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<title>Haaze.com / Michle / Published News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
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<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Google wakes up to new photo reality]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-wakes-up-to-new-photo-reality</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-wakes-up-to-new-photo-reality</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-wakes-up-to-new-photo-reality</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google is adding Picasa Web Albums photos to its Profiles page, lending more social heft to its online hub for people to record their online identity.(Credit:Google)Google is showing some signs it understands how photography is changing on the Net.In the olden days, people posted batches of digital photos on the Web in photo albums their friends would look at occasionally. Often half the point of uploading the shots was getting them to a place like Snapfish or Shutterfly that could create prints.Picasa Web Albums, Google's photo-sharing site, was born in this era. Now, though, photos are becoming an in-the-moment part of people's online social lives, notably with Net-connected smartphones and Facebook sharing with friends. Picasa Web Albums--never a product that advanced at blazing speed--is beginning to adapt to this era. Perhaps Google's success with its Android operating system has made the company more aware of just how far the world has moved from the shoebox-of-prints-in-the-closet days.First up is a more social interface to Picasa Web Albums that shows what your contacts on the site are up to. Google has struggled for a couple years now to build social connections into its products, nevertheless falling ever further behind Facebook in the area, but this change could help people branch out.Yahoo's Flickr, of course, has had social connections built in from the start with groups, comments, and sharing, and Yahoo has been trying to promote those aspects by spotlighting this activity at log-in. But here, too, Facebook's key asset--the active participation of many of your social connections--is a more powerful draw when it comes to using photos to stay in the loop. Also, Facebook can share text, but Picasa and Flickr really don't do well for sharing anything besides photos or videos.Second for Picasa Web Albums is a photo and video price break. The site previously was free to use for up to 1GB of data, but that amount of space could quickly be gobbled up, especially with videos.The new pricing means photos smaller than 800 pixels on a side or videos shorter than 15 minutes don't count toward the 1GB freebie limit. Given the dropping cost of storage, it's a reasonable way to lower a barrier that might keep people from using Picasa. (Buying more storage space costs $5 a year for 20GB, but other sizes are available too--$50 annually for 200GB or $4,096 for 16 terabytes, for example.)Most new smartphones take shots more than 800 pixels on an edge, though, so until &quot;share a smaller version&quot; becomes a common option, people might still be reluctant to build Picasa into their online daily lives.Last is the addition of Picasa Web Albums photos to people's Google Profile. People often care how they appear and don't care to express that with just a little thumbnail' but more to the point, this change makes the Profiles page a more fleshed-out hub for whatever online social activity Google plans to launch next.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's Web e-book store ready for chapter 1]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-web-e-book-store-ready-for-chapter-1</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-web-e-book-store-ready-for-chapter-1</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-web-e-book-store-ready-for-chapter-1</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google eBooks and the eBookstore are based entirely within a Web browser, allowing readers to log into their books from a wide variety of devices.(Credit:Google)Google is finally ready to get into the bookselling business, one Web browser at a time. The Google eBookstore is set to launch in the U.S. this morning after months of planning on Google's part to be the latest entrant into the hot market for e-books. Google has cut deals with many top-tier publishers, including Random House, McGraw Hill, Simon &amp; Schuster (a division of CBS, which also publishes CNET), Penguin Books, and MacMillan. And it will have &quot;hundreds of thousands&quot; of in-print e-books to sell today along with the huge number of public domain books that Google has already scanned through its Google Book Search project, for a total of just over 3 million titles, said James Crawford, director of engineering for Google Books.Formerly known as Google Editions when in the planning stages, the Google eBookstore is notable because of its Web-based approach to e-book selling. Customers will be able to buy books through their Google accounts and access them on just about any device with a modern Web browser, Crawford said. The company also plans to develop e-reader applications for both Apple's App Store and the Android Market that will sync with a customer's account, allowing you to purchase a book on your home PC, start reading it on your phone on the way into work, and sneak in a few pages at lunch on your work system without having to re-discover your place each time you log in, he said. &quot;The idea is to never have to wonder where you are,&quot; Crawford said of the autosync feature. Books will be locked to individual Google accounts, however, and protected by Adobe's ACS4 technology. Google's books should also work on several e-reader devices that support Adobe's technology, like Barnes &amp; Noble's Nook or Sony's Reader, with a notable exception: Amazon's Kindle doesn't support ACS4, Crawford said.A look at the dashboard for Google eBooks (click for larger image).(Credit:Google) Google has also cut deals to let other bookstores sell electronic copies of Google's inventory, including famed Portland, Ore., bookseller Powell's, Alibris, and the American Booksellers Association, which helps indie bookstores get online, said Amanda Edmonds, director of strategic partnerships for Google Books. Goodreads, a book-oriented social-networking site, will also serve as a Google eBookstore affiliate, offering users links to the store to buy books they are discussing. As always, pricing is key to any new retail venture. Crawford said Google intended to be &quot;comparable&quot; to other e-book stores, such as Amazon's or Apple's. &quot;We've set up a pricing algorithm to be competitively priced with the going rate in the market,&quot; he said. &quot;We're not trying to buy our way into the market by (underpricing), but we don't want anybody to say that we have higher prices.&quot; Google's been talking about building a digital bookstore for years, but its entire Google Book Search project has been shrouded in controversy over the proposed settlement it brokered with groups representing authors and publishers that, if approved, would give it the right to sell the out-of-print yet copyright-protected books it has scanned from library partners. Final approval of that settlement has now dragged on for years, with a decision following a &quot;final hearing&quot; in February--that had itself had been delayed several times--having languished for months. However, the eBookstore as launched today really has nothing to do with that controversy: Google is only selling books for which it either has an explicit agreement with the clear rights-holder of the book, or it's a title that has passed into the public domain, Crawford said. Google has attempted to drum up support for its settlement by arguing that authors whose books have gone out of print will have a chance to earn revenue from a digital store that wasn't possible before Google made a digital copy, but until the settlement is approved it doesn't have the legal clearance to go ahead and sell those books. The eBookstore will live as a link off the main Google Book Search page, where visitors will be asked if they are interested in searching or buying. Previews of millions of books can be found in Google Book Search, but until today Google had been directing those looking to purchase a copy to other book stores.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[New Honda Odyssey goes where no minivan has gone before]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-honda-odyssey-goes-where-no-minivan-has-gone-before</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-honda-odyssey-goes-where-no-minivan-has-gone-before</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 07:11:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-honda-odyssey-goes-where-no-minivan-has-gone-before</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)Although maligned as a boring, suburban family hauler, the minivan offers undeniable utility. The new Honda Odyssey rolls out as a very tech-friendly vehicle with new looks that may be hard to take for some. We like the angular styling, but found the rear section, which looks like it's falling off, disconcerting.Tech highlights are the ultra-wide-screen rear-seat LCD, which includes an HDMI input, the first installation we've seen in a productioncar, and an advanced voice command system that not only lets you dial phone contacts by name, but also request specific artists and albums from aniPod.Check out our 2011 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite review.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iMainGo X: An all-in-one speaker case for iPods]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=imaingo-x-an-all-in-one-speaker-case-for-ipods</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=imaingo-x-an-all-in-one-speaker-case-for-ipods</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=imaingo-x-an-all-in-one-speaker-case-for-ipods</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:iMainGo)Anyone who has ever shopped for aniPod speaker knows that there is no shortage of models from which to choose' options range from giant party speakers in the form of old-school ghetto blasters to tiny units about the size--and shape--of a goose egg. Indeed, you can even find portable device cases with speakers built right in.Portable Sound Laboratories started cranking out its original iMainGo speaker case back in 2007 and followed it up about a year and a half later with the impressive--and cheap--iMainGo 2. Since reviewing that unit, I've been eagerly awaiting the next offering from the company. It arrived not long ago in the form of the iMainGo X, which offers more features--and a noticeably higher price tag--than its sibling.In fact, the X isn't a replacement for the iMainGo 2 but an addition to the line. While not entirely unwelcome, the iMainGo X is tougher to recommend at its current price of $69.95, since you get the same volume boost, audio quality, and case enclosure as the 2. However, there are a smattering of useful extras that some users might find compelling enough to warrant the $30 jump in price.(Credit:iMainGo)For one, the iMainGo X features dual-headphone jacks on the front, so in addition to letting you share tunes out loud on the go, it also acts as a splitter in a pinch. You can also daisy chain several units together using headphone port number two, as plugging into that jack alone will not silence the speakers. In addition, there's a mic input, which can presumably turn the unit into a portable karaoke system or, apparently, an amp for an electric guitar.As for the rest, the X functions in the same way as the 2. A power button (which is a little too recessed for my tastes) turns the unit on and off, but you can continue to access the remainder of your music controls on whatever device you have attached. Most MP3 players and music phones will fit into the case compartment, which features a clear, plastic window for operating playback--and it does work for touch screens as well as tactile controls. There are a couple foam pieces to help with a snug fit, and an integrated 3.5mm plug serves to pipe tunes from the audio player to the speakers.Sound quality is pretty decent for a unit this size' it's clear of any background hiss and not hollow-sounding at all. Bass isn't going to blow your socks off, and the highs aren't sparkly, but audio is solid enough for portable use. My only major complaint is that the speaker doesn't like to stand up on its own, so music often must be piped straight up. Also, it's kind of heavy overall, so even though it's compact, you'll probably notice the difference to your carry-on.In addition to the iMainGoX unit, the package includes a removable strap and soft pouch for travel purposes. There's also an AC adapter for charging the internal battery, which is rated for 12 hours of playback.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPhone app lets citizen scientists help monitor the local watershed - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-app-lets-citizen-scientists-help-monitor-the-local-watershed---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-app-lets-citizen-scientists-help-monitor-the-local-watershed---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-app-lets-citizen-scientists-help-monitor-the-local-watershed---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There''s nothing like mobile technology to help the crowds take part in monitoring their surroundings. Where French Montre Verte recruits citizens to monitor the air quality of Paris and The Urban Forest Map is tapping the crowds to map the trees of San Francisco, Creek Watch is an iPhone application that will soon enable users to help monitor the health of their local watershed.Coming soon to Apple''s App Store, Creek Watch will let citizens have a hand in maintaining the quality of their local waterways. Whenever they pass by one, they''ll be able to spend a few seconds using the Creek Watch application to snap a picture and report a few facts about what they see, including how much trash is evident, how much water is there and how fast it''s flowing. Creek Watch will aggregate that data and share it with water control boards to help them track pollution, manage water resources and plan environmental programs. A map on the Creek Watch site will display the data that''s already been contributed, as will an alternative presentation in table form. Creek Watch is a project developed at IBM Research - Almaden in collaboration with the Living Environments Lab and in consultation with the California State Water Control Board.Creek Watch currently focuses on the Northern California watershed. All you water-related brands out there: how about sponsoring something like this in your neck of the global watershed... (Related: Free water-saving tool with toilet paper purchase a4&quot; Device ionizes tap water for anti-bacterial, chemical-free cleaning a4&quot; Shampoo brand is a reminder to save water a4&quot; Water-bottle refills at cafs, now with a charitable twist a4&quot; Buy a bottle of wine and donate clean water.)Website: www.creekwatch.orgContact: info@creekwatch.org<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nokia CEO prepares troops to jump into the unknown &8212' AKA Microsoft]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nokia-ceo-prepares-troops-to-jump-into-the-unknown-8212-aka-microsoft</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nokia-ceo-prepares-troops-to-jump-into-the-unknown-8212-aka-microsoft</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nokia-ceo-prepares-troops-to-jump-into-the-unknown-8212-aka-microsoft</guid>
<description><![CDATA[a4AWe &amp;8230'  are standing on a a4burning platform,a4a4 and we must decide how we are  going to change our behaviour,a4 Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop (pictured right) wrote  in an infamous memo thata4a4s been making the rounds among news sites  today.The memo, which clocks in at 1,300 words, was confirmed as legitimate by Engadget and is a clear sign that Elop aims to shake things up on Friday, when hea4a4s due to unveil his new grand strategy for Nokia.Ita4a4s  a surprisingly frank read, but what struck me the most was how Elop is clearly preparing the company for a surprising, and scary, leap  into the beyond.Elop  opened his memo with a parable about a man on an oil rig who woke up to  find it was on fire. With seconds to react, he had to make a decision.  a4AHe decided to jump. It was unexpected. In ordinary circumstances, the  man would never consider plunging into icy waters,a4 Elop wrote. a4ABut  these were not ordinary times &amp;8212' his platform was on fire. The man  survived the fall and the waters. After he was rescued, he noted that a &amp;8216'burning platform&amp;' caused a radical change in his behaviour.a4After  reading that passage, it sounds almost as if Elop is planning to strike  a deal with the devil on Friday &amp;8212' and the most likely devil, of  course, is Microsoft. Partnering with the software giant is indeed  something that Nokia would never consider if all was going well, but  with its platform on fire, the company needs to do something quickly to  save itself.A  Microsoft and Nokia partnership would be beneficial to both companies.  Windows Phone 7 is a surprisingly strong mobile entry for Microsoft, and  if paired with Nokiaa4a4s strong hardware, it would give the company some  killer phones that could compete against the iPhone and Android platforms.  Microsoft, meanwhile, would be able to take advantage of Nokiaa4a4s popularity in  Europe and other countries to help spread the popularity of Windows  Phone 7.Of  course, another possible devil is Google, but there are a few reasons why Nokia wona4a4t adopt Android. For one, Elop hails from  Microsoft, so he already has plenty of connections there. Ita4a4s also becoming  increasingly difficult for Android phone manufacturers to differentiate  themselves. Samsung went all-in with its Galaxy S phones last year, and  both Motorola and HTC continue to pump out high-quality phones. It would  be tough for Nokia to stand out in that crowd.Many  are also hoping that Elop will unveil Nokia&amp;'s long-awaited MeeGo mobile operating system on  Friday. While it may make a brief appearance, Elop makes it clear in his  memo that MeeGo isna4a4t going to save the company anytime soon. He said  that at its current rate, Nokia may only have one MeeGo product on the  market by the end of the year.Elop  is well aware that Nokia is being attacked on all sides. On the high  end, Apple rules with the iPhone, and Android is quickly gaining in  popularity. On the low end, Chinese manufacturers are pumping out cheap  phones at an insanely fast pace. And when it comes to the middle range, Nokia is finding that its Symbian OS is showing its age. The company is also facing declining  consumer preference in the UK, Russia, Germany, and other countries  where it normally has a strong presence.How  did Nokia lose its way Elop writes in the memo: a4AWe poured gasoline on  our own burning platform. I believe we have lacked accountability and  leadership to align and direct the company through these disruptive  times. We had a series of misses. We haven&amp;'t been delivering innovation  fast enough. We&amp;'re not collaborating internally.a4For  once, Nokiaa4a4s leadership seems ready to confront the companya4a4s  problems. Hopefully on Friday, Elop will find some way &amp;8212' be it with a  Microsoft partnership, or some sort of other surprise &amp;8212' to fix the company&amp;'s immediate issues and ultimately get us excited for Nokia phones once again.Previous Story: Google Translate: You speak the words, your iPhone translatesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: meego, smartphones, Symbian, Windows Phone 7Companies: Google, Microsoft, nokiaPeople: Stephen Elop          Tags: meego, smartphones, Symbian, Windows Phone 7Companies: Google, Microsoft, nokiaPeople: Stephen ElopDevindra 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. 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[Zynga buys indie game developer Floodgate Entertainment]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-buys-indie-game-developer-floodgate-entertainment</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-buys-indie-game-developer-floodgate-entertainment</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Michle</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=zynga-buys-indie-game-developer-floodgate-entertainment</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Zynga announced today that it has added another shiny object to its collection with the acquisition of the team at Floodgate Entertainment, an independent game developer in Waltham, Mass.The deal is Zynga&amp;'s tenth acquisition in 10 months, as the company uses the profits from its big social games on Facebook &amp;8212' such as FarmVille, CityVille and Mafia Wars &amp;8212' to buy some of the most talented developers in the video game business.Zynga has been expanding geographically to get development teams in most areas where experienced talent is located. And it has also been expanding, both into international markets and into mobile games. Zynga reportedly had $850 million in revenues in 2010, from virtually nothing in 2007. Its expansion has been unprecedented. Zynga says it has &amp;''more than 1,500&amp;8243' employees but I hear it&amp;'s more than 1,700.Floodgate has a long history of making games in the casual, mobile and PC markets. The team will bolster the Zynga Boston team, with Floodgate founder Paul Neurath (pictured) joining as creative director. Neurath has more than two decades of experience in game development and previously founded Blue Sky Productions in 1990. That company became Looking Glass, another famous game maker, in 1992.Zynga&amp;'s other acquisitions are: XPD in Beijing, Challenge Games in Austin, Unoh Games in Tokyo, Conduit Labs in Boston, Dextrose AG in Frankfurt, Bonfire Studios in Dallas, Newtoy in McKinney, Texas' the Flock development team, and Area/Code in New York. With Floodgate, Zynga acquired the team, but not the company itself.Next Story: iPhone 5 rumors point to metal back and larger screen Previous Story: Meal review app Chewsy adds photos to share your food pornPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Companies: Floodgate, Zynga          Companies: Floodgate, ZyngaDean 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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