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<title>Haaze.com / reuckbugsabah / Published News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Defunct Sharper Image looks to redeem gift cards]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=defunct-sharper-image-looks-to-redeem-gift-cards</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=defunct-sharper-image-looks-to-redeem-gift-cards</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=defunct-sharper-image-looks-to-redeem-gift-cards</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Dust off that Sharper Image gift card because in a few months, you just might be able to get some cash for it.Sharper Image, which is now known as TSIC Inc., has petitioned the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to allow it to pay back gift cardholders nearly three years after it shuttered its operation, The Wall Street Journal reported today. If its request is approved on its May 17 hearing date, TSIC plans to give cash back to any cardholder who has up to $2,245 in gift card value. It also plans to spend $60,000 to promote its payback program, the Journal reported.Sharper Image filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008 and announced 96 store closures after the company's quirky, but sometimes useful, gadgets failed to appeal to consumers amid recession. By June of that year, its new owners--which acquired the firm for $49 million in a bankruptcy auction--announced that they would close the remaining 86 stores.Prior to that closure, Sharper Image engaged in a battle with consumers over its gift cards. After filing for bankruptcy, the company declined to honor gift cards. A month later, it announced that customers could redeem the full value of gift cards, but only if they bought products worth twice the value of their credit. When the company finally closed its doors, the retailer recommended gift cardholders file a claim with the bankruptcy court.Some other options did crop up for consumers. For example, Brookstone offered a 25 percent discount to anyone who presented a Sharper Image gift card in its stores at the time of purchase.Those who held on to their gift card will need to furnish a photocopy to prove they have one on-hand. Customers who do not provide a photocopy but say they have an unredeemed gift card will receive a refund only if enough cash is available.Today, Sharper Image lives on in name only. A company named Camelot Ventures Group operates under the licensed Sharper Image name. It sells many of the wacky gadgets the original store once carried.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Tesla drops hints on pricing for electric Model S]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-drops-hints-on-pricing-for-electric-model-s</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-drops-hints-on-pricing-for-electric-model-s</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-drops-hints-on-pricing-for-electric-model-s</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You'll be able to get the electric Model S sedan with an impressive 300 mile range next year, but it will cost you a hefty premium over the base model.Tesla Motors last week provided a snapshot of the development of the Model S, an all-electric luxury sedan critical to Tesla's financial success. Thecar is now in alpha testing and the company plans to start delivering them to customer with reservations in the middle of next year.Tesla plans to offer three models of the Model S based on driving range--160 miles, 230 miles, and 300 miles. For comparison, the battery-electric Nissan Leaf has an estimated range of about 100 miles. The company said it plans to finalize pricing and options this summer, but in a company blog indicated the cost difference between the different models and expected release dates. The first Model will be a limited edition Model S Signature Series with the full 300-mile range expected for delivery in North America in mid-2012. That will cost $20,000 more than the base model, which is $57,400. The 230-mile range option costs $10,000 more than the base model.People who buy any of the Model S options will be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit, which effectively knocks the starting price for the base model to $49,900. Tesla said the shorter-range options will be ready for delivery later in 2012. The base model's batteries can be charged overnight with a 220-volt charger.Tesla projects that next year it will produce between 5,000 and 7,000 vehicles in its California factory and ramp that up to 20,000. The company received a $465 million loan from the Department of Energy for the Model S plant. In terms of battery life, Tesla said drivers can expect the lithium ion batteries to retain 70 percent of their initial capacity after seven years of 100,000 miles.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[W3C: Microsoft anti-tracking idea worth exploring]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Microsoft)The World Wide Web Consortium has approved and published a new browser privacy feature from Microsoft, according to a new IE blog post, opening up for discussion and debate whether the feature should become a Web standard.Found in the recent release candidate of Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft's new Tracking Protection Lists offer IE users a type of &quot;do not track&quot; feature to help them block advertisers and Web sites from tracking and capturing certain data. The feature works via lists of Web site domains that are downloaded to the browser. If a domain name is on the list, the browser will &quot;call&quot; that site only if the user visits it directly, thereby controlling the information that can be collected by third-party sites.Responsible for defining Web standards, including those for the nascent HTML5, the W3C has of late been turning its attention to the area of online privacy and sees Microsoft's proposal as &quot;both timely and well-aligned&quot; with its own goals and priorities.With online privacy such a hot-button issue, other parties have naturally been getting into the act as well.The Federal Trade Commission has been calling for a &quot;do not track&quot; option for browser users. Google recently added a new extension to Chrome to help people opt out of online ads, while Mozilla has implemented a type of blocking feature in its latest beta build of Firefox 4.Though such &quot;do not track&quot; features offer clear benefits to consumers and Internet users, online advertisers and other third parties have naturally expressed some concerns. As such, the W3C will open the floor for a variety of different players to chime in on Microsoft's proposed solution.&quot;We expect to engage a broad set of stakeholders, including implementers from the mobile and desktop space' large and small content delivery providers' advertisement networks' search engines' policy and privacy experts' experts in consumer protection' and developers and operators of Services on the Web that make use of consumer tracking,&quot; the consortium said.Moving forward, the W3C added that it will host a workshop at Princeton University on April 28 and 29 to determine the level of support for the proposed feature, with an official announcement expected in early March.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google Lunar X Prize contest sets official roster]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-lunar-x-prize-contest-sets-official-roster</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-lunar-x-prize-contest-sets-official-roster</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-lunar-x-prize-contest-sets-official-roster</guid>
<description><![CDATA[X Prize President Bob Weiss (far left) announcing the X Prize Competition with (from left to right) Google co-founder Larry Page, X Prize Founder Peter Diamandis, and Buzz Aldrin in 2007.(Credit:Stefanie Olsen/CNET)The Google Lunar X Prize competition now has an official roster of 29 registered teams, paving the way for a new race to the moon.The X Prize Foundation today announced seven new teams that had been previously unknown to those who are following the competition. They include Mystical Moon of the USA and Space II of Israel, two teams that are trying to improve &quot;scientific awareness&quot; among the world's youth. Team Puli of Hungary is made up of &quot;young Hungarian professionals,&quot; while the Penn State Lunar Lions of the USA are aiming for the moon with a team of students, faculty, and engineers.&quot;The official private race to the Moon is on,&quot; Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation, said in a statement. &quot;What I find amazing is that when we first announced this competition, we thought there might be a dozen groups talented and bold enough to compete. Instead, we have nearly 30 teams of heroic innovators showing us a new way to the Moon.&quot;Google and the X Prize Foundation first announced the competition in 2007. In order to win, a single team must first of all put a robot on the moon, and then that robot must travel on the surface for at least one-third of a mile. All the while, the robot must stream high-definition video and transmit data back to Earth. The first team to do so wins $20 million. The second team to achieve the feat will earn $5 million.Teams can earn $1 million for &quot;stimulating diversity in the field of space exploration,&quot; while another $4 million in prizes will be given out for additional feats, such as traveling further, going to a previous lunar mission location, and more.But the cash winnings aren't necessarily the most important aspect of the competition. The Google Lunar X Prize is taking exploration out of the hands of government organizations and giving teams with private funding the ability to push the envelope to space. That is becoming especially important as the NASA faces the possibility of decreased funding in the years ahead.Earlier this week, President Obama unveiled his fiscal 2012 budget, which included $18.7 billion in funding for NASA. That figure was $276 million less than the agency's 2011 budget. If the budget passes at that amount, NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden acknowledged that his agency will need to make &quot;tough choices&quot; as it looks towards the future of space exploration.Luckily for NASA, it's also benefiting from the Google Lunar X Prize competition. Diamandis said in a statement that some of the teams have sold their data to NASA for up to $10 million each.Even though the teams are now set, don't expect to see any of them getting to the moon anytime soon. Google said today that it doesn't expect any team to cash in on the prize until 2015.Further reading: &quot;The next five years of the X Prize&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Green Plug plugs digital, efficient power supply]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-green-plug-plugs-digital-efficient-power-supply</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's time to digitize power supplies to make them smart enough to work with multiple devices and draw only the power that electronics need, according to start-up Green Plug.Green Plug today at the Consumer Electronics Show introduced its Green Power Processor, which it said will be available in the second quarter.A concept design of a universal power supply that would optimize power delivery to multiple electronic gadgets.(Credit:Green Plug)The Green Power Processor is a chip designed for digital power supplies, which are meant to be more versatile and efficient than existing analog power adapters. When built into a power supply, the processor can detect how much voltage and power a device, such as a PC or TV, needs from the grid. That allows electronics to use less energy overall than analog power supplies and to eliminate stand-by or vampire power. Green Plug, founded in 2006 and based in San Ramon, Calif., is marketing this processor to power supply manufacturers as a way to improve energy efficiency. Power adapters, or supplies, convert alternating current from the grid to the direct current that electronics use.The company's technology also allows for a single power adapter to serve multiple devices, which would more convenient to consumers, according to the company.&quot;Chip makers and power supply manufacturers now have the technology they need to undertake the transition from clunky black bricks and wall warts to sleek, efficient digital power adapter architectures capable of exchanging information between the power source and the load and adjusting power use according to product need,&quot; Green Plug CEO Frank Paniagua said in a statement.In October, Green Plug partner U.K.-based Imagination Technologies said its Pure subsidiary will make a digital radio using Green Plug technology to improve the environmental impact of its products.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[LG promises Gingerbread support for Optimus handsets]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lg-promises-gingerbread-support-for-optimus-handsets</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lg-promises-gingerbread-support-for-optimus-handsets</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:16:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lg-promises-gingerbread-support-for-optimus-handsets</guid>
<description><![CDATA[MetroPCS&amp;39's Optimus M has helped LG reach 2,000,000 sold in two months.(Credit:LG)LG is offering up a double dose of good news today, both relating to the Optimus One line of handsets.After shaking up the Android community earlier this week with whispers of not supporting Android 2.3 for its Optimus line, LG issued a statement to CNET yesterday that confirmed that a Gingerbread upgrade is in the works. &quot;LG will upgrade all Optimus One smartphones currently using the Froyo OS to the next version of the Android OS, Gingerbread,&quot; the statement said. &quot;Details of the upgrade schedule will be announced locally in due course. We sincerely apologize for the confusion and misunderstanding that was caused regarding this issue.&quot;Barely two months after launching on carriers around the world, the budget-friendly Android smartphone has crossed the 2,000,000 sold mark. Things don't look to slow down as the second million only took 25 days to reach, whereas the first million took 40 days.It appears that LG's plans are starting to work as they see success much like Samsung has with its Galaxy S line. I wouldn't be surprised to see other device makers adopt a similar strategy of releasing one model across multiple carriers.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Best Buy offering free smartphones in December]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-offering-free-smartphones-in-december</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-offering-free-smartphones-in-december</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-offering-free-smartphones-in-december</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The HTC Droid Incredible will be offered for free from Best Buy.(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)If you're in the market for a new smartphone, you might want to keep a close eye on Best Buy's latest offer.The company announced today that through the rest of December, it will be offering at least four models of smartphones for free in its brick-and-mortar stores, online, and in its mobile specialty shops. All four major carriers--Verizon, AT&amp;T, T-Mobile, and Sprint--are included in the offer. The company said it decided to launch the program after enjoying a successful &quot;Free Phone Fridays&quot; campaign in October.The devices Best Buy plans to offer include the HTC Droid Incredible, the LG Optimus, and RIM's BlackBerry Curve, among others.But as with most deals, there is a catch. To get a free device, consumers will need to either enter into a two-year contract or upgrade their current line with a new two-year agreement.Further reading:Holiday smartphone deals and iPad-iMac choices<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[On the GreenBeat: Zero builds electric motorcycle plant, SmartSynch debuts prepaid electricity]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-zero-builds-electric-motorcycle-plant-smartsynch-debuts-prepaid-electricity</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-zero-builds-electric-motorcycle-plant-smartsynch-debuts-prepaid-electricity</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-zero-builds-electric-motorcycle-plant-smartsynch-debuts-prepaid-electricity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Herea4a4s the latest action wea4a4re following this morning on the GreenBeat:Ice Energy teams with Carrier &amp;8211' Energy-efficient air conditioning systems maker Ice Energy is partnering with HVAC company Carrier to integrate their offerings. The result will be a hybrid cooling solution that will use Ice&amp;'s energy storage technology to lighten energy use during the day.Zero Motorcycles builds plant &amp;8212' The electric motorcycle company is building a new manufacturing facility in Santa Cruz, Calif. that will more than double its current production capacity. The company plans to release the first production motorcycle late next month.BlueFire Renewables nabs $10 million for biofuels &amp;8212' The company signed a purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, which will spend $10 million to buy BlueFire shares, giving the biofuels company cash to work with.SmartSynch launches prepaid meter service &amp;8212' The smart grid operator has teamed with PayGo for an offering that allows customers to pay as they go on their electricity service. Utilities that opt into the program will use smart meters to reflect how much money the customer has left on the meter, and PayGo will allow them to immediately top off their account. The solution is ideal for the economically challenged, those who want flexible payment options or temporary residents like college students and interns.Next Story: With Amazon Tote, Amazon.com wants to set a weekly shopping date Previous Story: Barnes &amp;038' Noble to discontinue Nook 3GPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: biofuels, electric vehicles, energy storage, Smart GridCompanies: BlueFire Renewables, Carrier, Ice Energy, PayGo, Smartsynch, Zero Motorcycles          Tags: biofuels, electric vehicles, energy storage, Smart GridCompanies: BlueFire Renewables, Carrier, Ice Energy, PayGo, Smartsynch, Zero MotorcyclesIris 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). 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[To Date, U.S. Online Holiday Spending Up 12 Percent To $16.8&nbsp'Billion]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-date-u-s--online-holiday-spending-up-12-percent-to-16-8nbspbillion</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-date-u-s--online-holiday-spending-up-12-percent-to-16-8nbspbillion</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=to-date-u-s--online-holiday-spending-up-12-percent-to-16-8nbspbillion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[comScore just released its weekly data regarding U.S. online spending for the first 33 days of the November and December holiday season and the numbers are still strong following record breaking Cyber Monday and Black Friday sales. To date, consumers have spent $16.8 billion online, a 12 percent increase from the same period last year.The day after Cyber Monday, Tuesday, November 30' reached $911 million in online spending, making it the third heaviest online spending day on record. Wednesday ($868 million) and Thursday ($850 million) of last week also were strong e-commerce sales days as well. comScore says that larger retailers are doing particularly well this season, with the growth in spending for the holiday season remaining primarily from the top 25 online retailers. These e-retailers have seen seen their total dollar sales grow 20 percent while small and mid-sized retailers&amp;' sales have been flat. The top 25 retailers have gained 4.2 points of market share to a level of 67.8 percent since the 2009 holiday season.The company also held a survey amongst consumers on the importance of social media in purchasing decisions. When 500 internet users were asked how much they agreed with the statement a4ARecommendations from friends on social media sites are a great way to get gift ideas during the holiday season,a4 33 percent agreed with the statement compared to 24 percent who disagreed (while 43 percent remained neutral). While social media is definitely gaining ground as a place for product recommendations, the market is still young and has much more room to grow. Of course, the rise in spending this year during the holidays isn&amp;'t all that surprising considering the slightly better conditions in the economy. And as more and more consumers look online for deals (as opposed to in brick and mortar stores), e-retail sales have risen as well. comScore predicted that total online spending for the season would increase 11 percent to $32.4 billion this year, so we still have $16 billion to go. CrunchBase InformationcomScoreInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Call of Duty Black Ops map pack keeps Activision&'s hot franchise rolling]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=call-of-duty-black-ops-map-pack-keeps-activisionrsquos-hot-franchise-rolling</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=call-of-duty-black-ops-map-pack-keeps-activisionrsquos-hot-franchise-rolling</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=call-of-duty-black-ops-map-pack-keeps-activisionrsquos-hot-franchise-rolling</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For armchair soldiers everywhere, today really ought to be a holiday. Activision Blizzard has released a new set of multiplayer maps for the Call of Duty Black Ops combat game. Hundreds of thousands of people are already playing it on the Xbox 360 game console. There&amp;'s just no point in going to work.As proven by last yeara4a4s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 map packs, the launch of this kind of downloadable content is as huge as a new blockbuster game. While $14.99 may not seem like a lot of dough a4&quot; a movie ticket doesna4a4t cost much less these days a4&quot; the map pack&amp;'s release will likely dent sales of new games.Thanks to the map packs, the hot-selling online warfare game, whose sales racked up $650 million in five days when it launched in November and have already topped a record-setting $1 billion, will get a further boost from today&amp;'s worldwide release. The first Black Ops map pack, Call of Duty Black Ops First Strike, is available exclusively on Microsofta4a4s Xbox Live online service.As we noted before, if video games are the new Hollywood, map packs and downloadable content are smart way to satisfy the insatiable thirst that some gamers have for sequels. Instead of coming years later, though, these downloadable expansions to existing games keep players addicted to a recently released title. The new map pack will certainly keep me busy. In the past 84 days, I&amp;'ve played the full single-player campaign and risen to the equivalent of level 80 in multiplayer (in Black Ops, you can rise to level 50 in multiplayer and then you start again).The map pack will likely create a log jam on Xbox Live today as gamers download the map pack for $14.99, or 1,200 Microsoft points.For the video-game industry, the impact will be obvious. Februarya4a4s retail sales numbers a4&quot; which are likely to be low because of a shortage of Xbox 360 consoles and Kinect motion-control systems a4&quot; may be weaker than usual since the downloadable map packs are not counted in retail sales figures produced by market researcher NPD. Electronic Arts will have to put up a good fight with Activision Blizzard, as EA just launched Dead Space 2 and the PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2, both big releases. Sony, meanwhile, has launched Little Big Planet 2.The rest of us are going to feel the impact, from workplace absences to empty beds. As we noted before, spouses of gamers may care about this so they can plan their solo vacations and make sure they dona4a4t expect any romantic holidays around Feb. 1. (Yes, it was nice of Activision Blizzard not to schedule this on Valentine&amp;'s Day). On top of that, map packs consume the time of hardcore gamers as they extend the value of online play with new multiplayer arenas. A year ago, the two map packs for the previous Call of Duty game, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, sold more than 20 million units. That generated roughly $300 million in sales for Activision Blizzard.Whata4a4s in these packs that promises to hold gamersa4a4 attentions The First Strike maps will include four settings: Discovery, in the Antarctic research station that is a scene in the game' Kowloon, set on the rooftops of the district of Hong Kong' Berlin Wall, featuring a firefight at Checkpoint Charlie' and Stadium, set in an American hockey rink. It also includes a Zombie map dubbed Ascension.Kowloon looks cool with a a4Azip linea4 you can slide down to move quickly from one end of the map to another. The Discovery map has a snow bridge that can be blown up with a grenade. Berlin Wall has more room for sniping and a a4Ano mana4a4s landa4 in the middle that is covered by auto-turret machine guns. The Stadium game is a short-range map where tactical insertion, or finding a key point to enter the map, is important. Dan Bunting of developer Treyarch says that users wanted more vertical movement through buildings, more opportunities for long-range sniping, and interactivity.Clearly, Activision Blizzard planned this map pack in advance. Last year, Activision said the downloadable map packs for the Call of Dutyfranchise had soldmore than 20 million units. But the first map pack for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 wasna4a4t ready until March 30, or 4.5 months after the first game debuted.This time, Activision Blizzard is debuting the first map pack for Black Ops just 84 days after the debut of the game itself. The pack is out just in time, as the old maps were starting to get a little boring for me.To celebrate the launch, the companies are hosting a &amp;''Grudge Match&amp;'' on Xbox Live, where football stars Arian Foster of the Houston Texans and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars will lead teams (along with Treyarch studio members) in matches on Xbox Live.Check out the video preview of the map pack below.Next Story: Yahoo Mail singled out as Windows Phone 7 data vampire (updated) Previous Story: Online video skeptic Mark Cuban invests in Web video company Revision3PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Call of Duty Black Ops, First Strike map packCompanies: Activision Blizzard, Treyarch          Tags: Call of Duty Black Ops, First Strike map packCompanies: Activision Blizzard, TreyarchDean 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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