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<title>Haaze.com / sbress21 / Published News</title>
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<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
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<title><![CDATA[Windows 8 premiere raises more questions than answers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-premiere-raises-more-questions-than-answers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-premiere-raises-more-questions-than-answers</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sbress21</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-premiere-raises-more-questions-than-answers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The successor toWindows 7 debuted today at the D9 conference, and so far it appears to beWindows Phone 7's interface and tile-style of app management bolted on top of Windows 7. Code-named &quot;Windows 8&quot; by Microsoft, the next-generation operating system is notable for two features: it's the first major attempt by the operating system giants to elevate a mobile OS to desktop status, and it's expected to be touch-friendly and work seamlessly ontablets, desktops, and laptops.Like Windows Phone, Windows 8 on tablets (and every other platform for that matter) has a screen of &amp;34'Live Tiles&amp;34' that provide rich data and launch deeper apps. Users can slide the tiles around on the screen.(Credit:Rafe Needleman/CNET)This Windows 8 preview video from Jensen Harris, director of program management for Windows, certainly looks impressive. The &quot;app tiles&quot; concept from Windows Phone 7 has been blown up, expanded to suit a larger, horizontal screen. In many ways, this makes sense. Having a persistent, real-time weather or traffic feature on your desktop is something that you can now achieve with a multitude of programs and widgets, but making them look and feel like mobile apps better positions Windows to reach younger consumers whose first computing experience is likely to be a high-powered tablet or phone, not a 186 running DOS.Windows 8 also appears to meld Windows 7's file-sharing tools to the friendlier, touch-tacular mobile interface. You can easily tap locally stored and networked photos to select them, adding them to your albums, the implication being that this would work for documents, videos, and music. Perhaps the world is, in fact, ready for a dual-input computer, one that you can use a keyboard and mouse with as naturally as you can tap, swipe, and pinch its screen. This is definitely one aspect of Windows 8 that must be watched.Most importantly for legacy Windows users, including all of us on Windows 7, getting to the Windows 7-based view is simple. All you'll have to do is swipe up from the bottom of the screen, although it's not really clear how well this would work with a mouse. Windows 7 programs are expected to work on this new version, said Steven Sinofsky, president of Windows, although this doesn't jibe with what we heard at Mix 2011 about Internet Explorer 10. The next version of IE, at least as of April, was not expected to work on pre-Windows 8 computers. What's more logical to conclude, although not guaranteed, of course, is that the Windows 8-specific features of Internet Explorer 10 won't function in Windows 7 or older, although the more traditional aspects of the browser will.Another important nod to current users is that legacy Windows 7 hardware is expected to support Windows 8--again, at least so far. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Microsoft could pull an Apple here and force people who want to upgrade to buy newer hardware.So, we've got probable legacy hardware support, potentially easy access to the traditional interface, what appears to be some smart sharing features, and a nifty split keyboard for mobile usability. We also know that there are questions surrounding programs, how many major core Windows legacy programs will be supported, and how the traditional Windows 7 programs that do work on Windows 8 will function under the greasy touch of a finger when they currently require the precise control of a mouse.Screenshot of Windows 8(Credit:via AllThingsD)That leaves us with the two biggest questions, ones that will only get answered once consumers get their hands on whatever Windows 8 winds up getting called. The first is, do people really want a dual-operating system setup BlueStacks seems to think so, offering an intriguing marriage of Windows 7 and Android, but that hasn't hit the public yet. Although Microsoft says that the integration between the HTML5 and JavaScript-powered Windows Phone 7 side and the traditional Windows 7 side is tighter than many would expect, that doesn't mean that a double-dose of Windows is the upgrade people want.Riding the tail of that question, we're also left wondering whether Windows Phone 7 has had the kind of consumer impact that warrants this elevation. According to Neilsen market research, Windows Phone 7 commands only 1 percent of the U.S. smartphone marketshare, and as CNET's Donald Bell noted during CNET's Live Blog of the Windows 8 reveal at D9 (read the transcript here), the WP7 interface is the successor to the discontinued ZuneHD.There's too many reasons that this isn't &quot;Vista II: Electric Boogaloo.&quot; Windows 7, and this successor, are both Microsoft's first hardware-downgrade compatible operating systems in more than a decade. That means that the new operating system will run on less than cutting-edge hardware. Windows 7 is also a proven, successful base to bolt a more touch-friendly interface to, a critically acclaimed one that users have demonstrated they want by the still-increasing Windows 7 adoption rates in the marketplace, more than a year and a half after its release.Were Apple to do this--bolting the popular and intuitive iOS on top of OS X with a smooth way to transition between the two--there would be far fewer uncertainties. Still, hedging bets on a look and feel that has not set the world on fire is a gutsy move, and congratulations are due to Microsoft for being the first to attempt it. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Small charities get TLC from mobile mentors]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=small-charities-get-tlc-from-mobile-mentors</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=small-charities-get-tlc-from-mobile-mentors</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 07:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sbress21</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=small-charities-get-tlc-from-mobile-mentors</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new network employing mobile devices and social networks wants to make it easier for small charitable organizations to raise the money they need to help their causes.MobileCause, a Web service for nonprofit fundraising in the social-media age, has launched a new mobile mentor program, One by One, in an effort &quot;to increase mobile philanthropy and provide essential mobile tools free-of-charge to smaller nonprofits.&quot;According to MobileCause's stats, of the more than 1.5 million established nonprofits in the United States, more than 50 percent raise less than $500,000 a year from donations because they don't have the budget to cash in on a diversity of fundraising tools in the Information Age.  So, MobileCause will provide an online, mobile giving setup allowing large and medium nonprofits to support a charity of their choosing. The hope is that mentoring and support will provide hundreds of early-stage and smaller charities access to various mobile solutions they couldn't use previously.Here's how it works: A supporting charity signs up for MobileCause. That larger charity must have raised more than $500,000 during their prior fundraising fiscal year and sign up for MobileCause's Pro or Starter Package. Once signed up, they can then nominate a smaller charity with annual revenues under $500,000 to receive the MobileCause Intro Package. The normal monthly fee and mobile messaging charges will be waived.The Intro package includes non-carrier billing options and a variety of tools for building mobile lists and communicating through social networks, smartphones, and so on. MobileCause puts the value to a recipient charity at more than $1,300 over the course of a year. MobileCause will be implementing the One by One mobile mentor program as a permanent offer.At first glance, they system might seem like a little bit of a charity pyramid scheme. But MobileCause is too well-established and has taken legitimate roles in support of NPR and disaster relief efforts around the world. It's not a scam and could prove a useful tool for local or regional charities struggling to tap into a larger fundraising pool during tough economic times. The bottom line is, if it can help people in need without presenting major obstacles to under-equipped/well-meaning nonprofits, more power to One by One.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple reportedly rejecting apps with install perks]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-reportedly-rejecting-apps-with-install-perks</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-reportedly-rejecting-apps-with-install-perks</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sbress21</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-reportedly-rejecting-apps-with-install-perks</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tapjoy&amp;39's favor system inside an iOS application. Users can download and launch applications to gain in-game currency.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Following murmurs of Apple making changes to its App Store ranking algorithms to devalue the effect of downloads alone, new claims have been made that Apple is actively rejecting applications that include features designed to boost installations.A letter sent to developers by Tapjoy, a company that runs a program that promises to &quot;drive 100,000-plus app installs daily&quot; as well as grow revenue by 100 percent, said that an unspecified number of applications making use of the promotional program were being rejected by Apple.&quot;To be clear, there is no new Apple policy that we are aware of,&quot; wrote Mihir Shah, Tapjoy's president and CEO, in the letter picked up by VentureBeat. &quot;It seems there may be a new interpretation of the existing 3.10 clause, which is a bit surprising, as Tapjoy, AdMob, iAd, Flurry, W3i and others all power various forms of app install advertising.&quot;The 3.10 clause Shah is referring to is part of Apple's App Store Guidelines, which highlight manipulating and cheating of user reviews and chart ranking within the App Store, threatening to ban offenders:3.10 Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program.Shah said if that was the case, it was a &quot;misconception&quot; by Apple about the company's pay-per-install program, as well as others like it. &quot;We believe there are significant benefits to the advertiser (only pay for what you get), the publisher (monetize users who otherwise wouldn't pay), and perhaps most importantly to the users, who not only get to discover new, exciting applications, but receive what is essentially a coupon for ad-funded virtual currency inside one of their favorite apps,&quot; Shah wrote. &quot;All of this, of course, adds up to value for Apple as well, by creating a viable and thriving ecosystem.&quot;Despite Tapjoy's claims, not all these companies are convinced Apple has made sweeping changes to its reviews system to bar such features from applications. W3i, a company that offers a similar pay-per-install advertising program, would be a likely target. But company spokesman Ryan Ruud told CNET that &quot;it's too early for us to speculate on alleged rejections or changes to Apple's policy.&quot; Like Tapjoy, W3i's pay-per-install advertising program gives developers and publishers a way to promote applications through its network of participating applications that offer in-game points and rewards to users. The company would not say how many iOS applications make use of the system, but based on the promise of being able to &quot;crack&quot; the Top 25 app lists on multiple platforms, and claims of pushing more than 1.5 million total application installs per day, it's safe to say the number is high. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether it was barring applications that made use of such features. CNET also reached out to Flurry, Google-owned AdMob, and Tapjoy for more information about the scale of any rejections for applications that make use of the two systems.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Report: Apple clamping down on App Store content]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-clamping-down-on-app-store-content</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-clamping-down-on-app-store-content</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sbress21</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-clamping-down-on-app-store-content</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Apple is reportedly clamping down on apps downloaded through its App Store.The company has told some app developers that they can no longer sell content within their apps or give app users access to content purchased outside the Apple App Store, according to a New York Times report.Apple recently rejected aniPhone app that would have allowed customers to purchase and read e-books sold through the Sony Reader Store, and Apple told Sony that all in-app purchases would now go through Apple, Steve Haber, president of Sony's digital reading division, told the newspaper. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The new policy would effectively cut off Amazon.com and other companies that sell e-readers that compete withApple's iPad, the Times noted. Many e-readers offer mobile apps that allow content purchased in their online stores to be read on other devices, including the iPad. Last year, Amazon released a free Kindle app for iPad and othertablets, allowing users of tablets other than Amazon's Kindle access to more than 450,000 e-books.Apple--already the biggest music retailer in the world--might now be turning its eye toward conquering the e-book market, which Amazon currently dominates. Apple is rumored to be looking to expand its market for digital media consumption on its tablet with a news venture with News Corp. featuring content exclusively for the iPad. News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch is expected to announce the partnership with Apple on Wednesday in New York. A tightening hold over the App Store would also appear to upset a recent dtente Apple has created with app developers, who were often left frustrated and in the dark when an app was rejected by the App Store. But Apple recently announced plans to publish its App Store Review Guidelines and to allow developers to create applications with just about any tool they want. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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