Haaze.com / bernbeebeb / Published News

New Opera beta tightens password security

bernbeebeb — Tue, 31 May 2011 07:10:03 +0000

Secure password synchronization, Speed Dial extensions, and an easier way to get Opera's developer's builds graduated from alpha to beta today, as the Norwegian browser maker upgraded its latest alpha to beta status. Opera 11.50 beta 1 (download for Windows, Mac, and Linux) adds the long-missing password syncing to Opera's syncing component, Opera Link, along another long-missing feature: the ability to customize the new tab landing page layout known as Speed Dial with extensions.Speed Dial extensions land in Opera 11.50 alpha, giving the feature more real-time functionality.(Credit:Opera)Opera revealed in a blog post at the beginning of May a simplified take on how the password security works. Basically, Opera generates a long, random encryption key the first time you send your passwords to Opera Link. On the user side, this key then gets used to encrypt all the data sent to the Opera Link servers. The key is also sent to the servers, with a twist: it's encrypted with your Opera Account password. So, by tying the Account password to the encryption key, Opera is essentially setting up a two-step verification process.Opera recommends to existing Opera Link users that they change their Opera Account passwords once they begin using the new feature to ensure that it's a strong password.The Opera 11.50 beta itself represents a stabilization of the improvements that debuted in Opera 11.50 alpha about a month ago. Another debut at the same time as the alpha gave users the ability to stay on top of cutting-edge Opera changes with Opera's version of a developer's build, called Opera Next. These three changes will place Opera on a similar feature level asFirefox 4 and slightly ahead of Chrome 11, assuming that the password synchronization makes it to Opera's mobile versions.You can test the Speed Dial extensions with one that Opera wrote, which puts real-time weather data in one of the dial windows.Opera 11.50 does more than introduce new features. It also expands support for the still-in-development HTML5 standards, including datalist, session history, navigation, classlist, and the < time > element. The full Opera 11.50 beta changelog can be read here.

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Microsoft: Google's Bing test was 'good subterfuge'

bernbeebeb — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:10:37 +0000

Microsoft wants to make it very clear that Bing is no copycat. "I want to make sure you understand that we were not copying results from any of our competitors, period," Bing Director Stefan Weitz told CNET in an interview this afternoon. "It's almost insulting a little bit, because we've got all these guys and gals that are working their butts off to do this, and it's categorically not accurate. It's an illogical statement to make," he said.Following yesterday's claims by Google that Microsoft had been copying the company's search results in its Bing search engine, Microsoft denied the allegations publicly, both on stage at its Bing Farsight conference in San Francisco, as well as in a blog post by Harry Shum, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Bing. So why the follow-up post issued this morning by Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's senior VP of its Online Services Division, saying more of the same "I think we were still seeing these reverberations," Weitz said. "I think part of it is that we want to make sure people and engineers who worked on this project get credit for what they've done. And it's important to make sure people are clear about what's happening with this data."As for that click stream data, Weitz was adamant about pointing out that Google's "honeypot" test, which used a test batch of synthetic search terms in IE and the company's Bing bar, was not how Bing gets its ranking or overall search index. "It's a constantly evolving set of signals that we use to weight it, so it's hard to even say how much any of this stuff weighs unless you run a particular query and run probes against it to see what's happening there," Weitz said. Weitz went on to explain that some of these minor queries can get weight in Bing's relevancy engine, even if they're something obscure, which is what happened during Google's copycat test."When the ranker looked at all the signals that we had and said, 'well OK, there might not be much there, and that might not only be one and returned that result,' the lesson we learned here is maybe we shouldn't be firing results at all if we only have one signal," Weitz said. "One signal is too few to triangulate on, to do a decent job with results. In that sense, it's kind of nice to have them help us refine our algorithm, to go with their intent."As for why Google's 100 query honeypot test managed to make an impact on Bing's index, Weitz said the same procedure would not have an impact on more established search terms. "What the Google folks did, as you probably saw, they choose words that would never be issued by a human, a bunch of gobbledygook basically, and then they artificially ranked those pages they indicated highly in the Google index, so they basically faked the ranking in Google," Weitz said. "It doesn't scale up to a popular term in the same way that we have tremendously sophisticated systems to detect clickfraud, and they were pretty clever in how they did it. Good subterfuge."So does all this mean Microsoft is going to change how it uses click stream data Not necessarily. "This is a very common practice because it has enormous user benefits," Weitz said. "That's the whole point, right You're actually able to say 'I know 84 percent of people who go to AlaskaAir.com, the first thing they do is go to flight status.' So now, when I'm building a product like Bing, I can make flight status more prominent, and answer Alaska Air with a flight status answer."Ultimately, Weitz said that Google only getting back a handful of the 100 honeypot terms it sent out as part of its test verifies that Microsoft's system is not just a copy. "If it was a copy you'd have 100 percent fidelity," he said. "The 93 that didn't fire either we felt the signal wasn't strong enough or we had something else going on there, which is why they didn't fire. That's exactly the point. And that's why it's so perplexing that they keep using the word 'copy' when they know very well how ranking works, and how the system works, and that a signal like that is one of many. It's perplexing."

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CES: Verizon to debut 4G Android smartphones

bernbeebeb — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:10:31 +0000

Verizon Wireless will use this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas as the coming out party for its 4G wireless network.While many people have been crossing their fingers for news of a VerizoniPhone at CES, the big news from Verizon will likely be the company's announcement of several new 4G wireless products, including at least four handsets and a tablet PC, all using Google's Android operating system. LG's dual-core Optimus 2XThe carrier, which is the largest wireless operator in the U.S. in terms of subscribers, launched its highly anticipated 4G wireless network in December. But for the past month, the company has only sold laptop cards for the super fast network, which uses a next-generation networking technology known as Long Term Evolution, or LTE.All that will soon change on Thursday when Verizon's CEO Ivan Seidenberg takes the stage to deliver a keynote address at the CES show. Later that afternoon, the company has scheduled a press conference, where news of the new devices is expected to be unveiled.Specific details of devices to be announced have started trickling out. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the company will announce 4G smartphones from Samsung Electronics, Motorola, HTC, and LG Electronics.CNET's Android Atlas reported last month that the company is expected to announce the dual-core LG smartphone and the HTC Thunderbolt at CES. Both these smartphones are LTE-ready. Motorola is also expected to announce the Honeycomb tablet PC, which is also expected to run on Verizon's 4G network.All of these new devices will use theGoogle Android operating system. Verizon Wireless has forged a strong alliance with Google, selling its Android-powered phones for more than a year now. In fact, its Droid smartphones from Motorola, Samsung, and HTC are its main line of attack against AT&T and its exclusive deal with the iPhone.Despite rumors of a Verizon iPhone, it looks like Verizon plans to maintain its close ties to Google. Rumors have circulated for months, that Verizon will get a version of the iPhone once the exclusivity with AT&T ends early this year. Some have speculated that Verizon may announce the new Verizon iPhone at CES, but most experts suspect Apple will hold its own event early this year to make the announcement. Verizon's 4G push powered by Android devices, clearly solidifies the carrier's strategy to continue selling Google Android devices along with an Apple product.It's unclear when Verizon will begin selling the Android 4G smartphones and tablets or the iPhone, for that matter. The Wall Street Journal cited sources that said the new Android 4G phones won't be available until midyear. But in an interview with CNET in October, Verizon Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam indicated that 4G handsets would be on store shelves by the end of the first quarter of 2011.Getting 4G smartphones on the market quickly is critical for Verizon as it competes with rivals also touting a faster 4G network. Verizon is already facing competition from Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile USA, which each claim to offer 4G service.In terms of speed, Verizon's LTE service is ahead of the pack. It offers average download speeds between 5 megabits per second and 12Mbps. Sprint's WiMax network built by Clearwire claims to get between 3Mbps and 6Mbps average download speeds. And T-Mobile USA, which is using HSPA+ technology, says it is getting between 3Mbps and 7Mbps average download speeds.Sprint and T-Mobile already offer smartphones that take advantage of the speedier network. While the market for 4G is still rather small, the potential is huge. Consumers are already clamoring for faster networks to surf the mobile Web, download more apps, and stream rich media such as video and music. And they want to do it on their smartphones. Sprint has seen success with the HTC Evo, its first 4G device introduced in mid-2010. It offered consumers their first taste of a 4G experience on a mobile handset. It introduced its second 4G smartphone later in the year. T-Mobile also has two "4G" phones on the market: the G2 and the myTouch. While these carriers are much smaller than Verizon, they still present a threat. More importantly, Verizon needs 4G handsets in the market to combat AT&T, which will launch its 4G LTE network midyear. Even though AT&T is somewhat late to the 4G party, the company still claims to have the fastest wireless network in the market with the widest footprint. Indeed, about 80 percent of its network supports HSPA+, the same "4G" technology that T-Mobile has used to build its network. Currently, Verizon's 4G network is in 38 markets and offers service to about 110 million potential subscribers. AT&T claims it offers HSPA+ service to 250 million potential users today. Its LTE service will initially offer service to between 70 million and 75 million customers. Sprint and T-Mobile also are expected to make 4G product announcements at CES. But it's clear that Verizon and its slew of 4G smartphones and tablets will be the biggest news in mobile for CES.CNET will be live-blogging both the Verizon keynote speech on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. PT and the press conference later that day at 1 p.m. PT. So stay tuned this week for more details.

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Web-app storage standard meets a formal end

bernbeebeb — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 08:10:07 +0000

This caution warns programmers away from relying on the Web SQL Database technology that the W3C decided against standardizing.(Credit:screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)An attempt to endow Web-based applications with a means of storing data on the browser's computer is at an end--at least as far as standardizing the technology is concerned.The technology, called Web SQL Database, built the SQLite database into the browser, letting programmers use the common SQL technology to read and write data. That's useful for a variety of things, but the most notable probably is caching information so it can be retrieved when a computer isn't connected to the network. That's a big problem for many Web apps today.But yesterday, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) deprecated Web SQL, meaning that developers are warned that they can't count on it and that they use it at their own peril. "Beware. This specification is no longer in active maintenance and the Web Applications Working Group does not intend to maintain it further," a prominent note said on the Web SQL Database specification page.Web SQL had a promising start. Apple and Google were fans, and Opera implemented it, but Microsoft and Mozilla gave it the thumbs down. Instead, those two endorsed an alternative called IndexedDB, also sometimes called IndexDB.Indexed DB isn't mature enough to use yet by most standards. It's only just arriving in some browsers right now, and the specification is in flux. It is, however, anointed by the W3C.Web SQL isn't dead altogether. It's still built into several browsers--and not just desktop browsers but the mobile version ofSafari in Apple's iOS. So while the technology won't be a standard, expect it to live on at least in some corners of the Web.

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Intel tackles effort to create safer football helmets

bernbeebeb — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:10:20 +0000

Intel is using its technology know-how to pave the way for safer football helmets with the goal of reducing serious injuries on the field.(Credit:Intel)Working with football equipment designer Riddell and a host of universities, the chipmaker is tapping into its own supercomputers and workstations to simulate the effects of a football collision on the brain. Data from those simulations will then be used to help design safer football helmets. Intel recently demoed the simulation at the SC10 conference in New Orleans. Simulated collisions on the football field are processed by groups of Intel Xeon-based workstations linked together. Using real-time data from an in-helmet technology from Riddell, the simulations show the differences between impacts that result in concussions and ones that cause no injuries."Computer simulations have been instrumental in designing improved brain injury criteria," Dr. Igor Szczyrba, of the University of Northern Colorado, said in a statement. "In the near future, they can also help doctors diagnose actual brain injuries." Intel is also working with the Mayo Clinic to speed up the diagnostic of medical scans by using supercomputers. Though its technology, Intel said it has been able to accelerate the reading of cranial scans by up to 18 times compared with more traditional technologies.With an eye on the future, Intel envisions outfitting helmets with Atom processors, which could then send data wirelessly to servers and networks to measure the effects of collisions and injuries in real time. Combining that information with data from the simulations could help doctors respond to football injuries more quickly and treat them more effectively.

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Google Rolls Out Phase One Of Revamped Groups: New Gmail/Reader-Like 'UI

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

As if they weren&'t busy enough releasing the Chrome Web Store, the Chrome OS test drive, and inadvertently letting the first Google +1 image leak, Google had one more trick up their sleeve today: the new Google Groups.Technically, Google is just previewing the new Google Groups user interface. &''The new Google Groups user interface represents the first in a series of updates to Google Groups,&'' Google writes here. And it really is a complete revamping. The new style is much more in the Gmail/Google Reader mold. And in fact, some elements even seem a little Wave-like.The key to the new UI is a left-hand menu which gives you easy access to your groups, announcements, recently views groups, and your favorite groups. There are also a new variety of keyboard shortcuts. And profiles can now be more personalized and linked to Google Profiles. There&'s also a new editor for adding new topics/discussions.Google has also completely redone the mobile experience for Groups so that you can easily manage them on the go.If you visit the Groups homepage, Google says that over the next week or so you should see a message to opt-in to viewing groups through this new UI.&''Wea4a4re excited about sharing these improvements with you, but this is just a start' wea4a4re working on improved spam controls, moderation, search, and other freatures to make Google Groups the best way to engage in discussions,&'' Google notes in the Google Groups new announcement section.If it seems like this is Google&'s answer to the new Facebook Groups, remember that the upcoming Google +1 social product is also supposed to have a grouping mechanism (called &''Loops&'') tied directly in. Instead, it would seem that Groups is simply Google&'s attempt to revive their increasingly spammy public forum area.CrunchBase InformationGoogle GroupsInformation provided by CrunchBase

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Google Chrome has 120M users, getting speed boost with &''Crankshaft&'' and Instant Search

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

There&'s no stopping Google Chrome. The web browser has over 120 million users, and it&'s getting a slew of new features including a speed enhancement called &''Crankshaft&'' and Instant Search capabilities, Google announced today at its Chrome event in San Francisco.Google last announced Chrome&'s usage numbers in May, when it sat at 70 million users. Chrome now has 9.26 percent of the browser market, making it the third most popular browser, according to research firm Net Applications. While Firefox still has 23 percent of the market, and Internet Explorer leads with 58 percent, Chrome remains the fastest growing browser.And just when you thought Chrome couldn&'t get any faster, Google announced Crankshaft, its new compilation infrastructure for Chrome&'s V8 JavaScript engine. Google says it will greatly improve Chrome&'s JavaScript performance for computing-intensive applications &8212' often doubling V8&'s previous speeds. Crankshaft will also speed up the start-up time of web apps like Gmail. Google reports that the new infrastructure improves page load performance by 12 percent for sites with large amounts of JavaScript.Google also demonstrated its Instant Search technology working in Chrome&'s &''Omnibox&'' address bar. Just like on Google.com, the feature instantly shows you a page of search results in Chrome as you type a search term in the Omnibox. Apparently, it will also instantly web sites as you type their address as well. For example, simply typing &''e&'' loads ESPN.com, Engadget reports.Additionally, Google is working on a fast built-in PDF reader for Chrome, as well as full WebGL support, which should allow it render sophisticated 3D games.The new Chrome features will appear in Chrome 9, which is currently in developer testing and will be available this year.Next Story: Win 10 free tickets to Vator Splash NY, Dec. 15 Previous Story: Microsoft mobile executive Joe Belfiore won&'t talk numbersPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&8230' Tags: chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Internet Explorer, web browsersCompanies: Google Tags: chrome, Chromium, Firefox, Internet Explorer, web browsersCompanies: GoogleDevindra 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.

0 Vote(s)

The Version Number Is Dead. Google Barely Whispers The Launch Of Chrome '8

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

Chrome 8 is here! Chrome 8 is here! The latest greatest version of Chrome! Joyous day, right Don&'t tell Google that. The search giant announced the (stable) launch not on their Google blog, and not even on their Google Chrome blog, but on their Google Chrome Releases blog. And in the post, they devote a whole two sentences to it. The rest is all about bug fixes.But to those who follow Chrome closely, this shouldn&'t be a big surprise. Ever since they shifted their strategy to release a new version of the browser every six weeks or so, the version numbers have become a mere afterthought. Before today&'s update, the Chrome stable build was version 7, the beta was version 8, and the dev was version 9. And I&'m sure Chromium (the open source browser on which Chrome is built) will hit version 10 shortly.Back in the day, Google used to give these Chrome launches much pomp and circumstance. Next thing you know, there will just be a tweet about it. Then just a retweet. Then maybe a Plurk update to announce Chrome 14.Of course, all of this doesn&'t mean Chrome 8 is without any new features. Google highlights the built-in PDF viewer as one. The other big one not stated is that it&'s likely to be thea4sreleasea4sthat makes the forthcoming Chrome Web Store possible.And, of course, the latest version is stated to be the fastest and most stable version yet.Here&'s the meat of Google&'s Chrome 8 post:The Chrome team is happy to announce our latest Stable release, 8.0.552.215. a4sIn addition to the over 800 bug fixes and stability improvements, Chrome 8 now contains a built in PDF viewer that is secured in Chromea4a4s sandbox. a4sAs always, it also contains our latest security fixes, listed below. a4sThis release will also be posted to the Beta Channel.Chrome 8 is here. Shhhh.CrunchBase InformationGoogle ChromeInformation provided by CrunchBase

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On the GreenBeat: Tessera sells 850-megawatt Calico project, GreenVolts aims to raise $39 million

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

Here&'s the latest action we&'re following on the GreenBeat:Tessera sells 850-megawatt Calico project to K Road Power &8212' Putting an end to weeks of speculation, the troubled solar company has sold one of its just-approved California solar projects to power developer K Road, according to a company announcement. As Earth2Tech notes, the project was supposed to be a showcase piece for Tessera and its Suncatchers technology.Ready Solar has been acquired &8212' Greentech Media reports the company has been bought, but details of the deal have not been announced' the article speculates that the buyer could be Sun Edison, whose founder, Jigar Shah, is chariman of the board of Ready Solar. The startup makes solar systems that can be installed quickly and easily for small solar projects.California solar regulators say solar thermal rush is over &8212' The state made headlines for a year-end rush to approve solar thermal projects so the installations could qualify for a tax credit before it expired at the end of this year. But Congress extended the program, so the push may have been an overreaction, Reuters reports. The California Energy Commission expects a slower year next year.SolFocus names new investors in planned $50 million round &8212' In an SEC filing noted by Greentech Media, the solar company (pictured) names investors in its fourth-round of fundraising &8212' Apex Venture Partners, NGEN Partners, NEA and Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing. As of November, SolFocus had raised $20 million. SolFocus makes concentrating solar system modules, which use mirrors to magnify sunlight, resulting in increased energy yield.GreenVolts looks to raise $38.8 million &8212' The concentrated solar system maker raised $7.5 million in debt in August and is looking to do a big round of equity funding, according to Earth2Tech. AnSEC filing reports the company has closed on$22.44 million so far from existing investors Oak Investment Partners. GreenVolts makes concentrated solar systems, which magnify the effect of sunlight to increase power yield from the sun.Next Story: ActaCell nabs $3 million for cheaper, better batteries for hybrids Previous Story: Nook Color easily hacked to run Kindle for Android, other appsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&8230' Tags: Calico, concentrated solar, Solar, solar thermalCompanies: California Energy Commission, Greenvolts, K Road, ReadySolar, SolFocus, Tessera Tags: Calico, concentrated solar, Solar, solar thermalCompanies: California Energy Commission, Greenvolts, K Road, ReadySolar, SolFocus, TesseraIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you pronounce her last name).VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.

0 Vote(s)

BarMax&'s Efficient Path To $200K In Sales: A $999.99 iPhone App' iPad Version 'Coming

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

Remember BarMax You&'ll be forgiven if you don&'t a4" chances are, it isn&'t for you. That&'s not to say it&'s not good a4" it apparently is very good a4" but it&'s only meant for would-be lawyers attempting to pass the Bar exam in California or New York. Or maybe you know it better as the $1,000 iPhone app. Yes, it&'s that one.What&'s remarkable about the app is that it has actually worked well as a business. You might laugh at the notion of someone paying $1,000 (technically, $999.99, the highest price point Apple allows in the App Store), but plenty of people have. In fact well over 200 people have since the app launched earlier this year (with the New York one coming this past summer), company chairman Mike Ghaffary tells us.BarMax continues to be the most expensive app in the App Store, but the price point is working because it&'s such a better deal when compared to their biggest competitor, BarBri, which charges several times that for their Bar prep package. And while BarMax is the most expensive app, it&'s also one of the largest in terms of how much data you&'re getting a4" the app is well over 1 gigabyte in size.Most importantly, the app is actually working. &''Bar results just came out and our students passed with flying colors' from the data we can track, we estimate our passage rate to be well above the average pass rate for the jurisdictions we are in (California and New York),&'' Ghaffary says.And on that note, the company is putting the final touches on the iPad version of their app. If 200+ people are willing to spend that much on a version on the small iPhone screen, the iPad version must seem like a dream come true. Ghaffary notes that the new app is a few weeks away from coming out, but they&'re offering an TechCrunch reader who buys the iPhone version today a free copy of the iPad release when it comes out. When you sign up to use the app, you just have to mention &''TechCrunch&'' in your registration.The iPad app will be separate from the iPhone version a4" and yes, it will be $999.99 as well. So essentially, just for being a TechCrunch reader, you&'re getting a free $1,000 iPad app, lucky you. This deal will run from today through December 31. Ghaffary notes that he doesn&'t want any students getting some early study time in to be forced to wait, so buy away!Shortly after BarMax launched, we noted that it took little time for the startup to scare the crap out of the incumbent, BarBri. Things still aren&'t looking too hot over there as their parent company, Thomson-Reuters, has apparently put them up for sale. The company recently sent a note out to students urging them not to panic about this transition, but the model may have effectively been disrupted.Meanwhile, Apple must love this app. For each copy sold, they&'re pocketing a cool $300. Below, find an early screenshot of the iPad app.

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On the GreenBeat: Range Fuels to close plant, Valero puts $50 million in biofuels

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

Here&'s the latest action we&'re following on the GreenBeat:Valero will invest $50 million biofuels plant &8212' The plant is operated by venture-backed Mascoma and will churn out biofuels from wood chips. Valero will also purchase 40 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol from the $350 million Michigan plant. It&'s a significant investment for biofuels from a mainstream oil company, Reuters reports.Range Fuels to close plant &8211' On the flip side, this is bad news for biofuels player Range Fuels. The company has reportedly laid off workers and now Earth2Tech and Georgia Public Broadcasting reports it will shut down its Georgia plant after producing a limited batch of cellulosic ethanol. The company apparently ran out of money.China will prepare 10 million parking spots for electric vehicles &8212' The country plans to implement the spots by 2020, Reuters reports. China is focusing on heavily promoting the growth of all-electric cars rather than hybrids.Hybrids have less emissions than coal-powered plug-ins &8212' That&'s according to a new MIT study, CNET reports. Researchers found that hybrids lower carbon emissions by 33 percent compared to gasoline engines, while plug-in electric cars charged by coal-powered electricity have slightly higher emissions than a conventional hybrid. If charged by power from renewable sources, then it would reduce emissions by 66 percent compared to gasoline engines.Government delays decision on whether biomass is clean or dirty energy &8212' The EPA has put off for three years deciding whether creation of electricity by burning wood should be regulated for carbon emissions, saying it will use the time to gather information, then revisit the issue in 2014. Biomass industry reps say burning biomass is &''carbon neutral&'' because new trees get planted to absorb the carbon, while environmental groups have pushed for regulation on emissions, SolveClimate reports.[Image via Flickr/decade_null]Next Story: Find mobile data wherever you need it with Coverage for the iPhone/iPad Previous Story: Pay your taxes on your smartphone using Intuita4a4s SnapTaxPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&8230' Tags: biofuels, biomass, China, electric cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybridsCompanies: EPA, Mascoma, Range Fuels, Valero Tags: biofuels, biomass, China, electric cars, electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybridsCompanies: EPA, Mascoma, Range Fuels, ValeroIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you pronounce her last name).VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.

0 Vote(s)

ZipList Raises $2 Million, Helps You Manage Shopping Lists, Search 'Recipes

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

ZipList, which lets you manage and share your grocery lists online and on the go, has raised a little over $2 million in funding, a SEC filing reveals.ZipList combines a robust recipe search engine with a free shopping list management service that allows users to easily create and manage grocery lists and efficiently share them with others.Family members can add items to the list by email, IM, text message, on the Web, from a mobile web browser, or from an iPhone or Android application. Any changes to shopping lists get synchronized in real time, which guarantees users that they are always up-to-date, no matter how they&'re accessed.Essentially, the tool wants to help you cut down the time you spend creating your grocery lists, planning meals, and actually doing the shopping at the store. An admirable goal.ZipList was founded by CEO Geoff Allen, who previously founded digital media production solutions provider Anystream (formerly Grab Networks), which was acquired by Telestream last September.I&'ve contacted the company to learn who the investors are, and what the startup plans to do with the capital, but a spokesperson said she couldn&'t immediately answer my questions.Update: just got word that this round brings ZipList&'s total raised to $4.5 million. Investors include Softbank Capital, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and unnamed angel investors.CrunchBase InformationZipListInformation provided by CrunchBase

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Unofficial: Verizon iPhone surpassed 1M sold at launch

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

It&'s not an official announcement, but with some creative math it appears that Verizon&'s iPhone 4 surpassed 1 million units sold in its first weekend, The Street reports.Based on statements from Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Mead, who said this weekend that 60 percent of its iPhone sales came from preorders, combined with analyst estimates that Verizon&'s preorders totaled around 600,000 units, The Street figures that Verizon most likely sold 1 million iPhones during the weekend after its February 10 launch.In comparison, AT&'T managed to sell 1.7 million iPhone 4s when it launched in June 2010.Mead brought up the preorder numbers as a means to excuse the lack of long launch lines in stores for Verizon&'s iPhone. Many saw those short lines as a sign that iPhone sales weren&'t very strong for Verizon. Now it appears that most of the consumers who really wanted an iPhone &8212' namely, Verizon subscribers &8212' were able to get their fix by preordering.Many consumers are also likely waiting for Apple to unveil the iPhone 5 later this year. Given that it will be announced in a few months, signing up for a two-year contract with the older iPhone 4 doesn&'t make much sense.Verizon won&'t reveal official sales figures until its first-quarter earnings report in April.Next Story: WeatherBill nabs $42M from Khosla, Google to help farmers cope with climate change Previous Story: On the GreenBeat: Solyndra raises $75M credit facility, Reno&'s wind experimentPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&8230' Tags: iOS, iPhone 4, smartphones, Verizon iPhoneCompanies: Apple, Verizon WirelessPeople: Dan Mead Tags: iOS, iPhone 4, smartphones, Verizon iPhoneCompanies: Apple, Verizon WirelessPeople: Dan MeadDevindra 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.

0 Vote(s)

On the GreenBeat: Indian solar market heats up, OriginOil wraps carbon and algae fuel pilot

bernbeebeb — Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000

Herea4a4s some of the latest action wea4a4re following on the GreenBeat today:India heats up domestic solar market &8212' The country plans to seek 300 megawatts&' worth of solar project bids in the next month, Dow Jones Newswires reports, and has awarded 184 megawatts in solar projects so far, to be completed by September of next year. India will also hold global bidding in mid-2011 for solar hybrid plants, which are a blend of solar and natural gas or other fossil fuels, Bloomberg reports. Market leader First Solar has also begun playing for a piece of the Indian market.OriginOil completes carbon sequestration and algae fuel pilot &8211' The Australian commercial pilot project involved a joint agreement between algae biofuel maker OriginOil and energy company MBD Energy, CNET reports. Carbon dioxide released by MBD&'s coal-fired plants was captured by micro-algae, which converted the CO2 to create additional algae for Origin Oil to convert into oil, which can then be used for biofuel.IBM greens Corpus Christi, Tex. with software &8211' IBMwill supply software to measure, monitor and improve the way the Texas city manages water, roads, airport, parks, and utilities. City managers will be able to view city infrastructure in real time, and the software will also automate paperwork and word orders. The aim is to make the city staff smarter about evaluating problems and responding to them quickly. While it makes money for IBM, it could also improve the quality of life for residents and help make the city more environmentally sustainable.Smart meter leader Itron buys Asais &8211' The smart meter giant will buy French energy information management software company Asais for an undisclosed sum. The two firms have partnered together in the past, and Itron says Asais&'s data collection capabilities will complement its own meter data management and analytics systems. The acquisition marks an example of data and data crunching becoming an increasingly hot sector in the smart grid, as we&'ve previously reported.Wells Fargo to invest $100 million in solar &8212' Wells Fargo will invest $100 million in tax equity by the end of 2011 in solar projects by GCL Solar. The company will build solar power projects for utilities, municipalities, schools and corporations, and says it will sell the power generated through long-term power purchase agreements at rates equal to or lower than traditional electricity rates.Next Story: Google Latitude iPhone app will help you stalk your friends Previous Story: New biofuels CEO waxes optimistic on LS9&'s Brazilian playPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&8230' Tags: algae fuel, biofuels, carbon sequestration, cleantech data, cleantech software, energy efficiency, INdia, smart meter, smarter planet, SolarCompanies: Asais, GCL Solar, IBM, itron, MBD Energy, OriginOil, Wells Fargo Tags: algae fuel, biofuels, carbon sequestration, cleantech data, cleantech software, energy efficiency, INdia, smart meter, smarter planet, SolarCompanies: Asais, GCL Solar, IBM, itron, MBD Energy, OriginOil, Wells FargoIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you pronounce her last name).VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.

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