
<?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 / Anita02 / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Verizon iPhone boosts Apple's smartphone share]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-iphone-boosts-apples-smartphone-share</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-iphone-boosts-apples-smartphone-share</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>uzet1</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-iphone-boosts-apples-smartphone-share</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:James Martin/CNET)As Apple and Verizon's quarterly earnings noted,iPhone 4 sales have been brisk. How brisk A new report put out by the NPD Group earlier today put Apple in third place in U.S. smartphone sales during the first quarter of this year. Apple came in behind Samsung and LG, but did better than HTC, Motorola, and Research In Motion. During the quarter, NPD says Apple nabbed 14 percent of sales, due in large part to the launch of the iPhone on Verizon's network in February.&quot;Apple and Verizon had a very successful launch of the iPhone 4, which allowed the iPhone to expand its market share that was previously held back by its prolonged carrier exclusivity with AT&amp;T,&quot; said Ross Rubin, NPD's executive director of industry analysis in a statement.Rubin said some of that growth &quot;came at the expense of the Android OS&quot; even though phones running Google's mobile phone OS made up half of the devices sold in the three months counted. According to NPD's data, this was the first time Android's overall sales shrunk, going down to 50 percent from 53 percent the previous quarter. RIM's BlackBerry OS share also dropped to 14 percent of sales, down from 19 percent the previous quarter. Eating into those numbers was Apple, with iOS jumping 9 points to rest at 28 percent of smartphone sales, due to combined sales of the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS, both of which NPD includes in the top five sellers.During the quarter, NPD says that unit sales of smartphones went up 8 percent from the previous quarter, with a 1 percent drop of total handset sales. With that push, NPD says this is the first time smartphones made up the majority of handset purchases in the U.S. at 54 percent of sales. But what about the next few months A report by research firm Nielsen earlier this week found that 20 percent of those it surveyed in the U.S. were unsure about what their next smartphone purchase will be. Thirty-one percent of consumers surveyed plan to buy an Android-based smartphone in the next year, with 30 percent going with Apple's iPhone instead. Rounding out that survey was RIM's BlackBerry at 11 percent of expected purchases, and Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 platform at 6 percent. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Report: Foxconn workers charged for iPad 2 leaks]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-foxconn-workers-charged-for-ipad-2-leaks</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-foxconn-workers-charged-for-ipad-2-leaks</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jimmynmjnn</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-foxconn-workers-charged-for-ipad-2-leaks</guid>
<description><![CDATA[An iPad 2 mock-up at CES 2011, three months ahead of Apple&amp;39's official unveiling.(Credit:Engadget )Three employees of Foxconn, which manufactures Apple products and other electronics, are said to have been charged for violating the company's trade secret agreement by allegedly leaking design details ofApple's iPad 2 ahead of its release.Citing reporting from Chinese-language source Sznews, Digitimes says the three employees were arrested by local police in Shenzhen, China near the end of December of last year, and were formally charged last week. The alleged leaks gave several accessory makers time to draw up designs ahead of the iPad 2's unveiling. While some of those designs did not match up to what Apple eventually unveiled on March 2, a handful nailed features like the cameras, rounded back, relocated speaker and microphone, and thinner enclosure. Foxconn, which is part of Hon Hai Precision Industries, produces theiPhone, iPad, and MacBooks for Apple along with consumer electronics for other companies including, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Microsoft, Sony, and Samsung. The company employs more than a million workers in China, and is in talks with Brazil to expand its operations to South America as part of a reported $12 billion investment.Following controversy over worker suicides at the manufacturer, Apple, Dell and HP began investigations into working conditions. Apple released its report based on audits of 127 facilities back in February. Foxconn has since raised worker wages, with Apple working to train workers and supervisors alike in worker rights, labor laws, and safety measures.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Apple tops Microsoft's quarterly sales, profits]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-tops-microsofts-quarterly-sales-profits</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-tops-microsofts-quarterly-sales-profits</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>avoslaiz</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-tops-microsofts-quarterly-sales-profits</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With Microsoft's third fiscal quarter results out, it's time to compare the company to its longtime technology rival: Apple managed to come out on top of Microsoft in terms of sales and profits. Apple, which reported its second fiscal quarter earnings last week, posted revenues of $24.67 billion with a net income of $5.99 billion. By comparison, Microsoft's just announced results put it at $16.43 billion with a net income of $5.23 billion.Apple's most recently completed fiscal quarter ended March 26, 2011. Microsoft's ended March 31, 2011.Apple made waves back in May, passing Microsoft in market capitalization. In October, Apple went on to pass Microsoft in revenues as well. Some of Apple's biggest sales over the quarter were iPhones, with the company selling 18.65 million units. That number amounted to half of the company's revenues. Apple also saw considerable growth inMac sales. Comparatively, Microsoft's quarterly earnings had big gains from the Office andXbox businesses.And some remember back in 1997 when Microsoft famously bailed out Apple as part of a $150 million investment and business deal that had Apple dropping its lawsuit against the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant, and adopting Internet Explorer as the default browser. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Samsung sues Apple over 10 patents in the U.S.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-sues-apple-over-10-patents-in-the-u-s-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-sues-apple-over-10-patents-in-the-u-s-</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mikaela27</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-sues-apple-over-10-patents-in-the-u-s-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Adding to its lawsuits against Apple in three other countries, Samsung has filed another against theiPhone andMac maker, this time in the U.S.The suit, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California San Jose division, and picked up by Bloomberg, accuses Apple of infringing on 10 of its patents. One of those patents includes the capability to use the Web while on a phone call, a feature Apple's touted in its advertisements for the GSM version of the iPhone.The suit targets iPhones going all the way back to the 3G, as well as theiPod Touch, and first- and second-generation iPads. Samsung is seeking damages caused by Apple for its alleged infringements in these devices.Apple launched a multi-prong lawsuit against Samsung earlier this month, claiming the company was infringing on its patents, as well as copying Apple's design and other intellectual property. Apple's suit takes aim at Samsung's Galaxy series of smartphones and tablets, as well as other devices made by the South Korea-based company. Samsung responded in kind last week, launching lawsuits against Apple in Tokyo' Manheim, Germany' and Seoul South Korea. &quot;Samsung is continuing to respond actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business,&quot; the company said in a statement released to CNET.An Apple representative declined to comment on the latest suit, instead referring to the claims made against Samsung in its filing earlier this month.  As mentioned in previous coverage, Apple and Samsung are longtime business partners, with Apple once investing millions into the company's display business. During Apple's quarterly earnings call last week, Apple COO Tim Cook noted that the company was Samsung's largest customer and that Samsung was &quot;a very valued component supplier for us.&quot; Apple's suit specifically targets Samsung's mobile communications business. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Reports: White iPhone 4 thicker than black version]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reports-white-iphone-4-thicker-than-black-version</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reports-white-iphone-4-thicker-than-black-version</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>insyaaland</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reports-white-iphone-4-thicker-than-black-version</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The black iPhone 4 next to the newly released white version.(Credit:Tipb.com)After a long wait, the white version of Apple'siPhone 4 finally went on sale today. Color aside, it's the same device, just with a white front and back. However reports are coming in that there is, in fact, a difference between the two versions. A MacRumors reader, iLounge, and Ryan Cash of Marketcircle who posted pictures of the two side-by-side, have found that the white version of the device is ever so slightly thicker than the black version. How much &quot;A hair,&quot; Cash said. Blog TiPb got a little more precise, measuring the difference at &quot;roughly 0.2 mm.&quot;Apple lists the depth of both devices at an even 9.3 mm on its iPhone 4 specs page. TiPb, which measured the difference, listed the white version at 9.5 mm. The depth increase is said to be small enough not to affect a number of cases both TiPb and MacRumors have tried out on the two devices, though iLounge points out that snug cases made out of hard materials without give could be problematic. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the whether there was a size difference between the two models.In an interview with All Things Digital yesterday, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller said that in making the white version of the iPhone 4, the company found it needed to rework its manufacturing processes to make it more durable. That included extra protection against UV. &quot;It's not as simple as making something white,&quot; Schiller said. &quot;There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it--how it holds up over time...but also in how it all works with the sensors.&quot;The white version of the iPhone 4 sports a clearly noticeable version of the proximity sensor, which sits just above the top speaker grille. On the black models, this is a detail that disappears with the rest of the bezel. Early imagery of the white iPhone 4 had that sensor appearing as a fine mesh of dots, akin to the way the company hides notification lights on its notebook computers. Other small changes picked up by iLounge include that the headphone and dock ports in the white version get a color treatment, with Apple opting to use a gray plastic material, presumably to better blend in with the company's bundled headphones and dock adapters. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Microsoft reveals more on plight of Netbook sales]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-reveals-more-on-plight-of-netbook-sales</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-reveals-more-on-plight-of-netbook-sales</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>andplot56</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-reveals-more-on-plight-of-netbook-sales</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft revealed more about the plight of Netbook sales in the age of theiPad during the company's third-quarter earnings conference call today. This follows statements by Intel's chief financial officer earlier in the month. A Toshiba Netbook.(Credit:Toshiba)The Redmond, Wash., software giant said today that the consumer PC market declined 8 percent in the most recent quarter and part of that was &quot;a 40 percent decline in Netbooks,&quot; according to a statement by Bill Koefoed, general manager of investor relations, during the earnings conference call.  &quot;In total, we estimate the PC market declined 1 percent to 3 percent in the third quarter,&quot; he said.At Intel, the story--or at least the emphasis--was different, with the chipmaker reporting strong PC client growth of 17 percent on April 19. In a CNET interview on April 19, Stacy Smith, Intel's chief financial officer, said this about Netbook sales: &quot;The Atom [processor] volume going into Netbooks is pretty flat quarter on quarter. Pretty flat year on year. If there's an impact withtablet cannibalization, it certainly is happening there. But even there it's still a $400 million business for us.&quot; Today, Microsoft provided more clarity. Responding to a question from an analyst, Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein explained some of the reasons for the discrepancy between Intel's relatively neutral and/or upbeat statements and Microsoft's more sober interpretation. &quot;There are some unique things going on with Intel's results...There's a few other things in terms of an extra week in the quarter,&quot; he said. &quot;They've also excluded netbooks from the PC MPU (microprocessor unit) numbers. And I think there was some appropriate inventory buildup so if you look at our numbers, it ties pretty closely from a unit perspective to what they're seeing. And obviously, we're in line with the big third party analysts as well.&quot; The last statement from Microsoft is important. Intel was questioned during its earnings conference call about why it had such robust earnings despite less upbeat analyst numbers. Whatever the case, Apple's iPad is undoubtedly having an effect on Netbook sales, as numerous reports have shown. And Intel may ultimately abet this trend as it points its Atom processor increasingly in the direction of tablets. Via Business Insider. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[RIM buys calendar specialist Tungle]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rim-buys-calendar-specialist-tungle</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rim-buys-calendar-specialist-tungle</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>barrytaytr</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rim-buys-calendar-specialist-tungle</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Screenshot by Jonathan Skillings/CNET)BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has bought Tungle, a start-up with a scheduling app that synchronizes across various calendar systems.The deal was revealed yesterday in a Tungle blog post, in which company chief Marc Gingras said his team was &quot;excited&quot; about the takeover. The financial terms of the deal between the two Canadian companies have not been revealed.&quot;This is exciting for you too as we expect the Tungle service to only get better,&quot; Gingras wrote. &quot;Our plan today is what it has always been--for Tungle to become integrated with your daily activities and be ubiquitous within the applications you're already using...As of today, the entire team is joining the ranks of RIM. It's playoff season and the Tungle team is focusing on putting the puck in the net for you, our customers.&quot;The Tungle.me service allows schedules to be synchronized across a variety of calendar platforms, including Google, Outlook, Apple iCal, Entourage forMac, Lotus Notes, Windows Live, and Yahoo. It also plugs into social networks such as Facebook, Plancast, TripIt, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The story &quot;RIM buys cross-calendar scheduling firm Tungle&quot; was originally posted at ZDNet UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Report: Apple floats $4.5 million for iCloud domain]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-floats-4-5-million-for-icloud-domain</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-floats-4-5-million-for-icloud-domain</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sleniouminori</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-floats-4-5-million-for-icloud-domain</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A cloud-based music service wouldn't be anything without a name. And Apple might have found a suitable choice.The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has acquired domain name iCloud.com from Sweden-based &quot;hybrid cloud computing&quot; provider Xcerion, GigaOm is reporting, citing an anonymous &quot;tipster.&quot; The publication's source says Apple paid $4.5 million for the domain name.Neither Xcerion nor Apple has confirmed a sale, and it's worth noting that the site's Whois data shows that Xcerion still owns the domain. However, Xcerion used to operate its cloud-based storage service on iCloud.com but, earlier this month, moved it over to CloudMe.com.Speculation abounds that Apple is nearing the launch of a cloud-based music service that would allow people to store their music libraries on the Web for access anywhere they can connect to the Internet. Last month, Amazon.com launched its own digital music locker, allowing folks to store their tracks on the Web. The Amazon service also lets people store video and e-books. However, the service launched without licensing content from record labels, potentially putting it at a disadvantage when compared with services that have licensed content and can thus deliver a more well-rounded, feature-rich offering.Last week, reports surfaced that Apple had signed a deal with Warner Music Group to license that label's content for its online service. Google, by contrast, may be partnering with streaming-music service Spotify to power its own cloud-based music platform.Neither Apple nor Xcerion immediately responded to CNET's request for comment.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mozilla overhauling Firefox graphics, JavaScript]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-overhauling-firefox-graphics-javascript</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-overhauling-firefox-graphics-javascript</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>basshaybss</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-overhauling-firefox-graphics-javascript</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In the quest for better browser speed, Mozilla has begun work on newFirefox engines for running JavaScript programs and displaying graphics.The new JavaScript engine, including a compiler called IonMonkey, is designed to run Web-based programs faster and to impose less disruption during the pesky memory-scrubbing process called garbage collection. And the graphics engine, called Azure, is intended to get along better with Windows' graphics interfaces while still working with those ofMac OS X and Linux.Says Joe Drew, who's working on Azure:Firefox 4's graphics performance is great...We're not content with &quot;great,&quot; though, and our investigations into how to make drawing even faster have revealed that some of our choices in Gecko's graphics engine aren't optimal for performance.Naturally, Azure is designed to improve the performance. It also lays the groundwork for future work in separating Mozilla processes into different memory compartments, a long-running project called Electrolysis. The compartmentalization has the potential to improve security and performance, but it requires extensive retooling of basic parts of the browser.The browser market has become hotly competitive, with Google's Chrome stealing away share of usage once held by Mozilla's Firefox and IE9 finally giving Microsoft a competitive browser again. Responding to the challenge, Mozilla has put Firefox on a Chrome-esque development fast track to try to get new features into people's hands faster.The next version, Firefox 5, is due June 21, according to release manager Christian Legnitto. But don't expect the JavaScript and graphics changes to arrive that soon.&quot;IonMonkey is currently in the design stages--David Anderson and I are studying the compiler literature and the competition and doing experiments to find out just what features IonMonkey needs. Coding is about to start,&quot; said David Mandelin, a Mozilla JavaScript engine programmer. Compilers handle the essential task of translating the programs a human wrote into the instructions a computer understands.The new JavaScript engine also is due to get a new debugging interface. That's potentially important: JavaScript programs are steadily increasing in sophistication and size, and tracking down why something isn't working is crucial for programmer productivity.And, more to the point, all the browser makers are trying furiously to court Web developers with features to make their lives easier. Web developers are the ones who ensure a Web site or Web application works on multiple browsers and takes advantages of new features.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[How to use Chrome's speech-to-text]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-use-chromes-speech-to-text</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-use-chromes-speech-to-text</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>vankkkakak</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-use-chromes-speech-to-text</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google has introduced a way that you can talk to your browser, as long as that browser is Chrome. It won't talk back, but it will do your bidding. These instructions cover the basics of the new speech-to-text feature, which is functional but has yet to be implemented widely.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[GE refrigerators go on greenhouse gas diet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>berrycrrrr</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[GE will change the gas used when pouring in foam insulation for refrigerator products, a move which will reduce greenhouse gases from production significantly.(Credit:Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET)General Electric's latest green-technology initiative will be found in unlikely place: the inside of a refrigerator. The industrial giant tomorrow will announce that it has changed its refrigerator manufacturing to use a gas that dramatically reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. GE will host an event at a Decatur, Ala., plant where the atmosphere-friendly gas has first been introduced into GE's refrigerators.The gas, called cyclopentane, is used as a blowing agent for the foam insulation poured into refrigeration products during manufacture. GE said it will spend about $16 million to convert its Decatur facility, part of a larger investment in the facility, to use cyclopentane instead of HFC 134a, a refrigerant which traps heat in the atmosphere. By switching over, GE will eliminate the same amount of greenhouse gases that 78,000cars emit in a year, representing a 99 percent reduction, according to GE. The calculations were made using EPA data for the global-warming potential of different gases and were done in conjunction with consulting company GreenOrder, a GE representative said. GE Appliances is making the switch to live up to the company's Ecomagination initiative to develop green-technology products and reduce the company's environmental footprint, said Paul Surowiec, the general manager for refrigeration at GE Appliances and Lighting. The company took a &quot;clean sheet&quot; approach to making refrigeration products to consider the performance as well as the environmental attributes from production to disposal, he said.&quot;There certainly were pockets before but we've seen a significant increase in the desire of consumers to hold us accountable for environmental stewardship,&quot; Surowiec said. &quot;We were looking for optimization from an environment and energy perspective and this one hit home.&quot;During operation, the blowing agent will improve the effectiveness of the insulation slightly, he added. GE earlier this year said it will participate in an EPA program to dispose of refrigerators so that ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases are captured when they are recycled.The company plans to introduce cyclopentane to its other refrigeration products manufactured in the U.S. by 2014.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[SAE, IEEE partner on vehicle-to-smart-grid tech]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sae-ieee-partner-on-vehicle-to-smart-grid-tech</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sae-ieee-partner-on-vehicle-to-smart-grid-tech</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>nuingrebossmancur</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sae-ieee-partner-on-vehicle-to-smart-grid-tech</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This is a sample SAE J1772 charging system and coupler, the standard connection for plug-in vehicles.(Credit:SAE International)Two of the world's leading technology standardization groups have signed an agreement to partner on vehicle-to-smart-grid standards.The memorandum of understanding has been signed by the IEEE-SA (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association) and SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers). It is essentially a first step to both organizations agreeing on future standards related to smart grids and vehicle electrification, including vehicle-to-grid communications, the organizations said today.The immediate effect is that the two groups will share draft standards on any technology relating to smart grids and &quot;vehicle electrification,&quot; with the opportunity for each to have input on those drafts.This is significant because the SAE, which includes the world's leading automotive manufacturers, has already developed 46 standards relating to electric vehicle technology and is currently developing over 30 more with the help of 24 &quot;ground vehicle electrification committees&quot; totaling over 780 members, according to the SAE.Most notably the SAE established the SAE J1772, a standard charging system and coupler for plug-in vehicles that was agreed to in 2009 and officially published in January 2010. Since then, it has been widely adopted by automakers including Ford, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.Meanwhile, the IEEE has more than 100 smart-grid standards in development, including 30 that will directly impact the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, according to the IEEE.The hope is that the collaboration will lead to definitive global technology standards for the development and use of the technology so that neither consumers nor manufacturers are inhibited by compatibility or safety issues and so that the technology can move forward faster.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Study: Electric cars, hybrids too expensive for most]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-electric-cars-hybrids-too-expensive-for-most</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-electric-cars-hybrids-too-expensive-for-most</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>InsovonDast</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-electric-cars-hybrids-too-expensive-for-most</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:U.S. Department of Energy)Despite rising prices at the pump, many consumers are still reluctant to purchase vehicles with alternative power trains because of cost and misunderstandings about the new technologies available.That's according to the J.D. Power and Associates &quot;2011 U.S. Green Automotive Study,&quot; whose primary findings were released today.The J.D. Power and Associates study was conducted in February and included interviews with over 4,000 U.S. consumers planning to buy a new vehicle within one to five years. It estimates that alternative vehicles will make up less than 10 percent of the market by 2016 despite the plethora of models expected to become available in the coming years. The study found that attitudes toward the adoption of alternative power train vehicles, which includes plug-in electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and clean diesel engines, were mainly dependent on affordability. Over 75 percent of those consumers surveyed said the main reason they would consider an alternative vehiclecar is to save on fuel. But consumers were not willing to pay a premium to be green unless it resulted in a cost benefit to them personally in the form of significant fuel savings, according to the report. &quot;While consumers often cite saving money on fuel as the primary benefit of owning an alternative power train vehicle, the reality for many is that the initial cost of these vehicles is too high, even as fuel prices in the United States approach record levels,&quot; said the report.Related links&amp;149' EV pilot programs show sticking points&amp;149' Google, DOE building definitive electric-car map&amp;149' Practicality may hinder electric-vehicle salesThat result was not so unusual. However, the J.D. Power and Associates study also found that many consumers were misinformed about technology, leading them to unwarranted negative perceptions of the new types of cars. The most amusing example of this to tech-savvy readers may be the results concerning cars with diesel engines.Many of the consumers interviewed said that diesel cars spew &quot;dirty&quot; emissions and are harmful to the environment. These people seemed unaware of the significant changes made in diesel technology, or its fuel efficiency, over the last 20 years, according to the report.&quot;Furthermore, negative perceptions of older diesel-powered vehicles continue to affect perceptions of clean diesel vehicles, as concerns about emissions and exhaust odor are mentioned frequently,&quot; said the report.Plug-in electric vehicles were the least considered vehicle among the consumers surveyed. The two most popular reasons cited for this were concerns over the limited driving range and a lack of available public charging stations.This last piece of information is significant in view of a recent study from Accenture that found a lack of use of pubic charging stations in electric-vehicle pilot programs. It's unclear whether that lack of use is simply due to governments getting infrastructure in place ahead of demand, or other factors. But the Accenture report warned that the lack of use could lead to a vicious cycle in which more charging stations are not installed, and consumers deterred from buying electric vehicles because of it.J.D. Power and Associates predicts that the U.S. market will go from 31 hybrid and electric-vehicle models available in 2009 to 159 models available by the end of 2016.With that fact in mind, the report warned, the U.S. government and companies in the U.S. market will need to make a concerted effort to bring down pricing and better educate the public on the technology if it expects these new alternative power train models to be purchased or leased.The Department of Energy is already making an effort to improve public education about alternative-fuel stations. It offers a public Alternative Fueling Station Locator tool on its Web site, and announced earlier this month it is collaborating with Google to construct a definitive map of available electric-vehicle charging stations.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Google: Renewable energy is long-term effort]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-renewable-energy-is-long-term-effort</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-renewable-energy-is-long-term-effort</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>HTattoo88</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-renewable-energy-is-long-term-effort</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Google has not given up on its goal of making renewable energy cheaper than coal for consumers but it is not predicting victory soon, its director of green business operations said. &quot;We are still moving forward,&quot; said Rick Needham, in an interview at the company's office in Washington. &quot;I think that is an important goal and a very aspirational goal, but we are doing what we can.&quot; The Internet search giant said in late 2007 it would invest hundreds of millions of dollars in solar, wind, and geothermal technologies to help make renewables cost competitive with coal, reviled by environmentalists for its emissions. Google co-founder Larry Page, now the company's chief executive, said then that the company was optimistic the goal could be met in years, not decades. The pledge was made before 2008's financial crisis depleted the number of players willing to make big investments in renewable energy. In addition it was made as hopes were on the rise that Congress would pass a comprehensive energy bill that would have put a higher price on burning coal and other fossil fuels, an effort that died in the Senate last year. Needham said today that there are a lot of opportunities in renewables but it takes time to make an impact. &quot;It takes a long-term view,&quot; he said. &quot;These are not things you spend a year or two on and say you are there.&quot; &quot;We still have several years to go and these technologies take awhile to develop and then deploy at scale,&quot; he added. Investments in generating projects In recent years Google investment in renewable-energy technology companies has tapered off while it has ramped up investment in generating projects, including two this month. It has made five major investments in renewable-energy generation projects, worth more than a combined $350 million. On April 18, the company said it would invest about $100 million in the world's largest wind farm under construction in Oregon, a $2 billion project called Shepherds Flat. A week earlier it said it was investing $168 million in BrightSource Energy's $1.7 billion-plus Ivanpah solar thermal complex in the California desert, the company's largest investment in the clean-energy sector to date. Both projects will produce power that is far more expensive than that from coal. But Google believes it can eventually help reduce the costs of renewables by spurring innovation and by showing other companies that renewables can be a good business opportunity. &quot;We would be very encouraged if other companies, even those involved in this space were willing to do more,&quot; he said. One reason Google invested in the Shepherds Flat wind farm, for instance, is because the project will deploy 2.5-megawatt wind turbines, a size of equipment not used before in the United States. Needham said success at the project could help deploy more of the turbines at other U.S. wind farms or lead to more research and development on large turbines, which could eventually make them cheaper. Google is exploring more opportunities in renewables, including enhanced geothermal, where companies would tap into heat deep underground to produce power, Needham said. Story Copyright (c) 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Web speed tests: Tablet tournament!]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-speed-tests-tablet-tournament</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-speed-tests-tablet-tournament</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bimbemarascaer23535</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=web-speed-tests-tablet-tournament</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[BlackBerry PlayBook 'bridge' app not available for AT&T]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-bridge-app-not-available-for-att</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-bridge-app-not-available-for-att</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>biophotographs</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blackberry-playbook-bridge-app-not-available-for-att</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A &amp;34'bridge&amp;34' app allows the new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to connect to a BlackBerry smartphone to access e-mail and a 3G data connection.(Credit:CNET)AT&amp;T may be putting the kibosh on an application for BlackBerry smartphones that allows users to connect their new BlackBerry PlayBooktablets to AT&amp;T's 3G wireless network for free.AT&amp;T has confirmed that the app that allows BlackBerry users to pair their RIM smartphones with the new PlayBook tablet is not currently available on AT&amp;T BlackBerry phones, a fact that limits the functionality of the device for AT&amp;T BlackBerry customers. AT&amp;T said the app isn't supported yet on its network because it hasn't fully tested the app. But some people suspect that AT&amp;T may be unhappy with how the app allows BlackBerry users to bypass its $20 tethering fee. &quot;We are working with RIM to offer the 'bridge' app to AT&amp;T customers,&quot; AT&amp;T spokesman Mark Siegel said. &quot;We've only just received the app and we're testing it now to make sure it will deliver a great experience to our customers.&quot;The &quot;bridge&quot; app, as RIM calls it, allows PlayBook users to pair their tablets with their BlackBerry smartphones. In essence it lets them get their BlackBerry e-mails, calendars, tasks, and contacts. It also offers access to the BlackBerry Messenger service. When the devices are separated, all of that potentially sensitive content stays on the phone and isn't left on the tablet. RIM says this is an important security feature for corporate IT managers. One of the perks of the bridge app is that it allows users to tether their BlackBerry smartphones to the PlayBook to get 3G wireless data access. The initial version of the PlayBook, which went on sale today, only offers Wi-Fi access. Last week at the launch party of the new PlayBook in New York City, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that the &quot;bridging&quot; app for the PlayBook was a big differentiator for the Playbook over either theiPad or other Android tablets that are sold through carriers, because the &quot;bridge&quot; app allows BlackBerry users to get 3G data access on their tablets without paying an additional fee. AT&amp;T charges $20 for tethering, which is in addition to the $25 2GB data plan for the smartphone data plan. Verizon also charges an additional $20 a month for 2GB of data to tether a tablet to its smartphones. This is in addition to the $30 a month data plan that's required for the smartphone.  &quot;Why would I pay an additional $30 a month to tether when I can use my BlackBerry with the PlayBook&quot; he said.AT&amp;T recently began cracking down on customers who were tethering their smartphones to laptops and tablets without paying the extra fee. The company has been sending e-mails to customers who they suspect of tethering without paying the extra fee, warning them that they will be charged if they don't sign up for the service themselves.Siegel said last month that AT&amp;T is able to detect how devices are being used. But he wouldn't explain how the company determines whether a smartphone is being used to connect to the Internet or whether it's used to provide Internet connectivity to other devices. But as Balsillie noted last week, one of the good things about the PlayBook from a consumer standpoint is that when the &quot;bridge&quot; app is used it essentially merges the two devices so that they're theoretically seen as one on the network. This means that AT&amp;T or any other carrier wouldn't be able to detect that a BlackBerry is being used to tether to the PlayBook. AT&amp;T's Siegel would not comment on whether AT&amp;T was preventing the app from being downloaded on their BlackBerry phones as a way to prevent users from tethering their devices. &quot;We do offer tethering plans for smartphone customers,&quot; he said. &quot;But we can't speculate on how that applies or doesn't apply here until we have tested the software.&quot;News that AT&amp;T BlackBerry phones could not use the &quot;BlackBerry Bridge&quot; was first reported on the Web site Crackberry. My colleague Nicole Lee from CNET Reviews has posted a work-around for the issue to allow AT&amp;T customers to still download the app. RIM did not return requests for comment.RIM indicated on the Web page where the &quot;bridge&quot; app can be downloaded from the BlackBerry App World market, that the app is supported on a slew of BlackBerry phones on all U.S. carriers except AT&amp;T. Still other wireless operators were a bit cagey when asked about the free tethering feature. Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, which plans to offer a 4G version of the PlayBook this summer, were unwilling to comment further on whether they approve of BlackBerry users being able to bypass tethering charges.&quot;We have announced one PlayBook--BlackBerry 4G Playbook--but not gone into specifics on the bridging app or any other features,&quot; Michelle Leff Mermelstein, a Sprint spokeswoman said via e-mail.Verizon Wireless also wouldn't directly answer questions about how BlackBerry tethering for the PlayBook may be treated differently than tethering for other smartphones and tablets on Verizon's network. Verizon has not announced plans to offer the PlayBook.In the past, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless have blocked tethering on Android smartphones. For example, my colleague Kent German of CNET Reviews points out that when the Froyo version of Android came out for the Motorola Droid and HTC Evo, Sprint and Verizon deleted the feature for those devices. And AT&amp;T has also historically not been a fan of tethering. When tethering became available for theApple iPhone in 2009, AT&amp;T waited more than a year to offer the capability for iPhones on its network. AT&amp;T didn't allow tethering for the iPhone until the iPhone 4 was launched in June.  For now, at least, it looks like BlackBerry users on Sprint, T-Mobile USA, and Verizon Wireless will be able to benefit from the free 3G wireless access. And AT&amp;T BlackBerry customers will have to wait. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[iPad 2 killer feature: The 2X factor]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-killer-feature-the-2x-factor</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-killer-feature-the-2x-factor</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2011 07:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sosteessyflelaassthma</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-killer-feature-the-2x-factor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[TheiPad 2 is &quot;winning&quot; with two double-your-fun hardware features. Buh-bye iPad 1. My iPad 2. Buh-bye iPad 1. (Credit:Brooke Crothers)After using the iPad 2 for a few weeks, I can now say the upgrade was worth it. Even waiting in line with the huddled Los Angeles masses, yearning for the iPad 2, was worth it. Allow me to insert a brief parenthetical by saying I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't mention there's always a psychological need to justify the purchase of a pricey gadget. Not unlike seeking absolution for a sin. That said, I'm pretty sure this review passes the objective, dispassionate analysis test. Let's move on. At the time of purchase, there was very little to choose from (Apple stores then were still handing out claim tickets). So, I was bamboozled (I'll play the victim) into buying the $829 Verizon 3G model with 64GB of memory (white). I upgraded from the original iPad with AT&amp;T 3G. Double the memory: This was apparent almost immediately when I first picked up the iPad. Going from a meager 256MB in the original iPad to 512MB in the iPad 2 makes a difference. Think about the terabytes (petabytes) of advice over the years from &quot;tech experts&quot; that implore people to upgrade their PC's memory to get better performance. Well, it's true. More memory provides more space for more apps to reside in, which can then be accessed by high-speed system RAM. I'll give one easy, everyday example. Web browsing is more fluid. I know this has something to do with the upgraded processor (which I'll get to below) but more memory is also playing a big role here. More specifically,Safari's version of tabbed browsing on the iPad 2 works better (no, it's not literally tabbed browsing but it's similar). When you jump between Web pages, a page that you haven't visited in a while often doesn't have to reload. That's a boon when I'm doing productivity-related stuff--and otherwise makes browsing more enjoyable. Double the cores: the iPad 2's A5 processor is a dual-core processor, compared with the single-core A4. This, by far, is the most significant aspect of the iPad 2 and often overlooked or downplayed because it's considered too techie. (What's a core) I remember when I bought my first dual-core PC (an HP nc6400 business laptop). For me, it was the single biggest step up in PC performance I had ever experienced. The iPad isn't quite that breathtaking but it's close. It's not difficult to understand why. Two processing units are usually (though not always) better at handling demanding task loads than one. Would you rather have a four-cylinder Ford Ranger or an eight-cylinder F-350 hauling a big load Not a perfect analogy but you get the idea. (Want proof Check out these benchmarks, particularly the &quot;multithreaded&quot; tests).And this applies to just about everything you do on the iPad. Launching, multitasking, Web surfing, multimedia (photos, movies). You name it. One more feature I'll mention. So far, Verizon 3G has been more consistent for me than the AT&amp;T 3G I had on the iPad 1. While I had no major complaints about the AT&amp;T 3G, it's apparent that the Verizon 3G on the iPad 2 delivers in places that I know for a fact were dead spots for AT&amp;T. So, I'm glad (so far) that I went with Verizon. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Schools supe: iPad more important than a book]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bernardvvb</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schools-supe-ipad-more-important-than-a-book</guid>
<description><![CDATA[TheiPad has enjoyed more than its fair share of hyperbole since its launch.However, perhaps the praise heaped upon it by a school superintendent from Auburn, Maine, might represent the pinnacle (thus far, at least).CNN and WGME reported that every elementary public school student in Auburn, Maine, will be getting a new iPad 2.The iPad will become a permanent tool of learning for these children.But perhaps those who haven't quite kept up with technology's pace will be perturbed at one comment made by Auburn schools Superintendent Tom Morrill. For he declared that the iPad is &quot;even more important than a book.&quot;Of course, the iPad contains within itself plenty of books. Even if those books can be quite hard to read in sunlight.But Morrill's contention seems to be that the days of the book as being held up as some indispensable tool of learning might just be coming to an end.Books have held such endearing power for a long time. So many people have been brought up to bury their noses in books in order to progress in life. It is as if within the world's libraries resided all the secrets of success, if only you could find them.Now it seems that other tools, using such revolutionary (and magical) elements such as pictures, colors, and things that move about and even talk to you with the mere touch of your finger, might become the new tools of education.Naturally, there will be those who will say that Morrill is just elated that he got a deal from Apple, giving him each iPad for a mere $475 a piece. Yes, almost a Groupon offering.There seems also to be those who believe that little kids will never be able to look after sophisticated gadgets like the iPad.But some might be cheered that even the youngest are now being taught using tomorrow's media, rather than those of centuries gone by.However, let's hope the supe keeps them away from any video games. For a recent study at Oxford University showed that gamers are much less likely to go to college.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[At Hacker Dojo, Silicon Valley techies build toward success]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-hacker-dojo-silicon-valley-techies-build-toward-success</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-hacker-dojo-silicon-valley-techies-build-toward-success</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>asttravel</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-hacker-dojo-silicon-valley-techies-build-toward-success</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Since 2009, Hacker Dojo has become a home away from home for a wide variety of Silicon Valley techies and entrepreneurs looking for a hacker space with a sense of community.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--Every day around 10 a.m., the five employees of YourVersion show up for work. Since hackers tend not to be early risers, their favorite workspace is usually still available.As a former TechCrunch 50 People's Choice winner, you'd think that the company would be well ensconced in plush Silicon Valley offices. But YourVersion, a personalized content aggregation service, is into &quot;extreme bootstrapping,&quot; said its CEO Dan Olsen. So rather than blow thousands of dollars each month on rent, he and his team gather here each morning in a funky industrial building with a decidedly hodge-podge interior aesthetic.And they're hardly the only ones. Indeed, YourVersion is joined daily by a wide variety of other techies and entrepreneurs at the Hacker Dojo, one of a growing number of so-called hacker spaces popping up in and around Silicon Valley and elsewhere. And it has quickly become a fixture in the lives of the 250 people who pay $100 a month for membership, many because the place offers members a quiet place to work, free coffee, and, perhaps most important of all, super-fast, &quot;hundred up/hundred down&quot; Internet service, said Katy Levinson, one of its five directors.A day at the Hacker Dojo (photos) Stopping by the Hacker Dojo on a gorgeous afternoon, as I did on Thursday, you could be forgiven for looking around the mostly empty rooms wondering how the place could have 250 people ponying up $100 each month. But according to Levinson, a software engineer at Google, and fellow director Brian Klug, an entrepreneur, the building is often hopping with hackers, especially in evenings and during its weekly happy hours.All around the two-level space--where every room looks different, yet where there's a common college dorm-type of feel--there are tables set up for people to hack away, whether it's individually on personal projects or in teams on the next Facebook. A few first-come, first-served &quot;cubby&quot; offices fit one person each, and a couple of giant rooms with very high ceilings can seat a couple of dozen people and their laptops.In it togetherTrying to sum up what exactly Hacker Dojo is, Levinson says the place is &quot;one-third event venue, one-third co-working space, and one-third big social living room.&quot;Being daytime during my visit, the space is mostly being used by people working on various projects. Here and there, individuals, teams of one or two, and larger groups, like the five from YourVersion are sitting at various tables, tapping away on their laptops and trying to get their work done.YourVersion was founded in Olsen's Palo Alto garage. But when he had a new baby, it became clear that &quot;you can't do two start-ups in one place,&quot; said his co-founder Chris Haase.Forced to move, the team went in search of co-working space somewhere in the Valley. But other hacker spaces cost too much, Haase said, and were even a bit too buttoned-down for the team's tastes. When they finally found Hacker Dojo, they knew they'd found their home. &quot;The Dojo had it all,&quot; Haase said, &quot;space, close to CalTrain (a regional commuter train), food, coffee, and [high speed Internet].&quot;Related links&amp;149' Word Lens for iPhone Translates Spanish to English--in Real Time!&amp;149' Hackers create tools for disaster relief&amp;149' IBM breakthrough could measure rapid changes to atoms &amp;149' Building circuits, code, community at Noisebridge hacker spaceAt the same time, Haase said he and his team value the sense of community they found at the Dojo. On the one hand, members seem to take it upon themselves without being asked to give tours to visitors. And on the other, he said, there's a very real sense that regardless of the project they're working on, the members are all in it together. And given how well connected everyone is to many Silicon Valley tech powerhouses, that can play out quickly in tangible business help.Haase recalled that the YourVersion team was looking to expand its mobile offerings toAndroid tablets but didn't yet have one. At that time, the Samsung Galaxy was the only such device. When they put the word out about what they were looking for at the Dojo, it turned out that another member worked at Samsung and was able to quickly make a connection to just the right person in the company. Before they knew it, the team had a loaner and was able to start the testing they needed. Event space While some find the Dojo is ideal as a work space, others members see the key offering as being able to host events. Klug said that on average, there are two per week, everything from Startup Weekends to Random Hacks of Kindness to Security B-Sides to Bay Threats. Use of the space for such events is free of charge, so long as any member can attend without paying. The five directors of the Dojo maintain the right to veto any event that is sales-oriented.And while Hacker Dojo is beginning to find stable financial footing, that hasn't always been the case. Opened in late summer 2009, it has always relied on the cooperation of members to take care of routine maintenance--Klug said there are monthly &quot;fix-its&quot; where members pitch in to &quot;do whatever needs to be done to keep the place together. But only now, thanks to the growing membership and the resulting income, is Hacker Dojo able to finally spend some money on improving the building's infrastructure, Klug added.In fact, that's a crucial element. Hacker Dojo doesn't have a team of high-paid employees. Rather, it's up to all the members to make sure things keep working. It's what some might call a &quot;do-ocracy.&quot; If something needs to get done, someone inevitably steps up to do it.&quot;We're a whole bunch of members,&quot; said Klug, &quot;who come together to pay rent, keep the place clean, and build cool stuff.&quot;Geek features Although the Hacker Dojo isn't home--guidelines prohibit members from staying in the building, which is open to members 24/7, for more than one night--there's little treats all over the place that are reminiscent of what geeks might put in their own houses, if only they had the space.Hidden high on the walls in one of the two giant event rooms are several virtual-reality cameras that together are part of a video game development platform. Levinson pointed to the outline of a big blue &quot;box&quot; on the floor and explained that anyone inside the box can wear a special antenna on their head that can communicate with the cameras and tell a nearby computer where they are in the 3D space. The computer then feeds a projection to a pair of special glasses where you can see where you are, she said. The idea is that people can make their own games and use the system to test how movement works in 3D space. The system was installed by a member who didn't have the space for it at home.There's also an electronics room, complete with a CNC machine, as well as three 3D printers. These are expensive items that the Dojo could never have afforded on its own. Instead, like the video game/virtual reality system, the devices were donated by members who had had them in storage. &quot;'If you [keep them] here,'&quot; Levinson recalled the donors saying, &quot;'will you give it a life&quot;And tucked against one wall is a small button with a label: &quot;More cowbell.&quot; If you push it, a mechanism is activated that, invokes Christopher Walken's geek-famous battle cry and yes, rings a cowbell installed near the ceiling. As well, signs everywhere of a truly geek bent: stickers reading &quot;Danger: No civilian access. Live fire ahead&quot; and &quot;Success+pony=dojo,&quot; a Frisbee painted to look like the Google Chrome logo, a Linux shark, giant Pac-Man ghosts made from Post-Its, a copy of the complete &quot;Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.&quot;Making moneyWhile there's obviously a sense of shared community at the Dojo, it's OK for members to turn the projects they work on there into true money-making ventures. Already, said Levinson and Klug, several companies have already &quot;graduated&quot; from the Dojo--meaning they've turned the project or products they worked on there into real-world successes and have moved on.A couple of examples include Word Lens, an app that can auto-translate foreign language signage on the fly, and Kuplia, a shared shopping service that is now in beta. There's also been teams working toward the Lunar X Prize that have called the Dojo home. This book is evidence of what some want to be spending their time on at the Hacker Dojo(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)But even for those who haven't made it yet, the Dojo seems like a place that can help get them there. In the Dojo's library, I find dozens of computer books, and, tellingly, a copy of the &quot;Director of Venture Capital&quot; left out on a table. Levinson said there are groups that spend time at the Dojo that push each other to work hard and to get better at what they're doing. She recalled some folks who would push each other to build a new app each week, and others are good about getting together regularly to compare business goals and help each other see if they're meeting them.In other words, while the Dojo has some of the trappings of a geek play house, it's really not that at all. This is a place where people come to do real work, and to build real products. If they happen to make friends and feel part of a community of like-minded people while they're there, then that's obviously a bonus.As I'm leaving, I run into Haase again. He tells me a few more things that he likes about spending time at the Dojo, but I want to ask him about the idea of &quot;graduating.&quot; What happens if YourVersion gets to the point of growing too big for the Dojo. After all, the office that the team snags every morning at 10 a.m. seems like it can only seat five comfortably.&quot;That,&quot; Haase said with a big smile, &quot;is a problem we'd love to have.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Report: Top Apple marketing exec to depart]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-top-apple-marketing-exec-to-depart</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-top-apple-marketing-exec-to-depart</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>BritoutT</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-top-apple-marketing-exec-to-depart</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Allison JohnsonAllison Johnson, Apple's vice president of worldwide marketing, is said to be leaving her post at the company to co-found a new marketing firm.All Things Digital reports that Johnson, who came to Apple from Hewlett-Packard back in 2005, is still in the process of negotiating her exit. Johnson's new gig is said to be co-founding a new marketing firm with former Facebook PR executive Brandee Barker.This would mark Johnson's second departure from Apple, where she had worked previously. During the 1990s, Johnson held the position of director of media relations both at IBM then later Netscape Communications.Prior to joining Apple for the second time, Johnson had spent six years at HP as the senior vice president of marketing, where she was said to be one of then-CEO Carly Fiorina's closest advisers. News of Johnson's reported departure comes just a day after Microsoft Senior Vice President Mich Mathews announced her plans to leave the company later this year. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[FarmVille grooms English Countryside]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=farmville-grooms-english-countryside</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=farmville-grooms-english-countryside</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>riauckter3d22</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=farmville-grooms-english-countryside</guid>
<description><![CDATA[FarmVille is spreading its chicken wings.(Credit:Zynga)FarmVille players who reach level 20 in the social game will now be tasked with working the land in rural England, Zynga said today.Once they have access to the English Countryside, players will head there with a duke concerned that the farms on his land &quot;have fallen into disrepair.&quot; Players get new land in the countryside and must build up their crops from scratch.FarmVille has been an absolute success for Zynga. Currently, the title has 44 million active gamers around the world that play it each month--though that figure has been waning. Last August, Zynga noted that it had over 63 million active users each month.Aside from FarmVille, Zynga offers other wildly popular social games, including CityVille and Mafia Wars.According to Zynga, players will find native plants on their new farms, including foxgloves, redcurrants, and King Edward potatoes. The &quot;premium English soil&quot; will help crops grow more quickly than they have in the past.In addition, Zynga created a &quot;lamb breeding&quot; feature that lets gamers &quot;breed their own rams and ewes to create unique lambs with characteristics from both parents.&quot; Shorthorn cows, Shire horses, and Dorking chickens will likewise populate the area.Like other social games, FarmVille is big business. A report released last year by research firm eMarketer found that social game revenue totaled more than $725 million in 2009. By 2012, it believes that figure will triple.Such growth and the continued success of games like FarmVille and CityVille has helped Zynga's value explode. Back in October, the company's valuation was estimated at $5.51 billion. Last month, reports claimed the company was trying to raise $500 million on a$10 billion valuation.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[What would AT&T, T-Mobile deal mean for Sprint]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-would-att-t-mobile-deal-mean-for-sprint</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-would-att-t-mobile-deal-mean-for-sprint</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Mar 2011 07:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>michealrrdavid</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-would-att-t-mobile-deal-mean-for-sprint</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Things have just gotten a lot more complicated for No. 3 U.S. wireless operator Sprint Nextel, which has slowly been rebuilding its damaged brand and stemming heavy customer losses. On Sunday, the No. 2 U.S. wireless operator, AT&amp;amp'T, announced plans to buy No. 4 wireless operator T-Mobile USA in a deal valued at $39 billion. If the acquisition is approved by regulators, it could spell big trouble for Sprint. The carrier, which has been a distant third place to Verizon Wireless and AT&amp;amp'T, will be even further behind in terms of customers. At the end of 2010, Sprint had about half the number of customers as Verizon Wireless and AT&amp;amp'T, ending the year with 49.9 million customers. Verizon had 102.2 million customers, and AT&amp;amp'T had about 95.5 million. If AT&amp;amp'T adds T-Mobile's 33 million customers, the new provider will have a total of about 129 million subscribers, giving the joint company nearly three times as many customers as Sprint has. &quot;There's no question this puts Sprint in a very difficult position,&quot; said Kenneth Rehbehn, principal analyst at the Yankee Group.Sprint recognizes that the imbalance will significantly change the industry. And in its statement issued Sunday night, the company urged regulators to take a close look at the merger. &quot;The combination of AT&amp;amp'T and T-Mobile USA, if approved by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC), would alter dramatically the structure of the communications industry. AT&amp;amp'T and Verizon are already by far the largest wireless providers. A combined AT&amp;amp'T and T-Mobile would be almost three times the size of Sprint, the third largest wireless competitor. If approved, the merger would result in a wireless industry dominated overwhelmingly by two vertically-integrated companies that control almost 80 percent of the U.S. wireless post-paid market, as well as the availability and price of key inputs such as backhaul and access needed by other wireless companies to compete. The DOJ and the FCC must decide if this transaction is in the best interest of consumers and the U.S. economy overall, and determine if innovation and robust competition would be impacted adversely and by this dramatic change in the structure of the industry.&quot;The sheer size of its competitors with respect to Sprint is certainly an issue, but the merger between AT&amp;amp'T and T-Mobile is also bad news for Sprint for a number of other reasons.For one, T-Mobile has been one of Sprint's primary sources of subscribers, according to equities analyst Craig Moffett at Bernstein Capital. He wrote in a research note to investors on Monday that a combined AT&amp;amp'T/T-Mobile will likely reduce churn on T-Mobile's network, which could dry up new subscriber growth for Sprint. For nearly two years, Sprint had been rumored to be eyeing T-Mobile for an acquisition. The companies have also admitted that they have pondered a possible partnership between T-Mobile and Clearwire, which is building a 4G wireless network using 2500 MHz spectrum from Sprint. Nothing ever materialized from these discussions. But if T-Mobile is gobbled up by AT&amp;amp'T, Sprint no longer has a potential telco partner to share the cost of the Clearwire network build.&quot;Sprint will now be left having to fund Clearwire on its own, with future development costs likely falling in a multibillion-dollar range,&quot; Moffett said in his research note. &quot;Despite the difficult network economies posed by Clearwire's 2.5 GHz spectrum, it is still in Sprint's interest to see Clearwire succeed, given the size of its investment. A deal with T-Mobile would clearly have offset this burden in part.&quot;The spectrum crunch and 4GIn addition, a deal between T-Mobile and AT&amp;amp'T, strengthens AT&amp;amp'T's spectrum position, which ultimately makes Sprint more vulnerable as it goes up against AT&amp;amp'T and Verizon Wireless, which both have very strong spectrum positions for the future. &quot;It would have been Nextel all over again, and look how long it's taken Sprint to rationalize that acquisition.&quot;--Kenneth Rehbehn, Yankee Group analyst&quot;With T-Mobile out of the picture, there are no large blocks of spectrum left for Sprint to use in the future for LTE,&quot; Rehbehn said.Sprint committed early to using WiMax as its technology of choice for a 4G wireless network. And it partnered with Clearwire and dedicated its 2500MHz spectrum to build the nationwide WiMax network. But since the companies began building the WiMax network, it's become clear that the rest of the world--including the two dominant wireless operators in the U.S.--are using LTE for their future mobile networks.  Sprint CEO Dan Hesse has said repeatedly that the company remains committed to WiMax, but insiders have hinted that LTE could be on the carrier's road map. Clearwire has also indicated that LTE could be used on its network in the future. But some experts are skeptical that the high-frequency 2500MHz spectrum that Sprint and Clearwire are using to build the WiMax network will work well for LTE. A tie-up between T-Mobile and Sprint could have given Sprint more spectrum with which to build an LTE network. T-Mobile has built itself a strong backhaul position, investing a lot in recent years in fiber and other infrastructure that connects its cell towers and base stations to the traditional Internet and phone networks. Now, it looks like T-Mobile's AWS spectrum and its gussied-up backhaul will go to AT&amp;amp'T, which it plans to use to strengthen its own network. And a stronger AT&amp;amp'T, means bad news for smaller competitors. T-Mobile has good coverage in cities, such as New York City, which AT&amp;amp'T could leverage to alleviate problems it has in those markets. And it can use the AWS spectrum to eventually add capacity to its LTE network. Still, a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile would have been a nightmare for Sprint. &quot;It would have been Nextel all over again,&quot; said Rehbehn. &quot;And look how long it's taken Sprint to rationalize that acquisition.&quot;Sprint bought Nextel, which used a network technology called iDEN, in 2005. While Sprint gained more customers through the acquisition, it is still--six years later--struggling to integrate the iDEN network with its own CDMA network. Meanwhile, Sprint continues to bleed former Nextel customers every quarter.T-Mobile also uses a completely different technology from Sprint, called GSM. And trying to integrate a Sprint CDMA network with T-Mobile's GSM network would have been difficult.What's next for SprintSome industry observers wonder if Verizon Wireless might make a bid for Sprint. The two carriers both use CDMA. And like the deal between AT&amp;amp'T and T-Mobile, a marriage between these two major players would offer a wide variety of spectrum options for a combined carrier.&quot;As we move into the next era of wireless, spectrum is what matters,&quot; said Rehbehn. &quot;Spectrum translates to bandwidth and that's what is needed in future wireless networks.&quot;But such a deal would certainly be scrutinized by regulators.&quot;The regulatory hurdle for Verizon to acquire Sprint would be much higher than it was for Verizon to acquire Alltel,&quot; said Ross Rubin, an analyst with NPD Group. Verizon bought Alltel, a regional CDMA player, in 2009.Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead told Reuters on Monday that Verizon isn't interested in Sprint because it doesn't need them. He also said that Verizon wouldn't oppose the merger between AT&amp;T and T-Mobile.There is a chance that Sprint might join forces with a regional wireless player. Leap Wireless, which owns the Cricket brand, is expanding its network in an attempt to become a national carrier. Leap also uses CDMA and could be a good merger candidate for Sprint. What's more, Leap is also building an LTE network, which could give Sprint its LTE future. A merger between Sprint and a smaller wireless provider would likely be encouraged by regulators, since it would bring more customers to Sprint, making it easier to compete with the No. 1 and No. 2 players.Other possibilities include a major cable operator acquiring Sprint. Comcast and Time Warner Cable are already partners with Sprint in Clearwire. The companies have also worked together in the past on a joint venture that would allow the cable operators to resell Sprint's wireless services. The bundled services never got off the ground. But Comcast and Time Warner Cable have continued to look for a wireless play.In 2006, the companies also acquired spectrum in the AWS auction run by the FCC. So far, they haven't said what they plan to do with this spectrum, but if they bought Sprint they could use the AWS spectrum to build an LTE network.Meanwhile, Sprint is doing the best it can to compete in the existing market. Specifically, it is trying to differentiate itself by offering customers what it considers a more open experience. For example, on Monday, Sprint announced it plans to integrate Google Voice into its cell phone service.The integrated Google Voice service will allow Sprint customers to use a Sprint phone number as a Google Voice number. Sprint is also allowing Google Voice users to use the Google Voice services, such as voice mail, instead of Sprint's own voice mail services. In short, the company is allowing a third party to control some of the customer experience on its devices. This is significant because Sprint is giving up control of the customer experience to some extent in order to enable this service. But in return, Sprint is opening up some of its services to a third party that can continue to innovate and create new and better experiences for customers. &quot;Letting go of some things opens us up to more markets,&quot; said Kevin McGinnis, vice president of Product and Technology Development for Sprint. &quot;Over the last two years we have shown far more innovation than our competitors in this respect. We've focused our development resources on enabling an innovative ecosystem.&quot;The big question is whether consumers will value this &quot;openness&quot; enough to choose Sprint over its two biggest competitors. The jury is still out on that. But Sprint is making headway with consumers. Even though Sprint is still losing customers every quarter, it has managed to slow the losses. &quot;We've always strived to differentiate ourselves by being open to third parties,&quot; McGinnis said. &quot;So that's not a new idea for us. And we don't think any of the recent events will require us to change that. We're staying the course.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[What the RSA breach means for you (FAQ)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-the-rsa-breach-means-for-you-faq</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-the-rsa-breach-means-for-you-faq</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:11:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>trubogaz</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=what-the-rsa-breach-means-for-you-faq</guid>
<description><![CDATA[An RSA SecurID key fob.(Credit:Via Wikimedia Commons)RSA warned its customers yesterday that its network had been breached and data had been stolen that could affect customers using its popular SecurID token authentication technology. Although details are scarce, here's what we know so far.What happenedSomeone launched an &quot;extremely sophisticated cyberattack&quot; on RSA in the form of an Advanced Persistent Threat and data was stolen related to the SecurID technology, the company said in a statement on its Web site. APT attacks are often used for espionage, targeting source code and other information within a company or government agency. They typically involve knowledge of a target's network, key employees, and operations, and can use multiple techniques to get insider information such as social engineering and exploits of unpatched holes in software. APT attacks against Google and other companies that were revealed last year used an exploit for a vulnerability in Internet Explorer that could have been delivered to insiders via e-mail. RSA has declined to provide more details on the incident at this time.What is SecurIDSecurID is a two-factor authentication system that organizations use to provide more protection for sensitive data and networks than just a password. With two-factor systems, someone accessing a network needs to provide something they know, which is a password or PIN, and something they have, which can be a thumbdrive-size hardware token or keyfob, or software on a mobile device. The token provides a one-time eight-digit number a user types in along with the password so that the system can verify that the person is authorized to access the network. A different number is used every time the user logs in.How serious is thisRSA said it is confident that the information stolen does not enable a successful direct attack on any SecurID customers. However, the data could be used to &quot;reduce the effectiveness&quot; of an implementation as part of a broader attack, the company said. There is no evidence that other products are affected or that personally identifiable data on customers or employees was compromised, according to RSA.  However, given that SecurID is the most popular form of two-factor authentication and is heavily used in government agencies and financial institutions, a compromise with customer systems could ultimately impact a lot of people. There are about 40 million SecurID hardware deployments and 250 million deployments on mobile devices.Who is behind the attackRSA has provided no information publicly as to the origin of the attack. However, sources told CNET that China is a likely bet. Google said the attack against it originated from China, which sources say is using whatever means it can to narrow the technology gap with the U.S. &quot;If this is really APT, it means China,&quot; said Rich Mogull, chief executive of Securosis. Likely targets would be in the defense and industrial markets and high-tech manufacturing, he said. &quot;If this is China they're not going to be trying to break into bank accounts.&quot; The big question is what data was stolen. Experts wondered if the attackers were able to access a database storing so-called seed data--including unique numbers for each token that, combined with the time of day, are used to generate the one-time passcodes that flash on the devices every 60 seconds. Attackers armed with that information could potentially use it to create their own pseudo-random numbers and pretend to be someone authorized to access a sensitive network. What should companies with SecurID deployments doWithout more information about what data was stolen, it's difficult for companies to assess the risk. However, high-profile targets should be prepared for anything. &quot;The safe bet is to assume that the system is completely compromised, although that doesn't mean everyone is going to be a target of attack,&quot; Mogull said.  Any organization using SecurID should make sure they have enabled passwords for accessing sensitive information, use strong passwords, and rotate them frequently, he said. They should also force a password change for accounts with high-level privileges, consider disabling accounts that don't use a password, and set password attempt lockouts so that they are blocked after three tries, he suggests in a blog post.  Companies might also want to monitor for multiple accounts that are repeatedly failing authentication attempts and remind users that the serial number of the token should be kept secret. And IT administrators should make sure they are running proper access control and firewall software, as well as updated security software and patch operating systems and other programs being used.  RSA issued recommendations to customers that include: focusing on security for social-media applications and Web sites accessed by anyone with access to their critical networks' reminding employees to avoid opening suspicious e-mails and providing usernames or other credentials to people without verifying the person's identity, as well as avoid complying with e-mail or phone-based requests for such information' paying special attention to securing active directories' watching closely for changes in user privilege levels and access rights' and hardening, monitoring, and limiting remote and physical access to infrastructure that hosts critical security software.Are there alternatives for authenticationThere are competing authentication products on the market, but Mogull said he would not advise changing systems, which is an expensive move, just yet. &quot;If this drags out and RSA doesn't tell us for a while what happened, then people maybe will need to switch products. It's way too early to start ripping SecurID out now.&quot; One source speculated that the breach will prompt increased interest for the open-source Google-Authenticator one-time passcode generators for mobile devices.  While the breach raises many questions for SecurID customers, it's not necessarily a huge black eye for RSA at this point, sources said. No company--security or other--is immune to these types of attacks, according to Mogull. &quot;This is the name of the game moving forward,&quot; he said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Adobe continues the Flash fight with 10.3 beta]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-continues-the-flash-fight-with-10-3-beta</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-continues-the-flash-fight-with-10-3-beta</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>abiagranite</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-continues-the-flash-fight-with-10-3-beta</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Revving the Flash Player development engine as fast as possible, Adobe Systems has issued a beta of version 10.3 that lets programmers use a variety of new audio tools.Those audio possibilities could be very useful for those writing Net-based voice communication software. Features include canceling noise and echoes, detecting when a person has started or stopped speaking, and correcting microphone volume levels to even out speech loudness, Flash product manager Thibault Imbert said in a blog post late yesterday.More broadly, though, the software embodies Adobe's push to keep Flash competitive. The browser plug-in is, if not fighting for its life, in a much less secure position than in years past when programmers could safely assume virtually all browsers had the plug-in installed.Even as Adobe seeks to make Flash--and a close relative, AIR--a foundation for software that runs on a wide variety of computing devices, the technology faces two big challenges. First are mobile devices, which can lack the processing horsepower and memory to handle Flash and which in the case of Apple's iOS bans Flash altogether. Second is a maturing suite of Web standards that increasingly can handle many programming tasks that previously required Flash--including on those mobile devices that lack Flash.Adobe tries Web standards, tooAdobe is hedging its Flash bets by embracing those Web standards. Perhaps the best example is Adobe Wallaby, which rewrites Flash elements to use Web standards including HTML (Hypertext Markup Language, the language to describe Web pages), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets, used for formatting and increasingly advanced animations), and JavaScript (the language of Web-based programs that's a cousin to Flash's ActionScript). Adobe is billing the technology in part as a way for Flash programmers to reach iOS devices.&quot;Adobe's job is to help you solve problems, not to get hung up on one technology vs. another,&quot; said John Nack, a principal product manager at Adobe who focuses on mobile-device apps, in a blog post today.But Adobe continues to push Flash hard, too.Flash Player 10.3 is the third significant point release to Flash Player 10, and its arrival reflects a growing trend in online software development toward smaller, more frequent releases. Google's Chrome browser, with a six-week cycle, is perhaps the fastest, but Mozilla is moving to a quarterly release cycle withFirefox. The general idea is that online software distribution lets software developers get new features into users' hands sooner rather than waiting for large updates with a long list of changes.Version 10.1 was a long time in the making' its most notable feature was that it ran on higher-end Android phones and not just personal computers. With the mobile transition under way, Adobe now seems to be working through a backlog of smaller but significant features it wanted to add. Flash Player 10.2 brought more efficient video through a feature called Stage Video that uses hardware acceleration.With the arrival of HTML5's built-in video abilities, online video is a particular competitive battleground for Flash, which for years had the market largely to itself. Here, Adobe is continuing its sales pitch of offering higher-level features useful to those in the business--in this case by building in some online analytics features of Adobe's Omniture acquisition.&quot;Media Measurement for Flash allows companies to get real-time, aggregated reporting of how their video content is distributed, what the audience reach is, and how much video is played,&quot; Imbert said of the analytics technology.Flash 11: 3D and 64-bitMeanwhile, for Flash programmers in the avant garde, Adobe last week issued preview version of Flash 11 with 3D graphics called Molehill. The Molehill interface is a big deal for Flash, which has a stronghold in online gaming but which faces competition from an emerging Web standard called WebGL.Developers are starting to kick the Molehill tires. Lee Brimelow, an Adobe Flash platform evangelist, shared a list of Molehill demos yesterday.Also coming with Flash Player 11 will be 64-bit support, an update that follows the release of several 64-bit browsers--notably Apple'sSafari.&quot;Now, you may be thinking, what! No 64-bit version!&quot; said Imbert in a personal blog post. &quot;64-bit is coming for the next major version of the Flash Player, so please wait a little more time, I know it is painful, but this is for the good! Next major version will be killer.&quot;64-bit software can handle vastly larger tracts of memory than 32-bit software, which is limited to 4GB, and 64-bit operating systems have become ordinary when it comes to Linux,Mac OS X, and Windows. The large memory address space isn't terribly important for browsers today, though, so 64-bit Flash isn't at the top of Adobe's priority list.Adobe can't wait forever, though. 64-bit computing can improve some performance--Safari's Nitro JavaScript engine, for example--and it's difficult at best to use a 32-bit plug-in with a 64-bit browser.Closer to the here and now, though, is Flash Player 10.3. Along with the audio controls, it comes with a control panel that runs on a person's machine. It's integrated with the regular Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux control panel rather than the present mechanism that uses a Web site. The control panel brings &quot;streamlined controls for managing [users'] Flash Player privacy, security, and storage settings,&quot; Imbert said.And in a separate control panel change, Flash Player can integrate with a browser's control panel to let people control settings there, too. That can help address the &quot;evercookie&quot; problem, in which a person tries to delete a browser's regular cookies but fails because duplicates can be stored using Flash.Finally, the new version integrates with Mac OS X's built-in notification system when it comes time for a software update.The Flash Player 10.3 beta will is designed for mobile phones as well as personal computers, Imbert said. Programmers who want to try the new features of 10.3 should note that they're available in the Flash Player 11 preview version, too. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Microsoft's contract with Nokia rumored at $1B]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-contract-with-nokia-rumored-at-1b</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-contract-with-nokia-rumored-at-1b</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ramadariversid7</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-contract-with-nokia-rumored-at-1b</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's been less than a month since Microsoft and Nokia announced a strategic partnership to work together in a number of areas, though mainly on mobile phones. One detail that was not disclosed at the time was what kind of dollar investment Microsoft had promised Nokia for developing and marketing Nokia-made handsets that will ship with Microsoft's Windows Phone OS. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, left, and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer explain their companies&amp;39' new tight alliance for mobile phones at an analyst and strategy meeting in London in early February.(Credit:Stephen Shankland/CNET)That detail has been made a bit clearer with a report by Bloomberg earlier today saying that Microsoft plans to pay Nokia more than $1 billion, while Nokia, in turn, pays Microsoft a licensing fee for each copy ofWindows Phone 7, as well as the right to use some of Microsoft's expansive patent portfolio.In addition, Microsoft is said to be paying some of its investment long before the first Nokia phones running Windows Phone 7 go into the sales channel. The deal, Bloomberg's Dina Bass says, will run for more than five years and has not yet been signed. A Microsoft representative declined to comment on the matter. Nokia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Qt no more In addition to the reported financial details of the Nokia and Microsoft deal, Nokia announced earlier today that it would be selling off its Qt application development framework business. Qt had let application developers create apps that run on both Symbian and MeeGo, two mobile operating systems that Nokia is pushing aside to put the focus on Microsoft's Windows Phone OS. (Credit:Nokia)Nokia picked up Qt in its $150 million acquisition of Trolltech in 2008. Buying it from Nokia is Finland-based Digia, which says it's going to set up subsidiaries in the U.S. and Norway to run Qt-related commercial licensing and operations businesses for the nearly 3,500 companies that currently use its Qt commercial licensing. The close of the sale is set for later this month for an undisclosed sum.The move is not the death of Qt, and Nokia will continue to be involved with serving Qt commercial licensees, wrote Sebastian Nystr&amp;246'm, who is the vice president of Qt and Webkit along with being the head of MeeGo for Nokia.&quot;Although Digia will now be responsible for issuing all Qt Commercial software licenses and for providing dedicated services and support to licensees, Nokia's Qt technical support team will support and work closely with Digia for the next year,&quot; Nystr&amp;246'm said. &quot;We will now begin work with Digia to ensure a smooth transition of all licenses and commercial relationships.&quot;The new ownership will also bring some extra features to the platform Nystr&amp;246'm said.&quot;Digia will invest significant resources in the ongoing development of Qt as a commercial framework. In particular, their plans include emphasizing Qt in the desktop and embedded environments and exploring new support models and feature requests,&quot; Nystr&amp;246'm explained. &quot;Commercial customers can also expect improvements in support and functionality for older platforms that were not on the Nokia development road map. If you are a holder of a Qt commercial license you can expect to hear more about this soon.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Laptops play catch up to the iPad, Xoom]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bernardvvb</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=laptops-play-catch-up-to-the-ipad-xoom</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Market researcher Gartner released a research note Thursday claiming that laptops are not meeting the demands of the social-networking era. So, will mobile PCs become more like the Xoom and theiPad, which are, in turn, larger versions of the smartphone In a word, yes. This theory--or fact, depending on how you look at it--can also be restated as the post-PC era, which is the Apple marketing-spin corollary to the Gartner argument. But let's stick to Gartner's analysis about the unsuitability of laptops in the social-networking era. Here are the most significant points in the note about the average mainstream laptop: Battery life: not capable of all-day &quot;untethered computing&quot;Connections: constant and immediate connections are not possible (i.e., no standard 3G/4G)Heavy: still too heavy, lacks real mobilityWhat this means is more laptops need to be like the 11.6-inch MacBook Air: very light, very thin--just like atablet and, by extension, like a smartphone. Though small laptops aren't for everybody, it does mean more people will gravitate to this style as companies like Apple upgrade to powerful silicon like Intel's low-voltage Sandy Bridge processor (and its future Ivy Bridge chip) and upcoming power-efficient chips from Advanced Micro Devices. And don't count out a clamshell MacBook--or a variation on that theme--sporting a future Apple A6 processor or an HP laptop packing a Qualcomm chip. More future laptops will be like the 11.6-inch MacBook Air--but with 3G/4G standard and longer battery life.(Credit:Apple)In the more immediate future, this trend stipulates that Apple seriously consider built-in 3G/4G capability in the next version of the Air, as an Apple survey about 3G in a future MacBook Air seems to indicate the company is doing. As always, battery life would need improvement too. So, what about the Netbook, you might ask. That delivered on mobility but not--until recently--on long battery life, nor on standard 3G. Nor, most importantly, on adequate performance (for a laptop that would serve as someone's everyday machine). The Netbook was ahead of its time but has always been hampered by Intel's too-specific ideas about what a Netbook should and should not be. For better or worse, it's going to take a company like Apple to take the lead in redefining the high-mobility laptop. With help, of course, from companies like Hewlett-Packard and Sony--the HP Pavilion dm1z and Sony Y series, respectively, are a good start.A $999 MacBook Air with 3G/4G and monthly broadband plans similar to those of the iPad That's another good start. Any takers <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[T-Mobile to shut down Sidekick data service May 31]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-to-shut-down-sidekick-data-service-may-31</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-to-shut-down-sidekick-data-service-may-31</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jasonmichael004</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=t-mobile-to-shut-down-sidekick-data-service-may-31</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As of May 31, the Danger service for T-Mobile Sidekicks will be no more.(Credit:Corinne Schulze/CNET)It's the end of an era. T-Mobile announced this evening that it will discontinue its Danger data service to all Sidekick models starting May 31, 2011.At that time, you will no longer be able to access data stored on Danger's cloud-based service, including contacts and photos. Internet and e-mail service will also be cut off. If you wish, you can still use the Sidekick for calls and text messaging. T-Mobile will begin sending out letters to current Sidekick owners tomorrow to alert them to the change and provide information about transferring data and transitioning to a new device. If you're one of the affected users, the first thing you'll want to do is get all of your personal data from the Danger service. T-Mobile provides a couple of ways to do this. The first is through MyT-Mobile.com' there you will find a Web tool that can export your information, including contacts, appointments, photos, and bookmarks, to a new device, computer, or e-mail account.The second method is to use the data transfer application, which is available from the Sidekick app catalog, and export all your data onto the Sidekick's memory card. You can then bring that card to a T-Mobile store and have a representative transfer the information onto your new phone.The carrier said it will provide special offers on devices to Sidekick owners but didn't provide any specifics at this time. More information is expected in the coming weeks. It is T-Mobile's goal, however, to have the new Android-based T-Mobile Sidekick 4G available by spring, ahead of the May 31 cut-off date. Old phones can be returned to T-Mobile for recycling.T-Mobile told CNET in a phone interview that the decision to shut off service was made jointly by Microsoft and Danger as a reflection that older devices must be replaced with newer ones. The carrier added that it was a natural evolution as the market transitions to new operating systems. The first T-Mobile Sidekick (aka Danger Hiptop) debuted in 2002 with a 240x160-pixel-resolution, 4-bit monochrome screen. The most recent model was the T-Mobile Sidekick LX 2009. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Reporters' Roundtable: Journalism in the age of WikiLeaks]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reporters-roundtable-journalism-in-the-age-of-wikileaks</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reporters-roundtable-journalism-in-the-age-of-wikileaks</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ammieamaaa</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=reporters-roundtable-journalism-in-the-age-of-wikileaks</guid>
<description><![CDATA[On this special edition of Reporters' Roundtable, CNET Chief Political Correspondent Declan McCullagh hosts a panel discussion on Journalism in the age of WikiLeaks. Sponsored by the The Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California, this discussion covers how WikiLeaks is forcing editors and reporters to rethink traditional journalistic practices. For example, The New York Times, the Guardian, and Der Spiegel were given a mere three weeks to decide how to handle more than 90,000 confidential documents on Afghanistan. Join us as we discuss the challenges journalists face given such information and as we consider the question of the role of professional news organizations when anyone can publish the kind of information that previously was the purview only of established news outlets. We have a great panel of six journalists in this discussion, including reporters and editors from the San Francisco Chronicle, Wired, and Fast Company. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[A Wii game for swingers No, really]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-wii-game-for-swingers-no-really</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-wii-game-for-swingers-no-really</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:10:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>andplot56</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=a-wii-game-for-swingers-no-really</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Thin is the line between party and sex party.A few more drinks, a little more Prince, and suddenly what started out as innocent suburban fun turns into debauchery that will be gossiped about for years to come.The makers of a new game for Wii and PS3 called &quot;We Dare&quot; seem to want to help you cross that line. Created by Ubisoft, &quot;We Dare&quot; is, according to Kotaku, a game that may swiftly replace social icebreakers like the key party as the favored Friday night couple-relaxing entertainment in your subdivision.While I wouldn't dream of encouraging such socially divisive behavior, the makers of &quot;We Dare&quot; would like to offer you about 35 &quot;fun and flirtatious&quot; games that will help you relax in the company of Mrs. Galloway from number 47. And her slightly creepy husband who always wears a check cardigan.The &quot;We Dare&quot; trailer is already enjoying so many parody versions posted to YouTube that Ubisoft appears to be scrambling to protect its behind--I mean, copyright (YouTube has already yanked a few of the clips).Some people, though, will be less concerned with Ubisoft's copyright and more concerned about how uber-titillation can make their weekends complete.Well, Kotaku notes that, according to UbiSoft's promotional materials, &quot;We Dare&quot; will offer: &quot;A HILARIOUS LIGHT-HEARTED ATMOSPHERE WITH CLEVER CHARACTERS, COY MINI-GAMES AND INTERNATIONALLY POPULAR MUSIC HITS: SUCH AS 'SEX BOMB, (I'VE HAD THE) TIME OF MY LIFE' AND MANY OTHERS!&quot;Tom Jones and Dirty Dancing all in one night What more could a happy marriage requireNow, there are a couple of slight kinks in &quot;We Dare&quot; that I should mention. While theWii version can handle up to four players, thePS3 version can cope with only two. Which, I suppose, makes the bottom-spanking game a little less experimental.(Credit:Amazon.co.uk)The second is even more troubling. &quot;We Dare&quot; is being offered only in Europe. A UbiSoft representative told me: &quot;The game is not releasing in the U.S.&quot; When I wondered whether UbiSoft felt &quot;We Dare&quot; might be the sort of fun a fundamentalist wouldn't appreciate, the rep offered a no comment.The PS3 version of &quot;We Dare&quot; is available for pre-order on Amazon U.K., with a scheduled release date of March 11. And the listing is nothing if not suggestive.The manufacturer's description says you can &quot;use the Wii-mote and PS3 Move controller in unbelievable ways, as you've never imagined before&quot; (which seriously underestimates the imaginative power of the average gamer). It also explains that &quot;some cooperative hugging helps.&quot;I am a firm believer in cooperative hugging. I believe there is no other kind.However, once you have cooperatively hugged, there is still more to look forward to: &quot;The final climax of the game ends in a lighthearted, matchmaking session. Which of your friends is your best match for Love or Friendship&quot;That is a question that will be debated, I fear, long into the night in so many homes in the very, very near future.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Microsoft preps Windows Phones for first update]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-preps-windows-phones-for-first-update</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-preps-windows-phones-for-first-update</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Markosborne</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-preps-windows-phones-for-first-update</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Microsoft today began sending out an update toWindows Phone 7 devices that prepares them for the first of two software updates that will add new features. &quot;This first update for Windows Phone is designed to improve the software update process itself,&quot; the company said on the Windows Phone blog. &quot;So while it might not sound exciting, it's still important because it's paving the way for all future goodie-filled updates to your phone, such as copy and paste or improved Marketplace search.&quot;The software update that will bring those new features is slated for arrival in early March, with a much larger update adding things like multitasking, and a much-improved browser arriving a few months later.In order to update their phones, users need to plug them into a computer with the latest version of theZune software (or the Mac Connector software if they're on aMac) to get the update started. Microsoft says it's rolling out the update message to phones in waves, so users who have not yet gotten the notification will see it sometime today.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Miniaturize your world and play an RTS remake: iPhone apps of the week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:11:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>GookssorVok</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)Among the news items this week from the world of Apple, the folks over at AppleInsider uncovered a rumor that Apple may be having a launch event next week for a new line of MacBook Pros. According to the story, this would put the launch event a week ahead of schedule.As usual, Apple remains tight-lipped about what features will be unveiled in the new laptops, but the one sure thing is that it will include Intel's latest generation Sandy Bridge processor.Whatever is introduced next week (if the rumor turns out to be true), you can bet we'll have all the details here. Make sure to check back on launch day for photos, specs, and everything else about Apple's latest devices.This week's apps include an image enhancement tool that produces cool-looking shots and an RTS game that closely resembles one of the most popular strategy games of all time.Each step of the process lets you tinker with various controls to fine-tune your photo.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)TiltShift Generator (99 cents) is not a new product, but I just discovered it and think people will appreciate its unique photo effects. TiltShift images combine blur and other depth-of-field effects to make objects in your photos seem miniature (here's a quick Google image search to give you an idea what I'm talking about). To get the miniature effect, you'll ideally take photos from some distance, but even close-up shots can be put through TiltShift Generator with good-looking results.TiltShift Generator does a great job of taking you through the process of creating tilt-shift images. The app automatically adds the tilt-shift effect, but you can also go through the process yourself. You start either by taking a photo with youriPhone camera or choosing an existing image from your library. From there you can adjust the blurred effect' change color saturation, brightness, and contrast with sliders' and then adjust vignetting (corner shadowing). What results is a unique image that's very impressive, even if you have little knowledge of photography.Overall, TiltShift Generator is an easy-to-use app that produces great-looking images with little work. If you enjoy looking at tilt-shift images and want to try making some of your own, this app is a great option.Once you&amp;39've built your fighting force, it&amp;39's time to take it into battle.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)StarFront: Collision (Free' $6.99 in-app purchase) from Gameloft is a pretty clear rip-off of Blizzard's mega-hit RTS game, Starcraft. With that said, StarFront is a very well-made game and is probably the best RTS game available for the iPhone.Just like Starcraft, StarFront has three classes, each with its own strategies and tech trees, and each closely resembling the Starcraft classes. It offers a single-player campaign mode that slowly introduces you to the ins and outs of RTS gameplay, just like Starcraft. You'll need to mine resources, build buildings, build units, upgrade your buildings, and upgrade your units, just like in Starcraft. But even with all its similarities, StarFront: Collision does all of these things well, all the way down to the quirky things units say when you interact with them. The storyline is well thought out and engaging, the graphics are crisp on the iPhone 4's Retina Display, and the controls are extremely smart for a touch-screen device.As an example of the smart controls, you can create and save groups of units so you can later call on an entire squad to perform an action. You do this by using a two-finger reverse pinch to create a selection square around the units, then touch the arrow on the left side of the screen to pull out a squad selection drawer. Choose a number from 1 to 3, and that number will be assigned to the squad. Though limiting your squads to three might be an issue for some players, StarFront's unique system for creating groups is very intuitive on the touch screen.StarFront: Collision is free to download from the App Store, and includes the tutorial and the ability to play through the first mission to get a feel for the game. An in-app purchase of $6.99 unlocks local and online multiplayer and the full campaign and skirmish modes. The online multiplayer was smooth in our testing, with quick online matchups and no loss of connection during games. There was only one point at which the game notified me I needed to wait for the other player, but after a couple of seconds we were back to the action.Probably my only complaint about StarFront: Collision is the same as other involved games on the iPhone: how long does someone really want to play a game on the iPhone Eventually, the need for your constant focus and concentration on the small screen will get exhausting, but in every other area, this game is pretty close to what Starcraft on the iPhone would be if it were made by Blizzard.Overall, I consider StarFront: Collision a must-download for RTS fans, with 20 missions, endless replay value on seven maps in skirmish mode, along with local and online multiplayer. Furthermore, if Gameloft decides to release an HD version for theiPad or make the app universal, the larger screen real estate will make the game even more enjoyable.What's your favorite iPhone app Do you like the results you get from TiltShift Generator What do you think of StarFront: Collision Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Social links get higher billing in Google]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>paulsmith385</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-links-get-higher-billing-in-google</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;39's Matt Cutts climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year, and if he&amp;39's part of your social landscape, content that he has authored or shared could now rank higher in your personalized Google results.(Credit:Google)Google's putting a little more attention into social cues when it comes to returning search results. Over the course of the day Google will start rolling out new social search features that more prominently display content that connections on social networks like Twitter have shared. Google's been doing that for a while, but in the slums of the search results page: all the way at the bottom. Now those results will appear interspersed with regular search results when you're signed into Google and someone on a social network that you have connected to your Google profile shares a link, with a note under the result telling you who shared the link and where. Twitter seems to be the big winner here, but any account linked to one's Google profile can be featured in results. Those results won't be displayed to all searchers: you'll see individual results when signed into Google based off of friends and connections within the Google world (Gmail, Chat, Google Buzz) who publicly share sites through those services or externally linked services like Twitter or LinkedIn. Google's also making it possible for users to privately link accounts to their Google Profiles. It's all part of Google's ongoing and mostly fruitless attempts to make social-media connections a greater part of its search results. One of Google's biggest priorities at the moment is finding a way to stay relevant as an information source as more and more people share information in social networks, and as more and more sites try to game Google's results. This is a long-term problem, but it's a problem nonetheless that is getting a lot of attention internally. One huge issue is the closed nature of Facebook, the king of the social-media world: Google's all-seeing Web crawlers can't penetrate Facebook's services and that has caused tension between the two companies. Google is expected to roll out more social services over the coming year, having discussed plans to add social layers to existing products as opposed to trying to build a network of its own. Past attempts at that--such as Orkut and Google Buzz--haven't made an impact.Updated 11:05 a.m. PST to clarify exactly who sees the social results.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Microsoft gives Windows Phone devs copy, paste]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-windows-phone-devs-copy-paste</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-windows-phone-devs-copy-paste</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>CarPsyday</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-gives-windows-phone-devs-copy-paste</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The upcoming copy and paste feature in action.(Credit:Microsoft)The slow march toward the public release of Microsoft's first update to itsWindows Phone 7 system software is one step closer to fruition. At the top of the PPCGeeks Podcast last night, Brandon Watson, who is Microsoft's director of developer relations, announced that the company today would be seeding a new version of the Windows Phone Developer Tools to registered Windows Phone 7 developers.Included in the update are things like the long-awaited copy and paste feature, and a performance improvement for application load times. The tools give developers a chance to test their applications for compatibility, but also signal that the update is closer to getting into the hands of end users. During the podcast, Watson also said that the Developer Tools software was on track to pass a million downloads since its introduction at last year's Mix conference. That's no small feat considering Microsoft's most recent tally of registered phone developers was north of 24,000. Microsoft still has yet to nail down a specific date for a consumer release of the software upgrade. During a phone interview with CNET last week, Greg Sullivan, senior product manager for Windows Phone 7 was still going with the within &quot;the next few months&quot; estimate the company had provided atCES. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Report: Study finds iAds twice as effective as TV ads]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-study-finds-iads-twice-as-effective-as-tv-ads</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-study-finds-iads-twice-as-effective-as-tv-ads</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>healthmedicine</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-study-finds-iads-twice-as-effective-as-tv-ads</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:James Martin/CNET)The first study results on the effectiveness of Apple's iAds are reportedly in and they appear favorable for Apple and its advertisers.The study, obtained by Advertising Age but not publicly released, was reportedly funded by Apple and one of iAds early advertisers, Campbell's, but conducted by research firm Nielsen. The results of the study are noteworthy, especially when comparing iAds to television ads, according to AdAge. (We asked Nielsen for our look at the results but Nielsen says it's proprietary information for Apple and Campbell's.)According to AdAge, Nielsen claims that people exposed to iAds in the study were twice as likely to remember the ad than people who watched a television ad. In addition, five times as many people reportedly remembered the Campbell's brand from the iAd.In what is surely an important factor for advertisers, the rate that iAd viewers reported intent to purchase the advertised products was four times that of television viewers.Nielsen didn't say how many people were involved in the survey, only that the TV and mobile surveys were conducted separately and it was a five-week analysis.It's also important to note that Campbell's iAds were &quot;weighted to reflect theiPhone andiPod Touch universe in terms of age, gender, and income, while TV survey results were weighted for a general TV audience,&quot; reported AdAge.Apple launched iAds in April 2010 to provide a more interactive look and feel to mobile advertising.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Microsoft's Windows Azure turns one]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-windows-azure-turns-one</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-windows-azure-turns-one</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>superip</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-windows-azure-turns-one</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today marks the one-year anniversary of Microsoft's Azure platform being available for public consumption.To celebrate, Microsoft has announced two additional companies that have made use of the platform for consumer- and business-facing services. One of those is T-Mobile, which used Azure to speed up the development time for its Family Room collaboration tool for mobile phones. The other is Xerox, which used Windows Azure and SQL Azure to help build its cloud-based printing service dubbed Cloud Print. Microsoft first unveiled its Windows Azure platform a little more than two years ago at PDC 2008. Then chief software architect for Microsoft, Ray Ozzie, positioned the cloud services platform as both a transformation in the company's software as well as in its overall strategy.The product, which lets developers write programs that live inside Microsoft's data centers, competes with similar offerings from cloud heavyweights like Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, and Google. Microsoft has pushed it to both developers and customers alike, as a way to get the latest version of its server technologies on demand, and in a way that can be scaled up or down depending on the size of their business, or the needs of their applications.Azure had stayed under Ozzie's leadership until the Azure and Server teams got wrapped into Microsoft's Servers and Tools Business in late 2009. Since then, Microsoft has continued to make improvements and additions to the service, as well as to work toward moving Azure beyond its own data centers, with plans to let businesses run their own private clouds with on-premises Azure appliances. As far as Azure uptake, or how many companies the technology platform has attracted, Microsoft has opened up on those metrics as the platform has continued to evolve. Shortly after the free trial for businesses ended, Microsoft had said that many of the free-trialers had stayed on as paying customers, but it would not go into specifics. According to The Seattle Times, the official number now stands at 31,000 customers, up from 20,000 last July' that's a 55 percent increase inside of seven months. Prior to that, Microsoft said during its fiscal first-quarter earnings call that it had seen Azure subscriptions grow 40 percent quarter-over-quarter.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Portable device lets travelers make mobile calls over the Net]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>albertabbb</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=portable-device-lets-travelers-make-mobile-calls-over-the-net</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The new personal femtocell from Ubiquisys.(Credit:Ubiquisys)A new portable device will soon be able to help people make cell phone calls in other countries without relying on local 3G networks.That bit of technical magic comes courtesy of a new device called an attocell, or a personal femotcell. Created by U.K.-based femtocell company Ubiquisys, the device is a small base station that can provide broadband Internet access to aniPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone, and virtually any other 3G mobile phone. But since it's smaller than a traditional femtocell, the attocell is designed to be portable.The attocell from Ubiquisys connects to a laptop through a USB port, providing both the juice and the Internet access, according to Ubiquisys. From there, the device figures out which country it's in so it can determine the allowable 3G power consumption, which then dictates the range of the attocell to the phone. Depending on the country, the 3G range of the device could be as small as a fraction of an inch or as large as an entire room.If the range is small, the user can place the phone on top of the device and make calls via a headset or speaker. Otherwise, the caller is free to roam around the room.Through the attocell, the phone can bypass local cellular networks and hop onto the Internet to make and receive calls, thus allowing for calls both locally and abroad where reliable 3G connections aren't available.To learn more about the attocell, I spoke with Keith Day, the vice president of marketing for Ubiquisys. Day explained the benefits of the device, especially for travelers.&quot;If you're a U.S. citizen and you're doing a phone call from a hotel in Rome, for example, the call will be indistinguishable from a call in the U.S,&quot; he said.Beyond bypassing local 3G networks, the device could also potentially mean no more roaming charges. Though the technology makes that a possibility, Day said that the decision on roaming charges and other costs will be up to the carriers that offer the product. But he did acknowledge that when he himself travels, he'll use a VoIP service such as Skype to make calls rather than rely on mobile calls with expensive roaming charges.Ubiquisys considers the attocell a working product and is talking to different mobile carriers interested in selling it. The price of the attocell will be up to the carriers, but Day confirmed that it costs no more to manufacture than low-cost residential femtocells. Prices for traditional residential femtocells dropped below $100 last year, according to Ubiquisys.Other tech companies have been jumping onto the femtocell bandwagon, often as a way to reduce the strain on their overtired cell networks. Last year, AT&amp;amp'T rolled out its 3G MicroCell &quot;signal booster&quot; as one solution for subscribers disgruntled over poor cellular coverage. Sprint and Verizon Wireless also offer their own femtocell devices.Ubiquisys plans to demo the new attocell at next month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona .<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mozilla blocks Skype's Firefox-crashing add-on]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-blocks-skypes-firefox-crashing-add-on</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-blocks-skypes-firefox-crashing-add-on</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>boymab</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=mozilla-blocks-skypes-firefox-crashing-add-on</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Mozilla has barred a Skype extension forFirefox, accusing it of causing 40,000 browser crashes a week and of dramatically slowing page-load times.&quot;We believe that both of these items constitute a major, user-facing issue, and meet our established criteria for blocklisting an add-on,&quot; Mozilla said in a blog post yesterday. Because the extension is installed by default when Skype's main software is installed, a &quot;large number of Firefox users who have installed Skype have also installed the Skype Toolbar, knowingly or unknowingly,&quot; Mozilla said.Mozilla is in contact with Skype programmers and will restore the extension's privileges if the problems are addressed, the organization said.In a statement, Skype said it's resolving the problem.&quot;Based on our initial investigation, we know that downloading the new client will fix for most users any compatibility issues, and are working with Mozilla to ensure that there are no other compatibility issues. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused our users,&quot; the company said.The Skype toolbar extension, bundled with the Skype software for making audio and video calls over the Internet, highlights phone numbers in Web pages to make it easier to call them with Skype. Those who really like it can still run the toolbar, Mozilla said: &quot;The blocklist entry will be a 'soft block,' where the extension is disabled and the user is notified of the block and given the option to re-enable it if they choose. It's also important to note that the Skype application itself will continue to work as it always has' only the Skype Toolbar within Firefox is being disabled.&quot;The extension has been the No. 1 or No. 2 cause of crashes for the current stable version of Firefox, according to comments in Mozilla's bug tracker. And the plug-in dramatically slows Firefox's processing of Web page elements through what's called the Document Object Model (DOM)--by a factor of 3 to 8 with a newer 5.x version and by a factor of 325 with the older 4.x version, Mozilla programmer Boris Zbarsky said. The effect of this is to make pages appear to load much more slowly.Earlier in January, a Skype representative acknowledged that the company knows about the issue. &quot;Look out for an update in the near future,&quot; the representative said.Updated 6:57 a.m. PTwith Skype comment.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[CES: Microsoft's 2011 CES keynote (live blog)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-microsofts-2011-ces-keynote-live-blog</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-microsofts-2011-ces-keynote-live-blog</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Smith</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-microsofts-2011-ces-keynote-live-blog</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Join us Wednesday evening for Microsoft's CES keynote kick-off. The event is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Pacific and should run anywhere from one to two hours based on past performances. Steve Ballmer shows off a slate PC at last year&amp;39's CES keynote.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)As usual, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be taking the stage to demonstrate the latest PCs, as well as hardware and software from Microsoft and its partners.Last year's keynote had Ballmer talking upWindows 7, while demoing the Office 2010 suite and Halo: Reach for theXbox 360. That keynote was also where we first laid eyes on HP's Slate 500 device--some 10 months before proper details of the device surfaced.Like the rest of our live coverage at CES 2011, we'll be using Cover it Live to bring you news and photos from these press conferences as they're happening. All you need to do is bookmark this page and come back to it, or sign up in the module below to get a reminder e-mail 15 minutes before it starts. You can also watch a live Webcast of the keynote through Microsoft's CES news site. Microsoft's CES keynote<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[Samsung said to be prepping iPod Touch rival]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-said-to-be-prepping-ipod-touch-rival</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-said-to-be-prepping-ipod-touch-rival</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2010 08:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>hilfemedizin</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-said-to-be-prepping-ipod-touch-rival</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Samsung is planning to unveil aniPod Touch competitor at CES, a new report claims.According to Samsung Hub blog, a device called the Galaxy Player will be unveiled next month, featuring a 4-inch LCD display, 1GHz processor, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The device will boast Android 2.2 and feature 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB versions, claims the blog--which is not affiliated with Samsung in any way. In addition, the device will reportedly come with a front-facing camera for video conferencing.In the same vein as the iPod Touch in relation toiPhone, the Galaxy Player will offer many of the features consumers find in Galaxy S smartphones, but lack the ability to place calls using a respective carrier's network.Samsung did not immediately respond to request for comment.Samsung undoubtedly hopes to build upon the success of its Galaxy S smartphones with the Galaxy Player. The company announced earlier this month that it shipped 3 million Galaxy S handsets just three months after hitting the 1-million-unit-sales mark. The company has also shipped more than 1 million Galaxy Tab tablets.Be sure to follow our CES coverage to find out more about the Galaxy Player and all else that happens at the show as it happens.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

<item>
<title><![CDATA[15 best Kindle covers and accessories]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=15-best-kindle-covers-and-accessories</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=15-best-kindle-covers-and-accessories</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 26 Dec 2010 08:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>instantempo2axociabbittah</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=15-best-kindle-covers-and-accessories</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amazon&amp;39's covers are great, but there are plenty of alternatives.(Credit:Amazon)Updated 12/26When Amazon released its third-generation Kindle, it also put out its own line of cases, which dominate Amazon's top Kindle accessories list. But that hasn't stopped dozens of companies from selling various covers and accessories for the Kindle. In fact, there are so many to sort through, it's hard to figure out which ones are really good--and worth considering. And that's why we've tried to boil it down for you to just a handful of products.Of course, when it comes to protective covers, everybody's got their own taste, and we may have missed a few that you think should have been included. We'll be updating this list as more products arrive, so feel free to make any suggestions or criticize our picks in the comments section below.More: Amazon promises to replace problem Kindle covers, look into issueClick any image to begin the slideshow.15 best Kindle covers and accessories (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
</item>

</channel>
</rss>
