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<title>Haaze.com / Aragon / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Expect Apple to charge for music cloud]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expect-apple-to-charge-for-music-cloud</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expect-apple-to-charge-for-music-cloud</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sufuckbejxd</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=expect-apple-to-charge-for-music-cloud</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Don't expect Apple's cloud-music service to come free of charge, at least not forever. Apple plans to eventually charge for its cloud music service, sources told CNET. Users would be able to store their digital media on the company&amp;39's servers. (Credit:Greg Sandoval/CNET)Music industry insiders told me that Apple has indicated it could offer the service free of charge initially but that company will eventually require a fee. Google is also expected to charge for a similar service. Billboard writer Ed Christman reported last September that Google was considering a plan to charge $25 a year  for a subscription for its cloud service. Last month, the blog Wayne's World reported that Apple would charge $20 annually, but nobody I spoke with seems to know for sure what Apple may ask. An Apple spokesman did not respond to an interview request. Both Apple and Google began discussing plans more than a year ago with the largest four recording companies about enabling users to upload their songs to the companies' servers. Music could then be streamed to users' songs via Internet-connected devices. This kind of third-party computing is known as the cloud.It's going to be interesting to see how online music stores make their cloud-music offerings sweet enough to get consumers to pay--especially the early adopters (and if you're reading CNET that means you). Subscription services have yet to attract any significant market share in digital music. It's generally accepted that consumers prefer to own their tunes rather than renting them and there are some who suspect that the cloud is a way for the Web stores and the labels to charge consumers to access songs they already own. What the music industry is banking on is that consumers will see the sense in paying a relatively small monthly fee for access an endless supply of songs. Right now, to obtain music legally, people have to pay $1 or more for each song. Decision makers in the industry hope people will conclude that ownership doesn't provide the best bang for the buck, just as they have concluded with movies. DVD sales have fallen the past couple of years just as consumers have begun flocking to Netflix, a subscription service that charges $8 a month for all-you-can-eat viewing of films and TV shows. Meanwhile, Apple and Google continue to seek licenses for their services. So far, Apple has a deal with Warner Music Group, But Google's negotiations with the four top labels have stalled. Amazon got off the ground with a cloud music service last month and charges based on the amount of data a user stores. Update 11:00 a.m. PT: Billboard reporter Glenn Peoples has posted an interesting opinion piece today about why the music sector should adopt Netflix's business model. You can read it here. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[BMW's first EV revealed at NY auto show]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmws-first-ev-revealed-at-ny-auto-show</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmws-first-ev-revealed-at-ny-auto-show</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:11:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bobmarley</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bmws-first-ev-revealed-at-ny-auto-show</guid>
<description><![CDATA[BMW will begin leasing 700 all-electric ActiveE vehicles this Fall.(Credit:BMW)BMW ActiveE (photos) BMW unveiled its production version of the ActiveE electric vehicle at the 2011 New York International Auto show. The carmaker plans to ship 700 EVs to the U.S. for long-term customer testing this fall. Priced at $499 per month with a $2,250 down payment for a 24-month lease, the BMW ActiveE is one of the more affordable BMWs on the market. The trade-off, of course, is its limited range.The BMW ActiveE is being billed by the company as a no-compromise electric vehicle. A zero tailpipe emissions vehicle theoretically means zero guilt, and yet you still get the same luxury interior and somewhat similar driving experience for which the BMW brand is known.Thecar is based on the 1-Series, but under the hood of the ActiveE is a 32-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that delivers 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. A 7-kW on-board charger provide fast 240-volt charging of the battery with active thermal management that should consistently provide an estimated 100-mile range regardless of weather. Performance-wise, the ActiveE can accelerate from 0-60 in under 9 seconds, which is on par with the Nissan Leaf, maybe even slower. Nissan doesn't provide 0-60 stats for its vehicles, but independent testing by Green Car Advisor clocks the Leaf's 0-60 at 7 seconds. The ActiveE joins the 600 MINI-E electric vehicles already undergoing field testing in the U.S. Test results and feedback will be used to enhance the upcoming i3 electric vehicle produced by BMW under the BMW i brand. If you want to take part in the field test, the reservation process for the BMW ActiveE will begin this summer and is open to drivers in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, Boston, and Connecticut.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Energy Dept: Obama's plug-in autos goal on track]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Suzana</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=energy-dept-obamas-plug-in-autos-goal-on-track</guid>
<description><![CDATA[President Barack Obama's goal of having 1 million plug-in vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015 is on its way to being met, a Department of Energy official said today.&quot;It's looking good,&quot; said Assistant Energy Secretary David Sandalow when asked by reporters on the chances of meeting the goal set by Obama.&quot;If you look at the plans of the major automotive manufacturers, there's a clear pathway to a million vehicles,&quot; Sandalow said.Sandalow spoke to reporters after his keynote address to the Society of Automotive Engineers in Detroit.Obama's goal of 1 million plug-in electric and hybridcars by 2015 was a campaign pledge that he has restated since becoming president in January 2009. The goal was widely seen as well beyond optimistic forecasts for expansion of the alternative vehicles at the time, and there is skepticism that it can be met.&quot;The pace of innovation in this industry is extraordinary, and the interest around the world is extraordinary,&quot; he said. &quot;But, partly it depends on American entrepreneurship and innovation. That's always served us very well in the past and I think it will do so in the future.&quot;The DOE will soon announce how it will handle cuts to its energy efficiency and renewable energy program. He said he was not ready to say how much of those cuts will come in the automotive sector.The cuts will not slow the Obama administration's effort on energy efficiency, he said.&quot;We will march forward aggressively to promote clean energy, and we've got the budget to do it,&quot; Sandalow said.Story Copyright (c) 2011 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[An open-source geek-out, Latin American style]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-open-source-geek-out-latin-american-style</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-open-source-geek-out-latin-american-style</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>hilfemedizin</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-open-source-geek-out-latin-american-style</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More than 90 percent of open-source installs at the Flisol event were done on laptops or Netbooks.(Credit:Johanna DeBiase)BUENOS AIRES, Argentina--Last week, I touched down in Buenos Aires with my Ubuntu-powered Netbook in tow and started making calls and sending e-mails to get a handle on the tech scene in this New York-size Metropolis. That is, of course, a difficult thing to pin down, but through sweet serendipity, one phrase did seem to come up over and over again--&quot;open source.&quot;A few years back, Argentina's government looked at mandating the use of all open-source software in its offices, largely to save on software costs.  But the open-source gestalt also fits well with Argentina's independent streak--whether it's the lasting legend of the altruistic gaucho cowboy, rough and rugged while looking out for his fellow man, or the smell of fresh croissants in the air and certain continental flair that make Buenos Aires share more in common with Paris than Caracas, Venezuela.  In fairness, it should be noted that Venezuela actually followed through with mandating open-source software for its government, but Argentina's love of software libre may go even deeper. By mid-decade surveys indicated nearly half of businesses here were using Linux.  With more than a third of Argentina's population centered in Greater Buenos Aires, the city is today home to a thriving open-source community that appears to make the country a leader of open source in Latin America. A quick supporting metric:Firefox 4 has been downloaded in Argentina close to a million times already, according to Mozilla figures, which is several times more per capita than the adoption rate in neighboring Brazil, with its much-lauded emerging economy.I contacted Guillermo Movia, who works with Mozilla Argentina, and he pointed me to the University of Buenos Aires, one of nearly three dozen sites in Argentina--and many more across Latin America--where Flisol, or the Festival of Latin American Free Software Installation, took place last Saturday, April 9, or 9 de Abril.&quot;It's the diffusion of a philosophy about free technology and free thinking and sharing as a kind of cultural consciousness.&quot;--Hernan Saltiel, Fliso organizerThe daylong open-source geek-out took place upstairs in part of the university's business school not far from the center of Buenos Aires. The building's heavy wooden doors and ancient stone floors presented the same dignified facade as one might find within the gates of Columbia or Yale. But the energy of the Flisol event was a better match to the buzz outside, across Avenida Cordoba, where a stream of students, tourists, and commuters flowed out of stores and subway stations into a crowded park speckled with the pink autumn flowers of ceiba trees. As I was led up to a talk on Linux by a prominent journalist (whose strong Castillian dialect I could scarcely understand), one Flisol organizer told me in a hushed tone that they were &quot;hoping to show the business minds that run this place that there is a whole other world out there.&quot;  While Linux has already proven its worth in the business sector, the people who attend this event, and others like CafeConf--Buenos Aires' open-source conference, whose attendance has swelled from the hundreds to the thousands in recent years--are out to push open-source as a movement, not just a cost-cutting measure.Downstairs, it was pretty easy to get immersed in that mindset, with rooms full of mostly youngish Argentinians, laptops in hand, engaged in an open-source orgy. The vast majority of attendees brought their devices get to injected with Ubuntu, but Debian was also popular, another organizer, Hernan Saltiel, told me.Saltiel wore an OpenSolaris T-shirt and a goatee' he speaks fluent English--people here know him as &quot;Hecsa.&quot;Watching the open-source grass grow...(Credit:Johanna DeBiase)&quot;I've been in this community 15 years,&quot; he said, adding that Argentina has seen a recent upswing in interest in open source. &quot;Android promoted it a lot. Because people say 'what is this' and you say it's based on the Linux kernel' and they say, 'What is Linux' and then, 'What is open source'&quot;Saltiel says open source isn't only growing in Argentina's cosmopolitan capital. He noted that there are at least five organized communities in each of the country's states, including some of the more far-flung Andean areas. There are radio shows that focus on open-source topics, two open-source magazines, and even open-source job fairs here.Back in one of the install rooms, two young men sat anxiously staring at an older laptop screen, watching rapt what would otherwise seem like painfully slow status updates.&quot;49 percent installation completed...&quot;&quot;49 percent installation completed...&quot;&quot;49 percent installation completed...&quot;&quot;49 percent installation completed...&quot;Hundreds of these installs took place between here and another Flisol site in suburban Buenos Aires, strengthening the open-source army by that many more systems. As Saltiel puts it, &quot;It's the diffusion of a philosophy about free technology and free thinking and sharing as a kind of cultural consciousness.&quot;Flisol organizer Hernan Saltiel (right) bubbles over with enthusiasm for everything open source.(Credit:Johanna DeBiase)Of course, it's not all Bohemian. There's plenty of &quot;damn the man&quot; sentiment to go around, too, but that's not to say Argentina isn't pragmatic about its approach to software, either. Saltiel works as a project manager for Verizon, after all.In fact, the most obvious theme at the Flisol event and in my limited talks with porte&amp;241'os (natives of Buenos Aires), had nothing to do with free software, or really with software at all. Instead, it was clear that Argentina's emerging open-source boom is more about community and connections, with like-minded enthusiasts scattered across Buenos Aires' disparate neighborhoods and regions, and even the disparate countries of the entire Latin American sphere. In the end, while this country sometimes seems cut off--by the Andes, by the Atlantic, and by its massive Portuguese-speaking neighbor to the north--it is increasingly connected to the rest of the world by bits of code.Related story:Singing the South American 'CDMA blues'Correction, 5:53 p.m. PT:to indicate Hernan Saltiel's correct last name. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Streamlining your gadget collection (video)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=streamlining-your-gadget-collection-video</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=streamlining-your-gadget-collection-video</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>postapartment</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=streamlining-your-gadget-collection-video</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ I remember a time not too long ago when my pockets were stuffed with my cell phone, a digital camera, and my MP3 player. Oh, and the glove box of mycar housed a GPS device. No longer. Thanks to the functionality of a smartphone, I've been able to carry just one gadget for all of my chit-chatting, photo-taking, music-playing, and navigational needs. Thank goodness, because those pockets were getting bulky and it was getting expensive to continually update each device. The accompanying video below is all about those gadgets that you no longer need to invest in--for example, a point-and-shoot camera--because either the technology has improved and rendered it obsolete or there are other, better multitasking devices out there--i.e., a smartphone. For example, once that desktop computer dies, don't bother replacing it, say many technology experts. CNET senior writer Donald Bell says, &quot;Having that there, taking up a big space in your home, isn't worth it these days. I lost mine years ago since so much of my time is spent on the couch.&quot; With laptops andtablet computers beefing up their speeds and memory, it doesn't make sense to tether yourself to a desk.Here's a short list of gadgets that tech experts suggest you get rid of: portable music player, point-and-shoot camera, GPS device, desktop computer, camcorder. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Did Sony CEO leak plans for iPhone 5 camera]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 02 Apr 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>akhimass</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=did-sony-ceo-leak-plans-for-iphone-5-camera</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sony CEO Howard Stringer fueled speculation that Sony would be supplying the camera for the iPhone 5--and that it would be late doing so.(Credit:Apple)The tech blogosphere is abuzz this morning with news that Sony CEO Howard Stringer may have accidentally leaked word that Sony was supplying the camera sensor for theiPhone 5--and that delivery of that sensor has been delayed due to factory damage in Japan.During an interview with the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, Stringer reportedly was talking about how Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami had affected 15 Sony factories. One of those factories happens to be where Sony makes its camera sensors.9to5Mac's Seth Weintraub was at the event, which the public paid $20 to attend (the event was called Talking Tech with Sony and the Wall Street Journal). He reported the following:I'm here watching Walt Mossberg talk to Sony's CEO, Sir Howard Stringer. Stringer just said that their camera image sensor facility in Sendai was affected by the tsunami. Getting image sensors to Apple will be delayed. Stinger said something to the effect of: &quot;Our best sensor technology is built in one of the (tsunami) affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones...or iPads. Isn't that something They buy our best sensors from us&quot;That's not an exact quote from Stringer but later the Wall Street Journal, reporting on its own event, mentioned the camera comment:Early on, he raised the irony of Sony supplying camera components for Apple devices. It &quot;always puzzles me,&quot; he said. &quot;Why would I make Apple the best camera&quot; It is unclear what devices he was talking about as Sony isn't known to supply key camera components, known as image sensors, to Apple' A Sony spokeswoman declined to comment and an Apple spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment.OmniVision has been providing the image sensors for the iPhone 4, but recent rumors have suggested that Apple was switching to Sony camera components for the iPhone 5. Word was Apple was looking at Sony's Exmor R 8MP sensors, which are found in the new Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc and Neo smartphones (the iPhone 4 has a 5MP sensor). While users have been impressed with the iPhone 4's video shooting capabilities some have complained that indoor still shots have a yellow tinge to them. Apple has been rumored to be moving to Sony sensors for a while. If indeed the delivery of the sensors is delayed, the question is whether the iPhone 5 will be delayed. Some recent reports suggest that the iPhone 5 will ship in the fall instead of in June, with Apple focusing exclusively on software at its World Wide Developers Conference in June. Of course, none of that's confirmed and many believe Apple will announce a next-generation iPhone this summer as it has in the past. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Legoland trains Web cam on 'Star Wars' Miniland]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=legoland-trains-web-cam-on-star-wars-miniland</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=legoland-trains-web-cam-on-star-wars-miniland</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rasparuck768</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=legoland-trains-web-cam-on-star-wars-miniland</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In the world of enthusiasts, there are likely few groups more passionate than those who love Lego and &quot;Star Wars.&quot;So when you mix the two, what you end up with is a combustible mix of passion and excitement, and that's exactly what the people behind the all-new &quot;Star Wars&quot; Miniland opening tomorrow at Legoland California are hoping for.But if you're not one of the lucky few who can be on hand for the opening, Legoland doesn't want to leave you out of the fun. That's why it has just launched a live Web cam that will be trained on the &quot;Star Wars&quot; Miniland for the official launch, and afterward as well.Legoland 'Star Wars' models invading California If you check the cam out today or before the Miniland unveiling tomorrow morning, you can see the teams of Lego professionals--and who wouldn't want that moniker, by the way--putting the finishing touches on the new exhibits. Fans can &quot;enjoy the view from the top of the Model Shop as our Master Model Builders, animators, and landscape artists put the finishing touches on the seven scenes in 'Star Wars' Miniland,&quot; Legoland said in a release today. &quot;Web cam viewers will also have a bird's eye view of the...opening ceremony [tomorrow] at 9:15 a.m. pacific, just before the area officially opens to the public.&quot;I won't be able to be there for the opening, but I did get a chance to see some of the models up close and personal two months ago, and the ones I saw were terrific. There was a life-size Lego Chewbacca and R2-D2, as well as the world's-largest Lego Millennium Falcon. Plus a lot more.Related links&amp;149' Lego builders show off their skills at Bricks by the Bay (photos) &amp;149' The force is strong with 'Clone Wars' writer (Q&amp;A) &amp;149' A sneak peek at Legoland's 'Star Wars' models &amp;149' With kids, the future of 'Star Wars' is rosy &amp;149' Legoland champ triumphs in trial by fire--and iceLegoland visitors, of course, will have access to more than 2,000 models built over 13 months of development and construction by eight master model builders and two animation electricians at Legoland Germany. All told, the project required more than 1.5 million bricks and weighs 1.3 tons. Visitors to Legoland Germany, as well as the company's flagship park, Legoland Billund in Denmark, will also be getting a &quot;Star Wars&quot; Miniland. Most of the models were made three times at the German model shop, with full sets of the models being shipped off to Billund and Carlsbad.The models are based on all six of the live-action &quot;Star Wars&quot; films, as well as the animated &quot;Clone Wars&quot; series. The Miniland will feature models that depict one scene from each of the six live-action films and from &quot;Clone Wars.&quot; From the original three films, visitors will be able to see Lego renditions of Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine--Uncle Owen's farm' the cantina' and the starport, where the Millennium Falcon will be installed--the Rebel's Hoth refuge from &quot;Empire Strikes Back'&quot; and the Endor system from &quot;Return of the Jedi.&quot; As well, from the prequels, the Miniland will feature scenes from Naboo, Geonosis, and Kashyyk and Mustafar. Finally, &quot;Clone Wars&quot; fans will recognize a scene from Christophsis.        Daniel Terdiman     Full Profile E-mail Daniel Terdiman   E-mail Daniel Terdiman If you have a question or comment for Daniel Terdiman, you can submit it here. However, because our editors and writers receive hundreds of requests, we cannot tell you when you may receive a response.   Submit your question or comment here: 0 of 1500 characters       Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Toshiba's R800 series priced' sequel to one of our favorite laptops]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshibas-r800-series-priced-sequel-to-one-of-our-favorite-laptops</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshibas-r800-series-priced-sequel-to-one-of-our-favorite-laptops</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sonia01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshibas-r800-series-priced-sequel-to-one-of-our-favorite-laptops</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Toshiba)One of our favorite laptops in recent memory (and giving rise to one of the most popular laptop reviews we published last year) was the Toshiba R705. This slim 13-inch laptop packed in tons of features and decent performance, all for around $800, and was one of the best Windows-based alternatives for those who like the general size and shape of MacBooks but need a Windows machine. But with the first few rounds of laptops featuring Intel's second-gen Core i-series processors hitting stores, the R700 series is a bit behind the times. Toshiba has mentioned the next version, the R800, a few times, but specs, prices, and actual availability information have been sketchy. Now detailed specs and prices are up on Toshiba's Web site (we spotted these via Engadget), and they run from the $889 Intel Core i3-2310M Portege R835-P50X to the $930 R835-P56X, which has a Core i5-2410M processor. All four models have 640GB hard drives and USB 3.0 ports. We were actually able to add one of the four R835 models to a shopping cart on the Toshiba site, with a shipping time of 1 to 2 days, but that appears to be a site error, as Toshiba says the U.S. versions of the R800 laptops haven't been officially announced yet. We screen-grabbed the page in case it gets pulled, so check out the different R835 models and their specs and prices below. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Sony to strike with 'Thunderbolt' laptop]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-sony-to-strike-with-thunderbolt-laptop</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-sony-to-strike-with-thunderbolt-laptop</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 07:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zoolepype</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-sony-to-strike-with-thunderbolt-laptop</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sony is readying a &quot;hybrid&quot; Vaio laptop equipped with Intel's Thunderbolt tech, according to a report. Sony is perfectly capable of making very thin laptops like the Vaio X series.(Credit:Sony)Thunderbolt, formerly known by its codename Light Peak, is a new connection technology that combines high-speed data transfer and high-definition video on a single cable. The Intel-developed technology has come to market through a technical collaboration with Apple and is being made available first on Apple's new line of MacBook Pro laptop computers. Though Sony did not publicly endorse Thunderbolt at the Intel roll-out last month, the company has previously offered public support for the technology. &quot;Sony is excited about the potential for Light Peak technology that Intel has been developing, and believes it could enable a new generation of high-speed device connectivity,&quot; Ryosuke Akahane, vice president of the Vaio Business Group at Sony, said in a statement that was posted last year on Intel's Web site. The rumored Thunderbolt-packing hybrid Vaio &quot;consists of two components,&quot; according to Sony Insider. &quot;There is an actual notebook that will be pretty thin, featuring...Thunderbolt, that same interface that current MacBook Pros are sporting,&quot; the Web site says. Sony Insider goes on to list other specifications, including an Intel Wireless Display, a solid-state drive, Core i7 processor, no optical drive, HDMI output with 3D support, and battery life ranging from 8 to 16.5 hours. It will weigh in at about 2.5 pounds. Here's the most interesting part. The second component--which the main laptop hooks up to via a Sony connector--will have a discrete graphics processing unit (GPU) from Advanced Micro Devices, a Blu-ray drive, HDMI output, VGA output, Ethernet port, and USB, according to Sony Insider. If this Vaio materializes, the MacBook Air will get another worthy competitor like the Samsung 9 Series. And here's an interesting thought. Will the upcoming refresh of the MacBook Air get Thunderbolt like its Pro cousins Apple could certainly pull it off. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[X-47B robo-plane takes (flying) wing again]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=x-47b-robo-plane-takes-flying-wing-again</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=x-47b-robo-plane-takes-flying-wing-again</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:11:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bakeruc</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=x-47b-robo-plane-takes-flying-wing-again</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The X-47B comes in for a landing on March 4 at Edwards Air Force Base in California.(Credit:Northrop Grumman)Almost from the very beginning seven decades ago, flying wings have been something of a specialty for the aircraft company founded by Jack Northrop.The 1940s saw the XB-35 experimental aircraft. The late 1980s brought the B-2 bomber.Now Northrop Grumman is pushing ahead with the X-47B UCAS (for unmanned combat air system), a prototype going through its fledgling stage en route to the goal of demonstrating in 2013 that an unmanned, tailless, strike fighter-size aircraft can land on and take off from an aircraft carrier.Earlier this month, the X-47B made just the second and third flights (from dry land) of its young career, not long after completing its maiden flight in early February. With the pair of flights, both of which took place in the first week of March at Edwards Air Force Base in California, Northrop Grumman said yesterday that it has begun the process of &quot;envelope expansion&quot; that will take the UAV through a range of altitudes, air speeds, and operating weights.Both flights saw the X-47B reach an altitude of 7,500 feet, up from the 5,000-foot accomplishment in its February debut. It flew as fast as 200 knots in the March 1 flight, which lasted 39 minutes, and up to 180 knots on March 4 over about 41 minutes. One of the results that pleased Northrop Grumman is that the flush-mounted air data system, an aspect of its stealthy, low-profile design, was able to accurately sense and communicate air speed.The envelope expansion phase will entail a planned 49 flights at Edwards AFB, over the course of which the flight requirements will get more and more complex, before the X-47B moves to the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, Md., later this year. Stress testing for the X-47B AV-2 included dozens of hydraulic jacks pushing and pulling on the airframe.(Credit:Northrop Grumman)Northrop Grumman's contract with the U.S. Navy calls for two aircraft, not just this first one. The second one, referred to as AV-2, is still at the company's assembly and test facility in Palmdale, Calif., where it recently wrapped up stress tests intended to show that the airframe can tolerate the rigors of combat maneuvers--tests included those mimicking a 3-G symmetrical pull-up and a 2.4-G rolling pullout--and of using an aircraft carrier as its runway.&quot;The proof tests validate the structural design of the aircraft, and give us confidence that we can operate this plane safely and reliably in all anticipated carrier environments,&quot; said Janis Pamiljans, vice president of the Navy UCAS program for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector, in a statement earlier this week. &quot;In particular, we now know that AV-2 can handle the stresses, strains and dynamic loads associated with catapult launches and arrested landings on the carrier deck, and air-to-air refueling.&quot;About that air-to-air refueling: The two X-47B aircraft are identical, the company says, except that AV-2 will be kitted out with aerial refueling equipment, with the goal of demonstrating unmanned aerial refueling in 2014. Northrop Grumman is also working on an aerial refueling project, under the auspices of the DARPA KQ-X program, that aims for an autonomous fill-up involving a pair of Global Hawk UAVs in 2012.The AV-2 aircraft will head to Edwards AFB later this spring.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Time Warner launches TV-viewing app for iPad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-launches-tv-viewing-app-for-ipad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-launches-tv-viewing-app-for-ipad</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sufbugbimac</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=time-warner-launches-tv-viewing-app-for-ipad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Time Warner Cable)AppleiPad owners who subscribe to Time Warner cable now have an app that will let them watch live TV directly on theirtablets.Launched today, the free TWCable TV app streams the live cable TV feed to the iPad via a Wi-Fi connection, meaning people can catch their favorite shows from any room in the house.An online channel guide lets viewers scroll to see which shows are currently on and which ones are coming up next. Tapping on a particular show then streams it to the iPad. Subscribers will find shows broadcast in high-definition from a variety of cable networks, including A&amp;E, Bravo, Discovery, MSNBC, SyFy, and USA.&quot;We are tremendously excited about this app, which is the first of many that will allow our customers to harness the power of their tablet-type devices,&quot; Time Warner Cable President Rob Marcus said in a statement. &quot;Helping our customers see the content they're paying for on multiple devices makes their Time Warner Cable subscription even more valuable, and they can expect much more from us in this space very soon.&quot; There are a couple of initial limitations. The service works only through Wi-Fi, so users can't watch TV outside the house via the iPad's 3G connection. Customers must also subscribe to Time Warner cable TV and Internet to use the app.And for now, only around 30 channels are available for live streaming, though Time Warner Cable is promising to add more channels and beef up the app's capabilities. Future enhancements will let subscribers stream shows outside the home via Wi-Fi, set up a DVR to record shows, and use the iPad as a remote to control both live and on-demand shows.The app is compatible only with the iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or higher.Looking at other cable carriers, Dish Network subscribers can also download a free app for the iPad and other mobile devices to let them watch live TV and recorded shows. Comcast recently announced plans to launch its own TV-viewing app for the iPad and Android tablets later this year.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPad launch 2.0: What's different this time]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-launch-2-0-whats-different-this-time</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-launch-2-0-whats-different-this-time</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lovislaiuy</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-launch-2-0-whats-different-this-time</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The scene just before sales for the first iPad kicked off last April at Apple&amp;39's flagship store in San Francisco.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Mock them or envy them, you can expect more than a few gadget aficionados to be lining up at Apple stores today to buy the newiPad.The overwhelming success of the original iPad ended up taking Apple by surprise last year, with the company announcing sales of more than 300,000 Wi-Fi iPads on its first day, going on to hit 1 million in just under a month. Over the following months, supply was scarce, with Apple resorting to a reservation system that would have users waiting weeks in some cases. This ended up affecting Apple's plans to release it outside the U.S., causing sales in nine other countries to be delayed for about a month. Things look very different this time around. With the second generation of the iPad set to hit store shelves this evening, analysts are already betting it will hit the million unit sales mark faster than the first. Now about those differences:A pre-order receipt from the first iPad. (Credit:Screenshot by Josh Lowensohn/CNET)No pre-orders or reservationsWith the first iPad, buyers could pre-order, or reserve the device from Apple about three weeks ahead of when it actually hit store shelves. That meant people who had pre-ordered would get an iPad delivered to their door the day it was released or walk into the store on launch day and be guaranteed a unit. This time, online orders have been restricted to the first day the device is on sale (which started three hours ago to be precise), with orders going out to customers the following week. This could end up having a dramatic impact on the size of lines at retail stores, given that people who might have wanted to grab an iPad 2 to use it that first weekend will have to head to a store to get one versus waiting for it to be delivered to their doorstep. At the same time, it could also simplify the line-up process at a number of stores. For the first launch, Apple had to balance out two different lines: one for walk-ins and one for people with reservations. More retailersFollowing up on that last point, the iPad 2 is being sold at more stores from the get-go. When the first iPad launched, the only place you could get it was Apple and Best Buy's retail stores. Apple later extended its retail availability to Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Verizon and AT&amp;T retail locations, and online at Amazon.com.This time on day one, the iPad 2 will be available at Best Buy (as it was before), but also the rest of those retail partners, with the exception of Amazon.com, which has not yet committed to having the iPad 2 on sale. The online retail giant declined to comment on its iPad 2 sales plans. Considering Amazon currently carries a number of Apple products, including the first-generation iPad, it's a safe bet it will end up on there eventually. Though Amazon's knock at the iPad's usefulness as an e-reader in an advertisement from back in September could have put the retailer on Apple's naughty list.More countriesThe original iPad launched in the U.S. on April 3, 2010, with the promise that it would arrive in a handful of international markets by the end of the month. Less than two weeks later, Apple announced that it would be delaying that launch until the end of May.The international launch came to nine additional countries on May 28, with Apple opening up for international pre-orders on May 10. Two months later, availability expanded to eight more countries. China then got it in September, followed by Malaysia in November, and India at the end of January of this year. This time, the iPad 2 is still launching in the U.S. first, but 26 additional countries will get it just two weeks later. In its initial press release about the iPad 2, Apple said the iPad 2 would be available in &quot;many more countries around the world in the coming months.&quot; That quick increas to include 26 countries within weeks of the U.S. launch is a good sign Apple has been stocking up to make sure supplies won't run as dry as they did during the launch of the first-generation device. Even so, reports had cropped up in early February that Apple was just beginning to mass produce the iPad 2, giving the company little more than a month to build a launch supply.An iPad 2 with the 3G antenna. (Credit:Apple)3G from day oneThere was a nearly one month delay between the release of the Wi-Fi-only version of the iPad, and the one that shipped with a 3G antenna. This effectively split up the number of people who would have queued up in front of stores to pick one up. Yet lines were formed. While not nearly as large at the ones for the Wi-Fi-only version, people set up shop outside of Apple stores and waited for 5 p.m. to hit in order to get their hands on a version of the device with built-in 3G. This time, all three models will be available with a 3G option, in addition to a choice of 3G carrier, which in the U.S. is AT&amp;T or Verizon. Since the two are using separate types of network technology, users have to pick which of those two carriers they want to go with.More choicesChoosing between models of the first iPad was a rather simple affair. There were three capacities, and each one of those had a Wi-F-only model, and a Wi-Fi + 3G variant. But at launch, there were just the Wi-Fi units. Now, for each of those capacities (which remain unchanged), there's not just two color choices (black and white), but you can also get each capacity with 3G in either a GSM or a CDMA antenna. All told that adds up to 18 different models. Looks are a bit deceiving on this pricing matrix. Each of those models has two colors, and the models with 3G can be had on either Verizon or AT&amp;T, totaling 18 different types of iPad 2.(Credit:Apple)Confused as to which one to get You're probably not alone. This is actually a highly unusual amount of stock variations for Apple to offer on any product. On theMac side, for example, you can only get one version of the MacBook, and five variants of the MacBook Pro (across three different screen sizes). The MacBook Air comes in two sizes with two different configurations per size. The iMac line follows a similar configuration lineup with two different sizes, and two configurations each. And rounding it off is the Mac Mini, which comes either a consumer version, or an optical drive-free server version, and the Mac Pro, which has the same case, but ships with four different internal configurations. None of those even gets close to the potential configurations for an iPad 2 buyer. On the iOS side of the product line it's much simpler, with there only being three versions of the iPod Touch--all differentiated only by capacity. This is followed by theiPhone, which comes in only one color, has two capacities, and can be had with either a GSM or CDMA antenna, totaling four possibilities. (Note: Apple had originally intended to offer a white version of the device, but ran into manufacturing problems. It's now rumored to be arriving in April.) Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces that there are now more than 65,000 native apps designed specifically for the iPad at the iPad 2&amp;39's unveiling earlier this month. (Credit:Apple) More appsThose looking to get their hands on the original iPad did not have all that many iPad native, or universal apps to look forward to when first picking up the device in its launch time frame. Original estimates put availability around the 3,000 mark the day after the device's release, with Apple offering an official tally of 5,000 apps at the end of May. Apple's best promise at the time was that the device would run &quot;almost all of&quot; the 140,000 or so apps in the App Store while developers worked to make some existing applications universal. Fast forward to today, and we've got what Apple says are more than 65,000 native iPad applications that make up a part of the 350,000 total apps available in the App Store. Apple has branded this release with a similar promise that &quot;almost all&quot; applications will be able to run on the iPad 2. One more thing...All these things combined add up to a very different picture from last year's launch, and put the iPad 2 at a considerable advantage at topping the first iPad's sales numbers. Even so, there's another big difference worth mentioning, that was not present during last year's launch: competitors.  When the first iPad launched, there were a number of Windows-based PC tablets, though they were aimed mainly at business users and packed higher price tags. There was also the JooJoo, which crashed and burned before the iPad even hit store shelves. Since then, there's been some serious movement in the tablet category with a laundry list of heavyweights like Samsung, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, LG Electronics, Acer, Asus, Research In Motion, and Motorola offering--or at least promising--to ship competing products. While Apple's CEO Steve Jobs called these efforts &quot;copycats&quot; at the iPad 2 unveiling earlier this month, they do offer potential buyers alternatives. And even if a large number of them can't beat the iPad's price or massive software library, it doesn't mean competitors aren't beginning to offer things the iPad doesn't have. RIM's upcoming Playbook for instance, will run Adobe Flash, while HP's TouchPad (due this summer) will let users wirelessly transfer files between PalmOS devices, as well as pick up phone calls. Both also feature front-facing cameras for video chatting, one of the iPad 2's headlining hardware additions.Are features like that good enough to sway buyers to put off buying a tablet until release Perhaps some, though not the ones who are sure to line up outside of Apple's store today. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With Marginize, the conversation comes to Web pages]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-marginize-the-conversation-comes-to-web-pages</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-marginize-the-conversation-comes-to-web-pages</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnoressufujhh</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-marginize-the-conversation-comes-to-web-pages</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Web site Feld.com, which has the Marginize widget installed. This means anyone can join the discussion on pages like this one and others with the widget.(Credit:Marginize)PALM DESERT, Calif.--Since the beginning of time, or at least since the beginning of the Web, we've all used Web sites in solitude, regardless of how many social tools were available.But thanks to an application called Marginize, that dynamic may soon change. At the Demo Spring conference here today, Marginize talked about how, for what may well be the first time, social and collaborative Web browsing is finally here.The idea is actually quite simple. Using either a browser add-on--forFirefox, Chrome, orSafari--or a native application on sites whose publishers have opted-in, Web surfers can now see what other people are saying in real-time--on services like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz--about the pages and the topics they're exploring.Until now, said Marginize founder and CEO Ziad Sultan, people have been able to talk all they want about what they're seeing on the Web, but have been limited to doing so in &quot;social silos.&quot; Marginize, by comparison, aims to bring the conversation about a page right on to that page. A simple window that pops up when you click on the little Marginize tab that sits on the side of the page shows the real time discussion around the topic, and gives users the ability to easily jump into that conversation by tweeting or posting to Facebook or by responding to what others have already said.For several months, a group of users has already been applying Marginize to more than half a million sites, Sultan said. Those beta users have each downloaded the browser plug-in and employed it to bring the service's social aspects to sites in which they are interested. But that didn't do anything for people who haven't downloaded the add-on, let alone those who haven't even heard of the service in the first place.At Demo today, the company announced the launch of its publisher widget, which makes it possible for owners of sites of all kinds and sizes, from personal blogs to large news sites, to proactively place Marginize functionality on their pages. Now, for example, Brad Feld, who writes about entrepreneurship for Boston.com, has the Marginize widget embedded in his page, allowing anyone to see and participate in the ongoing conversation taking place on his page.There's no doubt that in order for Marginize to be truly useful, it needs a large critical mass of users. After all, there's not much point to looking for a conversation that isn't there because there aren't enough people discussing a page or its topics. But if the company can lure in enough users, and enough sites embed the tool, there's a real chance that it could permanently change the way we interact with Web sites. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With new iPad due, old issue abides]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-new-ipad-due-old-issue-abides</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-new-ipad-due-old-issue-abides</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 27 Feb 2011 08:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ingmarbug02</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-new-ipad-due-old-issue-abides</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As Apple amps up theiPad to makes its performance more MacBook-Air-like, an old nemesis persists. That would be Adobe Flash. The iPad experience would improve with native Flash support. (Credit:Adobe)The Apple propaganda machine and the cadre of zealots who fiercely defend anything Apple undertakes would lead you to believe that you don't need Flash video. I still don't buy it. First, a confession. Every personal computing device I use on a daily basis is an Apple product. AniPhone, iPad, and a couple of MacBook Airs. And I have been using the iPad every day since the 3G version came out. And have, more than once, sung its praises. However, the lack of native support for Adobe Flash rears its ugly, practicality-subverting head way too often. Of course, this is just a personal opinion. But that doesn't mean I'm alone. I'm not going to list all of the things I do that require Flash. Suffice to say when I surf the Web, Flash always seems to be hiding in some uncharted but necessary nook or cranny. Small business sites use Flash, a lot of hobbyist Web sites still require Flash, and entertainment sites use Flash. But I really don't think I need to explain this, it's readily apparent to almost anyone. In other words, the burden is not on me to list all of the sites out there that use Flash. The burden is on Apple to convince me that it's right to refuse to support a standard that's baked into the Web. Yeah, yeah, I know the argument about how Flash is a power hog, unstable, and performance-challenged. And Apple has a point. But that choice should be up to the user, i.e., use Flash at your own risk. I find that I need Flash typically only briefly but very necessarily. What workarounds exist Well, Hulu has an app called Hulu Plus that works in some cases, others not. And there are other apps like Skyfire. Or, as a last resort, ilivex, a remote Linux app that let's you use theFirefox browser. As just a few examples.  But this is not native support. And why is native support important Just read the Skyfire fine print: &quot;We do not support all Web sites that use Flash video. We are working hard at it...But we cannot guarantee that your favorite site is already on the list.&quot;  This leads to the proverbial elephant in the room. The Motorola Xoom. Though it doesn't support Flash video yet, it will soon. Apple would really have to do some creative spin doctoring to depict native Flash support as a Xoom shortcoming.  And that's almost reason enough to snap up a Xoom. Decisions, decisions.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hands-on with FaceTime for Mac]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-facetime-for-mac</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-facetime-for-mac</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cedrikceek</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-facetime-for-mac</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[HAL-like computer tower rules Monopoly Live]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hal-like-computer-tower-rules-monopoly-live</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hal-like-computer-tower-rules-monopoly-live</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>laziparac</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hal-like-computer-tower-rules-monopoly-live</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Monopoly Live: You can pass Go if the tower says so.(Credit:Video screenshot by Tim Hornyak/CNET)Like counting your money You'll be deprived of that pleasure in the new version of Monopoly that Hasbro shown off at the 2011 Toy Fair in New York this week.A computer tower controls all transactions in Monopoly Live, and players insert bank cards into slots as they would with an ATM. Tracking everything with its infrared eyes, the tower looms like the Eye of Sauron. Or the eye of HAL, if you prefer science fiction. The classic tokens, properties, and plastic buildings have been retained, but there's no paper money' dice' or Chance or Community Chest cards. The tower does all that, along with barking instructions to players, as seen in the vid below. An added feature involves sending a plastic cab around on a rail to dodge taxes, and the tower can sometimes announce random events like a horse race or property auction. In classic Monopoly, players wheel and deal with each other, screaming for rent and hiding $100 bills up a sleeve or under the board. In Monopoly Live, they seem to be interacting with the computer. Is that the purpose of a board game Sure, board game manufacturers have to do whatever they can to stay relevant to younger generations in this age of iPhone games. I just don't think that closing the pod bay doors on social interaction is the right approach. Monopoly Live is slated for a fall 2011 release. What do you think Would you take on the tower<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[NASA probe streaks past comet in picture-perfect flyby]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-probe-streaks-past-comet-in-picture-perfect-flyby</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-probe-streaks-past-comet-in-picture-perfect-flyby</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:11:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>hprjzkwti</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-probe-streaks-past-comet-in-picture-perfect-flyby</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Twelve years after launch and seven years after it collected dust from comet Wild 2, NASA's Stardust probe streaked past comet Tempel 1 late Monday, capturing 72 Valentine's Day closeups to find out how the icy body has changed since it was visited by another NASA spacecraft in 2005.The renamed Stardust-New Exploration of Tempel mission--Stardust-NExT--passed within about 110 miles of the nucleus of Tempel 1 at 11:40 p.m. EST Monday, using its navigation camera to snap a string of images and recording thousands of dust grain impacts as it raced past at a relative velocity of 24,300 mph.These three separate images (combined by author for illustration purposes) of comet Tempel 1 were captured by the Stardust-NExT spacecraft during close approach late Monday. The bottom image shows the general location of a crater that was excavated by NASA&amp;39's Deep Impact probe during a 2005 encounter.(Credit:NASA)Because of an unexplained software glitch, it took longer than expected for the close-approach pictures to reach Earth, but that was of little consequence to the engineers, flight controllers, and scientists eagerly awaiting the results.&quot;If you ask me was this mission 100 percent successful in terms of the science, I'd have to say no. It was a thousand percent successful!&quot; Joe Veverka, the Stardust-NExT principal investigator at Cornell University, said Tuesday during a post-encounter news briefing.The $300 million Stardust mission was launched in 1999. On January 2, 2004, the spacecraft flew past comet Wild 2, using an innovative collector to capture particles from the coma, the cloud of debris surrounding the nucleus. Passing back by Earth two years later, a small re-entry capsule carrying the collected material was ejected and fell to a landing in Utah where it was recovered for detailed analysis.In the meantime, NASA carried out the Deep Impact mission, sending another spacecraft to comet Tempel 1, a roughly potato-shaped body with a nucleus measuring 4.7 miles long by 3 miles wide. During a dramatic encounter in 2005, Deep Impact released an instrumented probe that crashed into the comet, throwing up a cloud of debris from the surface. The Deep Impact spacecraft monitored the crash from a safe distance and carried out remote observations with cameras and other instruments.With the Stardust probe still healthy after its successful mission to Wild 2, NASA approved a $29 million mission extension and agreed to send the spacecraft to Tempel 1 to study how the comet had changed during a full trip around the sun.Veverka said Tempel 1 turned out to be &quot;unusually interesting.&quot;&quot;In places on Tempel 1, we see layered terrains, which probably contain information about how comet nuclei are put together, and we would like to see more of these terrains,&quot; he said during a pre-encounter briefing, explaining why Tempel 1 was targeted for a second visit. &quot;Deep Impact saw only about a third of the surface. We would like to see more.&quot;Deep Impact also showed areas that appear to be smooth flow-like deposits, along with crater-like features that could be ancient vents.But Veverka said the most important reason to return to Tempel 1 was that &quot;this will be an opportunity, for the first time, to see how much a comet changes between two close passages to the sun.&quot;&quot;Deep Impact saw the comet in 2005, we're going to be seeing it one comet year later, just after its closest passage to the sun in 2011,&quot; he said. &quot;We know comets lose material, but the question is, how much does the surface change and where does the surface change So we'll be able to answer that question by comparing our images with those taken by Deep Impact in 2005.&quot;After a quick assessment of the images returned by Stardust-NExT, Veverka said numerous surface features have, in fact, changed. The large flow-like deposit, for example, appears to be receding as water ice evaporates and carries dust particles away. In one area along the deposit's boundary, structures that were visible in 2005 appear to have eroded away.The Valentine's Day flyby was set up with a major rocket firing one year ago that put the craft on a trajectory that ensured it would be able to photograph the Deep Impact crash site as well as other, unseen areas of Tempel 1.&quot;That impact threw up so much ejecta that Deep Impact never saw the crater,&quot; Veverka said before the Stardust-NExT encounter. &quot;So it could never complete the experiment, to see how big the crater is and what that tells us about the mechanical properties of the comet's surface. That's important if we're ever going to go back to a comet, land a spacecraft on the surface, dig up material from the surface, bring it back to Earth...So here, we have a chance to complete the deep impact experiment.&quot;As it turned out, the targeting maneuver a year ago was right on the money and the Deep Impact crash site was captured by the Stardust-NExT navigation camera, although it was difficult for the untrained eye to make it out.&quot;We saw the crater,&quot; said Pete Schultz, a Stardust-NExT co-investigator at Brown University. &quot;It's subdued, it's about 150 meters across and has a small central mound in the center. It looks as if from the impact, the stuff went up and came back down. So we did get it, there's no doubt. I think one of the bottom-line messages is that this surface of the comet where we hit is very weak. It's fragile. So the crater partly healed itself.&quot;Stardust-NExT has covered some 3.5 billion miles since launch in 1999. The spacecraft is still healthy, but it does not have enough fuel left to carry out any additional encounters.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft's ecosystem is a tough sell to Verizon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:10:51 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>varsanyala</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsofts-ecosystem-is-a-tough-sell-to-verizon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[BARCELONA, Spain--Verizon Communications Chief Technology Officer Tony Melone would love to see a third player in the mobile OS market, but Microsoft's Windows Phone platform may not be it.Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone.(Credit:Verizon Wireless)Melone said during an interview yesterday at the Mobile World Congress here, that it is important for the mobile industry to have more than two choices in major software platforms for mobile devices. But he is skeptical that Microsoft, which has seemingly had a slow start in the market with itsWindows Phone 7 software, will have a chance to be that third horse. That said, Verizon plans to offer its first Windows Phone 7 product this spring, Microsoft announced yesterday.&quot;I do want a strong third OS out there,&quot; Melone said. &quot;It gives the carriers more flexibility and balances the interests of all the parties. But I still have doubts whether Microsoft will get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7.&quot;Last week, Nokia and Microsoft announced a close strategic partnership, in which Nokia will focus new product development exclusively on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform in lieu of its own software. But Melone doesn't think the Microsoft-Nokia relationship will help Windows Phone 7 become a dominant force on Verizon's network, since Nokia is not a Verizon handset partner. Nokia got rid of its CDMA business years ago. (CDMA and EV-DO are the technologies that Verizon uses for its voice and 3G data service.) Melone said even if Nokia starts building CDMA devices again, it would be very difficult for Nokia or any new handset player to break into its product line anytime soon.&quot;If you look at our device pipeline for 2011, we have very strong relationships with LG, Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and now Apple,&quot; he said. &quot;So I think it would take a really compelling device from Nokia or any new vendor to break in. It doesn't mean that it can't happen, but it would have to be really good.&quot;In a separate interview at MWC, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop indicated that Nokia may have already begun courting Verizon as part of its new strategy. Elop wouldn't elaborate on any plans to build CDMA phones for Verizon or other carriers, but he noted that he had spoken to Verizon executives the night before the deal with Microsoft was announced last week. The bottom line, Melone said, is that Verizon has what it needs from its current partners.  &quot;I don't think Verizon needs the Nokia and Microsoft relationship,&quot; he said. &quot;Right now the three OS players we see for our network are Android, Apple, and RIM. &quot;Research In Motion, the maker of the BlackBerry, has seen growth slip the past few quarters. It dropped some worldwide market share in the smartphone market in 2010, according to IDC. In 2010, Nokia, which is still the No. 1 smartphone provider in the world, saw its annual market share fall to 33.1 percent, from 39 percent in 2009, while RIM's share dropped to 16.1 percent from almost 20 percent. Meanwhile, third-place Apple saw its market share rise to 15.7 percent from 14.5 percent.&quot;People are still buying BlackBerrys on Verizon's network,&quot; Melone said. &quot;And I do consider RIM a strong third player. I know the momentum is not in their favor right now. But they have been strong in the past and there is potential for them to rebound. So I wouldn't discount them.&quot;Melone also noted that WebOS from Palm, which is now owned by Hewlett-Packard, is a potential wild card in the OS wars.&quot;If HP decides to license WebOS that could also become a third or fourth player that is used by OEMs,&quot; he said. &quot;I'm more optimistic with WebOS developing into a strong player, just based on the strength of the OS. It has some very unique and good characteristics.&quot;Nokia's Elop acknowledged that RIM is a worthy competitor, but he said that the Nokia/Microsoft relationship offers carriers and consumers a more comprehensive offering. He said that RIM is in the same position that Nokia was in before it partnered with Microsoft. It has the hardware, but doesn't have an ecosystem built around it. &quot;They are selling a lot of phones, and there are some innovative designs,&quot; Elop said in an interview. &quot;But I really believe that this is an ecosystem game. We can offer the consumer both innovative hardware and an OS with a good user experience, and an advertising platform with location services, and the list goes on and on.&quot;Microsoft also believes it has a lot to offer carriers. &quot;Of course wireless operators want more alternatives that will [help] them to add value,&quot; CEO Steve Ballmer said yesterday during his keynote speech at MWC. &quot;And Windows Phone will be the most operator-friendly OS on the market.&quot;But Verizon and Microsoft have not had the best relationship in the past. Microsoft's Kin phone, which was introduced on Verizon's network last year and quickly removed a few months later, left a bitter taste in Verizon's mouth. And in an interview with CNET in the fall, COO Lowell McAdam did not seem thrilled to offer future Microsoft products He said that Microsoft was not at the &quot;forefront of our mind.&quot;Greg Sullivan, a senior product manager for Microsoft, said that he couldn't speak specifically to Verizon's hesitation regarding the Microsoft platform, but he said he was looking forward to changing the carrier's perception.&quot;We want to change that opinion,&quot; he said, &quot;There are things we hope to do in terms of responsiveness to get more developer support. And we want to enable mobile operators to do things that bolster their brands and create more opportunities for them.&quot;Verizon has worked closely with Google and handset makers Motorola, Samsung, and HTC to introduce products to compete against theApple iPhone, which until this month had been exclusively available for the AT&amp;T network. And the strategy was a huge success helping Verizon add millions of new smartphone customers. But it's clear that Verizon doesn't want to become too dependent on Google. &quot;We have good and deep strong relationships with Google and Apple,&quot; Melone said. &quot;But it's good to have balance in these relationships. As a carrier we want to make sure there is flexibility. We don't want to be viewed as a dumb pipe. And it's good to have choices for us and our customers.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Netflix streaming finally arrives on Boxee Box]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-streaming-finally-arrives-on-boxee-box</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-streaming-finally-arrives-on-boxee-box</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maringsufcat</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=netflix-streaming-finally-arrives-on-boxee-box</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Well, it's about time.Boxee announced today that Netflix streaming is finally available to owners of the company's Boxee Box. In order to access Netflix streaming, users will need to either wait for the automatic update to take effect within the next 24 hours or manually update their set-top boxes.&quot;Netflix support was the most common request we had on our blog comments, forum posts, tweets, etc.,&quot; Boxee CEO Avner Ronen said in a blog post accompanying the announcement. &quot;We heard you loud and clear. We were bummed that we could not make it happen earlier, but are very excited to have it out today.&quot;When the Boxee Box first launched in November, the company said that it would make Netflix available by the end of 2010. After hitting some snags, it promised that Netflix was &quot;still on track&quot; for a launch at the end of January. Earlier this month, Boxee said in a blog post that it wasn't able to hit its self-imposed deadline because it had &quot;not yet satisfied Netflix's security requirements.&quot;Luckily, that wait is finally over. But now Boxee has some catching up to do. Netflix streaming has been running for quite some time on several of the device's competitors, including the Apple TV, Roku set-top boxes, and the Logitech Revue, among others.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Schneider does home energy sans smart meter]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-does-home-energy-sans-smart-meter</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-does-home-energy-sans-smart-meter</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>erdikcopd</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=schneider-does-home-energy-sans-smart-meter</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Home of the future A Web-based application for managing home energy, a smart thermostat, and display for notifications and energy data.(Credit:Schneider Electric)Millions of two-way smart meters are expected to be installed in the next few years, but more energy management companies are finding ways to use home broadband connections to reach consumers. Schneider Electric today is scheduled to introduce a home energy management system called Wiser that's flexible in what network it uses. It's one of many announcements coming from the DistribuTech utility conference this week in San Diego.The package, which will be marketed at utilities, includes a networked thermostat, a small energy display, and an Internet gateway for brokering communications between consumers and utilities. There are also wallet-size controllers for connecting relatively large appliances, such as a pool pump or refrigerators, to a home network.There are dozens of companies working in home energy management, developing products to give consumers more control over how they use energy. Utilities are interested in reducing peak-time energy use or improving customer efficiency overall with these types of tools.But even as utilities provide consumers with more tools, such as Web-based dashboards and home energy displays, there's concern in the industry that consumers won't use them, particularly after the novelty wears off.Schneider, which makes a range of electric power equipment for commercial buildings, said that it designed the home energy display for ease of use and flexibility. If it's a location where there are time-of-use electricity rates, the display will show when prices change to motivate consumers to move power-hungry jobs to off-peak times. It can also notify a person that they are straying from a pre-set energy budget. For example, during a critical peak period, where utilities are struggling to meet energy demand, consumers can get an alert that the price for electricity has gone up. If they participate in a demand response program in exchange for a rebate, then they can agree to have a thermostat's temperature adjusted or a pool pump turned off. The system can be automated, too, using a Web-based application.With so many companies building consumer-facing smart-grid tools, it's hard to stand out from others. Schneider expects it can attract utility customers because it has a broad product line in power-related equipment to complement Wiser, said Mike Matthews, business development manager for residential energy efficiency at Schneider Electric Power Business. Having the ability to work both over a smart-meter network or Internet gateway is another way for Schneider to stand out from other suppliers, he added. In practice, Schneider expects that utilities will use both the smart meter and Schneider's Internet-based network service. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Inside Sony's next-generation PSP]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-sonys-next-generation-psp</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-sonys-next-generation-psp</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:11:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>superadalah</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-sonys-next-generation-psp</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sony's disclosure of the internals of the Next Generation Portable (NGP)PlayStation at an event in Tokyo today reveals a game engine that might be best described as anApple iPad on steroids. Lots of steroids. Like the iPad (andiPhone), Sony will use an ARM processor design. Of course, Sony and Apple aren't the only high-profile device makers using ARM chips. Motorola is using an advanced ARM chip from Nvidia in its Xoom tablet, and RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will tap a powerful ARM chip from Texas Instruments. Both of those are dual-core ARM designs.  But Sony's NGP PlayStation--due this holiday season--makes the engines in those devices--even the rumored iPad 2--seem slow by comparison.  Sony&amp;39's next-generation PlayStation Portable has a processor with a whopping four cores. (Credit:Sony) Here's Sony's &quot;Next Generation Portable Entertainment System&quot; spec sheet in all of its tersely worded alphanumeric glory: &quot;CPU: ARM Cortex-A9 core (4 core)...GPU: SGX543MP4+&quot;  Translation: an advanced ARM central processing unit (CPU) with four processing cores and an equally advanced graphics processing unit (GPU) from Imagination Technologies, also with four cores.  &quot;That's pretty leading edge,&quot; said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst at the Linley Group, a chip consulting firm. &quot;We're starting to see some other quad-core, and [Nvidia's] Tegra 3 is supposed to be quad-core,&quot; he said. Nvidia's Tegra 3 is expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress next month. And how fast might that be &quot;Sony is providing consumers with a mobile device with about four times the CPU and GPU performance of an iPhone 4,&quot; said Joe Byrne, a senior analyst at the Linley Group.  All this horsepower present challenges, however, as ARM has traditionally been an extremely power-frugal architecture based on a single processing core. But now, that design is being bulked up with four cores. &quot;There are a couple of issues. One is the heat coming out of it. And the other is battery life,&quot; Gwennap said. &quot;Putting it in a tablet or smartphone, you might dial up a Web page, fire up the four cores, get the thing rendered, then shut them (the four cores) down again.&quot;  Gwennap continued. &quot;In a game environment, it's going to be interesting to see how they manage that. When you're playing a game you just don't start and stop. So, they need to figure out a way to keep those four cores running without generating too much heat and without draining the battery. But you can always turn something on, turn something off. It depends on the needs of that particular game.&quot;  But a speedy main processor is only half the story. Imagination's quad-core SGX543 GPU is a radical departure from previous versions, according to Peter McGuinness, director of business environment at Imagination. &quot;The [new] version has a wider data path so, it's got twice the shader throughput,&quot; he said. Shader refers to the software instructions used to calculate rendering effects. &quot;The emphasis now is on the number of shader instructions you can execute per clock&quot;--or number of instructions per each tick of the processor cycle.  McGuinness continued. &quot;Each core has multiple shader pipelines. The 535--which Intel used originally in its Menlow [Atom processor]--that has two shader pipelines. The Samsung Galaxy S...that's an SGX540. That has four shader pipelines. The 543 has the same number of pipelines but each pipeline is twice as powerful. The [quad-core graphics chip] in the Sony machine would be roughly eight times as powerful as [the Samsung Galaxy S],&quot; he said.  And it remains to be seen how all of this new chip technology compares with the silicon inside the current PSP. That Sony chip uses two MIPS32 R4000 CPUs with embedded graphics. But you can bet that Sony will have no qualms about leaving the current PSP in the dust.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Company turns Four Loko booze into car fuel]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=company-turns-four-loko-booze-into-car-fuel</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=company-turns-four-loko-booze-into-car-fuel</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 08:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>agriceememsah</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=company-turns-four-loko-booze-into-car-fuel</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Four Loko, we hardly knew thee. But our cars still have a chance.(Credit:Flickr user Mulling it Over)The rising popularity of Four Loko, a party beverage both beloved and reviled for its unique and sometimes dangerous mix of alcohol and caffeine, was finally quashed when several states banned it and the Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to its manufacturers. The FDA and other authorities were concerned about caffeine's potential to make the effects of alcohol less noticeable and ultimately worse--as well as the brand's popularity among underage drinkers.So what to do with all the leftover booze According to an Associated Press story, one company in Virginia is turning it into car fuel.MXI Enterprises, an ethanol recycling company based in Abingdon, Va., told the AP that it would be taking in &quot;a couple of hundred truckloads&quot; of cases of Four Loko that won't be sold now that its manufacturers have opted to pull it from shelves or reformulate it so that it doesn't include the monster caffeine jolt. MXI then distills the alcohol and sells it to companies that will mix it intocar fuel, the story explained. The cans are also recycled, as are the cardboard cases and water from the drinks.Cheers.Meanwhile, Four Loko parent company Phusion Products has said that it will be rejiggering the malt liquor beverage's recipe so that caffeine, guarana, and taurine are excluded. Which really means you might as well be drinking a Smirnoff Ice.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Nvidia unveils site for 3D video, photos, sports]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>AspisaMypsupt</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-nvidia-unveils-site-for-3d-video-photos-sports</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Nvidia&amp;39's new site for showcasing and rating 3D content.(Credit:Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)Graphics chipmaker Nvidia, eager to hasten the arrival of the 3D graphics era and spur demand for new 3D hardware, today unveiled a site for content called 3DVisionLive.At the site, people can share their own 3D photos and see more from professional photographers' watch short videos, trailers, and sports' and rate the content they see. The site supports Nvidia's 3D Vision technology and old-school anaglyph technology with the blue and red glasses.3D is a theme at CES this year--and not for the first time. Moving the industry is a massive undertaking that involves content creation, content distribution, and any number of hardware support and compatibility issues.&quot;The goal of 3DVisionLive.com is to create an online community where users can experience the best applications and content for 3D PCs,&quot; said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision, in a statement. &quot;Now photo and video professionals and enthusiasts will see the future of their profession or passion in 3D with an easy-to-use Web site.&quot;A quick glance at the site reveals some imagery that one might expect to appeal to the stereotypical gaming nerd who pays for premium graphics technology--photos of scantily clad women and stills from various video games. There also are plenty of landscape and other subjects with potentially broader appeal.Videos cover sporting subjects such as surfing, mountain biking, flying, and racing. Here, too, video game content and &quot;Bikini Carwash&quot; duke it out with nature documentaries for setting the tone.Nvidia announced the site at the Consumer Electronics Show, taking place this week in Las Vegas.Also at the show, Nvidia will demonstrate several new PCs and displays with 3D Vision.One will be the Asus All-in-One PC ET2400XVT, available now for sale online. It has a 23.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, multitouch display, a Blu-ray drive, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M GPU.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Clearwire chairman to resign post today]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-chairman-to-resign-post-today</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-chairman-to-resign-post-today</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>feadseteoma</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=clearwire-chairman-to-resign-post-today</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The chairman of Clearwire's board of directors will resign his position today, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Craig McCaw, who served as chairman for two years, did not resign over any disagreements with the company or over any matters pertaining to the company's operations or practices, according to the filing.The company, which has visions of being a major player in the 4G wireless space, has been adding subscribers at a rapid clip as the WiMax technology has rolled out into cities. But the company has also hit a cash crunch and, last month, said it will have to cut its workforce by 15 percent, trim its marketing spending, and delay plans for launches in other cities.Read more of &quot;Clearwire's Chairman to resign post today&quot; at ZDNet.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[HP wins $2.5 billion contract with NASA]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-wins-2-5-billion-contract-with-nasa</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-wins-2-5-billion-contract-with-nasa</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tryinando</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hp-wins-2-5-billion-contract-with-nasa</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Hewlett-Packard has won a contract from NASA worth up to $2.5 billion.The contract was awarded Monday and calls for Hewlett-Packard to provide and manage up to $2.5 billion worth of PCs, software, peripherals, and associated end-user and IT services for the space agency over 10 years, according to a NASA press release. Specifically, HP will offer services to support NASA personnel in business, science, research, and computation.HP beat out longtime NASA contractor Lockheed Martin to pick up the lucrative project.&quot;Our team is disappointed that NASA selected another solution,&quot; Sheila Collins, a spokeswoman for Lockheed, said in a statement e-mailed to Bloomberg. &quot;We submitted a 'best-value' solution based on our knowledge of the program and our understanding of NASA's mission. We continue to serve NASA on other contracts.&quot;This isn't HP's first contract with the space agency. In 2007, the company took home a seven-year contract worth up to $5.6 billion to provide PCs, printers, and other hardware to any federal agency through NASA's Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement program.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Gartner: Enterprise SaaS $9.2 billion and growing]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-enterprise-saas-9-2-billion-and-growing</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-enterprise-saas-9-2-billion-and-growing</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EffoxDeek</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=gartner-enterprise-saas-9-2-billion-and-growing</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Analyst firm Gartner today released a forecast of revenue associated with software as a service (SaaS) within the enterprise application software market and it shows that cloud and hosted services are growing at a rapid pace in the enterprise.For the sake of clarity, Gartner estimates that 75 percent of the current SaaS delivery revenue could be considered a cloud service, and that figure could exceed 90 percent by 2014 as the SaaS model matures and converges with cloud services models.Gartner forecasts that SaaS revenue will reach $9.2 billion in 2010, up 15.7 percent from 2009 revenue of $7.9 billion. The market is projected for stronger growth in 2011 with worldwide SaaS revenue totaling $10.7 billion, a 16.2 percent increase from 2010 revenue.There are a number of interesting aspects that Gartner noted in a recent blog post:An increasing number of enterprises are using a variety of SaaS applications from multiple vendors that were procured and deployed without participation from IT, creating management issues and challenges.SaaS deployments are becoming larger, with deals more frequently appearing in the range of thousands to tens of thousands of users within large enterprises.Social media and social software are becoming increasingly integrated with SaaS solutions, as social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are leveraging customer service, sales and marketing initiatives. In contrast, recent research indicates that social software has the lowest adoption rate by buyers of SaaS solutions.Content, communications, and collaboration (CCC) continues to lead the enterprise SaaS market with worldwide CCC revenue on pace to reach $2.9 billion in 2010, followed by customer relationship management revenue of $2.6 billion.As SaaS and cloud services continue to proliferate, there is a clear risk that enterprises could be lulled into a false understanding of what they are actually buying. And as Gartner notes, hosting and application management are not synonymous with SaaS, nor do they necessarily comply with the definition of cloud computing. Whether or not applications are truly &quot;cloud&quot; probably doesn't matter at the moment, but the time will come when enterprise use cases will require more specificity around how and where applications and systems are deployed and managed.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google says it was cut off from USDA project bid]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-says-it-was-cut-off-from-usda-project-bid</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-says-it-was-cut-off-from-usda-project-bid</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ismarterguy</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-says-it-was-cut-off-from-usda-project-bid</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google is claiming that it was not given a chance to bid on a cloud-computing project for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for which the contract was awarded to rival Microsoft.Announced yesterday, Microsoft's winning bid will kick off a project to move 120,000 USDA employees to the company's cloud-based Business Productivity Online Suite, a collection of applications that includes Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Office Communications Online.Though Microsoft already counts more than 500 state and local agencies among its cloud-computing customers, the new project marks its first with a cabinet-level federal agency.But the news wasn't well-received at Google headquarters, which said it never had a chance to compete for the business despite its contention that its solution is the more cost-effective one.&quot;We were not given the opportunity to bid for USDA's business,&quot; a Google spokesman said in a statement e-mailed to CNET. &quot;When there has been a full and open competition - as with the General Services Administration, Wyoming, Colorado, and Los Angeles - customers have chosen Google Apps, and taxpayers are saving millions of dollars.&quot; The USDA said that over the past six months it had been working closely with Microsoft and Dell on a plan to move its 120,000 workers to a cloud-based environment. Security, always of paramount important to government agencies, was a key consideration. Microsoft's cloud infrastructure has been given Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Authority to Operate (ATO), which certifies a secure and trustworthy environment for the government. Google Apps for Government is also FISMA-certified.&quot;Migrating an enterprise of USDA's size and complexity from multiple environments, across multiple agencies, requires not only a trusted enterprise-ready solution, but also a partner who is able to work with us and navigate everything from archiving to authentication to mobile phone support,&quot; USDA CIO Chris Smith said in a statement.Microsoft does tend to win most government cloud-computing contracts, according to Reuters. And though Google has increasingly been fighting for its slice of the public sector piece, the company has maintained that it's cut off from the bidding process by agencies failing to look beyond Microsoft. In early November, the search giant filed a lawsuit against the federal government claiming that the U.S. Department of the Interior did not properly consider Google Apps when it was searching for a new Web-based document system.Still, Google has managed to pick up more government business recently. Last year, the company won a $7.2 million contract from the city of Los Angeles to move its staffers to Google Apps for Government. And in the last few weeks, the search giant was part of a team that captured a $6.7 million contract to migrate the U.S. General Services Administration to its Google Apps suite.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Newegg touts 27-inch monitors for Cyber Monday]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=newegg-touts-27-inch-monitors-for-cyber-monday</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=newegg-touts-27-inch-monitors-for-cyber-monday</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Nov 2010 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jupnoteroh2534</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=newegg-touts-27-inch-monitors-for-cyber-monday</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LG&amp;39's e2350V is worth even more than Newegg&amp;39's heavily discounted price.(Credit:Josh P. Miller/CNET)Last week, I posted news on Newegg's Black Friday monitor specials. Today, the online vendor coughed up a couple of impressive new monitor deals.As of this posting, only two are available at heavily discounted prices:MonitorWasIsHanns-G HZ281HPB 27.5-inch$270$180LG E2350V-SN 23-inch$270$180Get on it fast, however, if you want to take advantage. Of the two, I can personally vouch for the quality of the LG Flatron e2350V, which features LED backlighting. I've never seen the Hanns-G model personally, but, like with its Black Friday Hanns-G, Newegg is offering a very large monitor (27-inch) for less than $200. For some, this accounts for a lot, beyond even quality. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Culture hacker talks Kinect bounty hunt (Q&A)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=culture-hacker-talks-kinect-bounty-hunt-qa</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=culture-hacker-talks-kinect-bounty-hunt-qa</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sharabano</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=culture-hacker-talks-kinect-bounty-hunt-qa</guid>
<description><![CDATA[When Microsoft's hot new Kinect motion-sensitive controller was released earlier this month, Phil Torrone and Limor Fried saw an opportunity to subvert what was being presented as a closed system.Torrone and Fried, the principals behind the open-source hardware firm Adafruit Industries, love almost any kind of culture hacking, and in the Kinect, they recognized a system that presented users far more utility than Microsoft was offering. Not wasting the chance to raise a bit of a stir, Adafruit said it would pony up $1,000 to the first person who could come up with an open-source driver for the Kinect. And when Microsoft responded to the bounty by telling CNET it did not &quot;condone the modification of its products&quot; and that it would &quot;work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant,&quot; Adafruit was not deterred. Instead, it upped the bounty, first to $2,000, and then again, to $3,000.(Credit:Make magazine)Within a week, a hacker named Hector claimed the prize, still without Microsoft's blessing. But just nine days later, the company seemed to reverse course. Appearing on NPR's Science Friday, two Microsoft representatives explained that, first, the Kinect had been left open &quot;by design,&quot; and that they were &quot;inspired&quot; by the Kinect community finding new uses for the device.In a statement sent to CNET, a Microsoft spokesperson said, &quot;The enthusiasm in the scientific community, specifically researcher and academic communities, around the potential applications of Kinect forXbox 360 is exciting to see.&quot;There recently have been several articles implying that Kinect has somehow been hacked. That is untrue--Kinect has not been hacked in any way. To put it simply, the software and hardware that are part of Kinect have not been modified. What has happened is someone has created drivers that allow other devices to display the raw data that is output from Kinect. We are perfectly comfortable with hobbyists taking advantage of that raw data to explore the exciting possibilities of Kinect for themselves. We do note, however, that any of these uses of the Kinect are not licensed or authorized by Microsoft, and any modification of the Kinect would void the warranty.&quot;CNET is no stranger to the exploits of Fried and Torrone. The two carried off perhaps their most famous hack in 2006 when they converted a simple Roomba vacuum cleaner into a Bluetooth-powered Frogger and proceeded to play Roomba Frogger on the streets of Austin, Texas during the South by Southwest Interactive festival. They were also behind the stunt a Gizmodo blogger pulled at CES in 2008, using TV-B-Gones that Torrone provided them to turn off all the TVs during a presentation by Panasonic.Now, with Microsoft warming up to the hacking of the Kinect, Torrone agreed to sit down with CNET for a 45 Minutes on IM interview. No Roombas were harmed.Q: Thanks a lot for being able to do it, even though you guys are so busy. Let's start with the Kinect hacking/bounty situation. Did you ever imagine that you would help Microsoft to change its mind about its position Torrone: I did. I really think &quot;we are what we celebrate&quot; and I knew once Microsoft saw the amazing projects (puppets, robots, art, and science) that people are doing, it would be impossible not be thrilled. The people at Microsoft are designers, engineers and artists too. They love this (they've even told us). I think this was an example of PR not talking to the developers before they understood all the good coming out of this. In the past, other &quot;hacks&quot; like the Wiimote really helped Nintentdo. People saw what was possible. So, overall, I'm thrilled, and I think Microsoft is too, at least now.How did you come up with the idea for the bounty in the first place Torrone: For years there have been the &quot;X-Prize&quot; type contests, going to space, and one for making a mouse live longer than any other mouse. I think these can motivate people: There's a goal, a story is told, and it's generally assumed there is some good for all that will come out of these. So that's what we did. We knew someone, one day, would likely hack the Kinect, but it's always unclear what and if it would be released in terms of drivers. So we thought we'd experiment with a bounty to create open-source drivers. This way anyone could carry on the work after the goal was reached and a community could work and share information together. Now that it's over I think the results are almost literally speaking for themselves.I'm curious, did you guys ever talk to a lawyer, or discuss at all whether offering the bounty was legal Torrone: We did not, we completely went out without a net on this. We thought we understood the law well enough so we would be OK. It was a risk for sure. Reverse engineering is perfectly legal and encouraged (well, that depends who you are, I suppose) and we thought it would be very unlikely that Microsoft would go after us. We were not selling anything, and we only offered a bounty for open-source drivers. In general, I think Microsoft steers clear of going after open projects. Maybe that was just a good guess on our part, but it turned out to be accurate. That said, it was a little scary when their PR folks started talking about &quot;law enforcement.&quot; Our response was the raise the bounty (first from $1,000 to $2,000, and later to $3,000).Have you had any interactions with Microsoft about this at all Torrone: Zero directly. We were hoping they'd contact us, at least to say hello and perhaps see if there's something we could do together as all these great examples are being published. On NPR, they said they were going to work with educators in some way, so we'd love to chat with them and see if there's something we could do together.Well, from the first time I ever met you, at SXSW in 2006 (and even before, when we'd only communicated electronically) you've been doing terrific culture hacks. Where did it start for you Torrone: Culture hacking is a relatively new term, and it's certainly one I like to celebrate. I suppose for me it started when I was a kid and electronics were just starting to become social. By that, I mean you could do something with electronics and show or share it with others. Specifically, phone hacking. I think my favorite project was swapping out the crystal inside a Radio Shack phone dialer that allowed it to make &quot;free calls&quot; by simulating the sound of a coin being dropped in. Back in the day a little beep would happen and it would tell the phone 25 cents was dropped in. It was magical and since you've learned something, you're going to talk and share with others.About two years ago I revisited this.&quot;It was a little scary when (Microsoft's) PR folks started talking about 'law enforcement.' Our response was the raise the bounty.&quot;How so Torrone: With a video Limor &quot;Ladyada&quot; Fried (the founder of Adafruit Industries) and I made called Citizen Engineers. We showed how to modify a retired payphone so it can be used as a home telephone and for VoIP (Skype). Then we showed how to modify the hacked payphone so it accepts quarters, and lastly, to use a Redbox to make free phone calls from the modified coin-accepting payphone. Decades ago, this was the worst thing you could do, completely illegal, but very sought after. It's even how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak got started (selling blue boxes). But now it's just retro. And fun to show how things worked. So I think that theme ends up in lots of things you'll see now, &quot;Make&quot; magazine, Hack a Day, Adafruit, etc. All of them have this technology and sharing theme. The tech gets better and the tools to share are just getting better too.You worked in the corporate world, as I recall. Remind me what you did Torrone: I was the director of product development for Fallon Worldwide. They're best known for their award-winning advertising. Specifically I was in the interactive group, and the BMW Films came from my group. I think one of the most interesting things was how ahead of its time BMW Films was.How so Torrone: This was before Bit Torrent, and we moved giant movies around. The content was amazing and it just happened to be advertising. I think really good information is advertising. With how-to videos, for example, you can teach and you can likely sell something too. Maybe you show how awesome acar is by blowing it up in a high-speed chase, or maybe you show how great that power tool is by building something amazing. I think the type of content that was coming out of Fallon, like BMW Films, really changed what people thought advertising could be.I'm imagining that it was hard for you to be in that world. I suspect hacking wasn't smiled upon. Torrone: Sometimes clients were delighted with the things we would present that I would consider &quot;hacks.&quot; For example, I made a dog pedometer for a dog food company that would glow based on how far you walked your dog. They loved it, but it was so weird it was hard to get marketing budgets or approval to continue. I also made a pair of shoes that would spell words as you ran, much like this device. But while my career in advertising was winding down, I was secretly working with &quot;Popular Science,&quot; writing how-to's in a new section called &quot;HOW 2.0.&quot; So during the day, I was traveling and meeting with clients about brands and Internet stuff. And then at night I was writing about how to hack your digital camera to take photos automatically while it's on a kite. As that took off, that's when I bailed from advertising. And around that time Engadget was just getting started. Peter Rojas left Gizmodo to start the new site, and he really wanted to beat his old site's traffic. So I worked with him, and my idea was to do how-to's, things like how to get music off youriPod, how to hack this and that. I think the biggest one was showing how to open a Kryptonite bike lock with a Bic Pen. Then we did Hack-a-Day, and after that took off, I met with Dale Dougherty from &quot;Make.&quot; It didn't exist yet, but when he described it I immediately dropped everything and started to work on launching it with Dale, Mark Frauenfelder, and the team. Back in 2005, we talked about how you were impressed with the way Altoids was embracing people's do-it-yourself projects with their tins. What other companies have been progressive on that front Torrone: I think iRobot, the makers of Roomba, is fantastic. Here's why: They saw what people were doing with their robots *besides* vacuuming and they made a new product. People like me wanted to use the robot parts to make real robots. All the complicated parts are solved, like power, motors, etc. So people were making their own robotics with Roombas. You covered Roomba Frogger. That was a Bluetooth-controlled robot, dressed as Frogger. Later iRobot made the iRobot Create. It's a robotics platform just for robotics, and best of all, it was used this week with the Kinect hack(s). People are using the hacked Kinect with an iRobot Create to make autonomous robots. It's full circle! iRobot had me out to their offices before they launched the Create a few years ago to get feedback and here we are today. I wanted to ask you about the TSA situation, with so many people being up in arms about their scanners and/or the intrusive pat-downs. It seems right up your alley. Are you tempted to get involved somehow Torrone: It's tempting, I really want to know how the machines work. Since the TSA isn't allowed to wear radiation detectors (I think they should), I was thinking of helping frequent flyers get their own radiation badges, helping them collect the data, and perhaps all of us could publish what we find. However, while I think I can win against Microsoft when it comes to what's ok to do with their products, I'm not sure I can win against the Department of Homeland Security or the government. But, who knows. I have flight in a few weeks. Maybe some other ideas will come to mind. Here are the last questions, and I end every 45 Minutes on IM interview with this one. I love doing IM interviews for several reasons. One, because I get a perfect transcript. Two, because it gives the person I'm interviewing time to be more thoughtful and articulate than in a phone or in person interview. And finally, because it allows multitasking. So, tell me: What else were you doing while we were doing this interview Torrone: Hah, confession time. I was approving comments on both &quot;Make&quot; and Adafruit that were held for moderation. Limor was IMing me that we need to change the laser filter, and order items for the laser. And I glanced at two e-mails from an artist I am working with who is making the first-ever electronics coloring book. Well, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.  Torrone: That was fun.Update (Wednesday, 10:49 a.m. PST): This story now has comment from Microsoft. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Panasonic redials smartphone plans beyond Japan]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonic-redials-smartphone-plans-beyond-japan</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonic-redials-smartphone-plans-beyond-japan</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Julie01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=panasonic-redials-smartphone-plans-beyond-japan</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Panasonic)Panasonic is planning to make a comeback with its smartphones outside of Japan in 2012. This is after the Japanese consumer electronics giant pulled out of the overseas mobile phone markets in 2006.The devices, which will run on Google's Android mobile operating system, will feature networking capabilities with other Panasonic products. The Japanese firm will sell its smartphones in Japan next year before making inroads to overseas markets in 2012.&quot;We misjudged the speed at which smartphones would be taken up in the Japanese market,&quot; Panasonic's head of mobile communications, Osamu Waki, said at a news conference today, according to Reuters.Waki added that the company noted the rising popularity of Android and wants &quot;to catch up quickly&quot;.Panasonic has revised its forecast sales of between 5.4 and 5.5 million units in Japan to 15 million units globally by 2015. (Source: Crave Asia)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[At the World Series, outside looking in]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-the-world-series-outside-looking-in</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-the-world-series-outside-looking-in</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Zainab01</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-the-world-series-outside-looking-in</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Most Giants fans won't get beyond the outside of AT&amp;T Park during the World Series games. Tickets for game one are selling for an average of $800.SAN FRANCISCO--Like a lot of people who live in or near the city by the bay right now, I'm trying to figure out the answer to a really tough question: how in the heck can I get a World Series ticketThe answer, of course, is not pretty: you must have money, and lots of it. And since I don't really have any, and wouldn't really be willing to fork over hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a single ducat anyway, I'm having to face facts: I likely won't be getting to see the World Series in person.Last week, I thought I had the perfect idea: Since my new official Road Trip at Home page was about to launch, I would make the case to Major League Baseball that it would be a good idea to give me a press credential for the series--which starts tonight, by the way, between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers--because my ongoing project is all about highlighting local flavor that has national significance. When the World Series comes to town, as it has for the first time since 2002, it seems exactly like something I should be writing about as part of Road Trip at Home.The hours before the World Series (photos) Alas, as I discovered, Major League Baseball expected everyone who was going to cover the series to know they were doing so well before the teams that would be playing for the crown were even selected. I was told during the National League Championship Series--when it began to look like the Giants might actually beat the Philadelphia Phillies and advance to the Fall Classic--that the deadline had already passed for credentials.That was a problem, but I thought I had an ace in the hole: I know an executive who works for the Giants, and I thought maybe he could help. I asked him, and he offered to try--but then the word came back that Major League Baseball wasn't granting any exceptions. So, no credentials for me. But let's be honest: That might have been a good thing. After all, if I learned one thing while covering the World Series for a major national newsweekly in 2002--which, by the way, was the same week as my wedding--it's that cheering is not allowed in the press box. And I'm not sure I could have forced myself to hold back my enthusiasm for the Giants this time either as they fought for what would be the first World Series title in San Francisco's history--much as it was in 2002, against the Anaheim Angels.So it looks like I'll be watching the game on TV. San Francisco appears to be negotiating to host watching parties on giant screens near City Hall--so I may have to get my fix of being around thousands of fans that way. For the time being, I thought it would be fun to walk down to the ballpark and check out the scene a few hours before game one. (Click through the resulting slideshow also promoted above.) There were hundreds of people there already, and I'm guessing a lot of them don't have tickets either. They, like me, just wanted to take in the atmosphere.But I'm always holding out hope that some way, somehow, a ticket might fall into my lap. If you've got an extra one, and I know you don't, let me know.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[DEMO: Zugara engages online shoppers with dress-up visualization]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Naina</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demo-zugara-engages-online-shoppers-with-dress-up-visualization</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Zugara is one of 53 companies chosen by VentureBeat to launch at  the DEMO Spring 2011 event taking place this week in Palm Desert, Calif.  After our selection, the companies pay a fee to present. Our coverage  of them remains objective.Online shopping is often a frustrating experience when it comes to clothes because it&amp;'s hard to imagine what they&amp;'ll look like on you. That&amp;'s where Zugara comes in with a way to &amp;''see how it looks&amp;'' on you through animated visualization.The Los Angeles-based company is demonstrating its one-click &amp;''see how it looks&amp;'' Webcam Social Shopper experience at today&amp;'s DEMO Spring 2011 conference. If the visualization technology works, it could help convert more online browsers into online purchasers. And that could be worth billions of dollars in new revenues for e-commerce companies.Matt Szymczyk, chief executive of Zugara, says the typical conversion rate (turning shoppers into buyers) for online customers is 2 percent to 3 percent. That&amp;'s because online shopping is optimized for browsing, investigating, and accomplishing a transaction. But it&amp;'s not optimized for an engaging experience, which is what you get in the malls.With Zugara, a female shopper could effectively take a dress off the rack and hold it up to herself. She clicks on the &amp;''See how it looks&amp;'' button, allows access to her webcam, takes a few steps back and then sees what would essentially be a mirror in the store. The computer screen will show her an image of how that dress would look on her. She can then better judge if the color and style are right for her. If it&amp;'s not for her, she can tell that right away and not deal with the hassle of a return.If she wants a second opinion from friends, she can snap a photo of the faux dress and share it on Facebook for immediate feedback. The social network thus becomes a tool to help shoppers validate their potential purchases. Meanwhile, the retailer and the dress maker get word of mouth marketing on Facebook. Zugara says studies show that 76 percent of people who shop online say that advanced product viewing features are extremely or very important to a purchase decision.You could call this &amp;''augmented retail,&amp;'' and the technology is actually called Markerless Augmented Reality. Apparel retailers worldwide can benefit from this kind of tool, which could appeal to younger shoppers in particular. Self-funded Zugara was founded in 2001 and has 13 employees. Competitors include Holition. While you have to print out a marker to make Holition work, you don&amp;'t have to do so with the Webcam Social Shopper. The company has five clients and three partners and is in talks with a number of other companies.Szymczyk has a background in creating interactive marketing strategies for Fortune 500 clients, while Hans Forsman, vice president of creative and user experience, has a focus in user experience design.Next Story: Is Salesforce getting too big for its shoes Previous Story: DEMO 2011: Start chatting with customers with WorkfacePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: DEMO, DEMO Spring 2011, e commerce, Hans Forsman, visualizationCompanies: Amazon, ZugaraPeople: Matt Szymczyk          Tags: DEMO, DEMO Spring 2011, e commerce, Hans Forsman, visualizationCompanies: Amazon, ZugaraPeople: Matt SzymczykDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How precious is Twitter $2.5 billion to $4 billion, according to rumors]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-precious-is-twitter-2-5-billion-to-4-billion-according-to-rumors</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-precious-is-twitter-2-5-billion-to-4-billion-according-to-rumors</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>catwhitenet</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-precious-is-twitter-2-5-billion-to-4-billion-according-to-rumors</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Only in the bubble of Twitter-obsessed San Francisco would a buyout offer of $2.5 billion seem &amp;''insulting.&amp;''Yet that is reportedly how executives at the microblogging startup saw an informal offer from Google and a larger offer of $4 billion from another bidder earlier this year.There remains a strong element of twee in Twitter, the San Francisco-based microblogging startup. Despite its increasing reach with 175 million users, it still cultivates the quirky spirit of cofounders Ev Williams and Biz Stone as it casts about for the kind of powerful revenue machine Google and Facebook have found.Business Insider, which reported the offers, rightly noted that it&amp;'scommon for company executives to talk to each other and float around ideas. In the past, Facebook has fended off some 11 offers earlier in its day, including one from Yahoo for $1 billion.Besides a belief that Twitter is worth more than the price offered &amp;8212' a view perhaps bolstered by the brisk private trade in Twitter&amp;'s shares on the secondary market &amp;8212' it&amp;'s understandable that cofounder Williams and current CEO Dick Costolo may hesitate at the thought of selling to Google. Both had previous ventures, Blogger and FeedBurner respectively, which were bought by Google and then neglected. It&amp;'s hard not to see the same happening even to a property as large as Twitter.And the less said of the notion of a Microsoft-owned Twitter, the better.The rejection of the offers, however informal, are a sign that the company is serious about its future, and isn&amp;'t going to show its cards this quickly. It could be gunning for an initial public offering, though its advertising products would have to gain far more traction for that to be possible. In the meantime, Twitter could easily raise more money at a valuation comparable to the buyout offers it&amp;'s getting.Facebook previously made Twitter an all-stock offer of $500 million in 2008. Disagreement over the value of Facebook&amp;'s shares led to that deal falling apart, and misunderstandings between cofounder Jack Dorsey and Twitter&amp;'s board over that deal and other matters led to his ouster. (He is now the company&amp;'s chairman, a role which has grown more active and less titular since Williams stepped down as CEO and was replaced by Costolo.)Apple also may have made an offer of $700 million, going as far in its due diligence as interviewing some key technical employees, last year, according to unconfirmed reports that were roundly dismissed at the time. Now that Apple has launched its own social network, Ping, and partnered with Twitter, though, those reports of Apple&amp;'s interest make far more sense.Everyone wants in on Twitter&amp;'s precious tweets, it seems. And the price tag keeps rising.Previous Story: Blog plug-in Zemanta scores $3M as it heads towards profitabilityPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: acquisition, buyout, Offer, RumorCompanies: Apple, Google, Microsoft, TwitterPeople: Dick Costolo, Evan Williams          Tags: acquisition, buyout, Offer, RumorCompanies: Apple, Google, Microsoft, TwitterPeople: Dick Costolo, Evan WilliamsSid Yadav is a contributor to VentureBeat. He currently studies computer science and psychology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He is also the creator of Memiary, a micro-diary utility. You can reach him at sidyadav@gmail.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @sidyadav.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[My Hummer isna4a4t electric IRS details false tax credit claims]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-hummer-isnâÂ€Â™t-electric-irs-details-false-tax-credit-claims</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-hummer-isnâÂ€Â™t-electric-irs-details-false-tax-credit-claims</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Nundalkadia</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=my-hummer-isnâÂ€Â™t-electric-irs-details-false-tax-credit-claims</guid>
<description><![CDATA[During the first half of 2010, nearly 13,000 U.S. taxpayers wrongly claimed a staggering $33 million under the electric tax credit incentive scheme, a Treasury Department inspector general report has revealed.The credits, designed to encourage the uptake of plug-in hybrid and electric-only vehicles under the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, rewards taxpayers who purchased a qualifying vehicle during the year with a $7,500 federal tax rebate cheque.Hummers, Cadillacs, Dodges: Are they ElectricAmong the claimants filing for the $7,500 credit were owners trying to claim the tax credit for the purchase of some of the most hungry gas-guzzlers on the road: A Hummer H3, a Dodge Durango and a Cadillac Escalade.Many people claiming the $7,500 credit for the purchase of a golf cart will be disappointed too, since they fail to meet the requirements outlined in the ACES Act as being eligible for the grant.Prisoners, Even IRS EmployeesErroneous claim, or malicious fraud Among those who claimed the tax credits were 29 prisoners, claiming a total of $49,926 in vehicle credits &amp;8212' more than enough to buy a 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Brammo Empulse electric motorbike outright.More shockingly, the inspector general report mentions IRS employees had even claimed for purchases of electric cars they had not made. They are now under investigation by internal departments within the Treasury, although no details have been released to the press.Changes Will be Made, Claimants ChasedIn an attempt to prevent such a large number of erroneous claims to be filed, the IRS is planning a revamp of its manuals and software systems to reduce the number of genuine erroneous claims made by owners of non plug-in hybrids such as the 2011 Toyota Prius.Regardless of genuine confusion or malicious fraud, the IRS will be contacting everyone who filed an incorrect claim in the near future.The IRS said in a statement that it was taking  a4Aaggressive steps to recapture the credits people erroneously claimed.a4 Genuine BuyersThose who are buying an eligible electric vehicle need not worry, of being accused of foul play, however. Genuine claimants are still entitled to up to $7,500 of federal tax credits during 2010 and 2011 for the purchase of cars like the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, 2011 Tesla Roadster and 2011 Nissan Leaf.Those wishing to have their hybrid cars converted to a plug-in hybrid using one of the many conversion kits or companies now available have until the end of 2011 to convert their car for up to $4,000 in federal tax credits.Written by Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, this article originally appeared on AllCarsElectric.com, one of VentureBeat&amp;'s editorial partners.Previous Story: Sony Ericssona4a4s Xperia Playstation Phone to launch on Feb. 13PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: electric cars, electric vehicles, Empluse, Leaf, Prius, Roadster, VoltCompanies: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, GM, Hummer, IRS, Nissan          Tags: electric cars, electric vehicles, Empluse, Leaf, Prius, Roadster, VoltCompanies: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, GM, Hummer, IRS, Nissan Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Trip-planning startup NileGuide raises $3.5M]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=trip-planning-startup-nileguide-raises-3-5m</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=trip-planning-startup-nileguide-raises-3-5m</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Doreen93</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=trip-planning-startup-nileguide-raises-3-5m</guid>
<description><![CDATA[UpdatedNileGuide, a travel startup that describes itself as a4Atravel agent, tour guide, and concierge wrapped into one,a4 has raised $3.5 million in new funding, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.When you look up a vacation spot on NileGuide, the San Francisco startup combines tips written by paid local experts with automatically-generated recommendations for restaurants, hotels, and more &amp;8212' based on your personal preferences. You can also print out a customized guide or make your plans using the NileGuide iPhone app.The company says it now includes 100,000 points of interests in more than 250 destinations. Back in May, NileGuide acquired travel Q&amp;amp'A site Localyte and used it to launch a new a4AAsk Localsa4 service.Ia4a4ve emailed the company for comment and will update if I hear back. The filing doesn&amp;'t say who invested in the current round. The company has now raised a total of $13 million, and its past investors include Austin Ventures, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, Draper Richards, and KPG Ventures.Update: I just spoke to chief executive Josh Steinitz, who confirmed the funding and said the money came from NileGuide&amp;'s existing investors. He also said that my description of NilesGuide is a bit outdated &amp;8212' the company is now super-focused on travel recommendations, with 100,000 experts &amp;''chomping at the bit&amp;'' to answer questions through the Ask Locals feature and 130 local editors.&amp;''There are a million travel guide sites out there,&amp;'' Steinitz said. &amp;''We can bring local expertise in two forms, professional and community. We hit both and no one else does that.&amp;''Next Story: Samsung steals top Android phone manufacturer crown from Motorola Previous Story: Will Translattice transform enterprise computing with truly distributed applicationsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: travel, trip planningCompanies: Nileguide          Tags: travel, trip planningCompanies: NileguideAnthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Entrepreneur Corner: Modern marketing and smart hiring]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-modern-marketing-and-smart-hiring</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-modern-marketing-and-smart-hiring</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Snundafoula</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=entrepreneur-corner-modern-marketing-and-smart-hiring</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Herea4a4s the latest from VentureBeata4a4s Entrepreneur Corner.M&amp;amp'A: Can you back out when a better deal comes along a4&quot; If youa4a4ve agreed to a deal and another, better offer comes along later, can you back out Attorney Scott Edward Walker looks at the restrictions of letters of intent a4&quot; and offers advice on things you should keep in mind when drafting one.Mastering the art of modern marketing a4&quot; Marketing is as much about analysis as it is about creative work these days. Byron Deeter, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, looks at new trends in the marketing world a4&quot; and how they could redefine the role of CMO.5 things to ask yourself when hiring a4&quot; Your team is your most important asset. Serial entrepreneur Will Herman offers five questions to keep in mind as you look to expand and interview candidates.Think your start-up doesn&amp;'t have IP risks Think again. a4&quot; Patent infringements can be the death knell for a startup. Jonathan Fritz, a partner at Michael Best &amp;amp' Friedrich, LLP, tells you how best to protect your company from inadvertently stumbling into a lawsuit.Essential qualities of a successful business &amp;8211' Startup success comes down to two things: Execution and people, says serial entrepreneur David Marshall. Ideas have little to do with it a4&quot; and business plans are even less important.Next Story: How GetGlue plans to dominate TV check-ins (and more) Previous Story: Sony&amp;'s Home virtual world hits 17M users and finds a business model in virtual goodsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: entrepreneur corner          Tags: entrepreneur cornerChris Morris is editor of the Entrepreneur Corner on VentureBeat, helping start-up business owners launch and grow their companies. He previously worked at Yahoo! Finance, where he was managing editor, and as director of content development at CNNMoney.com. He is also a widely respected journalist in the video game and technology fields, whose work has appeared in Variety, CNBC.com, AOL and Forbes.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MorrisatLargeVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Why is Intel so coy about its new netbook and tablet group]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=why-is-intel-so-coy-about-its-new-netbook-and-tablet-group</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=why-is-intel-so-coy-about-its-new-netbook-and-tablet-group</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Shilpa</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=why-is-intel-so-coy-about-its-new-netbook-and-tablet-group</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Intel has quietly formed a new business unit dedicated to tablets and netbooks, the New York Times reports.It will be spearheaded by Douglas L. Davis, the current head of Intel&amp;'s embedded and communications group. Obviously, it&amp;'s meant to help the company gear up for the ever-growing tablet and netbook markets. But the real question to me is, why is Intel being so quiet about thisIntel already has a significant presence in the netbook market &amp;8212' its Atom chip is practically ubiquitous among netbooks. But with tablets, it hasn&amp;'t been so lucky. The iPad, which sparked the latest tablet craze, runs Apple&amp;'s A4 processor based on ARM technology, a rival chip-maker to Intel. ARM&amp;'s processors have helped usher in the new wave of touchscreen smartphones, so it&amp;'s not a big surprise to see the company&amp;'s technology finding success with tablets, which generally run smartphone operating systems.Perhaps Intel feels embarrassed that it&amp;'s taken so long for it to put significant resources behind tablets. It&amp;'s not as if the company has been lazy &amp;8212' it&amp;'s upcoming Atom processors will allow for ultra-thin netbooks and are more than capable of powering modern tablets. But until now, Intel has lacked a group dedicated specifically to focus on tablets and netbooks, which may give off the impression that it doesn&amp;'t really consider itself a contender in those markets.a4ANetbook shipments will be heading north of 100 million and wea4a4ll all soon will find out what kind of market potential there is for tablets and these increasingly popular hybrid designs,a4 Intel spokesman Bill Kircos told the New York Times. a4A It makes sense for us to sharpen our focus on these friends of the PC, and Douga4a4s experience running a similar and very successful embedded division makes him the right guy to lead the group.a4Indeed, Intel could be criticized for not looking ahead enough to predict where smartphones and tablets would go &amp;8212' a move which led to the company missing out completely on the smartphone CPU market.The company has long relied on the success of Microsoft Windows to help sell computers running its processors. And while Microsoft&amp;'s cash cow OS may help sell netbooks, it&amp;'s not going to help Intel much when it comes to tablets &amp;8212' just look at the underwhelming HP Slate running Windows 7. But don&amp;'t count Intel out of the tablet game yet. The company is currently working on porting Google&amp;'s Android OS to its x86 architecture &amp;8212' which would allow Android to run on Intel Atom-powered netbooks and tablets.Even though the new tablet market is still young, it&amp;'s clear that touchscreen mobile operating systems adapt much better to the tablet form factor than a lumbering desktop OS like Windows. (It&amp;'s worth noting that Windows Phone 7 also runs on ARM processors. If Microsoft were to pursue tablets with that platform, Intel would effectively be shut out again.)Intel is now positioning itself to take on the likes of ARM and Qualcomm when it comes to tablet chip dominance &amp;8212' a fight which is due to heat up next year. Hopefully with its new business group, Intel can manage to get back into the tablet game.Next Story: Facebook CIO: Salesforce&amp;'s database.com won&amp;'t replace Oracle Previous Story: Is Nathan Myhrvold&amp;'s Intellectual Ventures becoming a patent troll (poll)PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Android, Atom, CPU, Intel Atom, iPad, netbooks, processors, tablets, WindowsCompanies: Apple, Arm, Google, Intel, Microsoft, QualcommPeople: Bill Kircos          Tags: Android, Atom, CPU, Intel Atom, iPad, netbooks, processors, tablets, WindowsCompanies: Apple, Arm, Google, Intel, Microsoft, QualcommPeople: Bill KircosDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Motorola&'s Motopad tablet may be the first Android 3.0 device]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolarsquos-motopad-tablet-may-be-the-first-android-3-0-device</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolarsquos-motopad-tablet-may-be-the-first-android-3-0-device</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Dhoni</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolarsquos-motopad-tablet-may-be-the-first-android-3-0-device</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google may have selected Motorola&amp;'s upcoming 7-inch &amp;''Motopad&amp;'' tablet as its flagship Android 3.0 device, according to Mobile Review&amp;'s Eldar Murtazin.While still unconfirmed (we&amp;'ve dropped a line to Google, but don&amp;'t expect to hear back), Murtazin has historically been a reliable source for major mobile news. The news is also believable since rumors of Motorola tablets running Android 3.0 have been swirling about for months. Given how much Motorola helped rocket Android to mainstream success last year with the Droid, I wouldn&amp;'t be surprised to see Google turn to the company to help cement Android tablets as legitimate iPad competitors.Android 3.0, which goes by the codename &amp;''Honeycomb&amp;'', is said to be more tablet friendly than any current Android release, including the upcoming Android 2.3 update. We&amp;'ve also reported that LG and Lenovo have delayed their Android tablet development until next year to take advantage of Android 3.0. Google is expected to release the update some time in the first half of 2011.Thus far, Samsung&amp;'s Galaxy Tab has been the most polished Android tablet released &amp;8212' even though it&amp;'s running Android 2.2. But reviews of the Tab have been mixed, with most of its problems apparently stemming from Android 2.2&amp;'s deficiencies as a tablet platform.via Boy Genius ReportNext Story: How Facebook plans to reinvent email and online messaging Previous Story: Ford Focus to zoom into 20 first-launch cities in 2011PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Android, Galaxy Tab, iPad, Motopad, talbetsCompanies: Google, Lenovo, Lg, motorola, Samsung          Tags: Android, Galaxy Tab, iPad, Motopad, talbetsCompanies: Google, Lenovo, Lg, motorola, SamsungDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Event startup Punchbowl acquires rival Socializr]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=event-startup-punchbowl-acquires-rival-socializr</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=event-startup-punchbowl-acquires-rival-socializr</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lasirzi3</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=event-startup-punchbowl-acquires-rival-socializr</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If you&amp;'re throwing a party, there are a ton of different services for sending online invites &amp;8212' probably more than can survive over the long-term. But in a few months there will be one less, because Punchbowl just announced that it&amp;'s purchasing Socializr.Punchbowl was previously known as MyPunchbowl but changed its name after successfully purchasing the punchbowl.com website. Rather than just being another invitation site, the Framingham, Mass. company tries to stand out by offering a range of party-planning features, including gift registries, potluck planners, and a new &amp;''Digital Invitation Studio&amp;''. Punchbowl says it has more than 1 million registered users (although that doesn&amp;'t necessarily say anything about the site&amp;'s current popularity).&amp;''[Users] can expect that the best features from Socializr will be included in Punchbowl in the future,&amp;'' said Punchbowl chief executive Matt Douglas. &amp;''Our plan is to carefully transition users from Socializr to Punchbowl over the next three-to-six months. We&amp;'re going to be very careful to listen to Socializr users and make sure we help them easily transition to Punchbowl.&amp;''Which &amp;''best features from Socializr&amp;'' is Douglas talking about Well, the acquisition press release singles out the site&amp;'s &amp;''ease of use and social media integration,&amp;'' which makes sense since Socializr was founded by Jonathan Abrams, who also founded Friendster. Socializr&amp;'s integration with sites like Facebook is something we&amp;'ve highlighted at VentureBeat too.The terms of the deal were not disclosed. It&amp;'s unlikely that there was much cash involved, since neither company has raised a huge amount of funding. Socializr raised $2.25 million from Rembrand Venture Partners and various angel investors, while Punchbowl raised less than $3.1 million.Next Story: SoGeo unveils location-recommendation app Whatser Previous Story: SunPower beats 3Q earnings expectations, rides global solar wavePrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: evites, online invitationsCompanies: Mypunchbowl, Punchbowl, Rembrandt Venture Partners, Socializr          Tags: evites, online invitationsCompanies: Mypunchbowl, Punchbowl, Rembrandt Venture Partners, SocializrAnthony is VentureBeat's assistant editor, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining VentureBeat in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[On the GreenBeat: Wind turbines could help crops, Trilliant expanding to Asia]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-wind-turbines-could-help-crops-trilliant-expanding-to-asia</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-wind-turbines-could-help-crops-trilliant-expanding-to-asia</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>huntrore</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=on-the-greenbeat-wind-turbines-could-help-crops-trilliant-expanding-to-asia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Here&amp;'s some of the latest action we&amp;'re following on the GreenBeat today:Australia&amp;'s new clean energy projects drop sharply &amp;8212' The country is generally considered progressive in its pursuit of smart grid upgrades and renewable energies. Australiaa4a4s electricity output from new wind, hydro and solar power plants dropped almost 80 percent this year due to struggles to raise financing, according to an industry group' the industry added 210 megawatts of capacity in 2010, compared to 933 megawatts in 2009. The government plans to adjust incentives to meet its goal of 20 percent renewable energy by 2020, Bloomberg reports.Think launches four-seat version of electric car (pictured) &amp;8212' The Norwegian company recently started producing its classic two-seat electric car in the U.S. It has announced it has added two more seats to the original Think City car without making it much bigger, Green Car Reports notes. The four-seat version won&amp;'t be available in the US anytime soon.Wind turbines could be a boon for crops &amp;8212' Turbines are often criticized as a visual blight in rural areas. But a new report from Iowa State University finds that the turbulence created by the turbines&amp;' blades could help corn and soybean plants stay cooler, dryer, healthier and more productive in extracting carbon dioxide from the earth andatmosphere, Reuters writes.Smart grid&amp;'s Trilliant broadens Asia reach with UMC investment &amp;8212' Smart grid communications company Trilliant announced an investment from the venture arm of the Taiwanese semiconducter foundry company United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). It will also broaden its Asia reach by opening an office in Asia, and will get some unspecified assistance from UMC in its regional expansion. The release states that Trilliant has an advantage in international expansion thanks to its technology being based on an international spectrum.[Image via Green Car Reports]Next Story: Wi-Fi Alliance fires back at GE endorsement of ZigBee Previous Story: Windows Phone 7 ships 1.5M units in first six weeksPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Australia, Smart Grid, Solar, Think City, windCompanies: Think, Trilliant, UMC, United Microelectronics Corporation          Tags: Australia, Smart Grid, Solar, Think City, windCompanies: Think, Trilliant, UMC, United Microelectronics CorporationIris Kuo is the VentureBeat's lead GreenBeat writer. She has reported for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong, Houston Chronicle, the McClatchy Washington Bureau and Dallas public radio. Iris attended the University of Texas at Dallas and lives in Houston. Follow Iris on Twitter @thestatuskuo (and yes, that's how you  pronounce her last name).VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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