product operating in five years in China.State-level incentives are significant as well, he added. For example, Khosla Ventures-backed Kior committed to building a biofuels facility because of incentives from Mississippi. Absent those, the company may have looked at Canada, which has similar wood resources, he said.Dealing with policy Amonggreen-tech investors and entrepreneurs, there's a better understanding of the amount of money required to launch an energy venture than there was at the beginning of the decade, when many green-tech companies launched. Out of necessity, green-tech companies are now trying to find cheaper ways to build their first products. Rather than manufacture themselves, for example, start-ups can license technology to another company, a money-saving approach.Solar panel maker Solyndra raised more than a billion dollars in venture money and a government loan program to do the soup-to-nuts approach where it not only built its own factories but built the machines for manufacturing its unique rooftop solar collectors. Even though it has some great technology, Solyndra's under pressure to rapidly lower its costs, said James Kim, a partner at Khosla Ventures. By contrast, another solar investment he's involved in will license first-generation technology to a manufacturer in Asia, which will give it revenue to develop the second and third generations, he said.&quot;It's the biotech model where you get the technology to a point and then you partner for scaling up without giving away the crown jewels,&quot; Kim said.The bar for entry has gotten tougher as well. Panelists here said companies that have a product to make power for the grid need to make those products as cheap as natural gas-generated electricity. Subsidies for solar and wind are in place now, but there is uncertainty about whether they will be extended, with the new Congress coming into power after the mid-term elections. There wasn't a lot of optimism that additional laws that are favorable to clean energy would be passed. With its coordinated policies, China is better positioned than the U.S. to take the lead on emerging clean-energy industries, panelists said. &quot;We're punting technology leadership in energy to the Chinese,&quot; said Kim.To deal with the lack of consistency in U.S. federal energy policy and utility regulations, investors are looking for products that produce power at the same cost as natural gas plants, panelists said. &quot;If you can't compete on cost of production with a natural gas peaker plant, you won't get on the grid,&quot; said Alan Dash, vice president of late-stage private equity energy company Starwood Energy Group.But even with the formidable financial and policy challenges, entrepreneurs and investors said there are many areas in the economy where efficiency can be improved--everything from how concrete is made to lighting. Unlike the IT industry, though, there isn't the same infrastructure for a start-up to plug into, said Tom Pincince, CEO of Digital Lumens, which makes LED lighting systems for industrial companies. Because of open APIs in software, an IT start-up company knows it can rely on a network of other online services, but that doesn't exist in energy and efficiency.&quot;We're back really in the foundation stage of creating these new markets and so in some cases you're going to have more highly vertically integrated companies because the infrastructure is not laid out for you,&quot; said Pincince. &quot;Relearning patience becomes really important.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Facebook event Monday relates to Office]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-facebook-event-monday-relates-to-office</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-facebook-event-monday-relates-to-office</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-facebook-event-monday-relates-to-office</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Facebook&amp;39's invite for its event next week.(Credit:CNET)Facebook is holding an event next week as part of the Web 2.0 Summit taking place in San Francisco, and, according to ZDNet, the topic du jour will be deeper integration between the 500 million user-strong social network and Microsoft's Office Web Apps service.Facebook and Microsoft already collaborate on a variant of the Web-based Office suite called Docs, which the two companies launched together in late April. However, ZDNet says that this new version will be more closely integrated into Facebook's in-box experience, which is said to be getting an overhaul that builds in Microsoft's services. Microsoft Office Web Apps contains Web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. The suite was launched as a free service for consumers two months after the launch of Docs.com, and included the option for companies to host tailored versions of the tools through Microsoft's Sharepoint. Based on Facebook's numbers, Docs currently has some 116,000 monthly users, which Microsoft could be looking to grow. One other area of Facebook where Microsoft's productivity tools could end up is within the recently introduced Groups feature. Facebook launched it with a rather rudimentary word processor, which lets group members collaborate on a hosted document, but something like Word would offer a higher level of functionality, as well as pushing the Groups product closer to something that might entice business users.Facebook's event takes place Monday at 10 a.m. PT, and CNET will be there to bring you the news.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[High-speed rail funding sparks debate]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=high-speed-rail-funding-sparks-debate</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=high-speed-rail-funding-sparks-debate</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:10:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=high-speed-rail-funding-sparks-debate</guid>
<description><![CDATA[High-speed railroads currently under construction in the U.S., as well as corridors under development, and proposed lines under study from the current Department of Transportation initiative.(Credit:Federal Railroad Administration)Citizens concerned with the direction of high-speed rail in their home states have taken to the Internet to voice their opinions on current plans proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation.Self-described New Yorkers have started a Facebook campaign in support of high-speed rail service and have inundated the Facebook page of DOT Secretary Ray LaHood with posts imploring him to grant their governor-elect's request for more funding for a high-speed rail project in their state.&quot;I don't know who started it, but the Facebook campaign sure got my attention!&quot; LaHood wrote in his blog today.&quot;They know that saying 'No' to high-speed rail is saying 'No' to jobs, 'No' to revitalized manufacturing, and 'No' to economic development. And what's worse, it means saying 'No' to American workers at a time when they sorely need those jobs,&quot; LaHood wrote.As of this morning, grassroots campaigns from several other states seem to have emerged on LaHood's page. Many of those posts include self-described Wisconsinites who say they support Republican governor-elect Scott Walker but disagree with his promised efforts to stop a high-speed rail project there.The Facebook outpouring from New Yorkers and Wisconsinites is in response to a string of discourse in recent days between governors-elect, state representatives, and LaHood.Ohio governor-elect John Kasich wrote a letter to President Obama (PDF) saying he plans to kill his state's Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati passenger rail project, and reject the $400 million in DOT money if it cannot be legally redirected for other state uses. Wisconsin governor-elect Scott Walker campaigned against a proposed DOT high-speed rail project to connect Milwaukee, Madison, and points beyond. Walker has said he would prefer to use the $810 million in DOT funds for highway and bridge projects.LaHood issued a letter to Walker (PDF) on Monday explaining that the federal funds are earmarked specifically for high-speed rail, and the DOT will have to rescind the $810 million for Wisconsin if the funds are not directed to the agreed project.&quot;None of the money provided to Wisconsin may be used for road and highway projects, or anything other than high-speed rail. Consequently, unless you change your position, we plan to engage in an orderly transition to wind down Wisconsin's project so that we do not waste taxpayers' money,&quot; wrote LaHood.Ohio is in the same position, standing to lose $400 million in DOT funding if it rejects its proposed rail project.New York governor-elect Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, wrote a letter to LaHood asking if New York could apply to receive any high-speed funds that might be rejected by other states. The funds could go toward the Empire Corridor, which would connect New York City, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and points beyond via high-speed rail.Illinois Governor Pat Quinn told The Chicago Tribune that he also made a request to LaHood by phone informing him that Illinois would also like to apply for any available high-speed rail funding as a result of rejection by other states.Several Republican governors-elect have said they do not support a high-speed rail initiative for the U.S. at all, while others have said they support a high-speed rail initiative in theory, but don't agree with the current DOT plan. As Republicans take control of the House this January, that disapproval could have an effect even in states that approve of their proposed projects.Florida State Representative John Mica, a senior Republican, is expected to head the House Transportation Committee in January and has told the Associated Press he plans to reevaluate the over $10 billion initiative.&quot;I am a strong advocate of high-speed rail, but it has to be where it makes sense,&quot; Mica told the AP.Mica said while he supports many of the Northeast projects, he does not agree with other areas of the DOT's plan because many are not truly high-speed railroads.He's right.Several of the proposed high-speed rail projects, like the $800 million Tampa and Orlando connection proposed for Mica's home state of Florida, would run trains that achieve speeds of up to 168 mph only along some parts of the route. The trains would not consistently maintain high speeds as high-speed railroads in Asia and Europe currently do.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How new Congress will tackle privacy, Net neutrality]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said yesterday that this week's elections will provide &quot;an opportunity for our Republican principles to shine through our policies.&quot;But what that means for privacy, Net neutrality, and other regulatory areas that affect Internet companies isn't entirely clear.The Contract from America, a set of grassroots-derived governing principles signed by some incoming Republicans and backed by dozens of Tea Party groups, stresses evaluating the constitutionality of government programs but doesn't specifically address technology. Neither does the Republican Party's 2010 Pledge to America.This should come as no surprise. After the number of unemployed, discouraged, or marginally employed Americans has doubled in the last two years and stands at a recent record of 22 percent, no politician hoping to be elected spends much time talking about regulation of transborder data flows. Or, say, the nuances of amendments to the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.In fact, it's possible, even likely, that Washington's approach to technology topics will remain largely the same.Nothing will change, says Jim Harper, a former Hill staffer and policy analyst at the free-market Cato Institute.&quot;Proposals for 'baseline' federal privacy legislation will continue to float around, as they have for the last decade,&quot; Harper told CNET. &quot;Net neutrality regulation, which was going nowhere before the election, will go nowhere. Intellectual property supporters will continue to have the stronger voice in Congress.&quot;Net neutrality turned out to be something less than a compelling campaign slogan this year.Scott Cleland, an industry analyst who receives funding from companies including AT&amp;T, Sprint, and Verizon, noted that &quot;every single one&quot; of the 95 Democratic challengers who took a Net neutrality pledge lost in the mid-term elections.Last month, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee announced a list of Democratic candidates who took a pledge saying: &quot;In Congress, I'll fight to protect Net Neutrality for the entire Internet--wired and wireless--and make sure big corporations aren't allowed to take control of free speech online.&quot;Whoops. Tuesday's results mean that pro-regulation groups like Free Press &quot;can no longer legitimately claim their Net neutrality movement has significant grass roots political support,&quot; Cleland suggested.Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green replied in e-mail yesterday, saying the Cleland can't point to any candidates who campaigned against Net neutrality &quot;for the obvious reason that such a position is a big political loser.&quot; In addition, Green said, other Net neutrality supporters currently in Congress were reelected, while some politicos who signed a letter opposing such regulations were not.How the 2011 Congress views privacy probably won't change very much. But because it depends in large part on which politicians end up heading which committees, which hasn't been decided yet, it's difficult to say for sure.Because Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) lost his bid for reelection, longtime industry critic Ed Markey (D-Mass.) could become the senior Democrat on a House Internet subcommittee.And whether Joe Barton (R-Texas) or fellow Republican Fred Upton (R-Mich.) will become the next chairman of the full House Energy and Commerce Committee remains a tossup. (Because Barton is running up against the GOP's term-limit rules for committee chairman, he'd need a waiver from party leadership.)For a Republican who joined the Tea Party Caucus this summer and claims to be committed to &quot;limited government&quot; and &quot;free markets,&quot; Barton's record on privacy includes repeated calls for more regulations and for handing more power to federal bureaucrats. Barton and Markey have singled out Apple, Google, and Facebook, for instance, for criticism.Harper, from the Cato Institute, says that Boucher's proposed privacy legislation never had a serious chance of passing: &quot;The result was that tech lobbyists could always report to the home office that they had something to do, and tech trade associations could garner corporate support for all those noon-time strategy meetings over sandwiches--without generating a true threat to the business models of the companies they (purport to) represent.&quot;&quot;With the defeat of Rick Boucher, we are losing someone who understood the Internet and played a key role in opening it up to commercial activity, who co-founded the Internet Caucus, and who has taken a lead on key issues like privacy,&quot; said the Center for Democracy and Technology. Public Knowledge's Gigi Sohn called him someone who understood the &quot;importance of standing up for consumers' rights to use technology lawfully.&quot; (Boucher introduced an unsuccessful bill in 2002 to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, for instance.)Marc Rotenberg, head of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which supports a broad law regulating the private sector's data collection and use practices, says &quot;I think you're going to see continued bipartisan leadership on privacy issues&quot; in the House.In addition, Rotenberg said, the election of Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) could have positive impacts on privacy. Blumenthal has &quot;been a great champion on a lot of consumer-related Internet issues,&quot; he said. &quot;Over on the government oversight side, I think having Rand Paul in the Senate is going to be (a significant check on) the growing surveillance state.&quot;Another key departure on privacy and civil liberties: Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), who lost his reelection bid. He was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act and was a fierce critic of warrantless wiretapping. He was even endorsed by Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nominee.The Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, suggested that one area to watch will be what happens once Tea Party-backed candidates are sworn into office in the new Congress: &quot;Will proposals to increase government surveillance of domestic phone calls and e-mails get these constitutional fundamentalists worked up&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Aircell raises $35M to fuel its in-flight Internet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aircell-raises-35m-to-fuel-its-in-flight-internet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aircell-raises-35m-to-fuel-its-in-flight-internet</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aircell-raises-35m-to-fuel-its-in-flight-internet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Aircell the company that provides the Gogo in-flight Internet service, has raised $35 million in new funding.In-flight Internet seems to be more and more common (or at least it&amp;'s becoming more and more central to my work life), with Aircell leading the charge. The Itasca, Ill.-headquarted company said Gogo is now available on nine of the top 11 airlines. That includes all flights by AirTran Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin America, as well as some flights from Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways. And it has plans to go live on Frontier Airlines soon.The company has also teamed up with tech companies to offer high-profile promotions, most notably deals with Google that led to free WiFi over the last two holiday seasons. Aircell said Gogo made more than 2 million WiFi connections during the 2010 promotion. (I thought Gogo service seemed to slow dramatically during the promotion, and Ia4a4ve heard similar complaints from friends, but an Aircell spokesperson denied that performance suffered.) This month Aircell is partnering with Ford to provide free in-flight access to Facebook.Beyond commercial airlines, the company said it offers in-flight Internet on nearly 6,000 business aircraft.Aircell said it has raised more than $500 million in funding since it was awarded an exclusive spectrum license by the Federal Communications Commission in 2006, including $176 million raised last year. The new round came from existing investors including Ripplewood Holdings, Blumenstein/Thorne Information Partners, &amp;''other investment entities associated with investor/entrepreneur Oakleigh Thorne,&amp;'' and Aircell management.Competitors include OnAir and Row 44.Previous Story: Groupon: clueless as Kenneth ColePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Gogo, in-flight Internet, in-flight wifiCompanies: Aircell          Tags: Gogo, in-flight Internet, in-flight wifiCompanies: AircellAnthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter. 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[Worst Of Gilt Highlights Worst Expensive Junk On&nbsp'Gilt]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=worst-of-gilt-highlights-worst-expensive-junk-onnbspgilt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=worst-of-gilt-highlights-worst-expensive-junk-onnbspgilt</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=worst-of-gilt-highlights-worst-expensive-junk-onnbspgilt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With the tagline &amp;''There&amp;'s excess inventory for a reasona4&amp;'' website Worst of Gilt follows in the footsteps of Regretsy and Lamebook in highlighting the absolute worst of luxury flash sales site Gilt.Now you can follow all your favorite Gilt fails froma4sHulk backpack to Skirt Suit to Scarf Tee (!) and even some you didn&amp;'t know about like Bambi Candle. Yes, Bambi Candle.While I wish the site was slightly funnier, allowed for user submissions as well as let you click through to the actual Gilt Deals (What I need me some Hulk backpack), this is pretty much the world&amp;'s most perfect idea for a blog.Until someone makes a Regroupon that is.CrunchBase InformationGilt GroupeInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Facebook Tries To Silence Lamebook: Removes Its Page, Blocks Links And&nbsp'Likes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tries-to-silence-lamebook-removes-its-page-blocks-links-andnbsplikes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tries-to-silence-lamebook-removes-its-page-blocks-links-andnbsplikes</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-tries-to-silence-lamebook-removes-its-page-blocks-links-andnbsplikes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Another chapter in the Facebook vs. Lamebook, errmm, book: the social networking giant has confirmed to us that it has moved to diligently block all outgoing links to Lamebook.com, shut down the two-person company&amp;'s Facebook Page (previously at facebook.com/thelamebook), and blocks visitors of the funny site from &amp;8216'liking&amp;' posts to boot.For your background: Facebook wants the Austin startup to quit using the name Lamebook, deeming its activities under that name an &amp;''improper attempt to build a brand that trades off Facebooka4a4s popularity and fame&amp;'', and filed a trademark infringement lawsuit last week.Update: Facebook CTO Bret Taylor has written this statement, explaining that this was a mistake:This was a mistake on our part. In the process of dealing with a routinetrademark violation issue regarding some links posted to Facebook, weblocked all mentions of the phrase &amp;''lamebook&amp;'' on Facebook. We arecommitted to promoting free expression on Facebook. We apologize for ourmistake in this case, and we are working to fix the process that led tothis happening.Bret TaylorCTOLamebook had previously filed for declaratory judgment on its non-infringement of Facebook&amp;'s trademark, saying it operates a parody website and as such is protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.Bill McGeveran, law professor at the University of Minnesota, is just one of many to believe Lamebook actually has a pretty strong case:Without some lenience for parody, comment and so-called a4Anominative use,a4 it would become impossible even to refer to an iconic brand without using its name, thus infringing on trademark rights. Fortunately, when faced with these disputes, most courts now realize their role as protectors of speech.And even Facebook doesna4a4t even try to stop use of the companya4a4s trademark in a newspaper story about the company, or go after sites that track it (or, for that matter, in the highly fictionalized and rather negative account of its founding in The Social Network.)But if Facebook won&amp;'t be prevailing in court, that doesn&amp;'t mean they can&amp;'t just try and proverbially choke Lamebook to death.They&amp;'ve most certainly dealt a major blow to the two-person startup by actively discouraging Facebook users from posting links to their website and refraining them from liking posts. Removing Lamebook&amp;'s fan page is one thing, but it&amp;'s safe to assume their funny site used to get a fair amount of traffic from the Facebook site that it&amp;'s no longer getting now.For a tiny startup that relies on those pageviews for income &amp;8211' it&amp;'s an ad-supported website &amp;8211' Facebook&amp;'s move could cost them dearly.Lamebook, meanwhile, is actively soliciting donations from visitors for its &amp;8216'Legal Fund&amp;'. The site also put up a notice on top of its website, which reads:Well, Facebook didn&amp;'t like us sticking up for ourselves, so they shut down our Fan Page, are preventing any users from &amp;''liking&amp;'' us, and won&amp;'t even let you share URLs with your friends if they point to Lamebook. In light of this, be sure to follow us on Twitter so you get updated with the latest and funniest of the lame!I got in touch with Facebook, and they confirmed that they&amp;'re actively blocking Lamebook links and likes. Here&amp;'s their official statement on the matter:Our terms prohibit posting of material or other activities on Facebook that infringe the rights of others. We reserve the right to pull down any content we believe is infringing. We also specifically prohibit use of any Facebook or confusingly similar marks (See SRR Sec. 5.1, 5.2 &amp;amp' 5.6 http://www.facebook.com/terms.php)To be continued, no doubt.CrunchBase InformationLamebookFacebookInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Keen On&8230' How Obama Can Win Back Silicon Valley&nbsp'(TCTV)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keen-on8230-how-obama-can-win-back-silicon-valleynbsptctv</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keen-on8230-how-obama-can-win-back-silicon-valleynbsptctv</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keen-on8230-how-obama-can-win-back-silicon-valleynbsptctv</guid>
<description><![CDATA[How important were technology issues in last weeka4a4s Congressional election Not very a4&quot; at least according to Bruce Mehlman, the former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy in the George W. Bush administration and a prominent Washington DC based Republican expert on technology policy. As Mehlman, who is currently Executive Director of the Technology CEO Council  and Co-Chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, joked with me when we Skyped last week, there were probably about a4Aten votersa4 whose vote last week was influenced by technology concerns. But while the election wasna4a4t shaped by technology issues, decisions made in Washington DC over the next two years will inevitably shape the technology industry. Challenges such as national broadband policy, the future of network neutrality legislation, protection of intellectual property rights and of individual privacy on the Internet could all become major political issues over the next two years. Moreover, as Mehlman made clear to me, the strength of the American economy is so dependent on innovation in technology that a healthy tech sector is essential for the long-term prosperity of this country.My interview with the Republican Mehlman is the first in a two part series on the implications of last weeka4a4s election on technology policy. Tomorrow, we will run a parallel conversation with the Democrat David Sutphen, Mehlmana4a4s co-chair at the Internet Innovation Alliance and a prominent technology and civil rights advocate. The impact of last weeka4a4s election on technology policy in generalThe future of network neutrality legislationHow America can climb up the global broadband league tableWill privacy be the next big political issue in Washington DCHow Obama can win back Silicon ValleyThe threat of piracy to the U.S. economyCrunchBase InformationBruce MehlmanInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[IBM opens innovation center in Mexico City]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-opens-innovation-center-in-mexico-city</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-opens-innovation-center-in-mexico-city</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-opens-innovation-center-in-mexico-city</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Brushing aside concerns about violence in Mexico, IBM today opened its first IBM innovation center in Mexico City.Big Blue hopes the center will become a magnet for local start-ups,  venture capitalists, developers and academics who will focus on the  intersection of technology and industries such as banking,  communications, healthcare, retail and government.IBM opens the centers in places where it wants to spur innovation and  then eventually reap the benefits from a better business climate. It&amp;'s  an example of planting seeds in a place that can become a fertile  producer over time.But the headlines from Mexico in the past couple of years have been  grim. Outright warfare between the government, police and drug lords has  claimed thousands of lives. IBM&amp;'s move into Mexico seems like it&amp;'s  going against the grain, since businesses tend to move into new regions  where stable commerce is possible. IBM may feel like the news reports  about the violence are exaggerated, given the huge size of the country  and isolated nature of some of the violence. Perhaps IBM is also hoping  to promote stability with this move, much like the recent venture fund  formed to invest in tech companies in Palestinian territories in the West Bank. It all gets back to the notion that entrepreneurship is about taking risks.The Mexico center is the 39th of IBM&amp;'s centers in 32 countries,  including Brazil, Vietnam, Philippines and South Africa &amp;8212' all of which  opened in the past couple of years. IBM will offer Mexican start-ups  free IBM software, research help, and technical and business expertise  via IBM&amp;'s Global Entrepreneur initiative, which has helped launch more than 500 businesses worldwide.  Hugo Santana, general manager of IBM Mexico, says that a stronger  Mexican technology community will be prepared to compete on a global  stage.Industry analyst firm BMI predicts information technology spending in  Mexico will grow 11 percent in 2011 to $13.6 billion. This growth is  being spurred by government services, infrastructure projects, and  growing interest in cloud computing across many industries. Roughly 80  percent of the $2.5 billion worth of software sold in Mexico is  imported. IBM has actually done business in Mexico for the past 84  years.IBM is helping to develop curricula at local educational institutions  such as Tecnolgico de Monterrey, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de  Mxico and Instituto Politecnico Nacional. IBM says more than 26,000  unique Mexican information technology professionals visited IBM&amp;'s  developerWorks site in 2010. In the past two years, more than 200 new  Mexican companies have become IBM business partners. Today, IBM says  there are more than 800 independent software vendors, integrators, and  resellers in Mexico.In 2010, IBM&amp;'s innovation centers assisted more than 24,000 business partners.Next Story: LinkedIna4a4s Reid Hoffman explains the brave new world of data Previous Story: TwoSixty launches TellFi, a Google Voice for companiesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: IBM Global Entrepreneur, IBM innovation center, MexicoCompanies: IBM          Tags: IBM Global Entrepreneur, IBM innovation center, MexicoCompanies: IBMDean 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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