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<title>Haaze.com / Catherine / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Are fraud reports related to Sony breach]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=are-fraud-reports-related-to-sony-breach</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=are-fraud-reports-related-to-sony-breach</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>marasminkkkk007</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=are-fraud-reports-related-to-sony-breach</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Reports are trickling out fromSony PlayStation Network users about recent fraudulent charges on the credit cards they used for the PlayStation service. But it can't be substantiated at this time whether the fraud is a result of the data breach at Sony, and the timing of the reports could be coincidental.  Sony warned yesterday that customer names, e-mail addresses, birthdays, passwords, usernames, and possibly credit card account information was obtained by an &quot;unauthorized person&quot; between April 17 and 19. As many as 75 million customer accounts are affected.  The company has not said how the breach happened and says there is &quot;no evidence&quot; that credit card information was compromised, but it advised customers to monitor their credit cards for erroneous charges anyway. The situation has prompted a lawsuit, and also a letter from Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal to Sony saying he was troubled the company took a week to notify customers of the breach and urging Sony to provide free credit protection services to prevent identity fraud and theft. Here's what people have reported: An employee of GameFly Media tweeted that a colleague's card was used to buy $1,500 worth of goods at a grocery store in Germany.  A reader of gaming site VGN365 said his bank had informed him of a fraudulent $300 debit card withdrawal this weekend. And another person reported on video game forum site Neogaf.com $600 in fraudulent withdrawals. Ars Technica reports hearing from about two dozen people complaining about fraudulent charges, including one who said $600 was used to pay for a ticket on a German airline and another who said $8,000 from his account was spent at a Japanese store.  Credit card companies are calling customers when they notice suspicious activity and are sending them new cards, they said.And someone reported on Neogaf.com that a spare Gmail account that was associated with a PSN account and used the same password was compromised.  PSN users should carefully monitor their credit card and bank accounts associated with the service for any strange activity and inquire about free fraud protection services. Individuals can also put a freeze on their accounts, request a copy of their credit report, and get new credit cards.  And let CNET know of any fraud or suspicious activity that might be related to the Sony breach. Update 5:28 p.m. PT:Sony released an FAQ blog post today that said credit card data was encrypted and separate from the other data, which was not encrypted but was &quot;behind a very sophisticated security system that was breached in a malicious attack.&quot;  &quot;While all credit card information stored in our systems is encrypted and there is no evidence at this time that credit card data was taken, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, out of an abundance of caution we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may have been obtained. Keep in mind, however, that your credit card security code (sometimes called a CVC or CSC number) has not been obtained because we never requested it from anyone who has joined the PlayStation Network or Qriocity, and is therefore not stored anywhere in our system.&quot;  The post also said Sony is working with law enforcement but did not say what agency. A representative for the FBI in San Francisco told CNET that the agency had nothing to report on the matter at this time.         Elinor Mills     Full Profile E-mail Elinor Mills   E-mail Elinor Mills If you have a question or comment for Elinor Mills, 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       Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[ROVs fail to find Japanese missing in tsunami]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rovs-fail-to-find-japanese-missing-in-tsunami</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rovs-fail-to-find-japanese-missing-in-tsunami</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 07:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>chrdoepner</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rovs-fail-to-find-japanese-missing-in-tsunami</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The underwater ROVs found sunken cars and lots of debris, but no bodies. (Credit:IRS)TOKYO--An international team of robotics and engineering specialists used remotely operated underwater vehicles to search for human remains in coastal areas of Japan flattened by last month's tsunami but failed to find any of the missing, the group said Sunday. The International Rescue System Institute, working with the Texas-based Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR), searched the waters off the annihilated communities of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, and Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture.Members used a Seamor ROV and a Seabotix SARbot. The diving machines turned up sunkencars, flotsam, and personal effects but no bodies. Robin Murphy of Texas A&amp;M University, director of CRASAR, was involved in the search, as were other U.S. colleagues. &quot;One lesson learned for future research is that we need simulation software that predicts where debris will go after a tsunami or hurricane (different versions since we believe the water behavior is different for those events),&quot; Murphy blogged.Working with the Japanese Coast Guard, the group used the ROVs to examine houses swept out to sea where dangerous conditions prohibit divers from searching for victims of the tsunami, which left thousands dead or missing in the towns. The researchers also used the machines to check whether submerged debris poses a threat to fishing boats, which are important to the local economy.  The video below, shot by the SARbot with image enhancement, shows a glove that Murphy and colleagues first took for a hand. They were told to expect bodies pinned under debris or partly buried in silt. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sheriff creates 'Mugshot of the Day' online voting]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sheriff-creates-mugshot-of-the-day-online-voting</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sheriff-creates-mugshot-of-the-day-online-voting</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>manlabug2</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sheriff-creates-mugshot-of-the-day-online-voting</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You know they do things differently in Arizona.They like to be forward-thinking, proactive, and pure in their motivations.So who could not be impressed with Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has decided to add a new, public-spirited, and entertaining element to Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Web siteArpaio, whose county covers Phoenix and a number of suburbs, decided it would be amusing to have anyone who visits the site and eyeballs the gallery of mug shots to choose a &quot;Mug Shot of the Day.&quot;In a nation in which &quot;Dancing with the Stars&quot; and &quot;American Idol&quot; define our very being and culture, one should surely commend Sheriff Arpaio for having such a keen sensitivity towards public mores.The Arizona Republic, clearly in awe of Arpaio's initiative, asked him whether he might have sensed a certain incongruence between this frivolity and the fact that mug shots are of people who haven't been found guilty of anything.Arpaio's reported reply: &quot;What's that word In congress&quot; Maricopa County Sheriff&amp;39's Office mugshot page(Credit:Screenshot by CNET)He reportedly continued: &quot;I'll make a deal with you. The minute your newspaper doesn't put the mug shots of all these 'innocent' people in the paper every day I will cut out all the mug shots.&quot;The Republic pressed him by suggesting that at least in the newspaper, there might be some news value, but on this site, the shots, though public information, are there for pure giggly entertainment.I am sure that many of you will wish to hotfinger it to this gallery of amusement. You will see that one of the current leaders is someone who appears to have had his face smeared with suntan lotion or, perhaps, Nivea face cream. Is this mug shot in some way amusing Some would, no doubt, think so. But should it be subject to an &quot;American Idol&quot; style voteIn any case, what are these refined citizens of Arizona (and elsewhere) voting for The mug shot they think is funniest The one they think is goofiest I only ask because there is nothing funny, goofy or otherwise extraordinary about many of the shots on the site.Arpaio, in case his goofy, little face had escaped your cornea, is rumored to be contemplating a Senate run in 2012. He is also the chap who put prisoners in tents, gave them pink underwear and fed them green baloney. So his creativity and advertising skills know few bounds.Arpaio told ABC15 that he believes this jollity will drive more people to the Web site. Hey, perhaps they might see that a neighbor's been arrested and be able to vote their mug shot up to the top of the class. What fun.I feel sure that there will be some Web-oriented artists who might be mulling the creation of a similar site-- perhaps featuring some of Sheriff Arpaio's more unguarded moments.However, who could not agree that, given the thousands of people who have flocked to cast their votes and aspersions, Arpaio has his finger (and his wily, dextrous brain) in full concert with more than a few of his fellow citizens <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How to install a custom Android ROM]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-install-a-custom-android-rom</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-install-a-custom-android-rom</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>theronnmcge</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-to-install-a-custom-android-rom</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Congratulations, you've successfully gained root access to your Android device, maybe even using CNET's how to root your Android video as a guide. Now comes the hard part: installing a customized version of Android. We've got that covered in a video, but be careful: this one's for advanced users only.<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[Report: Elderly woman takes down Net in Georgia, Armenia]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-elderly-woman-takes-down-net-in-georgia-armenia</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-elderly-woman-takes-down-net-in-georgia-armenia</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>riasirjupoo0</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-elderly-woman-takes-down-net-in-georgia-armenia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[If you ever felt like invading the Republic of Georgia--this is something that several Russians have contemplated over the years--I may have stumbled upon a way to knock out most of the whole country's Internet service. This is useful in these absurdly connected times. My ruse might also work in Armenia. And, who knows, several other countries of the world. You see, all you have to do is send out one elderly woman and tell her to look for scrap metal with gay abandon. I am not making this up. Unless Agence France-Presse is. You see, the AFP is reporting that a 75-year-old old lady in Ksani, somewhat north of the fine capital of Tbilisi, was, indeed, in search of scrap metal when she accidentally (or not) put most of Georgia's (and Armenia's) Internet into complete non-function.Tbilisi, home to some disconnected Georgians recently.(Credit:CC Thomas Dependbusch/Flickr)Did she accidentally hack into a cable, as she espied a juicy silver trophy abandoned at its side Perhaps not.For Georgian interior ministry spokesman Zura Gvenetadze told the AFP: &quot;She found the cable while collecting scrap metal and cut it with a view to stealing it.&quot;It must be very fine cable.Most Georgians and Armenians apparently lost their Internet for up to 12 hours and Giorgi Ionatamishvili, the head of Georgian Railway Telecom's marketing department--Georgian Railway Telecom being the cable's owners--seemed bemused by the woman's power, audacity and sheer sleuthiness.For he told the AFP: &quot;I cannot understand how this lady managed to find and damage the cable.&quot;Let's take the cutting part first. This cable can't have been all that strong if a woman of advanced years could cut straight through it.Now for the finding part: Perhaps, sir, she needed to eat. Perhaps she was prepared to dig deeper in order to get money for essentials. Perhaps, too, someone in a bar told her where the cable was located. There again, she might simply be a senior citizen with a sense of outrage at how the Web has taken over human life. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[FCC approves controversial data roaming rules]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-controversial-data-roaming-rules</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-controversial-data-roaming-rules</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>donovansld</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fcc-approves-controversial-data-roaming-rules</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules today at its monthly public meeting that will require wireless service providers, such as AT&amp;T and Verizon Wireless, to negotiate wireless data roaming deals with competitors.As expected, the FCC voted along party lines, with the three Democrats including Chairman Julius Genachowski voting in favor of the measure. Meanwhile, Republicans Robert McDowell and Meredith Atwell-Baker voted against the new rules, stating they don't believe the FCC has the authority or a reason to adopt such rules. The new rules will require wireless operators that own their infrastructure and spectrum to &quot;offer data roaming arrangements to other such providers on commercially reasonable terms and conditions, subject to certain limitations.&quot; The FCC said that the new rules are designed to allow consumers to access mobile data services anywhere they are. The idea is that consumers will still be able to get coverage even when they travel outside their carrier's territory by using another wireless operator's network. The FCC said this will help promote competition. To resolve any data roaming disputes, parties may file a petition to the FCC. Disputes will be resolved on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the unique facts and circumstances in each instance, the FCC said. Commission staff may require both parties to provide their best and final offers.Genachowski said that rules adopted in 2007 mandating voice roaming have been very successful and laid the framework for adopting similar rules for mobile data services. He said the key benefit of the rules is that it will &quot;spur investment.&quot;&quot;Roaming obligations have helped fuel competition, investment and consumer choice in America's wireless marketplace since the first cellular voice service in 1981,&quot; Genachowski said in a statement. &quot;Today, we take a vital step to update this framework for the 21st century, as Americans increasingly use their mobile devices for data as well as voice.&quot;Commissioner Michael Copps, who voted in favor of the new rules, said that he is &quot;pleased that data roaming's time has arrived.&quot; He said that the rules advance &quot;two key goals of his and the commission's in protecting wireless consumers and promoting competition.&quot;Related links&amp;149' FCC to vote on mandatory wireless-data roaming&amp;149' AT&amp;T to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion&amp;149' FAQ: What is Brand X really aboutThe Republican commissioners agreed that data roaming among wireless operators is a good thing for the industry, but they disagreed that the FCC needs rules that will force wireless operators to negotiate with competitors and offer &quot;reasonable rates.&quot;McDowell said that the commission does not have the authority to adopt such rules, since he believes the rules would impose Title II &quot;common carrier&quot; regulation onto a service that the FCC has specifically deemed in the past to not be considered something regulated under Title II.&quot;I also agree with my colleagues that many benefits flow from the widespread availability of data roaming,&quot; he said. &quot;Nonetheless, the commission simply does not have the legal authority to adopt the regulatory regime mandated by this order.&quot;Baker also said she feels the FCC is overstepping its authority. But she added that she feels the regulation is unnecessary. AT&amp;T and Verizon Wireless, the two largest wireless operators in the U.S., already offer data roaming agreements. Instead, she wondered if roaming agreements that have not been made between carriers had more to do with terms and commercial rates rather than an unwillingness on the part of bigger wireless operators to not allow access to their networks.&quot;Overall, our record shows that there are not generalized or categorical refusals to deal by wireless providers,&quot; she said. &quot;Instead, there is a fundamental inability to agree on financial terms and conditions, primarily rates. This is a compelling difference to me. It raises not only the issue of whether the commission is best equipped to determine a &quot;commercially reasonable&quot; market rate., but also is an area that Congress has specifically told the commission to avoid.&quot;Vonya B. McCann, senior vice president of government affairs for Sprint Nextel, said that the FCC's vote would spur investment and protect smaller competitors as the wireless market consolidates to fewer competitors. Last month AT&amp;T announced it plans to buy T-Mobile USA for $39 billion, a move that will reduce the number of national wireless carriers from four to three. Sprint opposes the merger.&quot;The FCC must be congratulated for taking this action despite the opposition of the two largest U.S. wireless carriers who have lobbied against this pro-consumer, pro-competitive item,&quot; she said in a statement. &quot;With AT&amp;T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile and the corresponding threat it poses to continued wireless competition, it is absolutely critical that the FCC take steps to promote competition and level the playing field.&quot;AT&amp;T and Verizon, which are the only two wireless operators to oppose this measure, each voiced their disappointment with the outcome of the vote.AT&amp;T accused its competitors, who supported the new rules, of looking for the government to step in to set cheaper roaming rates.&quot;Roaming agreements for both voice and data are in place throughout the country, and were reached through normal commercial negotiations, Bob Quinn, AT&amp;T's senior vice president of regulatory affairs, said in a statement. &quot;The evidence presented in this proceeding demonstrated conclusively that proponents of a roaming mandate were seeking government intervention, not to obtain agreements-- which are plentiful--but rather to regulate rates downward. &quot;Verizon's executive vice president of public affairs, Tom Tauke, said in a statement that his company is more than willing to enter into roaming agreements with other wireless carriers. And he pointed to the fact that Verizon now has 40 such relationships in place for data services.&quot;Today's action represents a new level of unwarranted government intervention in the wireless marketplace,&quot; he said in a statement. &quot;By forcing carriers that have invested in wireless infrastructure to make those networks available to competitors that avoid this investment, at a price ultimately determined by the FCC, today's order discourages network investment in less profitable areas.&quot;Tauke also added that he is &quot;concerned that the FCC is taking this action even though it does not have the statutory authority to do so.&quot;Even though AT&amp;T and Verizon Wireless each claim that they are willing to negotiate data roaming agreements with competitors on their own, Genachowski said that the record assembled by the FCC showed that these companies were reluctant to do so.&quot;The record makes clear that some providers have refused to negotiate 3G or 4G data roaming agreements, have created long delays, or have taken other steps to impede competition,&quot; he said. He also said that rural carriers in particular had informed the FCC that their &quot;attempts to enter into data roaming negotiations with nationwide providers are 'many times rejected out of hand.' One company reported that 'even our requests for an assurance to negotiate at some point in the future have been refused.'&quot;Genachowski also argued that the FCC is well within its authority to set these rules. He called the argument that the commission is regulating the wireless data roaming services as common carrier services &quot;flat wrong: the framework we adopt leaves mobile service providers free to negotiate and determine, on an individualized case-by-case basis, the commercially reasonable terms of data roaming agreements. Under the law, this is the very opposite of common carriage.&quot; &quot;Very often when we act here at the commission, someone says we've exceeded our authority,&quot; he continued. &quot;But the truth is that these claims of overreaching are themselves an overreach. During the last four years, the federal courts have issued 16 published merits decisions addressing direct statutory challenges to FCC orders. The FCC prevailed in 15 of the 16 challenges--94 percent of the time. I am confident that the same result will pertain here, if this order is challenged.&quot;The FCC also unanimously adopted new rules that will make it easier for broadband providers to use utility poles and other government rights of way to install infrastructure for broadband service. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Nanoparticles may 'kick backside' of fatal bacteria]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nanoparticles-may-kick-backside-of-fatal-bacteria</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nanoparticles-may-kick-backside-of-fatal-bacteria</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>eolarnl</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nanoparticles-may-kick-backside-of-fatal-bacteria</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Every year, an infectious &quot;superbug&quot; known as MRSA kills thousands of Americans who never should have died. But an international group of scientists think they may have found the key to shutting down the lethal bacteria that leads to these deaths and to countless less-serious infections.According to IBM Research, which worked with the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore on the discovery of the new antibiotic nanoparticles, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) killed 19,000 Americans in 2005. This dangerous infectious bacteria is often found in hospitals and other places, like health clubs and schools, where people come into close contact with each other. And IBM says that health professionals have had an extremely hard time combating MRSA and similar bacteria because they are micro-organisms that can quickly evolve and resist existing antibiotics, mainly because the drugs don't effectively attack the cell walls or membranes of the bacteria.But according to Jim Hedrick, the advanced organic materials scientist at IBM's Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif., the new nanoparticle material that the international team has come up with &quot;Doesn't just muck with the DNA [of the bacteria], it kicks some serious backside.&quot;In other words, Hedrick explained, the potential now exists to make a kind of biodegradable nanoparticle that can be applied to the human body, either through injection or topical application, that could eradicate superbugs like MRSA. And looking down the line, Hedrick added, the team thinks other dangerous bacteria, like E-coli, could also be in its gun sights. &amp;149' Taking IBM's supercomputer to Final 'Jeopardy' (Q&amp;A)&amp;149' IBM breakthrough could measure rapid changes to atoms&amp;149' At IBM Research, a constant quest for the bleeding edge&amp;149' IBM: Computer rivaling human brain could be ready by 2019And for those who may find it interesting that IBM would be working on science like this, it's actually not that surprising, the company says.That's because the underlying technology behind the discovery of the nanoparticles came from IBM's work in semiconductor manufacturing, it said.Not ready for prime time Though there's a lot of promise in the nanoparticles, Hedrick said these new treatments are nowhere near ready for public use. First they would have to be put through clinical trials, and that's something IBM is not allowed to be involved in. But he said, IBM's Singaporean partners in the project have already done research that demonstrates that the nanoparticles present no toxicity to human cells, meaning they could very well be safe to use while potentially addressing one of the most serious problems to plague hospitals and other public venues.At the heart of the potential new treatment is a set of nanostructured polymer materials that have a very specific electric charge, Hedrick said. The idea is that they would rip apart the cell walls and membranes of the dangerous bacteria by creating an electrostatic interaction in which the particles' north pole meets the south pole of the bacterium and goes after the microbe's charge. Then, a fluid system &quot;disrupts this membrane and basically rips it open.&quot;Other uses While IBM and its Singaporean partner are touting the possible impact their nanoparticle treatment could have on serious bacteria like MRSA, Hedrick said there are also more pedestrian applications.For example, it could be employed in low-end products where bacteria &quot;play an adverse role&quot; like deodorants and mouthwash. As well, it could be used in things like bandages or sutures, and other products used in healing wounds, and catheters, since about 20 percent of people who use them end up with infections that are expensive to treat, he said.The IBM Research and Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology scientists published their findings today in the journal &quot;Nature Chemistry.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[New and upcoming Apple AirPlay products]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sallyjy</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Denon RCD-N7 is one the first AirPlay-enabled speaker systems available for sale.(Credit:Denon)At some point you've probably heard about AirPlay, a new wireless streaming feature found on youriPhone, iPad,iPod Touch, and yourMac. It was first announced in 2010, but with the arrival of iOS 4.3, its features have been enhanced, and more third-party consumer electronics manufacturers are adding it to their products.Alas, only a handful of products that take advantage of the feature are currently available, with the most popular one (Apple TV) coming from Apple itself. But plenty more are on the way, so we thought we'd put together a quick roundup of what's out there and what's coming soon.If you've heard of another new AirPlay-compatible product, let us know in the comments section. We'll be updating the list as more products are announced.Click on an any image to begin slideshow.Apple AirPlay-compatible products (photos)  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google denies working on facial-recognition app (update)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Elina</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-denies-working-on-facial-recognition-app-update</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;39's Goggles app can identify objects.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Update at 12:30 p.m. PT: Google claims CNN's story to be speculative. A company representative said &quot;we are in fact not working on developing an app with these capabilities.&quot; Update at 4:30 p.m. PT: CNN is now countering Google's claims, saying it stands by the original piece. An updated version of our story follows.Google says it's not working on an application that would allow users to identify others by snapping a picture of their face with a cell phone camera, despite a high-profile report that one is on the way.A report posted by CNN earlier today claimed the company is at work on such an application, but faces privacy hurdles in readying it for market. The story contained an interview with Google's engineering director for image recognition development, Harmut Neven. In a statement earlier this afternoon a representative for Google said, &quot;we are in fact not working on developing an app with these capabilities,&quot; and referred to the piece as speculative. Now CNN is fighting Google on the issue, claiming that the company's claims &quot;do not fit the facts of the situation.&quot;&quot;This interview was prearranged--on the record--and staffed by a Google PR rep, who raised no objections at the time and did not deny what the engineer said,&quot; a CNN representative told CNET. &quot;Additionally, we have an audio recording of the interview, as does Google. We stand firmly behind Mark's reporting.&quot;A Google representative declined to comment on CNN's statement.Privacy remains a touchy subject for Google. Earlier this week Google entered a settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission over last year's launch of its Buzz service, which has led to the company agreeing to establish a &quot;comprehensive privacy program.&quot; In terms of imaging, Google had also gotten in hot water with privacy groups when it rolled out its Street View technology, which provided raw photos with faces and license plates, two details that were later removed. As for the validity of this idea, Google already provides an image-recognition tool called Goggles, which is available both on the company's Android mobile OS, as well as on Apple's iOS. It can grab text, and identify products, landmarks, works of art, book covers, bar codes, all of which can be searched for on Google. The company has also tied the feature to its translation service to let users read captured text that's in a foreign language.Google has also long been involved with facial-recognition efforts, building the technology into both the software and Web-based versions of its Picasa photo platform. When toggled by users, it can go through a library of photos and identify people who show up in multiple photos. On the Web version of the software, this is handled entirely through Google's servers.Whether it's coming soon or not at all, who wants an app like this<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Next Windows Phone OS to tap mobile payments]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-next-windows-phone-os-to-tap-mobile-payments</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-next-windows-phone-os-to-tap-mobile-payments</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>svetalavl</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-next-windows-phone-os-to-tap-mobile-payments</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft is expected to include mobile-payment technology in the next version of the Windows Phone operating system that will allow users to turn their Windows phones into an electronic wallet, according to a Bloomberg report.The first handsets featuring the technology could appear later this year, according to the report, which cited two unidentified people described as familiar with the plans.Microsoft representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.With the move, Microsoft would join a growing list of software makers incorporating near-field communication (NFC) to turn consumers' smartphones into mobile wallets. The total value of mobile transactions is expected to reach $245 billion in 2014, according to market researcher Gartner.NFC chips let devices exchange information wirelessly with one another over very short distances, about 4 inches. Users of phones featuring NFC chips could use them to make payments by holding the devices up to a specialized reader at retailers' checkout counters.Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Google would partner with MasterCard and Citigroup to deliver a mobile-payment service to Android smartphones. Google is also reportedly paying for the installation of thousands of NFC short-range, wireless point-of-sale systems from VeriFone at stores in New York and San Francisco.Rumors have been circulating recently that the next version of Apple's iPhone would incorporate NFC, but some observers believe Apple would have to overcome some hurdles before it can do so. Those hurdles apparently rest more with the overall infrastructure and how Apple would partner with retailers and other players rather than the technology itself.Research In Motion has also been considering NFC but has been running into conflicts with mobile carriers over who will control the mobile payment information, according to a recent Wall Street Journal story.Later this year, Visa is expected to begin offering a way to use existing smartphones for such payments with a microSD (Secure Digital) removable memory card.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Everything you need to know about Firefox 4]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-firefox-4</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-firefox-4</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:10:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>manlabug2</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=everything-you-need-to-know-about-firefox-4</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ To get you started with the Editor's Choice-winningFirefox 4, here's CNET's First Look at the browser. (Download Firefox 4 for Windows,Mac, and Linux):$lazy(window.GeckoVideoPlayer, CBSi.lazy.videoPlayer, function(){loadGeckoVideoPlayer({parentElement: 'universalVideoid50102268',flashVars:{autoplay: 'false',adTargetType: 'Page',adPreroll: 'true',contentType: 'id',contentValue: '50102268',playlistDisplay: 'over'}},'blogLarge')'})'Firefox has a deep backbench of add-ons to provide features not found in the standard version of the browser, and you can also customize the interface in ways that you can't with other browsers. Here's how to make your Firefox 4 look like Firefox 3, in case you really miss the old design. It's also a good hands-on tutorial for add-on use, in case you're new to Firefox add-ons.$lazy(window.GeckoVideoPlayer, CBSi.lazy.videoPlayer, function(){loadGeckoVideoPlayer({parentElement: 'universalVideoid50096273',flashVars:{autoplay: 'false',adTargetType: 'Page',adPreroll: 'true',contentType: 'id',contentValue: '50096273',playlistDisplay: 'over'}},'blogLarge')'})'BarTabApp Tabs are a new feature in Firefox to keep your most-used tabs in the same position every time you load the browser. Here's how they work.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Electromagnetism can deter algae pests, firm says]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electromagnetism-can-deter-algae-pests-firm-says</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electromagnetism-can-deter-algae-pests-firm-says</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 23 Mar 2011 07:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bugrasman1</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electromagnetism-can-deter-algae-pests-firm-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[OriginOil's illustration of what Algae Screen accomplishes(Credit:OriginOil)OriginOil has developed a new method for targeting invading microbes that can kill or damage algae ponds, the algae research company said today.The method, which the Australia-based company plans to offer as a product called Algae Screen, uses low-power electromagnetic pulses to target rotifers, ciliates, and bacteria harmful to algae growth. And the pulses do not harm the algae themselves, according to OriginOil.The electromagnetic pulses can be tailored to take into account issues such as the type of algae being grown, as well as the salinity and water hardness of an algae pond.Algae Screen can be used for any type of algae farm but is mainly intended for use in open algae ponds where algae is most vulnerable to microbe invasions, according to OriginOil.Algae, which can be made into biofuel forcars and trucks, is seen as a good alternative to not just petroleum, but also ethanol. Unlike other biofuel feedstocks, algae is a renewable resource that can potentially offer high yields over small areas of land. While there has been a marked increase in algae investment and research in recent years, some experts say there is still a long way to go before algae is truly competitive with petroleum.A number of companies, including agriculture giant Monsanto, are investing in algae research, to improve its scalability.OriginOil has claimed several breakthroughs in recent months. Most notably in December OriginOil announced it had successfully partnered with MBD Energy to develop processes for converting coal pollution into algae fuel. MBD developed technology for capturing its CO2 pollution with micro-algae which spurs further reproduction of the algae. The algae biomass is then put through a process developed by OriginOil in which the algae can be separated out by water, oil, and algae byproducts over time for easy retrieval. The leftover algae biomass can then be converted into plastics.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[New York, Silicon Valley teams win Startup Bus competition]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-york-silicon-valley-teams-win-startup-bus-competition</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-york-silicon-valley-teams-win-startup-bus-competition</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>neovacaciones</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-york-silicon-valley-teams-win-startup-bus-competition</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Team WalkIn, one of two winners of the second-annual Startup Bus competition, celebrates its victory Monday night at SXSW.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)AUSTIN, Texas--After three days jammed into buses headed here from cities across the country and four days perfecting their pitches, the winners of the second-annual Startup Bus competition claimed victory tonight.If you haven't been following the happenings of the Startup Bus, 38 teams of so-called &quot;buspreneurs&quot; departed on six buses from San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, and New York last Tuesday, headed for the South by Southwest conference (SXSW) here. Each team, formed mainly from strangers aboard their bus, faced this challenge: conceive of an idea, and take the time from departure to arrival in Austin to build a prototype, create a Web site for it, and get ready to pitch it to an august team of judges.And tonight, the seven finalists--one from each bus, plus a seventh chosen by public voting from one of the two buses that started in San Francisco, faced off for the title.In the end, Startup Bus founder Elias Bizannes announced that the judges deadlocked and decided on two winners. &quot;No surprise,&quot; Bizannes told a packed salon at the Downtown Hilton here, across the street from the SXSW home, the Austin Convention Center, &quot;the two winning teams come from the technology hubs of New York and Silicon Valley.&quot;Specifically, the winnings teams were the entry from the New York bus, known as TripMedi, and one of two Silicon Valley teams that departed from San Francisco, WalkIn. Both teams won a private dinner with members of the seed and early-stage investment firm Polaris Ventures.Unlike many of the Startup Bus teams that built some sort of social application, TripMedi (see video below) focused on a larger problem--the inefficiencies built into what they said is the $20 billion medical tourism market. If you're not familiar with medical tourism, it's when someone wanting to save a lot of money on an otherwise expensive procedure travels to a developing nation to get it done. According to TripMedi's data, 3 million people around the world traveled for some sort of medical help last year, and the market is growing at a rate of at least 15 percent a year.But there's no easy way to navigate the system for helping those who take part in medical tourism, TripMedi argued. Rather, what systems do exist are confusing, scary, or outright weird. By comparison, its approach is much simpler and easier, the team said, and potentially quite profitable.Trip Medi plans to highlight where patients can get the help they need, benchmark the price of any procedures against what it would cost in the United States, showcase the physicians who can perform the work, and potentially create a hub for recommendations so that patients can see whether others have been satisfied with a particular doctor's efforts.The team argued that it can make money with its idea in several ways. First, through referral fees of 10 percent to 20 percent' second, through commissions on flight or hotel bookings' and finally on service fees of up to 5 percent.So far, the idea seems to be gaining traction. In just the four days since arriving in Austin, TripMedi's Web site has gotten 1,300 unique visitors from 44 countries and 44 sign-ups. &quot;It's not sexy,&quot; said Roland Dillon, who presented for TripMedi, &quot;but it's a multi-billion dollar business.&quot; The team's other members are Cemre Gungor, Igor Dolgalev, Igor Lebovic, Mike Caprio, Ravi Kotecha, and Steve Schlafman.After hearing the presentations, the team of six judges--Dave McClure of 500 Hats, Naval Ravikant of Angel List, Tom Ball of Austin Ventures, Philip Fierlinger of Startup Bus sponsor Xero, Greg Veen of TypeKit, and Stephen Anderson of Baseline Ventures--had a lot of praise for the team, even if Fierlinger cautioned them that they had to change the name of the service. But Fierlinger said he thought the project was &quot;ambitious and really cool&quot; and was clearly going after a &quot;gaping hole&quot; in the medical tourism market. Veen lauded the team for &quot;doing something that could actually save people's lives,&quot; and Anderson said he had been quickly &quot;hooked&quot; by the team's pitch.As well, McClure praised TripMedi's presentation, in particular its use of clear, succinct charts showing the problem it was trying to solve. Other teams had not done quite as well in that regard. &quot;It was just awesome,&quot; McClure said. &quot;You guys f-----g rocked it.&quot;WalkIn The other winner was WalkIn (see video below), which attacked a problem perhaps more prevalent, if not quite as socially significant. The team, which was on the Silicon Valley bus, went after the pain point of showing up at a restaurant and having to stand around until your name is called from the waiting list.Instead, WalkIn designed a system that would allow someone to check in at a restaurant--by scanning a QR code at the host's desk--and then take off for a stroll. When their name is about to be called, they'd receive an alert to return to the restaurant. The team designed the service to run on HTML5, meaning no app beyond a QR code reader is necessary. &quot;Scan, relax, and return&quot; is the WalkIn tagline.WalkIn--which is comprised of brothers Keith and Ken Hanson, Jared Hanson (no relation), Alexander King, Bhavin Shah, James Williams, Jesse Ditson, Josh Best, and Keith Axline--thinks it can make money with its idea by offering restaurants, and other customers, different sets of upgrades and features, as well as through a system of coupons and lead generation. On the restaurant side, hosts would have aniPad application that would show everyone on the waiting list, and their place on that list. The idea would be to make the system as easy as possible to use for restaurants. And while waiting, diners could be sent enticements for drinks or high-margin menu items which could add to the restaurants' profits.Again, as evidenced by their choice of WalkIn, the judges were full of enthusiasm for the project. Ravicant praised the team for how much it achieved during the bus ride and said the name was &quot;inspirational.&quot; Ball said he liked the idea but urged the team to make sure there are ways built in to the service that allowed the restaurants to make money.The runners-upThe other five finalists included:&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' FlyByMiles, which developed a streamlined system that allows users to search for flights they can book with existing air miles.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Bouncr, which created a &quot;bit.ly for email,&quot; and which says it can &quot;shorten, share, and protect&quot; your e-mail address.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' Mom &amp; Pop Cooperatives, which built a system designed to help local businesses aggregate their purchasing in order to take advantage of bulk discount pricing.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' ShotPut, an elective SMS newsletter service.&amp;149'&amp;nbsp' MyNewman, a social network centered on pranks, aimed at 18- to 34-year-old males.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Light leak, yellowing affecting some iPad 2 users]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=light-leak-yellowing-affecting-some-ipad-2-users</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=light-leak-yellowing-affecting-some-ipad-2-users</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winlimlim4</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=light-leak-yellowing-affecting-some-ipad-2-users</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The alleged light leak issues cropping up on an iPad 2.(Credit:NiqueXyZ/Apple support forums)Second-generation products tend to have most of the kinks worked out, though for some, theiPad 2 is exhibiting issues with the screen that have appeared in past Apple products.One of those issues is light leaking from around the bezel into the display. A handful of threads on Apple's support forums (1,2), as well as a poll of users on Engadget, have called it out, with some taking photos that show light spreading out from one or more of the iPad 2's four screen edges. These leaks do not appear as focused light, but rather a band that's the most intense at the edge, and dissipates as it goes inward (as you can see in the picure at the right).Another issue, as noted by MacRumors last night, is a patchy yellow discoloration, which may or may not be related to the light leaks. A similar issue affected someiPhone 4 owners shortly after the launch of that product, and was chalked up to the screen bonding agent from the phone's production still in the process of drying out.From the look of various support and community forums, neither of these issues is widespread, though with the iPad 2 going on sale just last night, it's too early to make that call.CNET has reached out to Apple about both issues to see if the gadget maker is providing any guidance. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Presidential rides of past and present]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=presidential-rides-of-past-and-present</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=presidential-rides-of-past-and-present</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>aaaronbaldwinu</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=presidential-rides-of-past-and-present</guid>
<description><![CDATA[President George W. Bush&amp;39's Cadillac DTS still serves as an alternate State Car, despite the adoption of Cadillac One in this official role.(Credit:Wikimedia Commons)When you're the Commander-in-chief, the head of state, and generally the top dog of the United States of America, there will be times when you're expected to arrive to a variety of appointments, appearances, and meetings with other top dogs. But the President of the United States can't simply hop into his Ford Taurus and drive himself to meetings with foreign dignitaries--although, he may be tempted by the SHO. Rather, getting from point A to B when you're one of the most important people in the nation requires high levels of safety and reliability, as well as a touch of class. Enter the Presidential StateCar: the official ground transportation method of the President of the United States.Presidential wheels (photos) Through the years, the various Presidential State Cars have shuttled the Commanders-in-Chiefs wherever a person of importance needed to arrive in style and safety. For example, President Warren Harding's, Packard Six was the first to shuttle a President to his inauguration and FDR's Sunshine Special was one of the first to be built to Presidential specifications. Other State Cars are famous for more ominous reasons, such as the code named SS-X-100 convertible in which President John F. Kennedy would meet his fate. There is, at times, overlap--being the property of the United States government, many State Cars served multiple administrations. Of course, as the years passed and safety and car tech advanced, so did the Presidential State Car--this advancement culminates in the current vehicle, nicknamed &quot;Cadillac One,&quot; which is used to transport President Barack Obama.We've gathered some of the most interesting vehicles, including an presidential ride that once belonged to a notorious gangster, into a gallery for your enjoyment.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Video game sales down again in January]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:11:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bintterazmwes</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</guid>
<description><![CDATA[These days, there seem to be at least a few signs that the general state of the economy is improving. But video games sales aren't one of them.For the second straight month, and 10th in the last year, the industry saw sales drop, year over year. According to the NPD Group, which compiles monthly sales statistics for the video games business, total revenues in January came in at $1.16 billion, down 5 percent from $1.22 billion in January 2010.Will the Nintendo 3DS help spark the games industry come springtime(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)Over the last year, the industry has seen upswings in monthly year-over-year sales just twice--last November and last March. Otherwise, revenues have gone down each month.Generally, NPD issues an analysis with its monthly report, but it didn't do so this month. It did reveal that sales were down throughout the video games industry ecosystem, with accessories being the only category that saw a jump (up 6 percent). Both software and hardware were down significantly in January.For the month of January, the industry sold $576 million in software, down 5 percent from $606 million a year earlier. Hardware sales were down 8 percent, from $353.7 million in January 2010 to $324 million last month, according to NPD.If there were any bright spots in the industry, Microsoft claimed them for its Xbox 360 platform. Microsoft said in a statement Thursday thatXbox sales were up 14.4 percent from a year ago, with 381,000 units sold. A year ago, the company moved 333,000 Xboxes.Microsoft claimed its console was the only one to show monthly growth from a year ago, suggesting that the Sony PlayStation 3 andNintendo Wii consoles saw lower sales in January. For its part, Sony claimed thatPS3 software was up 25 percent from January 2010.As of early Thursday evening, Nintendo had not come out with its own statement.One analyst digging into the January numbers cautioned against early optimism, but suggested that improvements are on the horizon.&quot;It is not clear to us that growth will return in February and March, as Wii and portables will likely stay weak until the 3DS launches in March in the U.S.,&quot; Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities wrote in a note issued today. &quot;Once Nintendo launches the 3DS in late March, we expect a modest recovery for handheld software sales. While we cannot be as confident in a recovery for Wii software sales through the middle part of the year, we think that growth in the installed bases of the PS3 and Xbox 360 and a strong game lineup will support modest growth for software sales on those platforms.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rock Band to rock on, Harmonix says]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>terben96</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rock-band-to-rock-on-harmonix-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With the fall of Guitar Hero, is it time for Rock Band to take an extended solo (Credit:GameSpot)It's been a rough month for the former superstars of the rhythm genre.  Rock Band label MTV Games ceased its publishing operations, which was shortly followed by the game's recently sold developer, Harmonix, laying off up to 15 percent of its staff.  The capper came Wednesday, as Activision disbanded its Guitar Hero business unit, confirming that there would be no 2011 installment in the franchise and the company will stop making new downloadable songs for the Hero franchise of games. In a posting on the official Rock Band forums yesterday, Harmonix's John Drake offered condolences for his competition and reassurance for fans worried that the developer's rhythm game series would be similarly scuttled.Read more of &quot;Rock Band to rock on, says Harmonix&quot; at GameSpot. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple overhauling iPhone notification system]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-overhauling-iphone-notification-system</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-overhauling-iphone-notification-system</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>riasirmar47</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-overhauling-iphone-notification-system</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Almost two years since Apple first introduced its push notifications for iOS, is it getting ready for a major overhaul(Credit:James Martin/CNET)To cap off a week chock-full of Apple-related rumors, we now have this: is Apple about to acquire a company in the process of giving its iOS notifications system a major makeoverApple blog Cult ofMac says it's hearing exactly that from a source, who is not named. The company Apple is allegedly buying isn't confirmed in the report, but is said to be &quot;small&quot; and currently has an application available for sale in the iOS App Store.Now that would describe about a thousand companies. But there aren't that many that do slick notification apps. Cult of Mac has zeroed in on App Remix, the company that makes the app called Boxcar.Boxcar pools all of your social media feeds and delivers your notifications from each into one app. (App Remix's CEO apparently had &quot;no comment&quot; on Cult of Mac's query as to whether Apple plans on making the company an offer.)Apple's own notification system isn't regarded as the most stellar implementation. The originaliPhone actually shipped without any real push notification system for third-party apps. It took Apple three iterations of the iPhone's software before it found a system it liked. But the system employed in Palm's original Pre smartphone featuring WebOS is still roundly praised as the best in the business. Hewlett-Packard, of course, owns WebOS now and recently introduced the software on several new phones and atablet.The man who invented the WebOS notification system, Rich Dellinger, actually quit Palm just after the HP acquisition last year to return to his former employer, Apple. The rumor mill heated up then that iOS' notifications were in for a big change, but nothing more has come of that--at least not yet. Apple updates its iOS software on a yearly basis, usually in June, and there's a preview event usually around March to see what will be in the next version, in this case iOS 5. It's possible we could see a new push notification process included in the next big software update for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Alcatel-Lucent shrinks cell tower technology]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kandracorn72645</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Telecommunications infrastructure maker Alcatel-Lucent announced this week new technology that will help wireless carriers expand their networks to keep up with the explosive growth in mobile data.The company announced this week a new compact cell phone antenna system called lightRadio, which incorporates radio technology and base station technology in a single box. The entire system, which can fit on a lamp post, is a fraction of the size of today's cellular equipment. Current cellular networks require massive and power-hungry cell phone towers that house the antennas with a separate base station at the bottom of those towers that control the antennas.When carriers have needed to add capacity or improve coverage, they've had to deploy these massive cell site towers. Alcatel-Lucent's lightRadio system, which will be ready for carrier trials later this year, allows carriers to deploy new cell sites much faster and less expensively than they have been able to do in the past. It also means that carriers can reduce the electricity used to power the cell phone towers and base stations.All in all, wireless operators can reduce the cost of deploying and maintaining a new cell site by almost half of what it is today.That has huge implications for the wireless industry, which is struggling to keep up with demand for more data services from smartphones andtablet PCs. In fact wireless data traffic is expected to increase 26 times between 2010 and 2015 according to Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index Forecast. Cisco conducts the survey every year to track network growth.&quot;It's clear that the explosion in mobile data will continue,&quot; said Wim Sweldens, president of Alcatel-Lucent's wireless division. &quot;The architecture that Alcatel-Lucent is proposing will help avert a potential wireless crisis. If carriers don't move in this architectural direction then the problems we are starting to see today will only get bigger. And growing the networks will not be economically viable.&quot;Wireless carriers have been preparing for traffic increases by adding more capacity to their radio networks as well as their back-haul networks that carry the traffic from the radio towers to the Internet. The wireless industry has been pushing the Federal Communications Commission to make more wireless spectrum available so that they can increase capacity. But getting new spectrum into the market takes time.One way to add more capacity to the available spectrum is to deploy more cell sites that are smaller in area. Splitting cell sites means that wireless operators can serve more customers or provide more bandwidth to individual customers in each cell site.Carriers have already begun using a mix of a smaller and smaller cell sites in their networks. For example, femtocells provide personal cell sites that can be in a home or business. The smaller cell sites are connected to a home or office broadband connection to improve wireless indoor coverage.But splitting cell sites on a macro level in a metropolitan area is a little trickier if the old cell tower and base station architecture is used. Getting new cell towers approved is time consuming. And putting up those towers is expensive. It's also expensive to run these towers, which means long-term this architecture isn't viable.That's where Alcatel-Lucent says it's lightRadio technology comes in. It would allow wireless operators to deploy smaller cell sites much more quickly and at a much lower cost. &quot;We are applying the same principles that we've talked about in using femtocells for the entire mobile network,&quot; Sweldens said. &quot;We start by replacing the big towers with smaller elements that are easier to deploy, use less power, and connect smaller sites to broadband infrastructure that is already in place. So we can take advantage of the cloud-like architecture to get better economies of scale that either lead to reducing costs for operators or the ability to deliver more bits at the same cost.&quot;The new technology has other important benefits as well. Because the antennas are software configurable, carriers can use the same set of equipment to offer 2G, 3G, and 4G service from the same access point. What's more, upgrading from one technology to another simply requires a software upgrade.This is very different from what is done now. Today, when wireless carriers upgrade from a 3G technology such as EV-DO or HSPA to a next-generation technology, such as LTE, they are required to deploy new hardware. But with the Alcatel-Lucent lightRadio system, they simply do the upgrade in software.But Alcatel-Lucent's new technology, which is modular in design like building blocks in a Lego set, is not just a big improvement for existing wireless players. It can also be used to help other companies, such as cable operators, get into the wireless market at a much lower cost.Cable companies already have a lot of high-capacity broadband infrastructure in the ground. And some of them also own wireless spectrum licenses. Cox Communications has used some of that spectrum to build a regional wireless network, while others such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable have invested in other wireless services like Clearwire.&quot;The future for any broadband provider is building one network that can serve customers whether they are mobile or at home,&quot; Sweldens said. &quot;Our new technology will help companies leverage their existing wireline infrastructure to provide wireless services. The cable MSO market is definitely one of our target markets.&quot;Alcatel-Lucent isn't the only company that is developing smaller, more modular and wireless configurable cell phone access points. Market leaders, such as Ericsson and Huawei, have also been working on software-defined radio technology. But Sweldens believes that Alcatel-Lucent is the first company to announce plans for these products.&quot;This is indeed part of a general trend in the industry,&quot; he said. &quot;But what we've done is made a breakthrough by building the smaller cubes that fit together. We feel pretty confident that we are the first to commit to such a product road map. And that is the news.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Study: U.S. wireless subscribers overpay on service]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-u-s--wireless-subscribers-overpay-on-service</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-u-s--wireless-subscribers-overpay-on-service</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zilimwinlilouba</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=study-u-s--wireless-subscribers-overpay-on-service</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The average U.S. wireless subscriber is overpaying on his or her cell phone bill by $336 a year, according to a study by BillShrink, a search engine designed to help people find the best service deals to meet their needs.About 80 percent of U.S. wireless subscribers miscalculate how many anytime voice minutes, text messages, and megabytes of data they need, BillShrink found. As a result, consumers are purchasing wireless plans that don't fit their needs and are actually costing them more money. Collectively, this results in the wireless industry pulling in an extra $79 million for services consumers don't actually need or use.&quot;It's interesting to see what people estimate their usage to be and what they actually use,&quot; said Schwark Satyavolu, co-founder and CEO of BillShrink. &quot;Despite the best efforts from the FCC and the carriers to create transparency in wireless fees, we've found that people are becoming even more confused about how to right-size their cell phone plans.&quot;BillShrink offers a tool on its Web site that analyzes people's cell phone bills to find the best plan to fit each customer's needs. Satyavolu says that while new tiered service offerings give consumers more choice, finding the plan that fits individual usage patterns can be tricky.The company analyzed data from more than 230,000 individual bills that had been submitted through its service from December 2009 to December 2010. BillShrink compared actual wireless usage from these cell phone bills versus people's estimated cell phone use to reveal some key findings. First, when it comes to voice minutes and text messaging, consumers tend to overestimate how much they need. Satyavolu said the average consumer thinks he or she needs about 711 voice minutes per month but in reality uses only about 651 minutes. The average consumer also estimates he or she needs about 2,566 text messages but actually sends only about 1,555 messages per month.Right-sizing a voice plan is especially tricky, since anytime voice minutes don't mean the same thing to every carrier. For example, some carriers don't count calls made to other cell phone users on their same network, or they may allow subscribers to designate certain friends' or family members' numbers part of a special calling circle, which also may not count against anytime minutes. And still, many carriers don't start their free nights and weekends at the same times.&quot;You can't just buy the same number of minutes and text messages on one carrier and expect to have the same usage on another carrier,&quot; Satyavolu said. &quot;They all count the anytime minutes differently.&quot;Meanwhile, consumers tend to underestimate how much mobile data they use. The average consumer thinks he or she uses about 54MB of data per month but actually uses about 81MB of data. Even though consumers are underestimating how much data they use, they're still using far less than what they're paying for. Today, three of the four major U.S. wireless operators offer tiered data plans. Verizon Wireless started offering a promotional data plan in October  that includes 150MB of data for $15 a month. It ended the promotion last month. And now only offers smartphone customers the option of a $30 unlimited data plan.AT&amp;T offers a 200MB plan for $15 a month. And T-Mobile USA just recently introduced a 200MB plan for $10 a month.Even though data usage among U.S. wireless consumers has increased by about 94 percent from December 2009 to December 2010, according to BillShrink, the average wireless subscriber in the U.S. is still far below the cap offered in the lowest tier of cell phone service. What's ironic is that many consumers still believe they need an unlimited data plan.&quot;I'd say that 150MB to 200MB of data per month is plenty more than most wireless consumers actually need,&quot; Satyavolu said. &quot;But if you read the blogs, you'd think the move toward tiered data plans is the end of the world. The reality is that it's a small fraction of people who really benefit from unlimited plans.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon set to give Prime members unlimited, Netflix-style video streaming]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-set-to-give-prime-members-unlimited-netflix-style-video-streaming</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-set-to-give-prime-members-unlimited-netflix-style-video-streaming</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Nisha</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-set-to-give-prime-members-unlimited-netflix-style-video-streaming</guid>
<description><![CDATA[An alleged screenshot of the new service on an Amazon product page.(Credit:Engadget)Rumors have been heating up over the last few weeks that Amazon was on the verge of offering &quot;free,&quot; unlimited video streaming to its Prime members, who pay $79.99 a year for free two-day shipping on many items sold on Amazon. Now a tipster has sent a few screenshots to Engadget allegedly showing an unlimited video streaming section to complement Amazon's VOD (video-on-demand) offerings.Whether someone at Amazon accidentally jumped the gun on the launch is unclear, but the section has now disappeared along with the &quot;Watch now,&quot; free unlimited streaming button (I have an Amazon Prime subscription and nothing like this showed up for me).Back in November one of our non-Amazon contacts mentioned the possibility of such a service in an off-the-record conversation and on December 6, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon.com was developing a Netflix-like subscription service that would offer TV shows and movies. According to people &quot;familiar with the matter,&quot; that service &quot;would be included as a bundle with its Amazon Prime shipping service.&quot;From the screenshot it appears the selection would be pretty similar to Netflix's Watch Instantly service and would feature &quot;unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost.&quot; According to Engadget's tipster, the resolution is limited to &quot;pretty solid&quot; 480p (standard-definition). To be clear, none of this information is confirmed, but we'll have a full review of the service if and when Amazon decides to launch it. It's worth pointing out that Netflix's Watch Instantly service costs $95.88 a year, which comes out to a little more than $15 over an Amazon Prime subscription. However, Netflix's streaming service is currently available on more set-top boxes and mobile devices, so Amazon would have some catch-up to do in that department.One small bit of info a lot of people don't know about is that Amazon allows Amazon Prime subscribers to share their subscriptions with up to three &quot;family members.&quot; (See full article here). Whether Amazon would extend the &quot;free&quot; streaming service to those you share your membership with is unknown, but it would certainly be a nice perk. More:Amazon's free shipping secretSome of the TV programming that may be available for &amp;34'free&amp;34' streaming to Prime members. (Credit:Engadget)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Penske delivers first electric Smart ForTwo]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=penske-delivers-first-electric-smart-fortwo</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=penske-delivers-first-electric-smart-fortwo</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>juwanpno8w8</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=penske-delivers-first-electric-smart-fortwo</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ceremonial presentation by Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske, center, and Smart USA president Jill Lajdziak, right, to the first Smart ForTwo Electric Drive customer, Mindy Kimball, left, at her home in Silver Spring, MD.(Credit:Nick Wass )To kick off the latest phase in their electriccar program, Smart USA President Jill Lajdzia and Roger Penske, chairman of Smart USA parent company Penske Automotive Group, personally delivered the first Smart ForTwo Electric Drive to a customer in Maryland.Mindy Kimball, a 36-year-old Major in the United States Army, is the first customer to lease a ForTwo Electric Drive, the all-electric version of the tiny two-seater. It's powered by a 30 kW electric motor with 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery, and has an electronically controlled top speed of 60 mph. Although testing has shown the electric Smart can travel up to 98 miles on a full charge, a more realistic highway and city driving pattern will yield about a 63 mile range.At the ceremonial presentation to the first Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske shows some of the car's features. (Nick Wass/AP Images for smart USA)(Credit:Nick Wass )These vehicles are only available in the U.S. by lease. Interested parties can apply to lease a vehicle on Smart's Web site. Early adopters of electric vehicles will face a few challenges while the industry matures. But they'll also receive a few perks. By leasing a ForTwo Electric Drive, Kimball became a member of Team 250, which is the second phase of Smart's program to roll out electric vehicles in the U.S.The program will place 250 electric vehicles with companies, municipalities, organizations, and individuals around the country for testing. Members of Team 250 will receive other perks such as a concierge service, personal access to Smart USA's Electric Drive expert, 24/7 roadside assistance, and a chance provide feedback about their driving experience. The next phase will be full series production of the electric two-seaters, which is scheduled to begin in 2012, to make the electric ForTwo available to the public for purchase.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Angry Birds gets the Kinect hack treatment]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-gets-the-kinect-hack-treatment</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-gets-the-kinect-hack-treatment</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:10:39 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Nena01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=angry-birds-gets-the-kinect-hack-treatment</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Two things in gaming right now that are exciting even to non-hard-core gamers are Angry Birds and Microsoft's Kinect. They both allow for addictive gameplay without a lot of investment and knowledge of things like &quot;fragging&quot; and &quot;spawn camping.&quot; And now a hacker by the name of Joel Griffin Dodd has combined the two with a hacking tool he helped develop called KinEmote.It uses a controller, so it's not quite the fully immersive experience one can imagine being developed for the Kinect system, but it's a start.And Kinect hacking is still in its infancy, as is KinEmote. It's easy to envision a version in the near future that would let you manually pull back your birds to send them at those evil, smug pigs. That certainly sounds gratifying.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple gets patent for solar-powered gear]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-gets-patent-for-solar-powered-gear</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-gets-patent-for-solar-powered-gear</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:10:54 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maringsufcat</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-gets-patent-for-solar-powered-gear</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The sun may be in youriPhone battery's future.Yesterday, Apple received Patent No. 7,868,582 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for powering electronics partially with solar power. The patent, which was originally filed in 2009, describes a system of using a solar panel for charging different portable devices, including a notebook computer,tablet, phone, or other handheld gadget.A diagram from Apple's new patent.(Credit:Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET)It specifically deals with converting the power from a solar panel to meet the power requirements of electronics. The system includes a voltage converter that ensures the available solar power can be converted and used to recharge batteries.The solar panel could either be embedded in the device or be removable, according to the patent.Although Apple has not yet released any solar-powered gadgets, it's clear that the company is interested in letting people use sunlight to charge when they can't get to an AC outlet. It's the fourth patent that Apple has received related to solar power, according to Patently Apple. There are already a number of third-party solar chargers designed for Apple equipment. Solar charger makers say that Apple products are particularly demanding in terms of the quality of power needed to effectively use solar panels.Apple has taken a number of steps to make its product more environmentally friendly by phasing out toxic chemicals and using recyclable aluminum in its products. Last year, it also released a line of rechargeable batteries that it says will last longer and are more energy efficient than others.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Electrified vehicles charge the Detroit auto show]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electrified-vehicles-charge-the-detroit-auto-show</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electrified-vehicles-charge-the-detroit-auto-show</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>emopengen</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=electrified-vehicles-charge-the-detroit-auto-show</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Honda&amp;39's Fit EV was just one of the many electric and electrified vehicles displayed at the 2011 Detroit auto show.(Credit:Antuan Goodwin/CNET)These days you can't throw a stick at acar show without hitting an electric or electrified vehicle. The 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit was no exception.Electrified vehicle roundup (photos) Among the full-electric vehicles were the Ford Focus Electric and Honda Fit EV, but there were also examples from smaller companies, such as Venturi and Li-ion Motors. Toyota's Prius gained a plug-in model. Conventional hybrids were among the most numerous, counting among their ranks Toyota's new Prius V and C models, Audi's new A4 hybrid sedan, and Porsche's beastly 918 RSR concept.We've gathered together a selection of some of our favorite electrified vehicles from the show, so be sure to check out our gallery.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[South Korea says Google Street View broke law]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-korea-says-google-street-view-broke-law</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-korea-says-google-street-view-broke-law</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:10:39 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tusanenue</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=south-korea-says-google-street-view-broke-law</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Police in South Korea reportedly say Google broke the country's law when its Street View service captured personal data from unsecure Wi-Fi networks.The Korean Police Department will now send the case to prosecutors, who will decide whether to formally charge the search giant, says the Associated Press.Google has been accused of capturing personal information from wireless networks as its Street View service took photos of South Korean neighborhoods between October 2009 and May 2010. The case kicked off last August when South Korean police raided the local offices of Google in an attempt to determine whether the company had violated local laws.After examining hard drives collected during the raid, South Korean police found that the company had broken two laws--one concerning privacy over telecommunications networks and another designed to protect information about physical locations, Reuters reported. If charged, Google would face fines of up to 50 million won ($44,800) and 30 million won ($26,900), respectively, for breaking the two laws, added Reuters.In response to the latest news out of Korea, Google released the following statement, which was sent to CNET:&quot;As we have said before, we are profoundly sorry for having mistakenly collected payload data from unencrypted networks. As soon as we realized what had happened, we stopped collecting all Wi-Fi data from our Street Viewcars and immediately informed the authorities. While we have repeatedly acknowledged that this was a mistake, we believe Google did nothing illegal in Korea, and we are working with the relevant authorities to respond to their questions and concerns. We have been cooperating with the Korean Communications Commission and the police, and will continue to do so. Again, our ultimate objective remains to delete the data consistent with our legal obligations and in consultation with the appropriate authorities.&quot;Google has found itself up against a slew of lawsuits and government probes after it admitted that its Street View service had collected personal information from Wi-Fi networks as it went on photo tours of different countries. But the company has insisted that it did nothing illegal since the data collection was done accidentally and without its knowledge.Updated at 9:45 PT with a statement from Google.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Buffett-backed EV car maker set to enter U.S. in '12]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnojubimJohn1</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=buffett-backed-ev-car-maker-set-to-enter-u-s--in-12</guid>
<description><![CDATA[BYD, a Chinesecar and battery maker backed by investor Warren Buffett, expects to enter the mass U.S. auto market in the first quarter of 2012, starting with its e6 all-electric car model, its chairman said yesterday.&quot;The United States offers a huge opportunity for new-energy vehicles, especially pure electric,&quot; Chairman Wang Chuanfu told Reuters in an interview at the Detroit auto show.&quot;Many auto companies will pay attention to this market, and BYD will take this opportunity as well,&quot; he said through a translator, adding he wants BYD to lead in the field of electric cars and buses in the world's second-biggest auto market.BYD&amp;39's all-electric e6(Credit:BYD)&quot;Our strategy in the U.S. market will probably focus on the pure electric segment,&quot; he said.In its fourth consecutive appearance at the Detroit auto show, BYD is showcasing a series of electric vehicles, including the e6 and S6DM models, and other products such as solar panels and home energy storage units.Wang said that while BYD has yet to work out in which U.S. cities and states to set up dealerships first, he expected to begin selling the zero-emission e6 as its first model in the first quarter of next year, followed by the S6DM, and eventually electric buses.The company will work with independent dealers to set up a sales network in the United States.BYD began pilot sales in Los Angeles at the end of 2010, and Wang said he hoped to expand test-marketing over the coming year.The company has said it expects the e6 to cost around $42,000, meaning it would likely need subsidies and other incentives to appeal to consumers.Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Intel to pay Nvidia $1.5 billion in licensing fees]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-to-pay-nvidia-1-5-billion-in-licensing-fees</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-to-pay-nvidia-1-5-billion-in-licensing-fees</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>phitipkahh</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=intel-to-pay-nvidia-1-5-billion-in-licensing-fees</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Intel will gain access to Nvidia's patents while paying the graphics chip supplier $1.5 billion in licensing fees as part of a new six-year agreement. Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang reiterated today that ARM processors are the future.(Credit:Nvidia)&quot;For the future use of Nvidia's technology, Intel will pay Nvidia an aggregate of $1.5 billion in licensing fees payable in five annual installments, beginning Jan. 18, 2011,&quot; Nvidia announced today. Furthermore, Nvidia and Intel have agreed to drop all outstanding legal disputes between them. The crux of the agreement is that Intel gains access to all of Nvidia's GPU (graphics processing unit) patents but Nvidia gains access to only certain Intel patents. To compensate for the lop-sided patent access (which favors Intel), Intel pays Nvidia $1.5 billion. Intel and Nvidia had both sued each other in early 2009 in a dispute that originally centered on a chipset license agreement. Intel had contended the cross license does not extend to Intel's future-generation processors, and Nvidia countersued blocking access to its patent portfolio. In effect, Nvidia was barred from building Intel-compatible chipsets beyond the Core 2 Duo generation of processors. For example, the second generation of Apple's MacBook Air used an Nvidia chipset along with Intel's Core 2 Duo processor. However, Nvidia could not build chipsets for the newest generation of Intel Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. This, in effect, forced Apple to stay with Intel's older-generation Core 2 Duo processors in its newest MacBook Airs because it allowed Apple to legally continue to use Nvidia chipsets. The agreement announced Monday still bars Nvidia from using any of Intel's x86 technology and, as a result, Nvidia cannot build x86-compatible chipsets, according to Intel. But Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang made it clear he's not interested. &quot;We've already said many times that we have no intention to build chipsets for Intel processors,&quot; he said in the conference call Monday afternoon. And many PC makers (including Apple) still use discrete (standalone) Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) that attach to Intel chipsets. Huang expounded on its traditional strong suit, GPUs--which hold patents that Intel is paying for and which Nvidia incorporates into its ARM processors. GPUs excel at parallel processing, whereas CPUs (central processing units)--such as Intel's x86 chips--do sequential processing. Both types of processors have their merits, though GPUs have the potential to be much faster than CPUs at doing visual processing and scientific number-crunching, for example. &quot;I don't think you can build a modern computer today without a state-of-the-art GPU technology. Anytime you can do something in parallel, it's better than sequential,&quot; Huang said. &quot;Our cross license with Intel reflects the substantial value of our visual and parallel computing technologies. It also underscores the importance of our inventions to the future of personal computing, as well as the expanding markets for mobile and cloud computing,&quot; said Huang in an official statement today. Huang went on to say the company's focus is now on ARM processors--which compete with Intel's x86 chips in small devices like Netbooks andtablets. &quot;It's a foregone conclusion that ARM is the most important [chip] architecture. ARM will be the largest installed-based processor. It's pervasive and open. We will extend the ARM processor with our GPU,&quot; he said. Huang pointed to Microsoft's announcement atCES to port its next major release of Windows to ARM processors and Nvidia's CES announcement of Project Denver, in which it will design high-performance ARM chips for desktops and supercomputers. Those future Nvidia chips will be hybrids--much like Intel's just-announced Sandy Bridge processor. &quot;Project Denver...features an Nvidia CPU running the ARM instruction set, which will be fully integrated on the same chip as the Nvidia GPU,&quot; Bill Dally, Nvidia's chief scientist, said last week. Updated at 3:25 p.m. PST throughout.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Ford unveils the all-electric Focus]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>duoutras</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-ford-unveils-the-all-electric-focus</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Alan Mulally shows enthusiasm for the Focus Electric by kissing the hood.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Ford Focus Electric (photos) LAS VEGAS--Ford choseCES 2011 as the venue to introduce its all-electric Focus. Thecar, based on the 2012 Focus model being introduced this year, is actually Ford's second electric vehicle, as it has already begun delivering electric versions of its Transit Connect utility vehicle.Ford has been reluctant to state a range figure for the electric Focus, as it is still undergoing EPA testing, but a spokesman told us it would go up to 100 miles. The car uses a 23 kilowatt-hour liquid cooled lithium-ion battery pack and has a top speed of 84 mph. What differentiates it from other electric cars on or coming to market is that recharge time from empty to full should take from 3 to 4 hours when plugged into a 240 volt source, half the charge time of the Nissan Leaf. Ford achieved this figure by including a more robust onboard charger.Ford will also make available a 240 volt charging station, with installation through Best Buy. This station is designed with two components, one hard-wired bracket and the charging unit, which plugs into the bracket. This arrangement allows flexibility, letting the Focus Electric owner take the charging unit to a new garage, only needing to purchase a new bracket.Along with a version of Ford's MyFord Touch dashboard interface designed specifically for electric vehicles, there is also an app called MyFord Mobile that lets owners set charging times and remotely unlock the doors, among other functions. The dashboard includes a screen that shows an increasing amount of butterflies as the car is driven more efficiently, much like the tree display in the Nissan Leaf.The Ford Focus Electric becomes available in November of 2011, where it will compete with the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi iMiev.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The 5 best PC (only) games of 2010]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-best-pc-only-games-of-2010</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-best-pc-only-games-of-2010</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mepeveb</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-5-best-pc-only-games-of-2010</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tosh has an onscreen presence most movie characters can only aspire to. (Credit:Eric Franklin/CNET)With the advent of services such as Valve's Steam and Microsoft's Games for Windows Live, not to mention Blizzard's continued support, PC gaming--considered dead a few years back--isn't showing any signs of slowing down.The platform has continued to successfully offer exclusive experiences you won't find on a console, while at the same time playing host to some of console gaming's biggest blockbusters, like the Call of Duty and Mass Effect series. Editors' note: Eric Franklin is aware that the Call of Duty series was begotten on the PC. He was there, he played it with headphones and has the occasional tinnitus to prove it.While Jeff Bakalar covered the overall top 10 2010 games list earlier, I couldn't sit idly by while PC gaming got the short end of the stick. Instead, through tenacity, charm, and a bit of pleading I was able to secure a more than serviceable medium-size list.The top 5 best PC-only games of 2010 (photos) What follows is a list of the top five PC games released in 2010 that didn't also appear on a console. It was important for me to show PC gaming's unique quality, and what better way than with exclusive (for now at least) games We'll see if we're able to compose such a list next year, but with the large amount of hotly anticipated MMOs, not to mention anything from Blizzard, I'll think we'll be in good shape. Before delving into the top 5, check out the games that missed it by that much. Honorable mention:Total War: NapoleonAlien SwarmFootball Manager 2011Bejeweled 3Stalker: Call of Pipryat.Also, look for continued and expanded PC gaming coverage on Crave in the coming year. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Motorola's Honeycomb tablet sneaks into wild]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolas-honeycomb-tablet-sneaks-into-wild</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolas-honeycomb-tablet-sneaks-into-wild</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2010 08:14:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cherierhhc</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=motorolas-honeycomb-tablet-sneaks-into-wild</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A leaked image of what appears to be Motorola&amp;39's planned Android Honeycomb tablet, branded with the Verizon logo.(Credit:wnrussell)During last week's All Things D conference, Google's Andy Rubin gave the world a sneak peek at an upcoming Motorola tablet running the long-awaited tablet-optimized version of the Android OS, codenamed Honeycomb. This week, with far less fanfare, images of the 10-inch Motorola tablet popped up on a mobile forum offering a telling new detail -- a Verizon logo.Motorola Android Honeycomb tablet, Verizon (photos) The images don't offer many other notable details, but the tipster does spell out the specs, including 32GB of internal storage, NVIDIA Tegra 2 T20 dual-core processor, gyroscope sensor, a display resolution of 1280 x 800, front and rear cameras (2MP/5MP), 1GHz system processor, microSD support, 512MB of RAM, and wireless connections for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, and LTE.Sounds like a pretty sweet rig, though pricing and availability are still unknown (perhaps CES 2011 will fix this). If Verizon's handling of the Samsung Galaxy Tab is any indication, expect contracts. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Is Wi-Fi killing trees Maybe. Maybe not]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=is-wi-fi-killing-trees-maybe--maybe-not</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=is-wi-fi-killing-trees-maybe--maybe-not</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 11 Dec 2010 08:17:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winterlimmedicusdriver</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=is-wi-fi-killing-trees-maybe--maybe-not</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Wi-Fi may not be a tree killer after all.Or it might be.In any case, recent headlines about a connection between Wi-Fi signals and an increase in tree sickness were apparently not the place to look for an answer.According to a story in The Wall Street Journal, Dutch researchers have called into question data that prompted the widespread reports that Wi-Fi signals were to blame for a jump in poor-health indicators among urban trees in the Netherlands and perhaps elsewhere.The people behind an investigation in the Dutch city of Alphen aan den Rijn say that numbers involved in the study were improperly characterized and that an experiment conducted as part of the inquest did not include adequate controls.&quot;We cannot draw conclusions&quot; based on the findings, Andre van Lammeren, who conducted the experimental aspect of the inquest, told the Journal.Van Lammeren, an associate professor of plant cell biology at Wageningen University, was called in after a city official in Alphen aan den Rijn noticed stress-indicating bumps on the bark of many of the city's trees.In 2007, a survey found that 11 percent of the trees had the bumps, the Journal reported. This year, the figure had risen to 30 percent--and 70 percent of the trees bore some sort of irregularity, including, but not limited to, the bumps. Some media outlets reported that signs of damage had jumped from 10 percent to 70 percent in the course of a few years, when in fact there was no earlier number for the mix of irregularities covered by the 70 percent figure.The media also reported on the experiment van Lammeren devised as a way of testing the city official's theory that Wi-Fi signals might be the cause of the irregularities.Van Lammeren placed a number of small trees in a cabinet along with several Wi-Fi hotspots. He also placed trees in a box without hotspots. After three months, the Wi-Fi exposed trees showed leaf damage (though the damage was never precisely measured).Van Lammeren told the Journal that the experiment was &quot;preliminary,&quot; that each tree should have been placed in its own cabinet as a more strict control, that the leaf damage that was discovered might not have been all that serious, and that it was difficult to apply the findings to the trees' normal outdoor environment. He also said he regrets the study was publicized and that at the time his university had issued a statement cautioning against sweeping conclusions. The Journal also suggested that poor computer-aided translations of Dutch media reports added to the confusion.It's not the first time Wi-Fi has been pegged as the culprit in a crime against nature. Some have speculated that Wi-Fi signals, cell phone transmissions, and the like may be the cause of a spike in honey bee deaths. Evidence, however, remains inconclusive, with some saying the deaths are the result of a combination of factors, and some contending that the villain is a lethal mix of a fungus and a virus.The Journal quoted an arborist with the U.S. Forest Service as saying that other problems facing urban trees, such as soil compaction, would have to be screened out in order to determine the true effect of Wi-Fi.Other researchers have found connections between Wi-Fi signals and poor health in trees, but not all those studies have been peer-reviewed, the Journal said, adding that the city of Alphen aan den Rijn plans to host some of these researchers at a symposium on the topic early next year.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Smartphone interface-off!: 10 UIs compared]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-interface-off-10-uis-compared</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-interface-off-10-uis-compared</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:16:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>nireancegiola</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-interface-off-10-uis-compared</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Smartphone interface is very often the cover by which we begin to judge the book. The layout, designs, and color scheme play a heavy role in how easy it is to navigate and customize the phone' but we also can't underestimate the UI's emotional connection. So let's not. Instead, let's have an interface-off that lines up ten smartphone interfaces for scrutiny. Six platforms are represented--iPhone,Windows Phone 7, BlackBerry OS 6, WebOS, Android, and Symbian 3 (we rate four different Android &quot;skins,&quot;) and we'll spill our guts on exactly what we think of each one.Feel free to join in the fray to applaud, denounce, or defend your smartphone's interface.&amp;nbsp' Best and worst smartphone interfaces <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Any door can be a Star Trek door]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=any-door-can-be-a-star-trek-door</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=any-door-can-be-a-star-trek-door</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 08:11:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ingjuzi3</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=any-door-can-be-a-star-trek-door</guid>
<description><![CDATA[One nifty aspect of &quot;Star Trek&quot; are the doors that slide open with a whisking sound. While most of us will forever use conventional swinging doors at home, one supergeek took matters into his own hands with the working air-powered Star Trek-style door.  Built by Instructables user uiproductions, the door gives me a nerdgasm. The Instructables Web site has complete DIY instructions (just hit &quot;next step&quot;), which will help you start your journey on the path to converting your living room to a starship bridge. Imagine hearing the familiar whooshing sound of your own door opening at home with the press of a button. Unfortunately, the fellow uses conventional-style white doors, which is rather anti-climactic. If I attempted something like this I'd go all out with Tron-esque glowing accents and a motion sensor, but I suppose this will do for now.The door was made with components from Radio Shack and Sparkfun.com. When the button gets pushed, the circuitry switches the air valve on so the door will open. After a few seconds, the valve switches back off and the door closes.(Credit:uiproductions, via Instructables)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[An early look at Chrome OS]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-early-look-at-chrome-os</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-early-look-at-chrome-os</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>angelikafrazer</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=an-early-look-at-chrome-os</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Although you can download beta, unbranded versions of Google's nascent operating system now, Chrome OS won't be ready for mainstream use until the middle of 2011. That doesn't mean we can't show you some of what to expect. Check out this gallery for an early look at the cloud-based operating system.A quick look at Google Chrome OS (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Rumor: Mac App Store launching December 13]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-mac-app-store-launching-december-13</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-mac-app-store-launching-december-13</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>franccanfa</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=rumor-mac-app-store-launching-december-13</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A view of the upcoming Mac App Store.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)The Mac App Store could be launching as early as next week, a report from Apple enthusiast blog Appletell claims.Citing an &quot;inside source,&quot; Appletell is reporting that Apple plans a December 13 launch of itsMac App Store, which will allow people to download both paid and free applications to their Mac computers. The blog claims that developers were told by Apple to &quot;have their software prepared for a launch as early as [today].&quot; However, the publication's source said that Apple launching the marketplace today seemed unlikely.It's important to note that Appletell's story is very much a rumor at this point and that Apple has not confirmed a date for the launch of its planned store.If the store does launch next week, it would be way ahead of schedule.When Apple CEO Steve Jobs first unveiled plans for the Mac App Store in late October, he said that it would be available to Snow Leopard users in &quot;90 days,&quot; indicating that the store would launch at the end of the January. Moreover, Apple started reviewing applications for the store last month. It may need more time to get the store up and running with a number of apps that it feels comfortable offering.Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on when it plans to officially launch its Mac App Store. And until Apple does confirm, consider every launch-day claim, like this one, nothing more than a rumor.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Chu touts ARPA-E as questions over funding loom]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chu-touts-arpa-e-as-questions-over-funding-loom</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chu-touts-arpa-e-as-questions-over-funding-loom</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lasidigo</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=chu-touts-arpa-e-as-questions-over-funding-loom</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LEXINGTON, Mass.--Energy Secretary Steven Chu toured tiny solar company 1366 Technologies here today, holding it up as an example of success in the ARPA-E program and the importance of federal funding for energy research.Chu toured the labs of 1366 Technologies, a company spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2008 to bring the price of solar power down to the price of coal, after briefing incoming members of Congress at the Harvard Kennedy School of government in nearby Cambridge.Steven Chu during a media briefing, after touring 1366 Technologies in Lexington, Mass.(Credit:Martin LaMonica/CNET)1366 Technologies received a $4 million grant from the ARPA-E program, which enabled it to attract private capital to bring its &quot;direct wafer&quot; technology closer to commercialization. That manufacturing technology promises to cut the cost of making photovoltaic solar cells in half. 1366 typifies the innovation that American scientists and engineers are capable of, Chu said. The United States should invest more in energy research because innovation in clean energy technologies will fuel economic growth, as the world transitions to cleaner sources of energy and more effective uses of energy, he said.Echoing comments he made during his &quot;Sputnik moment&quot; speech three days ago at the National Press Club, Chu said he is &quot;alarmed&quot; to see the rapid pace of technical advancement in energy, compared to the U.S., that he saw during a trip to China.&quot;Despite these threats, I still maintain--and 1366 is one of the prime examples of this--that the innovative brilliance of Americans...when set in the right direction, when given 'This is where we want to go as a country,' need not be afraid of any other country and any outside technology. They can do this and compete...and not only compete but prevail convincingly,&quot; Chu said.But even as Chu remains bullish on American ingenuity in energy, the ARPA-E program faces a funding challenge after next year.ARPA-E is modeled after DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the U.S. military research agency that yielded the Internet and many other technologies. The mandate at ARPA-E is high-risk, high-reward energy research projects done within three to five years. It was created in 2007 but not funded until April of last year, when it received $400 million through the stimulus program. Energy secretary tours solar disrupter (photos) Because ARPA-E was not part of the Department of Energy budget last year, Congress will need to fund the agency beyond its first two years for it to continue, according to an Energy Department representative.Chu said the prospects of having continued funding are good. A number of high-profile reports done by business leaders have recommended increasing ARPA-E's budget, an indicator of how people from different fields--venture capitalists, universities, national labs, large corporations--appreciate what ARPA-E has done, he said.&quot;There's almost unanimous enthusiastic appreciation for what ARPA-E has done. So even as we approach austere budget times, its value is certainly widely appreciated,&quot; Chu said.Wafer manufacturingThe tour Chu was offered included technical presentations on both disclosed and secretive work of the 30 or so engineers at 1366 Technologies.The company has developed a few manufacturing techniques for incremental improvements in polycrystalline solar cell efficiency. One is a texturing machine that treats the surface of a silicon wafer so that it reduces reflectivity and traps more light. Another is to use a substrate that reflects light back onto the surface of a cell. 1366 Technologies' breakthrough idea, however, is called Direct Wafer, a technology enabling a machine to produce a silicon wafer at half the cost of existing techniques. Solar manufacturers take flat 6-inch by 6-inch silicon wafers and, through various steps, create solar cells that are fitted onto a module, or panel.Typically, manufacturers take ingots of raw silicon and saw them to make wafers, a process in which a lot of the silicon is lost. 1366 Technologies is working on a prototype of a machine that can produce that wafer directly from melted silicon.The machine is a furnace like those used in typical wafer manufacturing, but it &quot;freezes&quot; the molten silicon into shape, explained Adam Lorenz, senior photovoltaics engineer. Because this process cuts the cost of wafer manufacturing in half, U.S. companies can afford to make wafers, which are mostly made in China and Germany, he said.1366 Technologies CEO Frank van Mierlo said the company hopes to complete engineering work on the machine next year and break ground on a 100-megawatt wafer-manufacturing facility by the end of next year. The plant would take a year to build, and 1366 expects to apply for a loan guarantee from the Energy Department for construction, van Mierlo said.A 100-megawatt facility is far smaller than commercial plants, but it would eliminate any technical risk, he said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Keeping tabs on tablets (week in review)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keeping-tabs-on-tablets-week-in-review</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keeping-tabs-on-tablets-week-in-review</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Nov 2010 08:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Simoncarter</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=keeping-tabs-on-tablets-week-in-review</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amid all the news of Black Friday deals, holiday sales, and Cyber Monday malware, it was the new kid on the block--the tablet--that grabbed the bulk of gadget headlines this week. Of course, the first question for consumers is whether to give in to the hype or wait to buy a tablet. CNET's Donald Bell surveyed the current state of tablets, from theiPad to the Galaxy Tab, and ultimately finds that if you really want one, there aren't many compelling reasons to wait--no game changers on the horizon. That said, you can expect low-priced tablets to flourish in the coming years, so steer clear of two-year carrier contracts if you want to stay nimble.  Acer, for example, unveiled this week its upcoming line of Windows and Android tablets.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft job posting points to Silverlight on Xbox]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Abiabeo</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-job-posting-points-to-silverlight-on-xbox</guid>
<description><![CDATA[More good news for Silverlight it seems, as based on two new job postings on Microsoft's site (1, 2), the company is looking to hire additional Silverlight engineers, as well as bring the technology to more of its devices--including theXbox.Blog TechTrends discovered and reposted the positions earlier today, before Microsoft removed the reference to the Xbox, which was referred to as &quot;Silverlight on the Xbox as part of the next wave.&quot; The posting has since been changed to refer to &quot;various devices we plan to enable over the coming years.&quot; The news comes less than two weeks from Microsoft's Silverlight-focused developer event, where the company plans to detail &quot;the future of Silverlight&quot; in a keynote address by Scott Gutherie, corporate VP of Microsoft's developer division. This is also after much brouhaha about the technology's role as part of Microsoft's ongoing strategy and how it will play into the development of future products and services. The idea of Silverlight coming to the Xbox is not so far-fetched, though. It would serve many goals, notably making development for the platform more cohesive with some of Microsoft's other developer tools--including the ones used for makingWindows Phone 7 applications. If Microsoft is positioning the next Xbox to play within its app ecosystem, as the inclusion of a Zune Marketplace suggests, getting Silverlight on there is a necessary first step. Silverlight on the Xbox would also bode well for Microsoft finally including a Web browser as part of the Xbox's system software, which it has not yet offered. In all truth, this did not crop up as a necessity for the device until Microsoft began adding third-party applications like Facebook and Twitter, where if you came across a URL someone had posted, you would be unable to follow it forward. There's also that not-so-secret meeting that took place between Adobe Systems' and Microsoft's CEOs last month, where getting something like Flash onto the Xbox, and the Windows Phone 7 could have been among the topics of discussion. Another outlier in the case for Silverlight befitting the Xbox is Netflix, which makes use of the technology for its movie streaming service on the PC andMac. While it got off to a bumpy start, it's since gone on to have many of its kinks ironed out, enough to the point where the company is now offering the streaming portion of its service a la carte. If there are benefits--either in performance, or faster compatibility with Netflix's feature updates, Silverlight could help make a big difference in giving Microsoft an edge over the myriad devices that can now hook up with the video service.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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