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<title>Haaze.com / Catherine / Published News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: iPad 2 to ship next February]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-to-ship-next-february</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-to-ship-next-february</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-to-ship-next-february</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Reports have Apple aiming to begin shipping the next version of iPad as soon as February 2011.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)The next version ofiPad is reportedly expected to ship as soon as the end of February 2011.Component makers in Taiwan say Foxconn--a key maker of iPhones and iPads--has been notified that it should be ready to ship 400,000 to 600,000 units of the next version of iPad in the next 100 days, according to a DigiTimes report today. The Taiwan-based Foxconn reportedly declined to comment.DigiTimes reported that Apple had originally expected to begin mass production of the unofficially dubbed iPad 2 in January, but Apple postponed that schedule because the device's firmware is still undergoing testing.Apple representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The iPad 2 has been widely expected to come out in the first quarter of 2011 and feature a front-facing camera. Some analysts also expected Qualcomm will provide chips that allow the iPad to run on both CDMA and GSM networks, a so-called &quot;world&quot; iPad. The current 3G version is GSM only. As my colleague Erica Ogg points out, a dual-mode iPad makes sense now that Apple offers the current iPad on both CDMA and GSM networks. While the 3G version AT&amp;T sells has GSM chips inside, the Verizon version comes bundled with a wireless hot spot.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft mocks Apple in new 'PC and Mac' ad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-mocks-apple-in-new-pc-and-mac-ad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-mocks-apple-in-new-pc-and-mac-ad</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-mocks-apple-in-new-pc-and-mac-ad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[So you remember how Apple used to laugh at Microsoft for years and yearsYou know, there was that portly chap in the glasses who couldn't quite get anything right and secretly marveled at Apple's ability to both be very clever and, well, attract a very high class of sleeping partnerWell, Microsoft has decided to try its hand at handing it to Apple.For look what has appeared on the Windows YouTube site. Yes, it's aWindows 7 &quot;I'm a PC&quot; ad. (Oh, you might call it a video. But to me, everything is an ad, regardless of where it happens to appear.)Here we haveMac and PC flying on a rocket-plane made out of Andy Warhol's castoff props. Scarcely has the rocket-plane reached its cruising altitude before the Windows 7 PC shows off its buff new exterior. And, indeed, interior.For it has something that Mac does not. No, not the adulation of Megan Fox, but the next best thing. Yes, built-in Blu-Ray.Perhaps you are as completely mesmerized by this information as is the rather worn-out Mac in this ad. Perhaps the presence of built-in Blu-Ray will tip the balance for you, so that your enjoyment of &quot;Avatar&quot; will feel four-dimensional the next time you go on a rocket-plane to visit your relatives. For myself, I am reminded of reality shows. They are always better when there is a certain amount of conflict. One loud woman decides to tug at another loud woman's hair extensions on &quot;The Bachelor.&quot; One large man steals another large man's pea puree on &quot;Top Chef.&quot; These are the things that keep us excited, begging for more.So it is quite delightful that Microsoft's former chubby, downtrodden self is standing up to the handsome, eligible Mac that began to show a little smugness beneath its dazzling beauty. (Oh, even George Clooney succumbs just once in awhile.) Welcome, then, to the &quot;I'm a PC and you're an Annoyingly Popular Former High School Quarterback and Rhodes Scholar with Bulges in All the Right Places and a House on Lake Como&quot; campaign.May the fight be unfair, amusing, and draw just a little blood.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Laptop nightmares: Scary systems with fatal flaws]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptop-nightmares-scary-systems-with-fatal-flaws</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptop-nightmares-scary-systems-with-fatal-flaws</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptop-nightmares-scary-systems-with-fatal-flaws</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Halloween season my be winding down, but that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of scary laptops out there. Of course, the vast majority of laptops we review are pretty decent examples of technology. After all, there are only a handful of common components used in most systems, and things such as speed and battery life are, if not standardized, at least largely predictable based on the list of what's inside the box. That said, we occasionally run into a laptop that just rubs us the wrong way. Maybe it's a key missing feature, or terrible design, or an unusable touch pad--or sometimes products simply don't work as advertised. We've compiled our own list of the scariest laptops of 2010, the models that either had one or more frightening flaws, or else were just dogs. Some of these are bargain basement budget systems, but don't think we're just picking on laptops that are cheap. We love inexpensive laptops, but not ones that cut so many corners that they're not a bargain at any price. Peruse our list below, and feel free to weigh in via the comments section with your own picks. Laptop nightmares: Scary systems with fatal flaws (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Online game firm Gazillion raises $60M]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=online-game-firm-gazillion-raises-60m</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=online-game-firm-gazillion-raises-60m</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=online-game-firm-gazillion-raises-60m</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In online games, social game firms such as Zynga have stolen the limelight in 2010. But massively multiplayer online game publisher Gazillion Entertainment is stealing some back today as it announces it has raised $60 million.The money comes from Singapore-based private equity firm Temasek Holdings. That&amp;'s a lot of money, but Gazillion is one of the most ambitious builders of MMOs, or virtual gaming worlds. The company just launched its Lego Universe online games for kids.Gazillion also has a license to build a major MMO based on the Marvel universe of superhero characters. And it is also working on an MMO for kids dubbed Marvel Super Hero Squad.Only Zynga has raised more money than Gazillion in the game space in 2010. It will be heartening for others in the game industry see that a traditional MMO online game companies can still draw a lot of investor interest, even though most of the attention has been focused on social and mobile games.Gazillion was founded by Rob Hutter and raised a lot of money at the outset. It announced its Marvel deal in March, 2009. Other backers include Hearst Corp., Abu Dhabi Media Co., Revolution Ventures, and Pelion Ventures. These kinds of games take a lot of people and a long time to develop' many of them take a lot of funding and often go off schedule.The company has been quiet recently, but earlier this year it shut down a major game at its Slipgate Ironworks studio, headed by Doom co-creator John Romero. That led to some unspecified layoffs.Temasek is owned by the Singapore goverment and has holdings in Singapore TV broadcaster MediaCorp, Indian telecom firm Bharti Airtel, Chinese video site Tudou, and Chinese online gaming firm 9You.Gazilliona4a4s game studios include Amazing Society, based in Issaquah, Wash., which is making the Super Hero Squad game and two other unannounced MMOs' Net Devil in Louisville, Colo., in charge of LEGO Universe, Jumpgate Evolution and another unannounced game' Gargantuan in San Mateo, Calif., making the Marvel Universe PC and console MMO game' and Slipgate Ironworks in San Mateo, Calif.Next Story: Is Google&amp;'s data spat with Facebook a prelude to social war Previous Story: The Kno wants to be the tablet for students &amp;8212' but is it too priceyPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Lego Universe, Marvel Superhero SquadCompanies: Gazillion EntertainmentPeople: John Romero, Rob Hutter          Tags: Lego Universe, Marvel Superhero SquadCompanies: Gazillion EntertainmentPeople: John Romero, Rob HutterDean 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[Facebook to launch &''Gmail killer&'' webmail on Monday]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-to-launch-8220gmail-killer8221-webmail-on-monday</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-to-launch-8220gmail-killer8221-webmail-on-monday</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facebook-to-launch-8220gmail-killer8221-webmail-on-monday</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Facebook is following in the footsteps of rival social network MySpace and gearing up to unveil its long-rumored webmail product &amp;8212' referred to internally as a &amp;''Gmail killer&amp;'' &amp;8212' on Monday.The existence of the webmail project, dubbed &amp;''Project Titan&amp;'', was first revealed by TechCrunch in February. Now the site is reporting that Facebook will finally unveil the webmail product at a press event on Monday, and a source has confirmed the news with VentureBeat.Yet another hint that Facebook&amp;'s Monday event is mail-related: The invitations were made to look like envelopes. We don&amp;'t have many details on the product yet, but it must be a major overhaul of Facebook&amp;'s current messaging service if the company considers it a legitimate &amp;''Gmail killer.&amp;''Facebook may also be partnering up with Microsoft to integrate its Office web apps into the email service, according to ZDNet&amp;'s Mary Jo Foley. The two companies partnered earlier this year to launch Docs.com, a bid to combat Google Docs, so it makes sense for them to also work together to take on Gmail.MySpace launched its own mail product last year but failed to make any huge waves, since users were already leaving the site in droves. The MySpace offering also doesn&amp;'t include features like POP and IMAP access, which lets users access their mail accounts on email clients. I suspect that Facebook won&amp;'t make the same mistake.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed rumors of Project Titan in June, saying, &amp;''Wea4a4re not building a Web-mail competitor. People already use Facebook for messaging.a4 Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg followed up his comments by saying that email may eventually become obsolete.The Facebook crew was likely pulling a Steve Jobs by saying nobody needed email, when they were actually in the process of building an email client of their own. But Zuckerberg&amp;'s stance is somewhat telling as well. I expect Facebook&amp;'s email will be more than just a Gmail clone linked with your Facebook friends.Next Story: On the GreenBeat: GE to buy 25,000 electric cars, Ascent Solar raises $20M in public offering Previous Story: Shopping startup Retailigence stocks up with DFJ and Dave McClurePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: email, gmail, Project Titan, webmailCompanies: Facebook, Google, MySpace          Tags: email, gmail, Project Titan, webmailCompanies: Facebook, Google, MySpaceDevindra 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[HP posts solid earnings despite turmoil around Mark Hurd&'s departure]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-posts-solid-earnings-despite-turmoil-around-mark-hurdrsquos-departure</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-posts-solid-earnings-despite-turmoil-around-mark-hurdrsquos-departure</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-posts-solid-earnings-despite-turmoil-around-mark-hurdrsquos-departure</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Although it didn&amp;'t have a permanent chief executive for all of its fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, Hewlett-Packard still turned out solid results during the period and has raised its outlook for the coming year.The company reported solid results despite the fact that the board fired chief executive Mark Hurd in August.In a conference call, newly appointed HP CEO Leo Apotheker said the company would reinstitute salary increases in 2011. That&amp;'s in keeping with the talent war in tech, as evidenced by Google&amp;'s recent decision to give all employees a 10 percent raise. It&amp;'s a big deal for HP, since the company has more than 300,000 employees.The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company reported net income of $2.5 billion, up 5 percent from $2.4 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share were $1.10, up from 99 cents a year earlier. Quarterly revenue was $33.3 billion, up 8 percent from a year earlier. The company said it saw broad-based growth in its commercial sales business, particularly in commercial PCs and printers.&amp;''HP proved once again that it is able to execute given its market strengths and technology leadership,&amp;'' said Apotheker.The solid performance shows that HP is a big battleship and the change in one single executive position, even if it is the CEO, won&amp;'t necessarily affect the company&amp;'s performance. HP&amp;'s stock price fell after Hurd&amp;'s firing &amp;8212' related to a scandal about Hurd&amp;'s relationship with a former HP marketing contractor &amp;8212' since Hurd had led HP&amp;'s recovery for five years.The non-GAAP earnings were $1.33 a share, up 17 percent from $1.14 a share a year earlier. For the fiscal year, HP reported revenues of $126 billion, up 10 percent from a year earlier. Net earnings were $8.8 billion, up 14 percent from $7.7 billion a year earlier. Earnings per share for the year were $3.69, up 18 percent from $3.14 a year earlier.HP also said that it saw 50 percent sales growth in its HP Networking division, with 3Com revenue ahead of plan. Fourth fiscal quarter revenue growth was strongest in Europe, up 11 percent, and the Americas, up 10 percent. Overall, revenue from outside the U.S. was 64 percent of revenue. Cathie Lesjak, chief financial officer, said the growth was across all regions and product groups.HP services revenue grew 0.4 percent to $9 billion in the quarter. Enterprise Storage and Servers grew revenue 25 percent to $5.3 billion' HP software grew 1 percent to $974 million. Personal systems group revenue grew 4 percent to $10.3 billion. Notebook revenue was down 3 percent in the quarter, but desktop revenue was up 13 percent. The printer division saw revenue rise 8 percent to $7 billion.For the first fiscal quarter ending Dec. 31, HP estimates revenue of $32.8 billion to $33 billion, with earnings per share of $1.06 to $1.08. For the full year, HP expects revenue to be $132 billion to $133.5 billion and earnings per share of $4.42 a share to $4.52 a share.In a conference call, Apotheker said he has been on the job three weeks. During that time, he said, customers are asking for full solutions from HP, with access to data instantly wherever they are. Apotheker says those customers want to do more business with HP and that the company hopes to be more agile, drive more revenue from its existing portfolio, and offer a wide variety of products to each customer.Some wags are surprised that Apotheker took the call, apparently from the company&amp;'s headquarters in Palo Alto. That&amp;'s because Apotheker, former CEO of SAP, is wanted by Oracle in a legal proceeding. Apotheker has evidently been avoiding Oracle&amp;'s subpoena, partly by traveling around the world to visit HP&amp;'s employees. Oracle is suing SAP for illegally copying Oracle&amp;'s software.&amp;''That&amp;'s a bit of an odd question,&amp;'' Apotheker said when asked by journalist James Rodgers of The Street.com where he was physically located for the call. &amp;''Why, I&amp;'m on the media call concerning our fourth quarter in Palo Alto at HP&amp;'s headquarters together with a bunch of people. Would you like a picture&amp;''Next Story: Viacom blocks Google TV, the madness continues Previous Story: Sign up for the Vator Splash NY competitionPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Companies: HPPeople: Lo Apotheker, Mark Hurd          Companies: HPPeople: Lo Apotheker, Mark HurdDean 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[Symbian Sputters Towards Open-Source&nbsp'Irrelevancy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-sputters-towards-open-sourcenbspirrelevancy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-sputters-towards-open-sourcenbspirrelevancy</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=symbian-sputters-towards-open-sourcenbspirrelevancy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Remember two years ago when Nokia open-sourced the Symbian mobile operating system  The thinking was that cell phone manufacturers who depended on the Symbian OS could help keep it going.  But it was already too late.  The iPhone&amp;'s iOS and Android started to take over.  Even die-hard Symbian supporters abandoned ship.  As the fanboy blogger Symbian Guru explained last summer when he decided to give up on Symbian:I also cana4a4t continue to support a mobile operating system platform that continually buries itself into oblivion by focusing on a4opennessa4a4 while keeping a blind eye towards the obvious improvements that other open platforms have had for several iterations.Now Symbian is delivering itself another blowa4&quot;this time self-inflicted.  The Symbian Foundation, which hosts all the open-source code, big fixes, and documentation for the OS, is shutting down its websites on December 17.  The Symbian OS will still technically be open-source, it will just be impractical for many developers to look at it or improve it.  According to a post on the Symbian Foundation&amp;'s developer blog, the open-source code and other information currently on its websites will be made &amp;''available in some form, most likely on a DVD or USB hard drive upon request to the Symbian Foundation. . . . A charge may be levied for media and shipping.&amp;''In other words, the Symbian OS will be open only in name.  What good is open-source code if it is not available online, where it can continue to evolve  For all practical purposes, it will become an artifact of the age of feature phones.  Nokia will no doubt continue to develop the Symbian OS for its own purposes.  But what a way to show disdain to the open-source community it professed to embrace only two years ago.Of course, there is nothing stopping someone else from hosting all the code and documentation going forward on an independent site.  Will any developers care enough to take on that taskCrunchBase InformationNokiaSymbian FoundationInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Entrepreneur Corner: Building talent pipelines and saving corporate culture]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-building-talent-pipelines-and-saving-corporate-culture</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-building-talent-pipelines-and-saving-corporate-culture</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-building-talent-pipelines-and-saving-corporate-culture</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Herea4a4s the latest from VentureBeata4a4s Entrepreneur Corner:How to get a VC you don&amp;'t know to mentor you a4&quot; Ita4a4s hard to catch the eye of a venture capitalist and even harder to convince one to mentor you. Larry Chiang, CEO of Duck9, offers tips on how to hook one.3 steps for building an extensive talent pipeline a4&quot; People, not products, are what make a business successful. Mike Cassidy, CEO of Undertone Networks, shares his secrets on how best to discover, recruit, and keep the right people for a company.Depressing thoughts on Groupona4a4s model a4&quot; The startup world might be looking at Groupon as the paragon of success these days, but Flybridge Capital Partners general partner Jeff Bussgang says hea4a4s skeptical. The early results are encouraging, but history has shown that the numbers driving new business models like this rarely have staying power.5 things youa4a4re doing that are killing your culture a4&quot; Lots of business owners talk a big game about wanting to create a strong company culture but fall short at doing it. Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft, lists the five essential areas you need to excel in if youa4a4re going to have a culture others envy.The most intimate relationship youa4a4ll ever have &amp;8212' If your marriage goes bad, you can get out of it, but you can&amp;'t break up with a VC or angel investor. Investor and serial entrepreneur Mark Suster talks about investigating your financial partners before signing with them a4&quot; and gives tips on how to do so.Previous Story: Ustream shows off Verizon 4G Android video streaming, TV screen interface (video)PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: entrepreneur corner          Tags: entrepreneur cornerChris Morris is editor of the Entrepreneur Corner on VentureBeat, helping start-up business owners launch and grow their companies. He previously worked at Yahoo! Finance, where he was managing editor, and as director of content development at CNNMoney.com. He is also a widely respected journalist in the video game and technology fields, whose work has appeared in Variety, CNBC.com, AOL and Forbes.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MorrisatLargeVentureBeat 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[GarageBand shows off a killer app for the iPad 2 (video)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=garageband-shows-off-a-killer-app-for-the-ipad-2-video</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=garageband-shows-off-a-killer-app-for-the-ipad-2-video</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Catherine</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=garageband-shows-off-a-killer-app-for-the-ipad-2-video</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As consumers buy their iPad 2 tablets this weekend, they&amp;'re going to try out a lot of new applications. And one of the coolest new apps they can play is an old stalwart on the Mac: GarageBand.GarageBand is one of the killer apps for the iPad 2 (and the original iPad) that could keep the demand for Apple&amp;'s tablet strong even in the face of new competition from Android devices.While making music on the Mac is fun, GarageBand for the iPad adds a new dimension with the touchscreen and accelerometer, which measures not only where you touch the screen but also how hard you tap it. As you tap the screen, you can tap harder for louder sounds or softer for quieter sounds.As you can see in the video below by Xander Soren, director of music marketing at Apple, you can play realistic &amp;''touch instruments&amp;'' or &amp;''smart instruments&amp;'' for beginners. When you open the app, you see the &amp;''instrument browser&amp;'' with pictures of the different instruments you can play. If you tap on one, it comes up and occupies the whole screen. You can touch the keys of the grand piano to make piano music. You can play organs, electric pianos, or electronic keyboards known as clavinets.You can even get the effect of holding down a key by tapping the equivalent of a &amp;''sustain pedal.&amp;'' The sound lasts much longer than if you just tap the screen once. You can change the octaves of the piano to get different sounds. The rock organ has draw bars that let you alter the tone of the music as you play it.The virtual drum kit lets you bash hard or soft, with the accelerometer sensing just how hard you tap the screen. You can run your finger in a circle around the screen, hitting cymbals or drums to make a lot of noise. The smart instruments such as the smart guitar, keyboard, base and drums, are set up so that beginners can learn how to play them. You can lay your hand across all of the strings to dampen the sound. An auto-play feature lets you repeat guitar strums and then use your hands to change the keys, allowing you to make great sounds with very little effort.&amp;''Our camp fires will never be the same,&amp;'' Soren said. &amp;''These smart instruments are like musical training wheels. You can&amp;'t play a bad note.&amp;''You can also compose and record your own songs as if your iPad 2 were a music recording studio. If you hit the tracks button, you can bring up a bunch of musical instruments playing sequences. Each instrument can be isolated into a separate track. You can change the intensity of the track, shorten it or otherwise manipulate it. Then you can add as many as eight different tracks to a song and let them all play at once. Soren pointed out that the Beatles could only record four different tracks when they made Sgt. Pepper&amp;'s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. You can alter the timing and move the tracks around with your fingers. You can change the volume of instruments and adjust the sound coming out of different speakers. Then you can put it all together as your own original song.GarageBand for the iPad costs $4.99 in the Apple App Store. Checkout our iMovie story here.Next Story: iMovie app destined to be a big hit on iPad 2 (video) Previous Story: Week in review: Epic Games shows off amazing graphicsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Garage Band, iPad 2Companies: ApplePeople: Xander Soren          Tags: Garage Band, iPad 2Companies: ApplePeople: Xander SorenDean 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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