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<title>Haaze.com / winstonddd / Published News</title>
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<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 07:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Clearwire losses mount despite subscriber growth]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-losses-mount-despite-subscriber-growth</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-losses-mount-despite-subscriber-growth</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 May 2011 07:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winstonddd</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-losses-mount-despite-subscriber-growth</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Clearwire's revenue grew as it added loads of new subscribers in the first quarter of 2011. But the wireless company's losses widened as it spent more to grow its business. Clearwire, which is building a nationwide 4G wireless network, today reported losses of $227 million, or 93 cents a share in the first quarter, compared with a loss of $94 million, or 47 cents a share, during the first quarter of 2010. But revenue more than doubled to $242 million as the company added a record 1.8 million subscribers during the quarter. It now serves a total of 6.1 million subscribers on its network, compared to about 971,000 subscribers during the same quarter last year.Analysts had expected the company to lose 53 cents per share on revenue of $237 million, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters. Clearwire is benefiting from a growing appetite for broadband wireless services, but the growth is coming at a hefty expense. The company's operating expenses rose 81 percent to $929.6 million.The company has been slashing costs and revising growth plans to stem losses. Last month, it settled a wholesale pricing dispute with Sprint Nextel, its largest wholesale customer and majority owner. The deal provided Clearwire with much needed cash and also helped further cement Sprint's commitment to the company.Sprint uses the Clearwire 4G wireless network, which uses a technology called WiMax for its 4G smartphones and services. Sprint had a head start in the 4G market, but is facing stiff competition from Verizon Wireless, which launched its 4G network using a technology called LTE in December. This summer AT&amp;T is also expected to launch its 4G network that uses LTE technology.As part of its cost cutting, Clearwire is scaling back some of its retail activity. And earlier today it announced that it would cancel its prepaid service called Rover. Clearwire announced Rover in August. The service was aimed at the youth market and offered several prepaid options including a $5 daily, $20 weekly, and $50 monthly prepaid service without a contract. The company was selling the 4G USB data stick for $100 and the 4G hot spot Puck for $150.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Angry Birds adapts to Super Bowl, fragmentation]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-adapts-to-super-bowl-fragmentation</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-adapts-to-super-bowl-fragmentation</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winstonddd</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-adapts-to-super-bowl-fragmentation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rovio Mobile&amp;39's Angry Birds for Android is getting an in-app payment mechanism.(Credit:Rovio Mobile)Angry Birds developer Rovio Mobile has released a new version of its popular game that comes with a Super Bowl tie-in and tackles the thorny issue of Android fragmentation.Version 1.5.1 of the bird-flinging game for Google Android and Apple iOS devices apparently comes with an element to promote an upcoming &quot;Rio&quot; version of the game due to arrive in March. &quot;Watch the Super Bowl XLV, and keep your eyes peeled during the fourth quarter: spot the Rio commercial and you might see a little something to find something special in Angry Birds,&quot; Rovio said in a blog post today.On a more routine note, the new version comes with 30 more levels of pig constructions to demolish. And deeper down, the new version comes with two other changes.Rovio and Google take on fragmentation First, according to the release notes on the Android Market is a &quot;graphics toggle for lower-end devices.&quot; This fulfills the promise Rovio Mobile made when it discovered its earlier Angry Birds didn't work well on lower-end Android devices.Android fragmentation takes several forms: differing processor power, screen size and performance, operating system version, memory size, keyboard type, and button placement. Google is trying to smooth over some of the issues with a new interface, called the fragment of all things, set to debut in Android 3.0 &quot;Honeycomb.&quot;Apple has minimized resolution complications by exactly doubling the number of pixels in each dimension of theiPhone 4's screen, a move that makes some simple doubling math work to ease compatibility. Android devices use a much broader variety of screen sizes, though, even before the new generation oftablets arrive, and Google has sought to build a more flexible user interface foundation that automatically adapts elements such as menu options to screen sizes.The fragment element goes farther, though, according to a blog post last week by Dianne Hackborn, aGoogle Android programmer. Evidently willing to face the issue head on, she remarked, &quot;Fragmentation for all!&quot;&quot;For developers starting work on tablet-oriented applications designed for Android 3.0, the new Fragment API is useful for many design situations that arise from the larger screen. Reasonable use of fragments should also make it easier to adjust the resulting application's UI to new devices in the future as needed--for phones, TVs, or wherever Android appears,&quot; Hackborn said.Google is working on backporting the feature from Honeycomb to earlier versions of Android, trying to reach back as far back as 1.6, she added. That would mean--assuming mobile phone makers and operators actually released the updates for these older phones--that programmers might have somewhat less of a fragmentation problem to worry about.In-app operator-based purchasingSecond, the new version has an in-app purchase system on Android devices that bypasses the Android Market and uses operator billing via SMS instead. Operator billing is convenient for the many parts of the world where credit cards are not commonplace.&quot;We are bringing Angry Birds players on Android the option of purchasing the Mighty Eagle and other cool new content in the future using our brand new payment system, Bad Piggy Bank,&quot; Rovio said. &quot;Bad Piggy Bank purchases will be paid through operator billing. No credit card is required, you simply select the content you want to purchase in the game, and select the Bad Piggy Bank icon. You confirm your purchase, the payment is made via SMS, and you will be charged in your phone bill.&quot;The move triggered concern among some would-be fans.&quot;Beware of a game that all of a sudden wants access to your SMS and MMS service. No thanks. Game is good, but not that good. Won't update til fixed!!&quot; wrote Android Market commenter AJB. Rovio had this assurance in its blog post: &quot;Angry Birds does not use the SMS functionality of the device for any other purpose than Bad Piggy Bank payments.&quot; But that didn't mollify some.&quot;Sorry. You roll out the functionality and only offer explanation after the uproar. Now I don't trust you. Period. A 'we only use SMS for...' statement on your blog is not a legally binding commitment,&quot; said Stacy Wisegarver in a comment on Rovio's blog. &quot;You're off my phone.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[So long Zune, thanks for all the tunes]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=so-long-zune-thanks-for-all-the-tunes</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=so-long-zune-thanks-for-all-the-tunes</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winstonddd</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=so-long-zune-thanks-for-all-the-tunes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[After trying (and failing) time and again to take on Apple&amp;'s iPod, Microsoft is finally killing off its Zune media player, a source tells Bloomberg&amp;'s Dina Bass.As a Zune fan who is well aware of how much Microsoft struggled in the media player arena, the news doesn&amp;'t exactly come as a shock &amp;8212' but it remains disappointing.Microsoft started off slow with the ugly first-generation Zune, but with its sleeker second-generation model, I thought it had delivered a worthy iPod alternative. And no matter how you look at it, the Zune HD is a gorgeous little media player &amp;8212' one that perhaps came too late to make a difference for Microsoft.Still, Zune&amp;'s software legacy will continue to live on. The Zune HD&amp;'s flashy interface served as the basis for Windows Phone 7&amp;'s gorgeous &amp;''Metro&amp;'' user interface, and Zune&amp;'s impact has also made its way to Microsoft&amp;'s Xbox 360. It&amp;'s also worth mentioning that Microsoft&amp;'s Zune software is among the  best media players on Windows, especially compared to iTunes. The Zune desktop software will still continue to serve as the way Windows Phone 7 owners synchronize their devices.Microsoft will continue to sell its Zune HD and second-generation Zune models, but it has no plans to unveil new Zunes. That&amp;'s a shame, because I can easily see Microsoft offering a new Zune equivalent to the iPod Touch that would basically be a Windows Phone 7 device without phone capabilities.Microsoft wouldn&amp;'t comment on new Zune hardware, Bass later tweeted, and instead emphasized its strategy on the Zune ecosystem as a whole.Via Business Insider' photo via Robert NelsonNext Story: HP promises profitable growth and returns for decades to come Previous Story: Web star Felicia Day speaks up for online anonymityPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: ipod, media player, MP3, zunePeople: Dina Bass          Tags: ipod, media player, MP3, zunePeople: Dina BassDevindra 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.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Grockit hires strategy exec as ed-tech turfwar heats up]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=grockit-hires-strategy-exec-as-ed-tech-turfwar-heats-up</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=grockit-hires-strategy-exec-as-ed-tech-turfwar-heats-up</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winstonddd</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=grockit-hires-strategy-exec-as-ed-tech-turfwar-heats-up</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The classroom is no place for fighting. Unless it&amp;'s between education startups.In a move that signals an aggressive expansion into the online learning platform market, social learning startupGrockit is hiring Rusty Greiff as chief strategy and development officer. Greiff (pictured) has worked in test-prep and education technology companies for 15 years and had a hand in launching the AmeriCorps program for the Clinton Administration. He also oversaw national educational and technology advocacy campaigns for Senator John Kerry. At Grockit, Greiff will be responsible for strategic growth and large-scale revenue partnerships, including platform licensing agreements, co-branded test prep services and integrated white-label solutions for large education companies.The hire is the latest move in a what could soon become an education-technology turfwar, in which a handful of online learning companies are beginning to encroach on each othersa4a4 territories.To glimpse the near future of the edtech sector, take a look at the present consumer Internet industry: the Big Boys on the Web a4&quot; Google, Facebook and Apple a4&quot; all started out providing completely unrelated services (search, social networking, and computers). Now theya4a4re fiercely competing in the overlapping territories of ad serving and mobile software.Something similar is happening in edtech. Knewton pioneered the online test-prep platform. Khan Academy is building the worlda4a4s education content library. Grockit forged the social learning platform. But all three companies are increasingly competing on content and adaptive learning, and they&amp;'ll soon be courting many of the same students and educational organizations as clients. The learning platform sector is on the brink of war.Grockit CEO Roy Gilbert is keeping his company focused on its main differentiator.a4AOur core belief &amp;8212' and this is backed up in educational research &amp;8212' is that one of the best ways to learn new things is to leverage the power of social interactions with peers and experts,&amp;'' Gilbert says. &amp;''Most technology companies in this space are trying to find ways to serve the best content to a student' we think that the better approach is to create a platform where a community can work together to learn and grow.a4For the time being, Grockit is firmly in control of the social learning territory. Although the non-profit Khan Academy uses some social gaming techniques like points and badges, it doesn&amp;'t provide simultaneous drilling and chat the way Grockit does.Knewton has made no move to launch social learning tools. However, test-prep has long been a theater of competition between Knewton and Grockit, and both sides are amassing arms on another front: the white-label learning platform.Like Grockit, Knewton has hopes of making a broad impact on education by opening up its learning platform to schools, teachers and education companies. Though the two specialize in different aspects a4&quot; Knewton is purely adaptive learning while Grockit is also a social learning platform a4&quot; their prospective customers arena4a4t likely to license both of them.Gilbert is staying focused on both theaters of the war. He says everything on the current Grockit website and all feature releases planned for this year a4Aserve two business objectives: producing a cutting-edge, rich test prep experience for individual students while simultaneously showcasing a platform that can be used by universities, companies, and more.&amp;''Meanwhile, Gilbert&amp;'s new hire has been busy going after customers.a4ARusty has already introduced Grockit to potential partners in mobile consumer services, virtual learning environments like online universities, post-secondary institutions, community colleges, major metropolitan school districts, e-learning companies, work-force training companies, home-schooling and community-based organizations,a4 Gilbert says. a4ASome of these partnerships are already active and will soon be announced.a4To date, the few conferences and mixers in the emerging edtech community have been characterized by the sort of warm, mutually supportive tone typical of the non-profit education sector. That tone could soon take a competitive turn as the rivalries heat up andthe race to produce better learning platforms accelerates. This war could be a beautiful thing for students.Previous Story: Verizon promises LTE 4G in 147 US cities by year endPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: edtech, educationCompanies: Grockit, Khan Academy, KnewtonPeople: Roy Gilbert, Rusty Greiff          Tags: edtech, educationCompanies: Grockit, Khan Academy, KnewtonPeople: Roy Gilbert, Rusty GreiffMatt Bowman is a freelance event producer and writer covering the global Silicon Valley and formerly served in the Teach For America Corp. 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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