
<?phpxml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0" 
xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
>
<channel>
<title>Haaze.com / cowaarom / Published News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:10:58 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Senate vote marks start of end for ethanol subsidies]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-vote-marks-start-of-end-for-ethanol-subsidies</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-vote-marks-start-of-end-for-ethanol-subsidies</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 16 Jun 2011 07:10:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=senate-vote-marks-start-of-end-for-ethanol-subsidies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Senate voted overwhelmingly today to eliminate billions of dollars in support for the U.S. ethanol industry, sending a strong message that the era of big taxpayer support for biofuels is ending. The 73-27 vote may ultimately be symbolic since the White House has vowed not to repeal ethanol subsidies fully and the bill the repeal language is attached to is not expected to make it into law. But it underscores the growing desperation to find savings in a budget crisis that is forcing both sides of the aisle to consider sacrificing once-sacred government programs.&quot;Ending this wasteful handout would ensure taxpayers no longer subsidize the already profitable corn ethanol industry,&quot; Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg said.The increasingly hostile attitude toward federal ethanol support has added fuel to a steep fall this week in the price of corn, from which most U.S. ethanol is made.The Senate vote shows the odds are diminishing that the 45-cent-a-gallon subsidy the government gives refiners and the 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol--both targeted in today's vote--will be extended at current rates beyond their scheduled expiration at the end of this year.The Senate measure still faces a long road to becoming final. The White House issued a statement saying it was against a full repeal of ethanol subsidies, indicating it could use its veto power if the amendment continued to advance in Congress.&quot;We need reforms and a smarter biofuels program, but simply cutting off support for the industry isn't the right approach,&quot; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.The strong vote in favor of eliminating the $6 billion a year in ethanol subsidies reflects the push by both parties to rein in the government's huge deficit.&quot;The way we get out of trouble as a nation is a couple of billions of dollars at a time,&quot; said Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, who co-sponsored the ethanol amendment.The Senate vote also comes as criticism mounts globally over subsidies for corn-based ethanol, blamed by some for raising food costs.Last week, the World Bank and other international organizations called on governments to stop their ethanol subsidies because of concerns they were driving up food prices.While more ethanol is good for corn farmers, U.S. livestock producers argue their feeding costs have gone up, which has raised food prices for consumers.Corn price collapseWhile a loss of subsidies may hurt profits for companies such as Valero and Marathon Oil that blend ethanol into gasoline, it would be unlikely to cause a large or sudden fall in ethanol output.Fuel companies must still blend a minimum of 12.6 billion gallons of ethanol into the gasoline pool this year under the federal Renewable Fuels Standard. Current output is running at less than 10 percent above that rate.But the prospect of an even modest reduction in demand has helped drive Chicago corn prices more than 12 percent lower this week, pulling them down from a record near $8 a bushel a week ago.Traders are betting on reduced demand from ethanol makers whose profit margins are being squeezed by near-record corn costs and falling gasoline prices, in addition to the longer-term risk of reduced government support.&quot;This helps explain continued fund liquidation in the feed-grains today, as the continued record prices keep pressure on government to lower food prices,&quot; said analyst Mike Zuzolo of Global Commodity Analytics &amp; Consulting in Lafayette, Indiana.The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association welcomed the Senate vote. &quot;Allowing other alternative fuels like sugarcane ethanol to compete fairly in the U.S. will save Americans money, cut dependence on Middle East oil and improve the environment,&quot; the trade group said.The U.S. Renewable Fuels Association trade group called the vote shortsighted and said it didn't make sense given that the Senate voted less than a month ago to keep billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies that are making record profits.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid asked his Republican colleagues who voted down the ethanol subsidies also to end government financial breaks for Big Oil.U.S. lawmakers are working on other compromise measures to scale back ethanol subsidies.Republican Sen. Charles Grassley and Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad have introduced legislation to continue the blender tax credit and import tariff at much lower rates for five years.On Tuesday, the Senate fell far short of the 60 votes needed that would have stripped the industry of federal incentives.The ethanol subsidy amendment today from Coburn and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein will be tacked on to an underlying economic development bill, which faces a difficult time passing the Senate.Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted 283-128 today to prevent Agriculture Department funding for tanks and blender pumps that the ethanol industry wants so stations can sell gasoline with higher ethanol blend rates.The Senate took the opposite view, voting against a separate amendment that would have blocked federal funding for such ethanol infrastructure.Story Copyright (c) 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[NFC system to let you pay for dinner via cell phone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nfc-system-to-let-you-pay-for-dinner-via-cell-phone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nfc-system-to-let-you-pay-for-dinner-via-cell-phone</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 07:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nfc-system-to-let-you-pay-for-dinner-via-cell-phone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You may soon be able to pay for dinner at your favorite restaurant directly through your cell phone courtesy of a new NFC system slated to become available later this year.Announced today by electronic payment company VeriFone and software developer Micros Systems, the new system would tap into the growing technology of near field communication (NFC) to let customers pay for dinner bills through a digital wallet stored on their mobile devices.By storing credit card and bank account information, cell phones equipped with the necessary NFC technology can exchange information with other equipped phones as well NFC-based registers and terminals as a way of paying for goods and services wirelessly. Two NFC devices can &quot;talk to each other&quot; simply by touching or passing close to each other, similar to existing contactless card technologies, such as Visa's PayWave service.The new system would use VeriFone's Payware Mobile Enterprise product to work with existing smartphones and other devices to securely accept mobile payments. Micros, which supplies software to the restaurant and hospitality industries, would integrate its own Restaurant and Table Management point of sale product with Verifone's Payware product.The system would allow restaurants to not only accept payments from NFC-enabled smartphones, but also process coupons and promotions. Unlike using a credit card, diners won't be required to hand over their cell phones to their waiters.&quot;Widespread adoption of NFC requires a restaurant solution, but consumers are not willing to hand over their mobile phones to the wait staff,&quot; Paul Rasori, VeriFone senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. &quot;Micros and VeriFone are combining forces to deliver a low-cost, services-based solution that allows restaurants to provide NFC payment convenience to consumers without having to make a large, upfront investment.&quot;Demoing the new technology at this week's NRA (National Restaurant Association) 2011 show, the two companies expect the new system to be available through resellers during the second half of this year.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Judge says Apple, RIM not violating Kodak patent]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=judge-says-apple-rim-not-violating-kodak-patent</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=judge-says-apple-rim-not-violating-kodak-patent</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=judge-says-apple-rim-not-violating-kodak-patent</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A judge said today that Apple and RIM phones featuring cameras are not infringing on technology developed by Eastman Kodak, according to reports.Kodak filed a complaint in January 2010 with the International Trade Commission claiming that the technology used in theiPhone and BlackBerry to preview images infringes on one of its digital imaging patents. Kodak demanded the ITC block import of phones in violation. The endgame for Kodak is really to get Apple and RIM to pay royalties for using the technology. The camera company arrived at royalty arrangements more recently with LG and Samsung after filing similar complaints.But an ITC administrative law judge said today that Kodak's technology was not being used illegally by Apple or RIM, according to a Bloomberg story. The decision is not final, and per ITC rules, will be reviewed by a six-member commission who can either affirm his ruling or overturn it.Apple countersued Kodak in April 2010 for violating two of its patents related to digital photography. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[iTunes event mystery: What is Apple planning]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-event-mystery-what-is-apple-planning</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-event-mystery-what-is-apple-planning</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itunes-event-mystery-what-is-apple-planning</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AirPlay is set to launch for iOS devices any day now. Is that what Apple will launch tomorrow morning(Credit:Apple)This had better be good. Apple has promised us--by plastering it all over its home page--that &quot;tomorrow is just another day&quot; that we'll &quot;never forget,&quot; thanks to an &quot;exciting announcement from iTunes.&quot; This naturally has thrown the tech news hype machine into high gear. What could Apple have to say Language like that implies something pretty big. Apple, of course, is no stranger to hyperbole in its marketing messages--think the &quot;magical and revolutionary&quot;iPad. While that phrase is pretty dramatic, to be fair, the iPad actually ended up being industry-altering. And in true Apple fashion, it had a press conference and an advance year of hype to go with it. This iTunes news appears to be just an announcement posted to Apple.com, scheduled for 7 a.m. PT tomorrow morning, which begs the question: what could possibly be so life- and paradigm-altering yet doesn't require sermonizing by Reverend Steve, live and in-person Let's hope that all this buildup doesn't lead to something middling, such as Yoko Ono finally relenting on allowing The Beatles' music on iTunes (yes, a Beatles announcement would be cool, but calling the world's attention to it with this kind of buildup would be lame) or something we're already well aware of, such as the iOS 4.2 announcement that will enable streaming of music and video content from iPhones, iPads, andiPod Touches to the new Apple TV. The AirPlay-centric announcement is supposed to hit sometime this month, according to earlier indications given by Apple. If that's really what Apple has for us tomorrow, you can count on lots of virtual eye rolling and snarky tweets emanating from the tech world. But why make such a big deal about a feature it discussed at an iTunes event in September For meatier software updates, Apple usually finds a quietly dashed-off press release sufficient--or even a simple push of the software with no comment at all--such as with iTunes 10.1 last week orMac OS X 10.6.5 a day prior. Semi-major product updates at least require a smaller gathering of tech journalists on the Apple campus (see the MacBook Air event in October) so Jobs and his cohorts can demonstrate the hardware or the software. That could be the clue here: maybe tomorrow's announcement is more of an idea or an infrastructure change that can't be demonstrated yet has pretty hefty ramifications for the manner in which you use your digital media. In other words, could this, at long last, be cloud-based iTunes Apple had previously indicated in earnings calls that the giant server farm it has been constructing in North Carolina would be ready to be switched on by the end of this year. It's been long assumed that the purpose of the facility is to house massive amounts of digital media. A cloud-based iTunes would ostensibly allow users to stream content purchased on any device with iTunes to any device with iTunes. In other words, it wiouldn't matter where you bought your music' you could play it on an iPhone or a Mac or an iPad and, of course, through Apple TV, eliminating the need for local storage. The timing is on par for a cloud announcement: it would fit in with the recent launch of a streaming-only Apple TV released last month and the expected AirPlay update for iOS devices. But Apple's music partners in the industry would presumably need to be on board with this, and reports indicate that they are completely in the dark. It's not impossible that Apple would would charge ahead without telling them, but given the importance of keeping its very necessary partners happy, doing so certainly doesn't seem like the smartest tactic. So maybe the announcement will be something completely off the wall...iTunes for Android Yeah, probably not, but it's as good a guess as any, for now. We'll be following this live tomorrow at 7 a.m., but please chime in below in the comments with your best guesses as to what Apple has in store for us.Update 3:40 p.m. PT: Oh well, middling announcement it is: The Wall Street Journal says we should expect to hear tomorrow that The Beatles' record label and Apple finally come to terms to allow their music on iTunes. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[How To Mass Export All Of Your Facebook Friends&' Private Email&nbsp'Addresses]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-mass-export-all-of-your-facebook-friendsrsquo-private-emailnbspaddresses</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-mass-export-all-of-your-facebook-friendsrsquo-private-emailnbspaddresses</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-mass-export-all-of-your-facebook-friendsrsquo-private-emailnbspaddresses</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A few days ago I requested that Facebook finally allow us to download email addresses for all of our friends. Facebook says this isn&amp;'t allowed because you only own the data you add to Facebook, not data that your friends add.Their statement was, in part (entire statement here):The most important principle for Facebook is that every person owns and controls her information. Each person owns her friends list, but not her friendsa4a4 information. A person has no more right to mass export all of her friendsa4a4 private email addresses than she does to mass export all of her friendsa4a4 private photo albums.We pointed out that Facebook already allows mass exporting of friends&amp;' private email addresses via deals with Microsoft, Yahoo and possibly other partners. And we suggested Facebook amend their statement to add the following bolded language:A person has no more right to mass export all of her friendsa4a4 private email addresses than she does to mass export all of her friendsa4a4 private photo albums, unless ita4a4s with a partner thata4a4s making it worth our while.Anyway, for those of you who want to download all those email addresses, here&amp;'s how.1. Create a Yahoo email account. Even if you have an old one, create a new one so that the imported contacts are clean. It only takes a minute. You&amp;'ll get a confirmation screen that looks like this, below. Click on import contacts &amp;''Get Started&amp;'' link and then choose Facebook. Note &amp;8211' do not use Chrome for this, it doesn&amp;'t appear to work in that browser.2. Authorize Yahoo in the Facebook pop up and then wait a few seconds. You&amp;'ll see a confirmation screen like this:3. Ok, you&amp;'ve now imported the names and email addresses of all your Facebook friends into Yahoo. Now just click &amp;''tools&amp;'' in Yahoo mail and export. CSV format is a good format  for uploading to Gmail or your desktop contact book. Save the file to your desktop, and you&amp;'re done.4. Enjoy your new contacts. You&amp;'ve just done something that Facebook says you have no right to do, using tools provided by Facebook.CrunchBase InformationFacebookInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Pud Revisits His Past, Launches An Email Newsletter Platform With&nbsp'TinyLetter]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pud-revisits-his-past-launches-an-email-newsletter-platform-withnbsptinyletter</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pud-revisits-his-past-launches-an-email-newsletter-platform-withnbsptinyletter</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pud-revisits-his-past-launches-an-email-newsletter-platform-withnbsptinyletter</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Email newsletters may be ready for a comeback. The fact is that despite the communications mechanism being old-school, publishers can put in less effort to get more views in an inbox than on a blog. AOL exec Bob Pittman has bet big on email newsletters, funding a number of  media startups built around the form of communication. Philip Kaplan (a.k.a. Pud), the founder of FuckedCompany, AdBrite and Blippy, has created his own email newsletter platform called TinyLetter.TinyLetter is a dead simple way to create email newsletters. You pick out a name for your newsletter, and TinyLetter will create a URL to send to contacts via email, Facebook, Twitter and more so they can sign-up. You can then write your newsletter, customize your newsletters by design, add subscribers, read replies from subscribers and track old newsletters. You can also turn on the option to charge per month for your newsletter.For background, Kaplan had an email newsletter about 10 years ago called the &amp;''FuckedCompany Sporadic,&amp;'' which had about 250,000 subscribers. He felt like resurrecting the email newsletter because he didn&amp;'t want to put the work into writing a blog. His point is that if you don&amp;'t blog daily, you won&amp;'t build an audience, but email newsletters can be sent out weekly and have a built in audience. And people check their email everyday. And people can reply to emails, says Kaplan.Speaking like a true entrepreneur, Kaplan said he was tired of using poor email services for sending newsletters, so he decided to build his own. He actually built and launched it in one day, on Oct. 31. You can subscribe to Pud&amp;'s own newsletter here. He&amp;'s not the first entrepreneur to quit blogging to try to create a legitimate email newsletter platform. Sam Lessin, the CEO of Drop.io and new employee of Facebook, launched Letter.ly,  a similar service that allows people to create and sell subscription newsletters.CrunchBase InformationPhilip KaplanInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Natural gas looks to oust coal and win over oil companies]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=natural-gas-looks-to-oust-coal-and-win-over-oil-companies</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=natural-gas-looks-to-oust-coal-and-win-over-oil-companies</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cowaarom</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=natural-gas-looks-to-oust-coal-and-win-over-oil-companies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The news about natural gas just keeps coming. Today, boutique investment bank Cascadia Capital predicted that oil  will hit $100 per barrel next year, which will spur oil companies to  expand their operations by buying up natural gas assets and companies.As VentureBeat reported last week, analysts are forecasting that natural gas will move to beat out solar and wind, even though it&amp;'s a fossil fuel and not a renewable resource. It emits a lot less carbon than coal, and is likely to play a bigger role next year in federal energy policies and green entrepreneurship, according to consulting firm Kachan &amp;amp' Co.Last month, Chevron acquired natural gas company Atlas Energy for $3.2 billion. And a year ago, Exxon spent $25 billion to buy natural gas producer XTO Energy.Natural gas expansion looks like part of the Middle East&amp;'s efforts to go greener. The United Arab Emirates&amp;' state-run Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority plans to build several 500-megawatt natural gas power plants, but it will also be able to defer the construction thanks to energy efficiency gains promised by the implementation of Hara&amp;'s energy efficiency software. (The company announced the multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal today.)And as we mentioned last week, consulting firm Black &amp;amp' Veatch reports that coal market share will be cut in half in the next 25 years because companies will retire coal-fired equipment rather than face the cost of complying with pending air quality regulations in 2015 and beyond. (See Black &amp;amp' Veatch&amp;'s projections below.)The ebbing tide of coal will be made up for by a doubling in natural gas, which is expected to rise from 21 percent of U.S. energy use in 2011 to 40 percent in 2035.And a recent Ernst &amp;amp' Young report found that low natural gas prices in the U.S. have made it tougher for solar and wind projects to win financing.The good thing about natural gas is that there&amp;'s existing infrastructure for it, and hundreds of years left in the supply. And if some early-stage technology is able to scale up to commercial production, makers of renewable natural gas &amp;8212' that is, synthetic natural gas created from renewable feedstocks &amp;8212' could pose a big threat to solar and wind companies, according to Dallas Kachan, managing partner at Kachan &amp;amp' Co.One hiccup in the rise of natural gas, though, could be environmental concerns. The problem with natural gas, as Black &amp;amp' Veatch points out, is that the hydraulic fracturing process of harvesting the natural gas has caused issues at the massive Marcellus Shale site in the northeast U.S. There have also been issues with the handling of wastewater and fluids used in the fracturing process &amp;8212' leading Pennsylvania authorities to fine natural gas companies and shut down some of the wells.Next Story: Viber gets 1M downloads in 3 days for dead simple iPhone VoIP calls Previous Story: Rock with VentureBeat/DEMO at holiday party in SF, tomorrowPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: coal, Marcellus Shale, natural gas, Solar, windCompanies: Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Atlas Energy, Black &amp;amp' Veatch, Chevron, Ernst &amp;amp' Young, Exxon, Hara, XTO EnergyPeople: Dallas Kachan          Tags: coal, Marcellus Shale, natural gas, Solar, windCompanies: Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, Atlas Energy, Black &amp;amp' Veatch, Chevron, Ernst &amp;amp' Young, Exxon, Hara, XTO EnergyPeople: Dallas KachanIris 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.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>
