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<title>Haaze.com / Naina / Published News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Should Steve Jobs appear at iPad 2 event]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=should-steve-jobs-appear-at-ipad-2-event</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=should-steve-jobs-appear-at-ipad-2-event</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=should-steve-jobs-appear-at-ipad-2-event</guid>
<description><![CDATA[When any significant Apple launch event bathes in its hype, speculation always surrounds CEO Steve Jobs. In recent years, with Jobs' health problems, the question has always been whether he will take the stage and dominate it.This time, some believe that his mere presence, which would fuel speculation about his state of health, would overshadow tomorrow's launch of what is expected to be a very important new product for Apple.Jobs is currently on medical leave. The true reasons for this leave have not been revealed, although there is presumption that it is related to his previous pancreatic cancer and liver transplant.So some might believe that, should he arrive on stage, both the media and Wall Street would immediately present some sort of negative analysis. Some believe that any picture taken would add to the collection of prurient tabloid fodder.However, if he isn't seen at all, the speculation wouldn't stop. Because he is such a high-profile CEO, he has become the story of Apple, almost as much as have the products.CEO Steve Jobs at an Apple event in October to introduce Mac OS X Lion.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Jobs is a passionate and disciplined advocate for his products. He is obsessive about how he wants the the world to see them. If he decided not to appear, it might still, sadly, overshadow the launch, with all sorts of dramatic (if speculative or downright concocted) stories, especially in the more mainstream media.Clearly, what matters most is Jobs' health. Only he can and should decide what he should do. But if he was well enough to have dinner with President Obama and fellow tech leaders recently, one can only hope that he might feel well enough to attend theiPad 2 event in some capacity.Who would be surprised if he felt able to turn up in person This is, after all, the company that he created. Perhaps he is so used to speculation about his health, that, having apparently made appearances in Cupertino over the last few weeks, he believes he is well enough to be there.Perhaps he might at least appear by FaceTime link, so that people can focus more on his words than on his physical condition. If he does decide to be present in some way, perhaps Jobs might just choose to rely on his sense of humor. Three years ago, he appeared on stage at aniPod event with a memorable line behind him: &quot;The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.&quot;I, for one, wouldn't be astonished if, whatever method he might use to appear tomorrow, he offered a joke or two about Apple's succession plan.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[IBM to digitize records for Russian hospitals]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-to-digitize-records-for-russian-hospitals</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-to-digitize-records-for-russian-hospitals</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ibm-to-digitize-records-for-russian-hospitals</guid>
<description><![CDATA[IBM announced today that nine hospitals across Russia have switched from paper-based medical systems to electronic medical records using IBM Lotus Notes.Designed to provide fast electronic medical record (EMR) exchange and unified access to many types of health care data, while at the same time meeting stricter medical information requirements and more secure access to patient information in Russia, the automation system was developed by IBM and Complex Medical Information Systems.&quot;It provides a single electronic tool for control, accounting and planning which leads to improved operation and higher quality of service,&quot; says Roman Novitsky, CEO of Complex Medical Information Systems, in a news release. &quot;The solution consolidates all medical, administrative and financial processes, thus creating a unified information space at the hospital.&quot;The system was first used by Municipal S.Z. Fisher Hospital No. 1 in Volzhsky in the Volgograd region of Russia and is now being implemented at several other hospitals throughout the country, including in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Pskov, Kirov, and Vladimir.In addition to digitizing patient records, the system also helps automate hospital work flow, including staff scheduling, medical exam and house call scheduling, and automating temporary disability registrations.IBM's announcement comes on the same day that an IDC Health Insights study predicts there will be double-digit growth in spending on ambulatory and inpatient electronic medical record and electronic health record software between 2009 and 2015.An IBM spokesperson tells me that nine hospitals are currently using the system, which--using the IBM Health Integration Framework--is the first health care solution in the country to comply with all standards (HL7, HIPAA, and IHE) and &quot;will serve as a roadmap for other hospitals throughout Russia.&quot;IBM's announcement comes on the same day that an IDC Health Insights study predicts there will be double-digit growth in spending on ambulatory and inpatient electronic medical record and electronic health record software between 2009 and 2015. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Vader invades Vegas to pump Blu-ray set]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-vader-invades-vegas-to-pump-blu-ray-set</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Out in Force: The Dark Lord hit Vegas with some very powerful pointing. (Credit:Tim Hornyak )LAS VEGAS -- He came, he pointed, he mock-choked people. Darth Vader descended onCES with a pack of Imperial Stormtroopers, as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced the availability of preorder sales of the complete &quot;Star Wars&quot; saga on Blu-ray, with shipping in September. (Credit:Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment)Fox President Mike Dunn and Amazon Vice President of Music and Video Bill Carr joined the Dark Lord on stage to screen a new trailer for the Blu-ray package, which creator George Lucas announced last August at the Celebration V fan convention. &quot;Star Wars: The Complete Saga&quot; on Blu-ray, officially $139.99 but available through Amazon for a discounted $89.99, includes the six &quot;Star Wars&quot; films, plus three additional discs that have more than 30 hours of special features with unseen deleted and alternate scenes. The release marks the first time that all six films are available in one collection. Two other three-disc packages feature Episodes I-III and IV-VI, respectively. Vader posed for pictures after his stage appearance, pointing at awed fans and giving Dunn a friendly choke. He then disappeared, presumably for a bit of gambling before boarding his Imperial shuttle. Check out the trailer for &quot;Star Wars: The Complete Saga&quot; on Blu-ray below. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPhone 4 charging case rematch: Mophie vs. Dexim]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-4-charging-case-rematch-mophie-vs--dexim</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-4-charging-case-rematch-mophie-vs--dexim</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-4-charging-case-rematch-mophie-vs--dexim</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Dexim)Back in November, I pitted iPhone 4 charging cases from Dexim and Mophie against one another. They both held one extra phone charge, but because it was lighter and much better designed, Mophie's Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4 was the clear winner.A new entrant from each blurs the lines. In this rematch, the Dexim DCA224 Super-Juiced Power Case for iPhone 4 challenges the Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 4.Dexim DCA224 Super-Juiced Power CaseSpecs: Capacity:2000mA' Input power: 5V DC, 1000mA'Output power: 5V DC, 500mAPrice: $69.90 Weight: 3.2 ouncesColor: WhiteWith poor construction for a premium price, the awkwardly designed Dexim Supercharged Leather Power Case I tested in November wasn't up to snuff. In stark contrast, the Super-Juiced Power Case offers a much sleeker design of thick and glossy white plastic that decks out youriPhone 4 like a Storm Trooper.The fit is snug, and the plastic sheath has a cutout for easy access to the iPhone's volume controls and silent-mode switch. About an inch down the back is a hinge that unfolds the top from the backing. It snaps into place to lock the iPhone after you've slid it into the case. This is a neat design that serves the Dexim case as a single unit. However, the high backing does make it trickier to release the iPhone when you're done using the case.Dexim has also added a thin kickstand that handily turns the charging case into a stand. There's a Micro-USB charging port, a charging light, and indicator lights that communicate the level of the case's charge. Dexim's case is a vast improvement over the shoddy leather case we saw before. The indicator lights and &quot;juicy&quot; name are suspiciously similar to Mophie's Juice Pack line.Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 4(Credit:Mophie)Mophie Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 4Specs: Capacity:2000mAh batteryPrice: $99.95 Weight: 2.9 ouncesColor: Black' Magenta, Yellow, Cyan to comeIn terms of design, Mophie's latest Juice Pack is little changed from its predecessor. However, it feels slimmer and thinner in the hand than does its Dexim rival. It's made of rubberized sidings and a soft-touch material on the back cover. Its two pieces--one that covers the back and sides, one that slides down on top--still fit the phone tightly. Instead of leaving the volume control unit open as Dexim does in its Super-Juiced case, Mophie opts to place raised volume and power buttons on top of the case body. Pushing those buttons depresses the iPhone's buttons underneath. Mophie's design continues to offer a Micro-USB charging port, power indicator lights, and the charge button. Winner: DeximThough Mophie's product claims to add greater power than Dexim's does, the recharging differences seemed negligible on our iPhone 4. Mophie's Juice Pack Plus may be slightly lighter and visibly sleeker than Dexim's DCA224 Super-Juiced Power Case, but it also costs about $30 more. We did find it a bit tougher to retrieve the iPhone from the Dexim, but the case earns points for its one-piece, hinged snap design and convenient kickstand.Mophie loyalists still won't go wrong with the tried-and-true Juice Pack Plus, but new charging case owners should do just fine with Dexim's offering. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Djay for iPad fulfills your mixmaster fantasies]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=djay-for-ipad-fulfills-your-mixmaster-fantasies</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=djay-for-ipad-fulfills-your-mixmaster-fantasies</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=djay-for-ipad-fulfills-your-mixmaster-fantasies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Yes, that's John Williams and Philip Glass being mixed. Invite me over to DJ at your own risk.(Credit:Screenshot by Scott Stein/CNET)I'm not a musician, nor am I a DJ. I do fantasize about it, though, hence my obsession with DJ Hero, and my amateur songcrafting in GarageBand. I'd never buy a full-fledged turntable, nor would I know what to do with it. However, I'm a big fan of what's been accomplished on Djay, a new turntable app for theiPad.Algoriddim's Djay app isn't cheap--at $20, it's in the high end of the App Store economy--but what it does matches what you'd expect from a regular PC/Mac application. In fact, it's a close replica of a $49.95Mac application they also make. Two turntables pull up any tracks loaded onto your iPad, and then the two &quot;discs&quot; can be effortlessly mixed. BPM, volume, crossfading, and even scratching can all be incorporated.What this means is that Djay can easily be a simple party-mix crossfading app, or it can be a musical experimentation tool. The app responds beautifully, and album art even turns on the turntables.For me, it's a distraction that will last for days. I can see this app catching on very fast...I expect the NYC bar scene to rapidly incorporate &quot;iPad Djay Nites&quot; to the point of nausea.Djay had a previous app for the iPhone, but it was limited to remotely accessing iTunes files on a Mac. Local file access is a huge plus, except for one caveat: Djay won't play DRMed music. That's not a problem with current iTunes music, but you could be screwed on some older downloads.There are some awesome perks, though: not only can the app auto-mix your tracks and adjust BPM accordingly, but you can record your mixes in-app for playback later. Even better, Djay supports AirPlay, enabling wireless audio output.Djay has me more excited about my iPad than I've been in a while. It's an extremely impressive display of what the iPad's still capable of doing, as well as a clever use of the screen/finger real estate.Jerry Goldsmith/Billy Joel mashups, here we come.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[LastPass takes the pain out of passwords]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lastpass-takes-the-pain-out-of-passwords</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lastpass-takes-the-pain-out-of-passwords</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lastpass-takes-the-pain-out-of-passwords</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPad prompts Gartner to trim PC shipment forecast]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-prompts-gartner-to-trim-pc-shipment-forecast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-prompts-gartner-to-trim-pc-shipment-forecast</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-prompts-gartner-to-trim-pc-shipment-forecast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[PC shipments around the world should rise this year and next, according to the latest estimates from Gartner. But the forecast doesn't look as promising as it did a few months ago, largely due to the impact of theiPad and other tablets.For 2010, computer shipments are expected to hit 352.4 million units, a 14.3 percent rise from 2009. But that estimate is down from Gartner's prior forecast in September in which it was eyeing growth of 17.9 percent for the year.Continuing that trend, shipments should reach 409 million in 2011, a 15.9 percent gain from this year. But that forecast too is down from Gartner's September estimate of 18.1 percent for next year.Gartner is pegging the lower forecasts on the iPad and other media tablets upsetting the applecart of personal computers.&quot;These results reflect marked reductions in expected near-term unit growth based on expectations of weaker consumer demand, due in no small part to growing user interest in media tablets such as the iPad,&quot; Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, said in a statement today. &quot;Over the longer term, media tablets are expected to displace around 10 percent of PC units by 2014.&quot;Since its launch earlier this year, the iPad has racked up a huge number of sales. Apple sold 3 million units in the first three months alone. An analyst from Bernstein Research expects the tablet to bring in $12 billion in global sales this year followed by $20 billion next year. Some analysts have also seen or are expecting the iPad to cut into sales of portable PCs.Beyond tablets, smartphones will also affect shipments of PCs as more people use their phones as mobile complements and even substitutes for light data use, projects Gartner. But beyond the effects of increasing demand for tablets and smartphones, a collection of forces seem to be uniting to drive down PC shipments.With the economy still struggling to revive, consumers and businesses are putting computer purchases and replacements on hold for now. Mobile PCs for the home have seen the biggest downturn in shipments. That trend is expected to grow among mature markets and may prompt consumers to temporarily, if not permanently, turn to other mobile devices for their main computing needs, says Gartner.As media tablets become more &quot;PC-like&quot; down the road, consumers may further be tempted away from buying PCs, especially Netbooks. The iPad and its brethren have already proved popular for their instant-on capability and entertainment features, according to Gartner. As tablets, phones, and other complementary devices take greater hold, the life cycle of PCs will also last longer as people feel less of a need to refresh and replace them.Emerging markets are expected to account for 50 percent of the global PC market next year, but people in those regions might decide to bypass PCs and opt for tablets and other devices as their first computing machines.Finally, hosted virtual desktops could start to more dramatically affect the business market by 2012, according to Gartner. That may prompt companies to rely more on refurbished PCs and thin clients to access their virtual hosts, lessening the need for new desktop PCs.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Intel puts muscle, money into flash memory]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-puts-muscle-money-into-flash-memory</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-puts-muscle-money-into-flash-memory</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-puts-muscle-money-into-flash-memory</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Intel's deep commitment to flash memory technology was on display today with two announcements centered on large business customers. Hitachi&amp;39's Ultrastar SSD400S solid-state drive is based on Intel flash chips.(Credit:Hitachi)The world's largest chipmaker announced it was a lead investor in a company that makes flash storage more palatable to the enterprise, while Hitachi announced the fruits of joint flash development with Intel aimed at large businesses. As part of 18 new investments by Intel Capital totaling $77 million, the world's largest chipmaker led a group that invested $32 million in Anobit. The Israel-based company has patented technology that increases the long-term reliability of lower-cost-per-bit flash memory, referred to as multilevel cell flash or MLC. Flash memory is generally much faster than traditional hard disk drives at reading data but has long-term reliability issues in demanding corporate storage applications. Anobit's Memory Signal Processing technology &quot;combats the inherent physical limitations of NAND flash using advanced mathematical methods,&quot; according to Anobit. &quot;In this way, Anobit eliminates the NAND [flash] endurance problem and the associated cost barriers.&quot; Both Samsung and Hynix, which supply flash memory to Apple, have licensed the technology. In a separate announcement, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies rolled out its new Ultrastar SSD400S solid state drive family--all based on Intel flash memory chips. The Hitachi drives come in 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB capacities, featuring both 2.5-inch 6 gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) and 3.5-inch 4Gb/s Fibre Channel (FC) interfaces. The flash chips are made on Intel's advanced 34-nanometer manufacturing process and use single-level cell (SLC) flash, which currently offers better reliability than MLC flash (mentioned above). Hitachi's Ultrastar SSD400S delivers 535 megabytes per second (MB/s) read and 500MB/s write throughput using SAS and 380MB/s read and 350MB/s write throughput with 4Gb/s FC. The drives offer up to 46,000 read and 13,000 sustained write IOPS, or input/output operations per second, &quot;reaching speeds 100 times faster than traditional hard drives,&quot; Hitachi said. Hitachi has already shipped and is currently qualifying Ultrastar SSD400S drives with select suppliers. Broader qualification samples are now available with product ramp scheduled in 2011, the company said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[One in five to switch to prepaid mobile service]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-in-five-to-switch-to-prepaid-mobile-service</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-in-five-to-switch-to-prepaid-mobile-service</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-in-five-to-switch-to-prepaid-mobile-service</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Millions of wireless customers are planning to switch to prepaid service, a new study conducted by Infogroup/ORC has found.According to the company, which conducted its study for the New Millennium Research Council, 20 percent of wireless customers (estimated to be about 24.6 million adults in the U.S.) will move to &quot;less expensive unlimited prepaid wireless service with no early-cancellation penalty&quot; at some point within the next six months. An additional 10 percent of respondents said they would switch to a prepaid plan if they weren't &quot;subject to an early-cancellation penalty.&quot;The vast majority of those who don't want to switch from current plans--61 percent of that group--said that they &quot;don't want to lose [their current phone] and its features.&quot; Cancellation charges was the second most popular reason given for why respondents wouldn't switch to a prepaid offering.Infogroup found that 59 percent of folks who are currently under contract with a carrier would be &quot;very likely&quot; or &quot;somewhat likely&quot; to switch to a &quot;no-contract or prepaid phone&quot; if they were offered &quot;unlimited talk, text, and Web or e-mail access for $50 a month with no penalty.&quot;However, that doesn't necessarily mean that people are unhappy with their current service. Infogroup said that about 57 percent of respondents claimed they were &quot;satisfied&quot; with their monthly mobile phone bill, and did not plan to &quot;switch because of cost.&quot;But the company's expectation of growth in prepaid customers seems to follow trends already occurring in the mobile market.Last month, AT&amp;T announced that during its third quarter, it added 321,000 prepaid customers to its service. T-Mobile, which posted its third-quarter earnings today, saw prepaid net customer additions of 197,000 during the same period.Infogroup/ORC conducted its study by surveying 715 wireless customers in the U.S. between October 7 and October 10.Further reading:Prepaid smartphones to watch<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[LivingSocial Confirms $175 Million Amazon&nbsp'Investment]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=livingsocial-confirms-175-million-amazonnbspinvestment</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=livingsocial-confirms-175-million-amazonnbspinvestment</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=livingsocial-confirms-175-million-amazonnbspinvestment</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The rumors are true! Amazon and daily deals site LivingSocial have just officially confirmed their partnership, with the e-tailer investing a whopping $175 million in the latter. This comes at an interesting time for both companies, amidst even more rumors that competitors Google and Groupon will hook up to the tune of $5.3 billion in the coming weeks.Earlier today, Hitwise drew up some comparison stats on group buying and released data which showed among other things that Groupon commands 79 percent of U.S. visits to the group buying category, whereas No. 2 in the category LivingSocial only commands 8 percent of the market.a4sWhile that is a formidable gap in marketshare, LivingSocial is on track toa4sbring in $500 million in revenues next year which is a really positive sign.In addition to the hefty Amazon financing, the company has also received a $8 million in investment from Lightspeed Venture Partners bringing the entire round up to the $183 million mark. Some are saying that this most recent funding has skyrocketed LivingSocial&amp;'s valuation to over $1 billion which would mean that Amazon now has something under aa4s17.5% stake.Full press release below:LivingSocial Announces $175 Million Investment by Amazon.comWASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ &amp;8212' LivingSocial (www.livingsocial.com) has secured a $175 million investment from Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). LivingSocial has also secured an additional $8 million investment from Lightspeed Venture Partners. LivingSocial will use this investment to maintain a steady drumbeat of worldwide launches and overall business growth while continuing to serve more than 10 million subscribers across the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland and Australia in more than 120 locations. Because of LivingSocial&amp;'s rapid expansion, the company is currently booking revenues of more than $1 million a day on average and is projected to book well over $500 million in revenue in 2011.&amp;''To be the biggest player in the local commerce space there is no one better to work with than Amazon,&amp;'' said Tim O&amp;'Shaughnessy, CEO of LivingSocial. &amp;''As the social shopping space continues to heat up, LivingSocial is committed to staying focused on providing the high level of quality that consumers and merchants have come to expect when working with us.&amp;''As the online source to find amazing experiences at an unbeatable value, LivingSocial lets anyone experience the hottest restaurants, shops, activities and services in their area. The company has dedicated area experts on the ground in every location working directly with business owners, and constantly researching the best in local adventures to bring a savings of 50% to 70% for consumers.Recently, LivingSocial expanded its business by acquiring adventure company Urban Escapes, and launching three new verticals including LivingSocial Family Edition, Campus Deals and LivingSocial Escapes, a travel site that offers unbeatable savings on curated adventures. In addition, the company continues a regular flow of launches a4&quot; on average one per day a4&quot; and has expanded its reach in Australia with a controlling stake in Jump On It, making it live in five countries.About LivingSocialLivingSocial is the online source for people to find handpicked experiences at a great value, inviting anyone to save up to 50% to 70% each day on their favorite restaurants, spas, sporting events, hotels and other local attractions in major cities. LivingSocial has an extensive subscriber base of 10 million, and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. To sign up for Deals in your location, or to find out more information about LivingSocial, visit www.livingsocial.com. You can also follow LivingSocial on Twitter at www.twitter.com/livingsocial.About Amazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth&amp;'s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth&amp;'s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books' Movies, Music &amp;amp' Games' Digital Downloads' Electronics &amp;amp' Computers' Home &amp;amp' Garden' Toys, Kids &amp;amp' Baby' Grocery' Apparel, Shoes &amp;amp' Jewelry' Health &amp;amp' Beauty' Sports &amp;amp' Outdoors' and Tools, Auto &amp;amp' Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon&amp;'s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon&amp;'s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Readers who don&amp;'t need the convenience of free 3G wireless can choose Kindle Wi-Fi for a lower price. Kindle is the 1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, and www.amazon.it. As used herein, &amp;''Amazon.com,&amp;'' &amp;''we,&amp;'' &amp;''our&amp;'' and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.Forward-Looking StatementsThis announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management&amp;'s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com&amp;'s financial results is included in Amazon.com&amp;'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.CrunchBase InformationAmazonLivingSocialInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPhone users pay the least for monthly wireless service]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-users-pay-the-least-for-monthly-wireless-service</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-users-pay-the-least-for-monthly-wireless-service</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-users-pay-the-least-for-monthly-wireless-service</guid>
<description><![CDATA[While iPhone users seem to spend a lot more money in general, they still have the last laugh when it comes to wireless bills a4&quot; on average, Windows Mobile users pay the most for their wireless services and iPhone users pay the least, according to a recent study by Pageonce.The study found that Windows Mobile users typically spend around $205 every month on their wireless bills, followed by Android users paying $197 and BlackBerry users paying $194. iPhone users came in at the end of the pack, paying only $165 each month for their wireless service.Meanwhile, iPhone users are on a much bigger spending spree. The study found iPhone users spend 35 percent more than the rest of smartphone users, based on how big their credit card bills were. iPhone users racked up around $6,900 in monthly credit card bills, while the next highest smartphone batch (BlackBerry users) only paid $5,700 in monthly credit card bills.Most iPhone users are older. more wealthy, and have a little more free cash, which could explain the larger credit card bill, according to a report by Nielson. It&amp;'s no surprise that BlackBerry comes in at least second place, as a large portion of its customers are enterprise users. A large chunk of that could easily be chalked up to corporate expenses.The monthly bill could be attributed to AT&amp;amp'T&amp;'s payment plans, which recently dropped a touch with the introduction of its tiered data plans. The new plans only charge $15 every month for 200MB of data usage and $25 per month for 2GB of data usage, compared to the old $30-per-month all-you-can-eat plan. The new plan makes users pay an extra $10 for each additional gig of data they consume. AT&amp;amp'T claimed that nearly 98 percent of its smartphone users used less than 2 gigabytes of data each month.The study looked at 275,000 random smartphone accounts between the beginning of October and November. It&amp;'s highly likely that those numbers will grow over time, as the number of people buying smartphones grew from 16 percent to 23 percent of all phone carriers between 2009 and 2010, according to a report by Nielson. Another thing to consider is the introduction of themythical Verizon iPhone, supposedly arriving early next year a4&quot; and Verizon&amp;'s commitment to an unlimited data plan.It&amp;'s also worth noting that the study focused on older Windows Mobile phones. The wireless service numbers for new Windows Phone 7 users could potentially look very different.Previous Story: So you think you&amp;'re a journalist Sell your stories on eBylinePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Blackberry, data plans, Google Android, iPhone, unlimited data, Verizon iPhone, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 7Companies: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Research In Motion, Verizon          Tags: Blackberry, data plans, Google Android, iPhone, unlimited data, Verizon iPhone, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 7Companies: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Research In Motion, VerizonVentureBeat 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[An insider speaks on the cult of Etsy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-insider-speaks-on-the-cult-of-etsy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-insider-speaks-on-the-cult-of-etsy</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-insider-speaks-on-the-cult-of-etsy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Handmade marketplace Etsy was never a conventional tech company. Started in 2005 by a ragtag bunch of musicians, artists and makers who wanted somewhere to sell their own creations, by 2010 it was handling $400 million in sales and had yearly revenue of $40-$50 million. I talked to Matt Stinchcomb, Etsy&amp;'s European director and one of its first employees, about marketing, micro-enterprise and sheep.Etsy started in Brooklyn, New York. CEO Rob Kalin had drifted through five different colleges before finally ending up at NYU and sharing an apartment with Stinchcomb. a4AHe thought he wanted to be a philosophy major but he loved making furniture. He was one of those people who was annoyingly good at everything that he did,a4 said Stinchcomb. &amp;''He was just looking for a place to sell his own stuff and there really weren&amp;'t any good options.Rob was coming at it from the lens of someone who is a maker. He wasn&amp;'t coming at it from the point of view of &amp;8216'what&amp;'s the best business model&amp;' He wanted it to be cheap for creative people because they don&amp;'t have any money and he wanted to make it easy to use.&amp;''Etsy&amp;'s products are mostly handmade. In 2010, it listed more than 6.7 million products of which the most popular categories were jewelry, art supplies and vintage. In contrast with marketplaces like eBay or Amazon, most Etsy products are sold by their makers. The market is built arounda4Athe idea of having a connection to the products in your life, products that aren&amp;'t anonymous. Knowing where they are coming from resonates on a human level.a4Etsy&amp;'s mainly female users tend to be very passionate about the site. I dropped into an Etsy meetup in Amsterdam last year. The atmosphere was halfway between an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and a gospel revival. This was particularly unusual to see among the sober and level-headed Dutch. Each seller told the group what she sold on Etsy and why. People brought samples and presents for Stinchcomb (Etsy offices are partly furnished with gifts from sellers). One couple explained how their Etsy shop was now paying their mortgage.Buyers are equally enthusiastic. Prolific Etsy shopper Jennifer Hicks told me, &amp;''I discovered Etsy about five years ago when I was looking for a specific type of earrings. In fact, I remember the search terms to this day &amp;8216'Ottoman style earrings&amp;'. The first site that came up was Etsy. I did not know at the time what Etsy was and to be honest, didna4a4t understand how it could work, how someone could make for me exactly what I wanted, out of the material I desired and just ship it to me anywhere I was. Since then, I use Etsy for just about everything when it comes to jewelry and clothing.&amp;''Etsy&amp;'s founders continued to plough their own unique furrow. a4ARob hired me to do marketing and I have no experience in marketing,&amp;'' admitted Stinchcomb. &amp;''But I actually think that was also really good for the company. At the time I was in a band (The French Kicks) and he said, &amp;8216'Well you made your band have an audience and be somewhat successful. Why don&amp;'t you do the same thing&amp;'&amp;''In fact, most of Etsy&amp;'s first employees had neither a technical or business background. Many early Etsy hires were sellers who had been successful on the site. a4AWe took an unconventional approach from the beginning where we really focused on trying to build up the community around Etsy because 1) we didn&amp;'t have a big marketing budget and 2) the more I read marketing books the more convinced I became that direct marketing was just a waste of money,a4 said Matt.The tech press never really &amp;''got&amp;'' Etsy. A 2009 TechCrunch interview featured that site&amp;'s editor, Michael Arrington, asking questions like &amp;''Is it all really crappy handmade jewelry&amp;''. In fact, Etsy&amp;'s ambitions are broader than those of most tech companies.&amp;''When you get to several hundred million dollars in sales and realise that 96.5% of that  is going back to individuals working from their homes you start to realise that this is a bigger idea than just a place to buy and sell stuff,&amp;'' said Stinchcomb. &amp;''We think there is a more sustainable model which focuses on micro-enterprise and micro-economies.&amp;''Etsy will run a conference on small businesses and sustainability in Berlin this year.Stinchcomb hopes that in a couple of years from now, Etsy will not just be about handmade and vintage goods but also about agriculture, music, entertainment, services and even local currencies. Etsy could support community supported agriculture projects so you could invest in a local farm. According to Matt, a4Aa farmer&amp;'s market is just an Etsy event offline.&amp;'' Already, Etsy users can buy wool directly from a seller who has a flock of sheep.&amp;''I would love to see Etsy connecting more with the real world where we could allow people to source materials locally and ship locally and allow people to filter searches by carbon footprint,&amp;'' said Stinchcomb. &amp;''What gets really interesting locally is also the idea of local currencies. I would love to see an Etsy currency evolve. We could create a whole new economy of micro-economies.&amp;''One criticism which as been leveled at Etsy is that it doesn&amp;'t have more male users because most sellers don&amp;'t make much money. Only 25 percent of Etsy sellers describe themselves as professional artisans. Matt told that part of the reason the site is more than 90 percent female is that the marketing was mainly word of mouth and women were the first users. The site is trying to encourage more male sellers and products for men. Etsy&amp;'s new focus on personalization may also help there.That is in itself an interesting technical challenge. Many of the objects you can buy on the site defy categorization, making search difficult. Last year, Etsy acquired a company called Adtuitive to improve discovery and personalization. A new feature called the taste test, a sort of &amp;''Pandora for Etsy&amp;'', is being trialed. Social graph features, which tap connections between people from services like Facebook and Twitter to better understand users&amp;' tastes, are also being rolled out.Finally, I asked Stinchcomb what advice he would give to new tech entrepreneurs. His response: &amp;''Always be honest and do what you think is right, not what will make you the most money.&amp;''Next Story: Google brings Android Market to the web Previous Story: Google shows off 3D graphics in new Android software for tabletsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: handmade, marketplace, micro-enterpriseCompanies: EtsyPeople: matt stinchcomb, Mike Arrington          Tags: handmade, marketplace, micro-enterpriseCompanies: EtsyPeople: matt stinchcomb, Mike ArringtonCiara Byrne is a full time techie and part-time writer. She has worked as a software developer, team lead, engineering manager and mobile standards expert. Ciara is based in Amsterdam and her interests include creative companies, useful technology, torture by piano and cycling in high heels. Follow her on Twitter at @deciara.  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[DEMO: Zugara engages online shoppers with dress-up visualization]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Zugara is one of 53 companies chosen by VentureBeat to launch at  the DEMO Spring 2011 event taking place this week in Palm Desert, Calif.  After our selection, the companies pay a fee to present. Our coverage  of them remains objective.Online shopping is often a frustrating experience when it comes to clothes because it&amp;'s hard to imagine what they&amp;'ll look like on you. That&amp;'s where Zugara comes in with a way to &amp;''see how it looks&amp;'' on you through animated visualization.The Los Angeles-based company is demonstrating its one-click &amp;''see how it looks&amp;'' Webcam Social Shopper experience at today&amp;'s DEMO Spring 2011 conference. If the visualization technology works, it could help convert more online browsers into online purchasers. And that could be worth billions of dollars in new revenues for e-commerce companies.Matt Szymczyk, chief executive of Zugara, says the typical conversion rate (turning shoppers into buyers) for online customers is 2 percent to 3 percent. That&amp;'s because online shopping is optimized for browsing, investigating, and accomplishing a transaction. But it&amp;'s not optimized for an engaging experience, which is what you get in the malls.With Zugara, a female shopper could effectively take a dress off the rack and hold it up to herself. She clicks on the &amp;''See how it looks&amp;'' button, allows access to her webcam, takes a few steps back and then sees what would essentially be a mirror in the store. The computer screen will show her an image of how that dress would look on her. She can then better judge if the color and style are right for her. If it&amp;'s not for her, she can tell that right away and not deal with the hassle of a return.If she wants a second opinion from friends, she can snap a photo of the faux dress and share it on Facebook for immediate feedback. The social network thus becomes a tool to help shoppers validate their potential purchases. Meanwhile, the retailer and the dress maker get word of mouth marketing on Facebook. Zugara says studies show that 76 percent of people who shop online say that advanced product viewing features are extremely or very important to a purchase decision.You could call this &amp;''augmented retail,&amp;'' and the technology is actually called Markerless Augmented Reality. Apparel retailers worldwide can benefit from this kind of tool, which could appeal to younger shoppers in particular. Self-funded Zugara was founded in 2001 and has 13 employees. Competitors include Holition. While you have to print out a marker to make Holition work, you don&amp;'t have to do so with the Webcam Social Shopper. The company has five clients and three partners and is in talks with a number of other companies.Szymczyk has a background in creating interactive marketing strategies for Fortune 500 clients, while Hans Forsman, vice president of creative and user experience, has a focus in user experience design.Next Story: Is Salesforce getting too big for its shoes Previous Story: DEMO 2011: Start chatting with customers with WorkfacePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: DEMO, DEMO Spring 2011, e commerce, Hans Forsman, visualizationCompanies: Amazon, ZugaraPeople: Matt Szymczyk          Tags: DEMO, DEMO Spring 2011, e commerce, Hans Forsman, visualizationCompanies: Amazon, ZugaraPeople: Matt SzymczykDean 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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