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<title>Haaze.com / Celina / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:38 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[GE refrigerators go on greenhouse gas diet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:11:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>berrycrrrr</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-refrigerators-go-on-greenhouse-gas-diet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[GE will change the gas used when pouring in foam insulation for refrigerator products, a move which will reduce greenhouse gases from production significantly.(Credit:Screen capture by Martin LaMonica/CNET)General Electric's latest green-technology initiative will be found in unlikely place: the inside of a refrigerator. The industrial giant tomorrow will announce that it has changed its refrigerator manufacturing to use a gas that dramatically reduces the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. GE will host an event at a Decatur, Ala., plant where the atmosphere-friendly gas has first been introduced into GE's refrigerators.The gas, called cyclopentane, is used as a blowing agent for the foam insulation poured into refrigeration products during manufacture. GE said it will spend about $16 million to convert its Decatur facility, part of a larger investment in the facility, to use cyclopentane instead of HFC 134a, a refrigerant which traps heat in the atmosphere. By switching over, GE will eliminate the same amount of greenhouse gases that 78,000cars emit in a year, representing a 99 percent reduction, according to GE. The calculations were made using EPA data for the global-warming potential of different gases and were done in conjunction with consulting company GreenOrder, a GE representative said. GE Appliances is making the switch to live up to the company's Ecomagination initiative to develop green-technology products and reduce the company's environmental footprint, said Paul Surowiec, the general manager for refrigeration at GE Appliances and Lighting. The company took a &quot;clean sheet&quot; approach to making refrigeration products to consider the performance as well as the environmental attributes from production to disposal, he said.&quot;There certainly were pockets before but we've seen a significant increase in the desire of consumers to hold us accountable for environmental stewardship,&quot; Surowiec said. &quot;We were looking for optimization from an environment and energy perspective and this one hit home.&quot;During operation, the blowing agent will improve the effectiveness of the insulation slightly, he added. GE earlier this year said it will participate in an EPA program to dispose of refrigerators so that ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases are captured when they are recycled.The company plans to introduce cyclopentane to its other refrigeration products manufactured in the U.S. by 2014.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Internet poker giants indicted in U.S. crackdown]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=internet-poker-giants-indicted-in-u-s--crackdown</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=internet-poker-giants-indicted-in-u-s--crackdown</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 07:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zanlalaana</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=internet-poker-giants-indicted-in-u-s--crackdown</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This was the message displayed after U.S. authorities seized the domains of the online poker sites. Several founders of the three largest Internet poker companies doing business in the U.S. have been arrested as part of an indictment that includes charges of bank fraud, money laundering, and other online gambling-related offenses, the U.S. Attorney's office said today. The three offshore companies--PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker--are accused of circumventing a 2006 U.S. law that prohibits financial institutions from handling transactions for online gambling sites. Prosecutors say they allegedly tricked U.S. banks and credit card issuers into processing billions of dollars in transactions that appeared to be legitimate sales on hundreds of fake online retail sites purportedly selling jewelry and golf balls. One-third of the money allegedly went directly to the poker companies as revenue through a fee charged to players on each poker hand played, according to the indictment, which was unsealed today in U.S. District Court in New York. After U.S. banks and financial institutions detected fraudulent bank accounts and shut them down, the defendants allegedly paid a few small, financially troubled banks money as investments in return for processing the payments, according to the indictment. The deals allegedly included a $10 million investment in a private Utah bank that gave the poker companies more than a 30 percent ownership stake, prosecutors said. The indictment and civil lawsuit seek at least $3 billion in money laundering penalties and forfeiture from the defendants. The federal court issued a restraining order on about 76 bank accounts in 14 countries and seized five Internet domain names allegedly used for operating the illegal games.  Two of the 11 defendants were arrested this morning in Utah and Nevada and authorities are looking for the others, some who may be in other countries, authorities said. Restraining orders were issued against more than 75 bank accounts allegedly used by the defendants and their payment processors. Five Internet domain names used to host the games were seized by federal authorities. Representatives from the poker companies named in the indictment could not be reached for comment. The Web sites displayed messages saying &quot;This domain has been seized by the FBI pursuant to an arrest warrant.&quot; &quot;These defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits. Moreover, as we allege, in their zeal to circumvent the gambling laws, the defendants also engaged in massive money laundering and bank fraud,&quot; Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. Foreign firms that choose to operate in the United States are not free to flout the laws they don't like simply because they can't bear to be parted from their profits.&quot; Updated 4:50 p.m. PTto clarify that the law prohibits financial institutions from conducting transactions for online gambling sites.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Flash use dips at top Web sites since November]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SusanHomer</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=flash-use-dips-at-top-web-sites-since-november</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Web-page speed guru Steve Souders, putting to use the latest in a string of useful tools he's created, has found that the top 17,000 Web sites have eased off use of Adobe Systems' Flash Player in the last half year.Specifically, Souders has started showing data collected by his HTTP Archive project, which logs a wide range of statistics about a collection of 17,000 top Web sites. He began logging data last year but only announced the HTTP Archive at the end of March.The site lets people compare statistics about how Web sites are built from two points in time. One figure that's interesting, given Apple's high-profile attempt to wean the browser world from its reliance on Flash, is a 2 percent drop in Flash usage from 49 percent on November 15, 2010, to 47 percent on March 29.That's not a huge fraction, but it is probably notable given that it took place over only four and a half months. I'll be keeping an eye out to see if a trend emerges, but I'm hesitant to be too conclusive at this stage' for example, Flash usage actually increased to 50 percent for the December 16 HTTP Archive data.The archive is fun to poke around, but it's also a handy tool for engineers seeking real data about the Web. Souders hopes it'll be useful for improving Web page performance, which is a very big deal.That's because people on the Web abandon sites that are slower to respond and spend more time with those that are snappy. Google, which makes money when people spend more time on the Web, is working to improve performance not only of its own sites but of the Web overall. It's got tools for measuring page speed, the Chrome browser that makes speed a top priority, and technologies such as SPDY and Google Public DNS that it's trying to promote to speed things up.Souders, a Google employee with the unusual title of performance evangelist, calls the archive a tool in cultural development as well as performance improvement. He describes the HTTP Archive thus:Successful societies and institutions recognize the need to record their history - this provides a way to review the past, find explanations for current behavior, and spot emerging trends. In 1996 Brewster Kahle realized the cultural significance of the Internet and the need to record its history. As a result he founded the Internet Archive which collects and permanently stores the Web's digitized content.In addition to the content of web pages, it's important to record how this digitized content is constructed and served. The HTTP Archive provides this record. It is a permanent repository of web performance information such as size of pages, failed requests, and technologies utilized. This performance information allows us to see trends in how the Web is built and provides a common data set from which to conduct web performance research.The 17,000 Web sites are a combination of several collections including the top 10,000 lists of Alexa and Quantcast and the Fortune 500. They're scoured by a computer set to look likeInternet Explorer 8 using a DSL connection in Dulles, Va.Peter-Paul Koch, a consultant and close watcher of Web site practices, lauded the HTTP Archive as useful in a blog post this week.&quot;Once it's been gathering data for a year we'll have a fascinating insight into what works, what doesn't, and what clueless Web developers do,&quot; he said.The total size of images on a list of about 17,000 top Web pages is steadily increasing.(Credit:HTTP Archive)And who doesn't want more data For example, Koch focuses heavily on mobile phone use of the Web right now. It &quot;would be interesting to see what happens when we change the UA [user-agent identification] string to amobile browser,&quot; he said.Among other changes from November to March: &amp;149' The average size of images across the collection increased from 415KB per page to 450KB per page' the average size of scripts increased from 113KB to 123KB' and the average size of Flash content dropped from 90KB to 84KB.&amp;149' Use of the jQuery library of JavaScript tools increased, from its use on 39 percent of pages in November to 43 percent of pages in March. The Google Analytics JavaScript library increased in usage from 61 percent of Web pages to 62 percent, while Quantcast's decreased from 15 percent to 14 percent. Facebook saw an increase from 12 percent to 17 percent and Twitter from 2 percent to 3 percent.&amp;149' Among image formats used, JPEG was level, accounting for 43 percent of the images. PNG rose from 16 percent of graphics to 18 percent, and GIF dropped from 41 percent to 38 percent. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[YouTube opens up live streaming to partners]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-opens-up-live-streaming-to-partners</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-opens-up-live-streaming-to-partners</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Apr 2011 07:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnominbemaya</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-opens-up-live-streaming-to-partners</guid>
<description><![CDATA[YouTube today is flipping on the switch to let some of its users stream videos live.The move marks a big shift in the functionality of the video-hosting service, which up until now has been designed to let users upload videos they've already taken. Under the new system, they can simply hit a button and be streaming video live to other users.In a post today announcing the feature, the company said the new live feature is only being rolled out to a select group of users, specifically YouTube partners.&quot;The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead. In order to ensure a great live stream viewing experience, we'll roll this offering out incrementally over time,&quot; the company wrote on the YouTube blog.The shift to live video streaming has been a long time coming for YouTube. In a video interview from early 2008, YouTube co-founder Steve Chen said the company planned to roll it out by the end of the year. YouTube followed through with a live concert, in part to help test its scaling capabilities, then began using it to live-stream some of its events, including press conferences and its I/O developer series.In September of last year, YouTube expanded its live-streaming efforts to some additional partners, including Next New Networks, which the company ended up acquiring last month. By adding live video streaming, YouTube joins a handful of other companies that offer the feature to both consumers and businesses. That list includes Brightcove, Ustream, Justin.TV, Kyte, and Livestream. Live video streams are also likely to play a big part in YouTube's reported plan to bring original content series to its programming lineup, paving the way for real-time news shows and other live broadcasts. In the meantime, Google continues to group together live content on a special page, along with its other content channels.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA['Aquaris' lets you snorkel with your hearing aid]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquaris-lets-you-snorkel-with-your-hearing-aid</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquaris-lets-you-snorkel-with-your-hearing-aid</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sufzireJulliTy</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=aquaris-lets-you-snorkel-with-your-hearing-aid</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Siemens is unveiling a suite of new products at the American Academy of Audiology 2011 conference in Chicago this week, including what it claims is the world's first fully waterproof (and dustproof, and shock-resistant) digital hearing aid.Aquaris is the first truly waterproof, dustproof, and shock-resistant digital hearing aid.(Credit:Siemens)Called Aquaris, the aid's housing is made of one solid piece, so the only opening is to the battery compartment, which is fitted with a membrane designed to let air in but keep water out.Siemens lists a whole range of activities that have until now been difficult for those wearing hearing aids that can be ruined by not just water but sweat and dust: sailing, swimming, kayaking, golfing, gardening, cycling, and jogging.Because the device can be fully submerged in water up to 3 feet deep for 30 minutes (rendering it more than merely water-resistant), shallow snorkeling should be added to the list. Whether we will ever be able to scuba dive with hearing aids remains to be seen.Aquaris also features a non-slip, textured surface that holds the Aquaris behind the ear' a &quot;sport clip&quot; to further secure the device during intense activities' and a water-resistant Aquapac for added protection.Siemens has yet to release pricing or availability details.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Windows 8 screenshots reveal ribbon interface]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-screenshots-reveal-ribbon-interface</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-screenshots-reveal-ribbon-interface</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>wanbimsiryy85</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=windows-8-screenshots-reveal-ribbon-interface</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Images from a pre-beta version of Windows 8 reveal that Microsoft is apparently expanding its use of the ribbon interface to replace traditional pull-down menus and toolbars.Following Microsoft's release of the latest pre-beta build of Windows 8 to select partners recently, screenshots of certain features in the upcoming OS were allegedly posted online. In particular, images displayed on enthusiast site Within Windows by &quot;Windows 8 Secrets&quot; co-authors Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott show the ribbon interface reaching Windows Explorer.Introduced with Office 2007, the ribbon interface has been loved by some and reviled by others. But Microsoft has expanded its use of the ribbon, adding it to such programs as Paint and WordPad inWindows 7. Noting that the ribbon interface in the pre-beta Windows 8 is only half-finished and rather &quot;unattractive,&quot; Rivera and Thurrott suggest that its potential appearance in Explorer may be controversial within Microsoft itself.Beyond showing off the ribbon, the two authors also revealed a new welcome screen in Windows 8, which they say is based on the lock screen inWindows Phone 7. Displaying the date and time and offering a changeable background image, the new screen reportedly will also feature audio controls so people can play and adjust their music even when the screen is locked.Microsoft has supposedly been looking to splash a bit of the Windows Phone 7 Metro UI look and feel onto the next generation of Windows. Beyond just the welcome screen, other alleged images of a recent Windows 8 build show a set-up routine and overall interface that takes a page from the design of the Metro UI, according to enthusiast site WinRumors.Windows 8 could also offer built-in integration with some of Microsoft's Windows Live features. Looking at the screenshots of the new Windows Explorer, enthusiast site Liveside.net spotted one option for Sync, which it believes could refer to Microsoft's cloud-based Windows Live Mesh. Another option called &quot;Web sharing&quot; could point to online storage service Windows Live SkyDrive.Of course, Windows 8 is still at a very early stage in development, so its look, feel, and features are likely to be debated and tweaked within Microsoft before the new OS finally reaches consumers. Microsoft has been generally mum about Windows 8 and hasn't give any clues as to a launch date. However, a blog post on the company's Dutch Web site may have spilled a few beans last October when it stated that Windows 8 was about two years away, putting its release toward the end of 2012.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon launches its digital music locker]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-launches-its-digital-music-locker</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-launches-its-digital-music-locker</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>TiffSweetin</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-launches-its-digital-music-locker</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amazon&amp;39's new digital music locker service.(Credit:Screenshot by Steven Musil/CNET)Amazon got the jump on Apple and Google this evening with the launch of a much-anticipated digital music locker service that allows users to store their music on the Web and then listen to their collections on computers with a Web browser or on Android devices.Amazon Cloud Drive allows users to upload their digital music files--either AAC or MP3 formats--at their original bit rate to Amazon servers for storage and playback on any PC,Mac, or Android device, where ever they are. The Cloud Player for Web allows customers to listen to their music on any computer running Internet Explorer,Firefox,Safari for Mac, or Chrome. The Cloud Player of Android is a new version of the Amazon MP3 app and includes the full Amazon MP3 Store and the mobile version of Cloud Player. Customers can use the app to play music stored on their Cloud Drive and music stored locally on their device. The Cloud Drive also allows customers to upload music, photos, videos, and documents, but those digital files are accessible only via a Web browser on a computer.Customers will automatically start with 5GB of free storage, upgradeable to 20GB with the purchase of an Amazon MP3 album. Additional storage space can be purchased in plans beginning at $20 per 20GB per year.  &quot;We're excited to take this leap forward in the digital experience,&quot; Bill Carr, vice president of Movies and Music at Amazon.com, said in a statement. &quot;The launch of Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web, and Cloud Player for Android eliminates the need for constant software updates as well as the use of thumb drives and cables to move and manage music.&quot; CNET reported last week that Amazon was working on creating a digital locker service for users' film and music libraries and might make an announcement as early as this week. Sources told my colleague Greg Sandoval that as of last week the online retailer giant had not obtained all the necessary licenses, but that Amazon might announce the service before all the negotiations were complete. This evening's launch give's Amazon a leg up on Apple and Google, which are reportedly working on competing efforts. Apple has reportedly been looking to expand its MobileMe service into a music storage and streaming service. However, Apple is supposedly looking at a fall release date to coincide with a revamped mobile OS with a greater focus on cloud-based services and other enhancements. Meanwhile, Google has begun testing its Google Music streaming service for Web-connected devices with its employees--a sign that the much anticipated service is nearly ready to launch. A working version of the service was reportedly discovered after an installation of the Honeycomb version of the Android operating system on a phone. It's reportedly close to being ready to launch but is being held up by music licensing negotiations. Amazon already has extensive experience with cloud services. Amazon stores electronic books on its servers for owners of the company's popular Kindle e-book reader. Kindle users can buy e-books from Amazon.com, download them to their devices from wherever they can access the Web, and Amazon will save the digital copy in the customer's digital locker. Updated throughout the evening. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple's component deals should help it weather Japan crisis]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-component-deals-should-help-it-weather-japan-crisis</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-component-deals-should-help-it-weather-japan-crisis</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>a2zonlinetraininghyd</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-component-deals-should-help-it-weather-japan-crisis</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Best not to pay much mind to the supply chain hysterics that dragged Apple shares to their third worst trading low yesterday. While the March 11 catastrophe in Japan will undoubtedly have some effect on Apple's component supplies as partners--like Toshiba, which manufactures about 40 percent of the world's flash memory, and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, which produces a resin used iniPhone andiPad circuit boards--work to get their plants back up and running, Apple is likely in a better position than most to handle any constraints that might arise.As Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster reminds us in a research note today, the company often invests massive sums of money to secure component supplies and capacity. Indeed, it spent $3.9 billion earlier this year to do just that. This doesn't mean it won't suffer component delays that may limit supplies of some of its products. But it likely means they'll be mitigated by those long-term supply deals.&quot;Currently and in the past, Apple buys key components with large pre-payments that guarantee supply and pricing,&quot; Munster writes. &quot;This strategy has proven to be an effective way for Apple to leverage its balance sheet and its position as one of the largest buyers of many of the components it uses' moreover, this strategy may prove particularly helpful if supply is limited and pricing increases. Finally, we believe Apple buys futures on important components, which will help offset near-term pricing swings. Our conclusion is that Apple is well positioned to suffer proportionally less than its competitors.&quot;Pacific Crest analyst Andy Hargreaves took a similar view in a note of his own. &quot;Supply-chain investments, cash balance, and tier-1 status should help Apple retain access to key components,&quot; he said today. &quot;Apple will be adversely affected if damage to facilities and rolling blackouts impair supply of key components for an extended time. However, we believe Apple's investments in the supply chain, its status as a tier-1 vendor, and its ability to pay in cash will help it retain preferential access to components in the near term.&quot; Story Copyright (c) 2010 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Al Franken seeks Net neutrality support at SXSW]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=al-franken-seeks-net-neutrality-support-at-sxsw</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=al-franken-seeks-net-neutrality-support-at-sxsw</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Mar 2011 07:10:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jovanlulnv</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=al-franken-seeks-net-neutrality-support-at-sxsw</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AUSTIN, Texas--U.S. Sen. Al Franken wants tech savvy entrepreneurs to keep pushing Congress to protect Net neutrality.Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) (Credit:Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.))Franken (D-Minn.), a comedy writer, author, and radio talk show host turned senator, spoke to attendees at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW) conference here today where he urged them contact their representatives in Congress and let them know that protecting a free and open Internet is important. He also wants this community of creative business people to attend rallies and do all they can to raise awareness of the issue.In his speech, he railed against big broadband service providers, such as Comcast, and accused them of plotting the demise of video streaming provider Netflix. He said that the &quot;endgame for Comcast is to put Netflix out of business entirely, leaving you with no choice except Comcast's programming.&quot;He said he doesn't want to change the Internet, but he warned that without rules of the road, big companies could dictate which Web sites people go to and could ultimately limit the content that's on the Net. Franken's fear is that big cable and telecom providers are looking to shut out smaller content providers by forcing them to pay extra to have their content delivered to consumers. In this type of Internet, consumers would pay more and have far fewer choices in the content they could access. In essence, he said big cable and telcos would kill the one creative outlet left to independent musicians, filmmakers, and other creative types.&quot;Let's not sell out,&quot; he urged the audience. &quot;And let's not let the government sell us out. Let's fight for Net neutrality. Let's keep Austin weird. Let's keep the Internet weird. Let's keep the Internet free.&quot;Franken has been publicly advocating for Net neutrality regulation since his questioning of then U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor in 2009. Franken has described Net neutrality as the most important free speech issue of our time. Earlier this year, Franken and Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) introduced the Internet Freedom, Broadband Promotion, and Consumer Protection Act of 2011, which would put the Federal Communications Commission's Net neutrality principles into law. CNET sat down with Franken here before his speech. Below is an excerpt of the conversation in which he shared more of his views on Net neutrality.Q: There are no official Net neutrality regulations today, and yet people with Internet service in the U.S. can go to any Web site they want. There have been no complaints of providers blocking traffic or preventing people from accessing content, so what exactly is your fearFranken: I'm concerned about the concentration of ownership over the pipes. And I'm worried about the stated intention or desire of the big providers to implement paid prioritization. That would really change the rules of the road. My desire is to essentially keep the rules of the road the same for the Internet so that we can continue to have an open and free Internet. There are fewer and fewer Internet service providers that own the pipes of the Internet. And they want to set up a fast lane so that you get information and they want content owners to pay them to deliver their traffic. But service providers already offer paid prioritization services to businesses. They have for years. How is this differentFranken: I'm talking about consumer services. If you are home and you have Internet access from Comcast, you get e-mails from your crazy uncle as fast as you get them from President Obama. What I am afraid of is that service providers are going to charge content owners. I can pay for coach ticket or first class. And that means that the normal consumer is not getting all information at the same speed. If you look at how YouTube was started over a pizza shop, if GoogleTV had been able to pay for faster service there would be no YouTube. What I am saying is that this would kill innovation. I want to keep the Internet the way it's been so that consumers get material on a neutral basis.I know you weren't in favor of the Comcast merger with NBC. How does this merger affect Net neutrality Are the two things related at allFranken: Yes, the issues are related. Once you have more concentration, you have fewer and fewer companies that essentially own the pipes. Then you have a situation where there are four or five companies that own everything. But if concentration and lack of competition is the problem, why not do something about the consolidation in the infrastructure and content businesses instead of adding new regulationFranken: I opposed that merger. And our legislation--Senator Cantwell and I have proposed legislation that would allow the FCC to pass rules and enforce them. The thing about Comcast and NBC and how it relates to what I've seen in the past is that you can't trust them to do what they say they will do. I saw that when the networks were given the right to own TV content. They swore up and down they wouldn't favor their own programming and it only took two years and they were doing just that.Comcast is the largest broadband provider to homes, what if AT&amp;T buys CBS and Verizon buys ABC Then you have four or five companies owning everything. When the Comcast-NBC merger was being considered, I had people coming to me, small- to medium-sized cable networks coming to me and saying we really need you to oppose this. But we can't oppose it publicly because we're afraid of retaliation. If that isn't the definition of anticompetitive or isn't a sign that someone has too large a market position, I don't know what is.Are current antitrust laws and regulations too weak to deal with this issue Franken: No, I think existing antitrust regulations are strong enough. Part of our bill says that Net neutrality violations would be antitrust violations.AT&amp;T just announced usage caps on its DSL and U-verse broadband service. What do you think about thatFranken: At least that is the user being billed. I don't have as big a problem with that model. The problem I have is charging content providers for access. That separates the content providers by their ability to pay. And to me that is dangerous. Service providers are allowed to manage their networks.But what about content and services where differentiated quality of service is really necessary Shouldn't service providers be allowed to offer those servicesFranken: Well, there is going to be a need for this with services like telemedicine. There will have to be the ability to provide that. Telemedicine is one service. What about services we haven't even thought of yet If you pass regulation now, won't that potentially limit innovations for other services in the future that haven't even been dreamed up yet Franken: I don't think so. We know telemedicine is one thing that needs that high priority. And there will be room to allow for other things.Cable companies and phone companies essentially agreed to most of what Net neutrality backers were asking for in the FCC's new rules on the wireline side. And Comcast agreed to these provisions in its deal with NBC. Isn't the real issue that wireless was left out of the FCC's regulationsFranken: That is part of the problem, but just because they (Comcast and other service providers) say now that they agree with the rules, doesn't mean they will abide by them later. It's comparable to what the networks did with &quot;Fin-Syn,&quot; or &quot;Financial Interest in Syndication&quot; rules. These rules had prevented corporations that owned the pipelines over which content was distributed on TV--broadcast networks--from owning that content. Broadcasters asked that to be rescinded and once it was, they went back on what they promised. Now, independent fiction TV went from being 75 percent of programming to 2 percent. There was an actual moment where that could have been stopped. And that is what I am trying to stop here. It was clear to me then as much as it is now that just because they are saying they won't do something that it doesn't mean they won't do it. Network TV executives had the nerve in the hearings about the merger to deny what had happened on Fin Syn. In office, Comcast said they'd abide by the rules that the FCC adopted, but at the same time they went to court and said those rules were unconstitutional.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Retroficiency app sizes up building energy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=retroficiency-app-sizes-up-building-energy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=retroficiency-app-sizes-up-building-energy</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:10:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>chrmartsmh</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=retroficiency-app-sizes-up-building-energy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Retroficiency&amp;39's Web application is designed so energy auditors or building managers can get a quick idea of energy use and evaluate efficiency projects.(Credit:Retroficiency)Start-up Retroficiency today officially launched its service for streamlining efficiency projects in commercial buildings and said it has raised a seed round of funding. The Boston-based company said it has raised $800,000 from local angel investors and World Energy, which operates online auctions for bidding on energy supply contracts.Retroficiency's Web-based application is designed to quickly create a picture of a commercial building's energy profile and potential efficiency upgrades. It can be used by energy auditors to speed up creation of their reports or by buildings' facility managers to prioritize projects.Many building owners or occupants are interested in improving efficiency, but the manual process of sending out an energy services professional can be time-consuming, said CEO and founder Bennett Fisher. With the application, users fill out a survey with basic information, such as square footage, occupancy, and year built. Drawing on a database of existing buildings, it can infer more specifics, such as the type of lighting used and estimated electricity and gas usage. People can later update the profile with more specifics.&quot;There's a huge bottleneck of finding efficiency opportunities and going after this. New York City wants to audit 20,000 buildings. How are they going to do this with a guy walking around with a clipboard counting lightbulbs&quot; said Bennett. So far, Retroficiency has signed one customer--commercial building manager Jones Lang LaSalle--for its service and is in trials with a handful of others. In the commercial building efficiency area, there are dozens of large and small companies seeking to find a niche for their goods and services, in part because there's a lot of potential to save money and lighten buildings' environmental footprint. Bennett said he has found that its &quot;identification and qualification platform&quot; competes largely with manual processes and spreadsheets.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google search to reward high-quality sites]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-search-to-reward-high-quality-sites</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-search-to-reward-high-quality-sites</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>xxyg12as</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-search-to-reward-high-quality-sites</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With the latest changes to its search algorithm, Google is aiming to reward Web sites that offer original, in-depth content at the same time that it penalizes those that simply borrow content from others.Rolled out this week, the changes will help ensure that sites considered to be of &quot;high quality&quot; will rank higher in Google's search results, while those deemed of &quot;low quality&quot; will get dumped lower in the ranks, according to a blog posted yesterday by Google fellow Amit Singhal and principal engineer Matt Cutts.Google is clearly looking to crack down on &quot;content farms,&quot; sites that purposely tailor their pages with content that often makes little to no sense but is loaded with keywords and other information designed solely to generate a huge number of hits.How does Google figure out which sites are high-quality and which ones aren't, especially since that sort of determination can be subjectiveSinghal and Cutts explained in general terms that sites with original information, such as research, in-depth reports, and thoughtful analysis would be looked upon more favorably, while those that offer low value-add, that copy content, or &quot;that are just not very useful&quot; would be in the doghouse. And the criteria used to make this determination are part of the new algorithm.A spokesman for Google told CNET today that the company can't share the specifics of how the algorithm works because &quot;we don't want to give bad actors a way to game our algorithms and worsen the experience for our users.&quot; The company said that the new rankings won't rely on feedback obtained from its Personal Blocklist, a new Chrome extension that tracks which Web sites are blocked by users and then sends those results to Google. But the company said it did compare the information from the Blocklist with the sites caught by the new algorithm and found that many of them popped up in both places. Specifically, 84 percent of the top dozen domains flagged via the extension have also been caught by the tweaked algorithm.For now, Google has deployed these changes only in the U.S. but plans to roll them out in other countries over time. The company is also promising further updates that it thinks can further improve its search results.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Blogger releases Android smartphone app]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blogger-releases-android-smartphone-app</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blogger-releases-android-smartphone-app</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>emopengen</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=blogger-releases-android-smartphone-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Google-owned Blogger network has released a free app designed to enable people who have built their blogs on the Blogger platform to easily update them from their Android smartphones.Unveiled this week, the program lets people bang out copy, and take photos with their phones, from directly inside the app--and then either publish their words and images straightaway or save a draft for later. Posts and drafts can be viewed directly in the app or, by way of a quickly accessible menu, in a browser.Users can also select their location and include that information with their post, switch between different accounts and blogs, and select photos from their gallery for uploading.Blogger said it's working on bringing the app to non-Android gadgets as well, but for now the program is available only for Android devices, through the Android Market, which is newly accessible directly on the Web.(Credit:Blogger)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Wrap-a-Nap turns your head into a pillow]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wrap-a-nap-turns-your-head-into-a-pillow</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wrap-a-nap-turns-your-head-into-a-pillow</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ArjunSahker</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wrap-a-nap-turns-your-head-into-a-pillow</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I wish I were doing this right now.(Credit:Wrap-a-Nap)When it comes to nap time, I usually just go the Quaalude route, but some people don't have the same friendly doctor I have. So I would like the rest of you to meet the Wrap-a-Nap, or WAN for short. It's a combination blindfold/pillow/earmuffs that you wrap around your head to seal out the world around and have a soft place to rest your melon.It's funny-looking but honestly a great idea from the &quot;why didn't I think of this&quot; department. While I normally can find a decent place to nap, that's not always the case. I could see myself needing one of these for air travel, provided I found myself with a window seat and not sitting between an arguing couple from Russia like last flight.The thing comes in fleece in a variety of colors with awesome names like Bear, The Executive, and Poseidon. Those would also be great names for mustaches. Mine's called Smokey.And it's only $15 (plus $4 shipping in the U.S.). That puts the Wrap-a-Nap at a pretty decent price point for a half-gag gift. If anyone wants my shipping address, let me know.The adjustable Velcro fastener means it'll fit even the largest heads, like mine.(Credit:Wrap-a-Nap)(Via Gizmodo)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Crave 32: Know your robots (podcast)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-32-know-your-robots-podcast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-32-know-your-robots-podcast</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>uckresmalilouba</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=crave-32-know-your-robots-podcast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Episode 32-Optimus Prime found in China -Keepon robot selling for $40 -KNO tablet robot testing rig -Emoticon keypad -Control your iPod like a Jedi -Molecular Cuisine Starter Kit  This is why you're fat -Nestle's giant gut  -I ate that!  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google claims Bing copies its search results]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-claims-bing-copies-its-search-results</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-claims-bing-copies-its-search-results</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>SlullyTug</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-claims-bing-copies-its-search-results</guid>
<description><![CDATA[After noticing curious search results at Bing, then running a sting operation to investigate further, Google has concluded that Microsoft is copying Google search results into its own search engine.A Bing search result based on one of Google&amp;39's hand-coded honeypot search results that previously appeared only in Google. (Click to enlarge.)(Credit:Google)That's the report from Search Engine Land's Danny Sullivan today, who talked to both companies about it and presented Google's evidence. According to the report, a mechanism could be the Suggested Sites feature of Internet Explorer and the Bing Toolbar for browsers, both of which can gather data about what links people click when running searches.The story began with Google's team for correcting typographical errors in search terms, which monitors its own and rivals' performance closely. Typos that Google could correct would lead to search results based on the correction, but the team noticed Bing would also lead to those search results without saying it had corrected the typo.The original hand-coded honeypot search result on Google. (Click to enlarge.)(Credit:Google)Next came the sting, setting up a &quot;honeypot&quot; to catch the operation in action. Google created &quot;one-time code that would allow it to manually rank a page for a certain term,&quot; then wired those results for particular, highly obscure search terms such as &quot;hiybbprqag&quot; and &quot;ndoswiftjobinproduction,&quot; Sullivan said. With the hand coding, typing those search terms would produce recognizable Web pages in Google results that wouldn't show in search results otherwise.Next, Google had employees type in those search terms from home using Internet Explorer with both Suggested Sites and the Bing Toolbar enabled, clicking the top results as they went. Before the experiment, neither Bing nor Google returned the hand-coded results, but two weeks later, Bing showed the Google results that had been hand-coded.Microsoft didn't say today whether it plans to continue the practice, but evidently it doesn't consider it &quot;cheating,&quot; as Google does.In a comment to ZDNet blogger Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft said, flatly, &quot;We do not copy Google's results.&quot; However, that denial turns out to be more a matter of interpretation.A blog post by Harry Shum, Microsoft's corporate vice president of Bing, offered some detail on what Microsoft did. He acknowledged monitoring what links users clicked, but essentially described it as letting humans help gather data through crowdsourcing.We use over 1,000 different signals and features in our ranking algorithm. A small piece of that is clickstream data we get from some of our customers, who opt-in to sharing anonymous data as they navigate the web in order to help us improve the experience for all users.To be clear, we learn from all of our customers. What we saw in today's story was a spy-novelesque stunt to generate extreme outliers in tail query [rare search query] ranking. It was a creative tactic by a competitor, and we'll take it as a back-handed compliment. But it doesn't accurately portray how we use opt-in customer data as one of many inputs to help improve our user experience.The history of the web and the improvement of a broad array of consumer and business experiences is actually the story of collective intelligence, from sharing HTML documents to hypertext links to click data and beyond. Many companies across the Internet use this collective intelligence to make their products better every day.Google made it clear it isn't happy about it.&quot;I've got no problem with a competitor developing an innovative algorithm. But copying is not innovation, in my book,&quot; Sullivan quotes Google Fellow and search expert Amit Singhal as saying. &quot;It's cheating to me because we work incredibly hard and have done so for years but they just get there based on our hard work...Another analogy is that it's like running a marathon and carrying someone else on your back, who jumps off just before the finish line.&quot;And in a statement to CNET News, Singhal added that Google disagrees with Microsoft's position, speaking just as flatly as Microsoft denying copying:Our testing has concluded that Bing is copying Google Web search results.At Google we strongly believe in innovation and are proud of our search quality. We look forward to competing with genuinely new search algorithms out there, from Bing and others--algorithms built on core innovation and not on recycled search results copied from a competitor.Google didn't respond to CNET questions about whether it plans any actions beyond publicizing the honeypot.Google brought its concerns to Sullivan shortly before a Bing search event today. Coincidentally or not, Google just shifted that event's agenda significantly. Indeed, the search-copying issue become the focus of a debate between Microsoft and Google representatives at the conference.Stefan Weitz, director of Microsoft's Bing search engine, shared this response with Sullivan: &quot;Opt-in programs like the [Bing] toolbar help us with clickstream data [information that shows Microsoft what links people click on], one of many input signals we and other search engines use to help rank sites. This 'Google experiment' seems like a hack to confuse and manipulate some of these signals.&quot;Hack, experiment, or honeypot, it's very revealing. Google created about 100 such hand-coded results, Sullivan said, so it's hard to imagine the act distorting search results in any significant way. The next relevant question will be to see whether Microsoft concludes it's time to update its own search algorithm so that a Bing search for &quot;hiybbprqag&quot; won't lead to ticket information for the Wiltern theater anymore.Updated 4:20 p.m. PST: Google has officially commented on the matter via a blog post attributed to Singhal. In it, he writes &quot;However you define copying, the bottom line is, these Bing results came directly from Google.&quot; Also, &quot;And to those who have asked what we want out of all this, the answer is simple: we'd like for this practice to stop.&quot;Updated several timeswith comment from Google and Microsoft, most recently at 4:10 p.m. PT.<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[Has the App Store killed the point-and-shoot]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-the-app-store-killed-the-point-and-shoot</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-the-app-store-killed-the-point-and-shoot</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>barbarastone</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-the-app-store-killed-the-point-and-shoot</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Casio Tryx might be the first step to having a camera that runs apps. (Credit:Casio)My first thought when I saw the Casio Tryx camera announced at CES 2011 was that Casio took a smartphone and turned into a single-function device. The Tryx is 0.6 inch high by 2.3 inches wide by 4.8 inches deep, has a 3-inch touch screen, and a fixed focal length f2.8 21mm-equivalent ultrawide-angle lens (that means no optical zoom). Take away the swiveling and rotating screen and lens design and you essentially have the body of a smartphone. On top of that, one of the Tryx's key shooting features is high dynamic range (HDR) photos. HDR photography isn't new, but the use of it in the iPhone 4 certainly broadened awareness (for better or worse). If you're unfamiliar with it, basically, the camera takes several photos at different exposures and then combines them to bring out details that would otherwise be lost in the highlights and shadows of a scene. The Tryx can also do this for artistic effect by adjusting the strength of contrast throughout a photo. In other words, this camera does what apps like TrueHDR and Pro HDR do foriPhone users.So what you have in the Tryx is a high-powered smartphone-like camera with an app. One app. It does do other things, of course, and I'm sure Casio's argument would be that it performs better than any multipurpose mobile device can, and that's probably true. However, I keep hearing from readers, friends, and co-workers that they've pretty much abandoned their point-and-shoot cameras for their smartphones. Not because the photo quality is fantastic, but because it's always with them, because they can share photos instantly, and because of all of the apps. A good app can turn a bad or boring photo into something worth sharing. (Ask anyone who's ever used Hipstamatic.) While smartphones are not going to kill point-and-shoots anytime soon, camera manufacturers can't compete with apps. At least, not right now. Current camera systems are ridiculously closed off (Canon hacking aside), so people can't just start developing apps for them. And camera manufacturers can't be left to develop their own software because, well, the software would suck. Right now the manufacturers' solution is to add in special scene modes or give users creative art filters. However, neither option matches the fun or the flexibility of most photography apps. Add in instructional and editing and other utility apps and you can start to see why people are giving up on their simple pocket cameras. The Tryx seems like an if-you-can't-beat-'em-join-'em attempt at going after smartphones. Unfortunately, it doesn't go far enough. I don't know if Apple will ever make a new QuickTake camera and have it run on the iOS. However, there is some hope that an Android-based smartcamera isn't too far off. System-on-a-chip manufacturer Ambarella has developed the iOne, a chip designed for digital still and video capture that has full support for the Android OS. Match it with a good lens, a large touch-screen display, Wi-Fi and/or 3G mobile broadband, and the ability to load it full of fun and useful photography apps, and that might be worth sticking in the pocket your phone's not in.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's Niels Provos battles malware on the Web]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-niels-provos-battles-malware-on-the-web</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-niels-provos-battles-malware-on-the-web</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zilimbimoppy</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-niels-provos-battles-malware-on-the-web</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Niels Provos heads up Google's Safe Browsing initiative, which flags sites containing malware.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)During 2000 and 2001, Ph.D. student Niels Provos would occasionally drive from the University of Michigan across the border into Canada and spend the weekend working on an open-source cryptography project that would end up becoming one of the most widely used network security technologies ever: OpenSSH. He couldn't work on it in his Ann Arbor office, or he would have run afoul of restrictive U.S. export regulations designed to keep strong crypto out of the hands of foreigners. Several years later, Provos moved his research papers and software related to steganography, which is the science of hiding secret messages, from servers at the U.S. university to a server in the Netherlands to avoid violating Michigan law. He was concerned (and so was the Electronic Frontier Foundation) that the law--which made it illegal to develop software that conceals &quot;the existence or place of origin of any telecommunications service&quot;--was so vague as to allow it to apply to his research. After the legislation was later watered down, he moved his stuff back to the states.  &quot;One of the things I love about him is he's guileless,&quot; says Dug Song, who studied with Provos at the University of Michigan, drove him on some of his cross-border code-writing runs, and later co-founded Duo Security. &quot;He's a very honest and open person, [and] he has a lot of integrity.&quot;  Now at Google, Provos leads the Safe Browsing team, whose technology identifies sites that are dangerous and flags them in Google search results so searchers won't have their computers compromised. The Safe Browsing technology, the first search engine-based service of its kind when it launched in mid-2006, keeps hundreds of millions of Internet users safe every day from malware lurking in Web sites.  In addition to worrying about protecting Web surfers' computers, Provos also is conscientious about safeguarding consumer privacy and he pushed for Google to delete user data collected by the team after two weeks, which is a short retention period for any Internet company collecting data. &quot;We spent a lot of time figuring out what was right,&quot; he told CNET in a recent interview. &quot;Google never knows which site you go to,&quot; using obfuscation techniques when checking for malicious content, and this method also reduces the amount of data transmitted to the browser, he added.  &quot;He's always thinking about the user, especially when it comes to privacy matters,&quot; says Panayiotis Mavrommatis, a senior software engineer on the Safe Browsing team. &quot;He's not afraid to say, we cannot store this information or we should give the user the option to opt out when it comes to privacy.&quot;21st century craftsmanProvos' background explains a lot of his current interests. He grew up in the northern German town of Lubeck (founded in the 12th century) with one brother, who is an antiques dealer' his father, a judge' and his mother, who taught English at night school. The family's house was full of swords, old weapons, and armor. Both his parents practiced the Japanese martial art Aikido, which Provos took up, along with Judo. He and his brother also played soccer and spent a lot of time in the woods nearby, building caves and tree houses.  Provos also played Dungeons and Dragons role playing games in high school with friends. His father sometimes joined in and later wrote a medieval fantasy adventure book based on the stories the group came up with, titled &quot;Sargon Schatz,&quot; which means &quot;Sargon's Treasure.&quot; Provos self-published his father's book in 2008, shortly before his father died. Niels Provos spends his days working on serious security stuff, but shows a sense of fun by indulging a photographer's whimsy at Google&amp;39's headquarters. Now 38, Provos still does Aikido, as well as Japanese Kendo sword fighting, which his father did. He also took up blacksmithing a few years ago and has made kitchen knives and a Japanese Tanto Samurai sword. He is working on a replica of a Viking chest, forging a metal sliding lock, as well as metal straps and hinges as they would historically have been made.  &quot;I strongly believe you need to find a good balance between work and play,&quot; he says. With blacksmithing, Provos likes the &quot;tangible results, and (the fact that) it has nothing to do with computers.&quot; In general, though, his &quot;off&quot; hours have proved to be valuable for his work.  &quot;Most of the ideas I thought were worthwhile I had when I was not working,&quot; he says. &quot;It used to happen when I was walking the dog or taking a shower, when I was doing things not related to the actual problem. Your mind becomes free and all of a sudden this insight happens.&quot;  The discipline for mastering a skill and the appreciation of creating things that are functional and beautifully architected are also reflected in Provos' work in security as a hacker and defender of people's computers and digital secrets. He hammers metal into weapons and turns bits and bytes into digital locks and keys. &quot;Niels is a craftsman,&quot; Song says of his former collaborator and the man who was best man at his wedding. &quot;He brings an academic discipline to engineering--and rigor, but also a craftsman's approach, to software design and implementation.&quot; In addition to working on OpenSSH, free open-source software used to encrypt Internet communications, Provos wrote libevent, a software library released in 2000 that allows programmers to write scalable network programs.  &quot;He has written some of the most widely used and important system software in the world...which forms the core of many of the most important modern network daemons and programs,&quot; Song says. &quot;Libevent was revolutionary at the time in promoting event driven programming.&quot;  Provos also volunteers time serving on the board of directors for USENIX, or the Advanced Computing Technical Association, and working on the Honeynet Project, an international nonprofit security research organization. Going to GoogleProvos' path to security and Google wasn't the most obvious one, given that he started out studying physics at the University of Hamburg. &quot;I really enjoyed physics at first, but at some point you reach these questions about the universe that you can't answer anymore. And all the measurements you do only result in models you can't truly explain,&quot; he says. &quot;Then I went to mathematics and everything could be explained and my world view was good again. But mathematics was kind of dry. Then I started working on cryptography and realized I liked doing computer science.&quot;  He decided to get a PhD in the United States, and the proximity to Canada where he could work on cryptography away from U.S. government scrutiny made the University of Michigan an ideal choice. When he was finishing his degree, Provos assumed he would get a job in a research lab or as a professor at a university. But then he saw a little advertisement in an Association for Computing Machinery publication seeking smart people to work at Google.  &quot;I hadn't really thought of Google at all, but I thought, 'why not'&quot; he says. &quot;I went to the interview and everyone was really smart and enthusiastic about what they worked on...They have fantastic infrastructure and there is so much opportunity to work on interesting projects.&quot; He joined the Mountain View, Calif.-based company in 2003. &quot;...Then I started working on cryptography and realized I liked doing computer science.&quot; --Niels Provos In the early days, he was working on protecting sites against denial-of-service attacks. But then &quot;I realized that malware and compromised Web sites was becoming more of a problem,&quot; he says. &quot;The danger was that this could erode confidence in the Web and at the end of the day hurt Google too.&quot;  So he proposed that engineers leverage the information Google gleans about all the sites its system crawls, figure out which contain malware, and display warning signs before people click on those results. The system was designed so it could be automated on a large scale. Google also tells Webmasters of sites that are flagged what the problem is and offers suggestions for how to fix it.  Safe Browsing protects every Google Web search and warns users of Chrome,Firefox, andSafari when they are about to visit a site that has malware. Webmasters can use the Safe Browsing Application Programming Interface to warn site visitors away from links on their site that lead to malware-infested pages and to prevent users from posting phishing links on the site.  &quot;What I enjoy about Google is that it's possible to do these things. When I started the project, nobody was working on this,&quot; Provos says. &quot;There is a strong team of great engineers. The work is challenging and interesting. I'm very happy.&quot;  Provos has shown his ability to handle pressure gracefully when there is a bump in the road, even a big bump. On Saturday, January 31, 2009, for about 45 minutes, Google mistakenly flagged every Web site in its search results as having malware on it. The problem was quickly fixed, but fearing that his colleagues would be demoralized, Provos called everyone on his team to give them a pep talk.  &quot;He was basically trying to make sure everyone was OK in terms of stress level,&quot; says team member Mavrommatis. &quot;Google is known for not going down ever, and this was one of the major outages in the history of the company. That sort of highlights his personal relations with the team...He is very good with people and a great manager because he cares about the people.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[As claims against Nvidia begin, what settlement means]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-claims-against-nvidia-begin-what-settlement-means</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-claims-against-nvidia-begin-what-settlement-means</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Anila</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=as-claims-against-nvidia-begin-what-settlement-means</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The clock is now ticking for consumers to file claims against Nvidia for defective graphics processors. As a result of a class action settlement, consumers were allowed to begin filing their claims related to the cost of repairing laptops that contained the defective chips on Thursday and have until March 14 to file a claim. But this settlement shouldn't be confused with a series of large payouts by Nvidia to PC makers dating back to July 2008. Models affected include older MacBook Pros.(Credit:Apple)Nvidia's problems began back in 2007, as CNET has reported, when defective Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) began showing up in laptops from Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell--among others. Nvidia responded for the first time officially in July 2008. At that time, Nvidia took a charge of $196 million. The company took additional charges over the next two years, which, in total, were close to half a billion dollars. No small part of this money has been allocated for PC makers (also referred to as original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs) that, over the last few years, have been making repairs to laptops from Apple, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell. Most laptops affected are older models shipped in 2008. So, then, what is the class action about This is settling consumer claims, which Nvidia describes as a &quot;group of customers who wanted remedy [because they] didn't get a repair from their OEM, or they didn't know to get a repair from their OEM, or they felt that their repair wasn't satisfactory,&quot; according to a statement from an Nvidia spokesman. (A list of the affected models is here.) Symptoms are described as (PDF) &quot;distorted or scrambled video on the notebook computer screen...No video on the notebook computer screen even when the notebook computer is on...Random characters, lines or garbled images on the notebook computer screen,&quot; among other issues. In response to the settlement dated August 12, 2010, Nvidia issued this statement.  &quot;We can confirm that Nvidia has settled litigation concerning a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of our previous generation MCP (media and communication processor) and GPU products used in notebook configurations.&quot; The statement continues. &quot;Notice of this settlement has been sent to potentially affected eligible customers. Claims are being processed through a third-party administrator who is working directly with our customers. Consumers who believe they are affected and wish to file a claim should read the notice and follow the instructions that it sets out. As previously announced, our second-quarter financial results reflected costs associated with this settlement.&quot; However, starting on page 24 of the settlement, Nvidia also stated that it &quot;has denied, and continues to deny, all allegations of wrongdoing or liability&quot; related to the claims. And it goes on to say that it is settling &quot;solely because it will eliminate the burden, expense, management distraction and uncertainties of further litigation and the concomitant distraction of resources and efforts from their business.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With medical leave, more questions about Jobs' successor]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-medical-leave-more-questions-about-jobs-successor</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-medical-leave-more-questions-about-jobs-successor</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maxhillbert</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-medical-leave-more-questions-about-jobs-successor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Steve Jobs has increasingly been sharing the stage with Tim Cook (left) at major events. Here the two, plus Bob Mansfield (right), take questions during a press conference regarding the iPhone 4&amp;39's antenna.(Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)Though Steve Jobs' presence at Apple is almost universally regarded as essential to the company's long run of amazing success, we've seen that--in small doses, at least--it can do pretty well without him. Back-to-back blowout quarters in early 2009, a successfuliPhone 3GS launch, and the finishing touches on a new iPhone OS, Mac OS, and new lineup of iPods all took place while Jobs stepped away from the company for six months beginning in January 2009 to get a liver transplant. The man credited for making Jobs' absence minimally felt was Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook.In an e-mail to employees today announcing an indeterminate break to focus on his health, Jobs has again tapped the same man to take the reins for him temporarily. While Jobs is gone, Cook will handle the day-to-day duties of running Apple--which is what he basically does anyway--which will in all likelihood make the adjustment inside the company very small. Jobs is the founder, the visionary, the public face of the company. (In today's e-mail, Jobs said that he would be involved in strategic decisions during his leave.) Cook is the one who makes sure Jobs' very specific, detailed, often grandiose, and always secret visions for consumer technology are turned into products that people want to buy and that continue to add to the company's sizable cash pile.&quot;Tim Cook did a good enough job covering for Steve for his leave of absence in 2009 to the point that Apple recognized that with a bonus,&quot; Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi said today. &quot;I think this speaks of how pleased the company was with his work. There is a lot of respect for Tim Cook internally at Apple and externally and he has proved to be able to drive the company well.&quot;But the next obvious question then becomes, is this the person who could, if called upon, take over entirely for Jobs someday While Cook has the full confidence of his boss and has demonstrated an ability to execute on Jobs' big-picture plans already in place, it's the long-term prognosis for the eventual reality of an Apple without Jobs that makes investors nervous. Cook focuses on the nuts and bolts of operations, like cost management, supply chain, and sales. He very likely does not sit up late obsessing over concept designs, natural user interfaces for computers, how technology and liberal arts are intersecting, or envisioning the next move by Google, Amazon, or Research In Motion. That's what makes Jobs who he is and Apple what it is.And that is what gives investors pause when considering how Cook or anyone else will take over for Jobs someday. &quot;I think it's more of a longer-term question,&quot; DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim said. &quot;There's a lot of indication that Apple is set up for the future. They have a lot of talented personalities. The problem is that all these talented people report to one of the most charismatic and influential guys in technology.&quot;How good they as a group--that can only be determined over a long stretch of time without Jobs in the mix. Besides Cook, that group includes Phil Schiller, the head of marketing, who hones Apple's sales pitch' CFO Peter Oppenheimer who manages Apple's bottom line' Jobs' design guru, Jonathan Ive' the senior vice president of Apple's vast retail operation, Ron Johnson' and the men who head up hardware engineering (Bob Mansfield) and software engineering, (Bertrand Serlet).  In the near term, some Apple investors may want to take a break while Jobs is out, Greg Taylor, a money manager at Aurion Capital Management in Toronto, told Businessweek. Jobs did not say how long he would be away, and it's not clear that Cook--or anyone else off the bench--can replicate what Jobs does, putting Apple far ahead in what consumers want from tech products.  &quot;As much as any company has been associated with one person, it's Apple,&quot; Taylor told the magazine. &quot;He has portrayed himself as the guiding light behind the company and one of its key innovators. The fact that Steve Jobs is taking some time off could be enough of a concern that people want to take some money off the table ahead of this quarter.&quot;  Wall Street will likely react negatively tomorrow when the stock market opens following today's public holiday.Tomorrow is also the day that Apple is due to report its fiscal first quarter 2011 earnings, after the close of trading on Wall Street. Investors will have opportunity to ask Cook and other executives about what Jobs' specific health concerns are now, and when he will return. If it's anything like last time, Apple probably won't take many questions on the matter. But Cook's recurring prominence at major Apple events, his solo turn as the face of Apple at the high-profile New York City introduction of the Verizon iPhone last week, and his by-now familiar and calming southern drawl on earnings calls should also serve to make him a reassuring presence for investors who could somewhat dampen the blow to their confidence in Apple's immediate future.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[SoloPower deal paves way for thin-film solar plant]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-deal-paves-way-for-thin-film-solar-plant</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-deal-paves-way-for-thin-film-solar-plant</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tduncannac</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solopower-deal-paves-way-for-thin-film-solar-plant</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Solar panel maker SoloPower has secured financing to build a manufacturing plant in Oregon, a step toward ramping up production of its thin-film solar technology.As part of a deal carved out with the state of Oregon, SoloPower said yesterday, it will receive a $20 million loan toward the initial construction phase, which will consist of a 75-megawatt manufacturing line employing 170 people. SoloPower, which is seeking a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, intends to eventually expand the plant to turn out 300 megawatts worth of panels per year.SoloPower touts its flexible thin-film solar cells as easy and inexpensive to install.(Credit:SoloPower)San Jose, Calif.-based SoloPower makes thin-film flexible solar collectors, which are not really panels so much as they are long rolls of solar cells made from copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) attached to a foil backing. SoloPower's rolled solar panels can be unfurled and wrapped onto racks or laminated to the roofs of commercial buildings. The company has a production line in San Jose but has been seeking to manufacture on a larger scale.Though some companies have been making improvements in the efficiency of CIGS cells, they are generally not as efficient at converting sunlight into electricity as are traditional solar cells. But they do have the advantage of being inexpensive and easy to install, and they offer more installation options than traditional silicon solar panels.Approval for an additional $20 million Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) from the state of Oregon is pending. The total completion of a high-volume version of the proposed plant in Wilsonville, Ore., represents a $340 million investment in total, according to SoloPower.Without the government loan guarantee or tax credits approved, it's unclear whether SoloPower will have the means to move forward on the expansion from a 75-megwatt plant to the planned 300-megawatt plant. SoloPower CEO Tim Harris has said in the past that without government assistance, the company would likely seek to manufacture its products overseas in order to remain competitive.For now, at least one Oregon official seems happy with SoloPower's initial investment leading to 170 jobs and a promise of hundreds more to come.&quot;SoloPower's considerable investment in Wilsonville has the potential to produce several hundred family-wage jobs that represents a tremendous opportunity for the city, Portland metro region, and the state,&quot; Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp said in a statement.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Demand Media clears SEC and prices IPO]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demand-media-clears-sec-and-prices-ipo</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demand-media-clears-sec-and-prices-ipo</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bugrasman1</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=demand-media-clears-sec-and-prices-ipo</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Demand Media is set to go public, according to an amended filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with shares priced from $14 to $16 each.The online publisher could sell up to 8.625 million shares and, if it prices at the top of the range, it could be worth about $1.3 billion and raise $138 million.That includes 4.5 million shares from the company, 3 million shares from existing shareholders, and another 1.125 million shares that its underwriters have an option to sell.Demand will net $58.1 million if the IPO price is $15.00 per share, which it said it will use for &quot;investments in content, international expansion, working capital, product development, sales and marketing activities, general and administrative matters, and capital expenditures.&quot;The company added that &quot;we currently anticipate that our aggregate investments in content during the year ending December 31, 2011, will range from $50 million to $75 million.&quot;Demand's ticker symbol will be DMD on the New York Stock Exchange.In its amended prospectus, Demand said:This is an initial public offering of shares of common stock of Demand Media, Inc. Demand Media is offering 4,500,000 of the shares to be sold in the offering. The selling stockholders identified in this prospectus are offering an additional 3,000,000 shares. Demand Media will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares being sold by the selling stockholders. Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for the common stock. It is currently estimated that the initial public offering price per share will be between $14.00 and $16.00. The common stock of Demand Media has been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol &quot;DMD.&quot;Demand's road to an IPO has been relatively quick.One bump came last month, as AllThingsDigital reported after the Santa Monica, Calif., company had to satisfy government regulatory questions over the way it recognizes costs of creating content.Currently, using a concept of &quot;long-lived&quot; content, Demand has been amortizing those expenses over five years, since it says it continues to generate revenue on that material over that much time. Most publishers recognize costs immediately.That's different from many companies in the publishing business, which typically account for costs of creating content immediately as they are incurred or over a much shorter time period.Demand has determined that its content has a more evergreen nature, compared to more topical--and perishable, from a revenue point of view--material produced by others.Obviously, since this accounting treatment results in more attractive financial results, the longer expense period is of great interest to many other online content creators--such as AOL and Yahoo--which are watching the Demand IPO closely.While the SEC did not ask Demand to make changes to its accounting practices, the amended S-1 is more detailed about them.To be allowed to expense over five years, Demand said, the company has to use a sophisticated algorithmic platform--which other content creators do not have--to provide proof of &quot;probable economic benefits&quot; from that content over that time.Since Demand has long claimed that it has a new and innovative approach to content creation, it is making the case to investors that it needs to have the correct accounting for that approach.Said Demand in its amended filing:&quot;In determining whether content embodies probable future economic benefit required for asset capitalization, management has reviewed and intends to regularly review the operating performance of content published.&quot;But, it warned:&quot;Changes from the five-year useful life we currently use to amortize our capitalized content would have a significant impact on our financial statements. For example, if underlying assumptions were to change such that our estimate of the weighted average useful life of our media content was higher by one year from January 1, 2010, our net loss would decrease by approximately $1.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, and would increase by approximately $2.4 million should the weighted average useful life be reduced by one year.&quot;The practice has passed government scrutiny and now investors will decide what they think of this and the entire business of Demand.Demand execs will now go on a road show for the offering, which is being led by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.Story Copyright (c) 2010 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Venture funding hits two-year high in 2010]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=venture-funding-hits-two-year-high-in-2010</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=venture-funding-hits-two-year-high-in-2010</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sypecease</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=venture-funding-hits-two-year-high-in-2010</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Private company research firm CB Insights  today released a report that shows venture investment remains strong with $6.5 billion in funding taking place in the fourth quarter of 2010, a gain of roughly 12 percent over the third quarter of 2010.Overall, 2010 saw $23.7 billion of funding into 2,792 deals representing 14 percent growth in funding and 13 percent growth in deals over 2009. Fourth quarter 2010 venture financing(Credit:CB Insights)The report noted a few highlights:New York outpaced Massachusetts for total number of deals in 2010 and is on a distinctly upward trend for the second half of the year while Massachusetts slowed down.11 percent of deals were seed-stage investments (typically less than $1 million), consistent with the third quarter of 2010The Internet sector accounted for 37 percent of the total deals for the quarterCalifornia remained uncontested venture capital champion. The state saw 14 percent growth in deals on a sequential basis over third quarter 2010. Sixty percent of the state's funding went to Internet and health care companies.  Over the last few weeks, I've spent a lot of time meeting with venture capitalists and newly funded companies. Initially, it felt as if there was a bit of a bubble around financing new Internet companies, and while there are certainly have been some outrageous amounts raised (ahem, Groupon), the general premise is that the Internet has enabled so many new ideas and business models most investors are looking to put a stake in the ground in every category. And, unlike the last funding bubble, a lot more companies have revenue on which to base their valuations as well as more predictable revenue streams. There are also less &quot;me-too&quot; companies which tend to pop-up when a category gets hot such as invitation sale sites and group coupons. There are always copycats, but those with even a bit of differentiation have more viable business models than those are simply clones e.g. Pets.com and Petstore.com of questionable business ideas in the first place.The real question in many of these Internet companies is how much they are innovating in terms of technology versus just evolving a business model to the Internet age. And, to the extent that the business model is changing, how defensible of a position is it when you are just making a process better, rather than creating true intellectual property.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[PBS for iPhone streams public-TV shows for free]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pbs-for-iphone-streams-public-tv-shows-for-free</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pbs-for-iphone-streams-public-tv-shows-for-free</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>yamirsarin</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=pbs-for-iphone-streams-public-tv-shows-for-free</guid>
<description><![CDATA[PBS for iPhone lets you watch full-length episodes free of charge--assuming you can find them in a sea of previews and clips.(Credit:Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)Last October, PBS took the wraps off an eponymous iPad app, allowingtablet users to stream full episodes of public-television favorites like &quot;American Masters,&quot; &quot;Nova,&quot; and &quot;MotorWeek.&quot;iPhone andiPod users were promised their own version in November, but it never materialized. Thankfully, PBS for iPhone is finally here. It's missing a few key elements, but it's still a great way to watch great shows on the go--free of charge. The app is divided into four sections: Previews, Spotlight, Schedules, and Programs. Most of these are self-explanatory' as with the iPad version, the Schedules section provides you with a calendar of current and upcoming programming from your local PBS station. However, unlike the iPad version, this one lacks both search and bookmark features, which is puzzling.  What's more, according to a PBS rep, the app contains more than 300 hours' worth of full episodes from various shows, including those mentioned up top. The problem is finding them: although it's easy enough to browse the Programs listings, you'll find dozens of previews and short clips mixed in with the handful of full-length episodes. The iPad version has buttons for toggling between previews, shorts, and full episodes, but here you have to troll each list in search of runtimes longer than, say, 30 seconds or three minutes. It's hard to complain about free streaming TV shows, especially those of the caliber produced by PBS, but I do think this app needs a few tweaks to fully realize its potential. Meanwhile, PBS Kids programming remains MIA, though I'm told a dedicated app for that is in the works. Yay! <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Best Buy buy-back program could boost e-recycling]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-buy-back-program-could-boost-e-recycling</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-buy-back-program-could-boost-e-recycling</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:10:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zanlalaana</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=best-buy-buy-back-program-could-boost-e-recycling</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Best Buy today launched a buy-back program designed to quash the fear of technology obsolescence. In the process, tech buyers can find a way to repurpose or recycle their electronic gadgets.When Best Buy customers purchase the service with their products, they can return their product and get paid for a fraction of its purchase price, depending on how long the consumer had it. If it doesn't have any resale value, the PC, TV, or smartphone will be either stripped down for parts or recycled in the U.S., as part of Best Buy's existing programs, said George Sherman, the senior vice president of services at the company. The cost of the buy-back program for laptops, Netbooks, ortablets is $69.99. For smartphones that cost less than $350, it's $39.99, and $59.99 for smartphones that cost more than $350, Sherman said. Best Buy could extend the program to game machines or other electronics, depending on consumer reaction, he saidA customer can get up to 50 percent of the purchase price within six months, up to 40 percent for six to 12 months, up to 30 percent for one year to 18 months, and up to 20 percent for 18 months to two years. For TVs, people have up to four years to get 10 percent.  The primary goal of the buy-back program is to encourage consumers, particularly early technology adopters, to spend on new products rather than wait, Sherman said. But having another channel to return electronics goods could increase used product take-back rates. Best Buy projects that it will increase the number of electronics it takes back in stores by about 15 percent to 160 million pounds in this fiscal year, Sherman said. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: The 404 733: Where we do it without glasses (podcast)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-the-404-733-where-we-do-it-without-glasses-podcast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-the-404-733-where-we-do-it-without-glasses-podcast</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>marbuglatae</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-the-404-733-where-we-do-it-without-glasses-podcast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's the first official day ofCES 2011 and we're joined by our buddy Clayton Morris of Fox and Friends who takes a moment out of his busy day to show us a couple cool gadgets he saw today. We always enjoy a game of show and tell, and Clayton doesn't disappoint with the Steadicam Smoothee, a handheld steadicam that you can use with anApple iPhone, a Motorola DROID, or a Flip Mino video camera.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[HTC: 60 million handsets anticipated in 2011]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=htc-60-million-handsets-anticipated-in-2011</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=htc-60-million-handsets-anticipated-in-2011</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:17:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>parwanresoh25341</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=htc-60-million-handsets-anticipated-in-2011</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:HTC)Taiwan-based news outlet DigiTimes cited &quot;industry sources&quot; Friday in a report that claims cell phone manufacturer HTC will ship 60 million handsets in 2011, triple 2010's number. It's unclear as to whether this refers solely to smartphones or whether this also involves yet-to-be-released tablet devices.As one of the biggest hardware manufacturers producing Android phones (from the successful Droid line to the discontinuedNexus One), this is a promising sign for the Google-built mobile operating system. HTC is also a big manufacturer ofWindows Phone 7 devices, with the Surround on AT&amp;T and the HD7 on T-Mobile.No more information was provided in the DigiTimes rumor except that the sources in question floated the figure at a gathering of handset component suppliers in Taipei.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's Rubin shows off unannounced Android tablet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-rubin-shows-off-unannounced-android-tablet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-rubin-shows-off-unannounced-android-tablet</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 08:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>resminmin23</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-rubin-shows-off-unannounced-android-tablet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;39's Andy Rubin shows off an unreleased Motorola Android tablet at D: Dive Into Mobile.(Credit:Tom Krazit/CNET)A 3D version of Google Maps will accompany a Motorola tablet running Honeycomb, the next version of Google's Android, according to Google's Andy Rubin. Rubin showed off the unreleased prototype tablet at the opening session of D: Dive Into Mobile in San Francisco today, the same day that the company announced plans to ship Gingerbread, Android version 2.3. Honeycomb and the Motorola tablet will arrive at some point next year, Rubin said, showing off the Google Maps application and eliciting more than one &quot;oooh&quot; from the crowd of mobile professionals. He declined to provide any further details about the tablet. Rubin was grilled on many Android-related topics by hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher of D: All Things Digital. He was granted a few minutes to show off the Nexus S, the new phone announced by Google this morning that will run Gingerbread on a Google-specified and Samsung-built smartphone. When pressed on Google's Nexus strategy in general, which has evolved in starts and fits throughout 2010, Rubin admitted &quot;we bit off a little more than we could chew&quot; when it came to trying to promote theNexus One as a start-of-the-art Google-designed phone and the centerpiece of a smartphone-buying strategy that was intended to match intriguing phones with the carrier of one's choice, which is a popular approach in the U.K., he said. However, U.S. carriers were less supportive of the idea. Google dropped the idea of the Web-only store for the Nexus S, scaling back its ambitions and working with Best Buy to distribute the phone, which is available either unlocked or with a two-year contract for T-Mobile's network.The carriers have a fair amount of control over how Android is presented to consumers, but that was always Google's intention, Rubin said. Google has been criticized for allowing carriers to clutter up the Android interface with pet apps that Mossberg charitably referred to as &quot;craplets,&quot; but Rubin said the carriers are starting to understand those practices alienate consumers, and he implied that Android carriers are rethinking that strategy. Still, &quot;those guys would be commoditized if I forced them to all look the same,&quot; Rubin said. One of the reasons Android has done as well as it has is because carriers and handset makers want an alternative to Apple'siPhone or Research In Motion's BlackBerry, but they don't want to turn into the HP, Dell, and Acer of the PC world, beholden to Microsoft and Intel for innovation and left with no other way to distinguish themselves from the competition other than price. Despite the rancor that often characterizes the once-close relationship between Google and Apple, Rubin took time to praise Apple for what he said Apple has done right, namely services like the App Store, and even going so far as to acknowledge that its developer program is relatively &quot;open,&quot; a word that Google's Vic Gundotra and CEO Eric Schmidt never use in referring to Apple in its approach toward third-party software development. A true Googler, Rubin went on to point out that Google is more &quot;open&quot; in its approach to how it allows outsiders to review the source code of Android in addition to unrestricted development. Still, it was a bit surprising to hear a senior Google executive use the word &quot;open&quot; with respect to Apple. In further discussion about the competition, Rubin said Microsoft'sWindows Phone 7 was &quot;a good 1.0 product,&quot; but he said if he was asked for advice, he would implore them to find a better way to allow the differentiation he referred to earlier among its hardware partners. The problem for companies like Microsoft, Nokia, and even RIM is that much of their code is simply old, dating back from a time before the smartphone revolution was fully realized by Apple's iPhone, he said. Rubin was very coy about discussions that Google may or may not have had with Nokia about the possibility of the world's largest smartphone vendor adopting Android under its new leadership, after an outgoing Nokia executive compared the strategy of using Android to that of young boys urinating in their pants to stay warm in cold weather. When pressed, Rubin declined to comment on any specific negotiations in either Finland or Mountain View, refusing to confirm or deny that talks had been held. Later, Rubin admitted that Android could do a better job when it comes to usability, lending weight to the notion that Android is an engineer's operating system as opposed to one designed for tech novices. He promised that future releases such as Honeycomb would do a better job of exposing vital functions to users without requiring them to navigate through a sea of menus. &quot;You'll see the fruits of that investment in the tablets first, and then the phones,&quot; Rubin said. &quot;We're aware of the problem and we're going to do better.&quot; Updated 9:20 p.m. PT throughout with additional information from the event. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[One-of-a-kind Tesla Roadster art car on display]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-of-a-kind-tesla-roadster-art-car-on-display</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-of-a-kind-tesla-roadster-art-car-on-display</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>darmoweGryK5</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=one-of-a-kind-tesla-roadster-art-car-on-display</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The bright design on this Tesla Roadster was created by digital media pioneer Laurence Gartel, whose commercial work includes glossy magazine advertisements for Absolut vodka.(Credit:Tesla Motors)Adding another project to his &quot;auto&quot; biography, artist Laurence Gartel has designed a one-of-a-kind Tesla Roadster art car.Gartel, who is known for his pioneering work in digital media, has shown in New York's Museum of Modern Art and other renowned museums and galleries and has work included in the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History. Gartel has also published several books, including &quot;Auto Motion,&quot; which coincided with a fully digital 3D fine-art sculpture exhibition of the same name.Northern California electric automaker Tesla collaborated with Gartel on the unique design. BMW has been collaborating with famous artists for years on numerous art cars. The Roadster will be featured tonightat Gartel's Art Basel festival starting at 7:30 p.m. ET at Nikki Beach, located at 1 Ocean Dr. in Miami Beach. The car is for sale for $109,000, but because it features a wrap, the buyer will have to negotiate the price of the wrap with the artist, Tesla said. The car will be in and around Miami Beach all week.(Credit:Tesla Motors)(Credit:Tesla Motors)Correction, 5:04 p.m. PT:The article originally misstated the price of the Tesla art car. It is $109,000.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Wi-Fi is killing trees, study finds]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-is-killing-trees-study-finds</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-is-killing-trees-study-finds</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>inglaliaugust</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=wi-fi-is-killing-trees-study-finds</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Unlike trees in urban areas, trees in wooded areas remain happy and healthy, the study says.(Credit:Crave UK)Enjoying reading the latest technology news and reviews here on Crave Hope you're pleased with yourself, because you may be killing a tree. Researchers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands have discovered the sad news that Wi-Fi makes trees sick. The tree-loving folks of Dutch city Alphen aan den Rijn commissioned the study, whose results have not yet been published, after finding abnormalities on trees that couldn't be explained by known viral or bacterial infections.  Over the last five years, the study found that all deciduous trees in the Western world are affected by radiation from mobile-phone networks and wireless LANs.Read more of &quot;Wi-Fi is killing trees, study finds&quot; at Crave UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Five air travel apps for the holiday weekend]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-air-travel-apps-for-the-holiday-weekend</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-air-travel-apps-for-the-holiday-weekend</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>neoopposition</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-air-travel-apps-for-the-holiday-weekend</guid>
<description><![CDATA[America will be on the move this Thanksgiving week as millions crowd airports, highways and trains in search of that tasty turkey or Tofurky meal. Though travel rarely stresses me, I know the prospect of braving the tired masses and the TSA pat-downs can be daunting. So to help you navigate from home to holiday, and complete your journey with as little pain as possible, I've pulled a few must-have smartphone apps. Being the aviation nut that I am I'll focus on air travel, but I'd love to hear your titles for braving the roads and rails. And please tell me about your favorite flying apps as well.FlightTrack(Credit:Screenshot by Kent German/CNET)FlightTrackWhether you're picking Mom up at LAX or flying to O'Hare as I am, a flight-tracker app is essential. There are quite a few options available in both the iTunes App Store and the Android Market, but FlightTrack by Mobiata is one of my favorites. You get a lot of information in a clean and easily digestible format and the maps are the best I've seen. Cheaper titles are available, but I think FlightTrack is worth the money.Before a flight departs you'll see the scheduled departure time and any delay information. And once a flight is in the air FlightTrack shows the airspeed, arrival gate, baggage carousel number, present altitude, a shortcut to the airline's phone number, and the local time and temperature of the departure and arrival cities. Availability:iPhone and AndroidPrice: $4.99Point InsideThough it's not devoted solely to air travel, Point Inside  is the perfect app during a long airport layover or when you're delayed. For most major airports around the country, and a selection in Europe and Asia, it shows maps of everything you'll need, including shops and restaurants, departure gates, baggage claim carousels, ticketing desks, airline lounges, and related services.Other airport map apps exist, but this is the most comprehensive title I've found, and I love its individually designed maps. Also, if you plan to shop on Black Friday, Point Inside includes maps of major shopping malls with all of the relevant shops, restaurants, and attractions.Availability: iPhone and AndroidPrice: FreeTripcase(Credit:Screenshot by Kent German/CNET)TripCaseIf you're trying to keep track of a flight, acar rental, a hotel booking, and a dinner reservation, TripCase can be a great tool. Developed by Sabre, it acts as a diary for all aspects of your itinerary. It can even store a meeting, an event (like a theater date), and plans to go sightseeing. The best thing about TripCase is that as your flight departure time nears, the app will display your airport gate and you'll receive push and e-mail notifications in case of a delay. That feature has saved me a lot of airport waiting on previous trips.Availability: iPhone and AndroidPrice: FreeFAA Airport StatusIf only Thanksgiving were in summer then we wouldn't have to worry about winter weather. But being as it is in late November, delays caused by snow and rain are a very real possibility in the northern half of the country. Though the above apps, and an airline's Web site, can keep you informed about a delay for your specific flight, this app shows you the real conditions affecting many major airports. For example, when I looked at San Francisco International Airport on Monday night, it showed me that all flights destined for Seattle wouldn't be allowed to depart until after 6:30pm. You also get a weather map of the 48 states.Availability: iPhone onlyPrice: FreeKayak(Credit:Screenshot by Kent German/CNET)KayakIf you still haven't made travel plans for turkey day, I wish you all the luck in the world. You'll have to open that wallet pretty wide and be flexible about your schedule, but there are a few apps that can help you on your way. Kayak is a top Web site for finding great fares, and you can get all that functionality on the go.You can search for flights, hotels and rentals cars' book your desired ticket' research luggage fees' organize your itinerary' and track flight status. You can get an ad-supported version for free or you can ditch the ads by shelling out just 99 cents for the Pro version (the features are the same).Availability: iPhone and Android, but Pro version is only on the iPhonePrice: Free to 99 cents<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hands-On: Google Voice for iPhone still slightly underbaked]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-google-voice-for-iphone-still-slightly-underbaked</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-google-voice-for-iphone-still-slightly-underbaked</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>howtomakeawebsite</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-google-voice-for-iphone-still-slightly-underbaked</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Google Voice for iPhone app finally clears Apple&amp;39's gauntlet.(Credit:Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)When Google announced Google Voice for iPhone earlier today, we wasted no time putting the VoIP telephony app through its paces. Google Voice for iPhone (download) delivers much of what we expect from a native Google Voice app. In an absolute sense, it's a terrific app because it brings much-needed native Google Voice management to theiPhone. However, considering it took a year and a half of idle time and an FCC investigation to gain Apple's approval, we're also wondering why the Google Voice engineering team couldn't have designed a more seamless integration with the iPhone. The contacts list is split in two--prioritized numbers and recent calls are in this pane' the complete contacts list is in the next.(Credit:Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)Setup and layoutThankfully, setup is hurdle-free. First, log into the app with your Google credentials. Then, select the mobile number from a list of numbers you may have associated as forwarding numbers for your Google Voice account. (If you haven't yet associated any, go to your Google Voice account and add the number in the Voice Settings menu.)The Google Voice app itself appears straightforward. Four screens display a menu, a dialer, your contact list, and the application settings. Fittingly, the menu is the base camp for sorting and managing your voice mail by inbox, texts, and various other filters. The inbox displays your list of voice mails and text messages. From here, you can view a voice mail transcription or play back your contact's recorded message. Tap their name to call, text, add to quick dial, or show the contact's details. Pull the entire page down with your finger to manually refresh the list.You'll be able to reach out to contacts from the dialer and the contacts list, either by searching for a contact's name or by entering a number. The dialer helpfully lets you choose to call or text a number. An icon in the Dialer that looks like it should pop up your contact search list will in fact add a new contact to your address book, if you press it after dialing a number. The Contacts list has an interesting feature that's unique to the iPhone version of Google Voice' it's called Quick Dial. Google has made it easier to prioritize your favorite contacts by letting you assign some to Quick Dial--these buddies surface to the top of a list, just above another list of recently used numbers. You can tap over to another screen to select from your full list of contacts.(Credit:Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)What we like about Google Voice for iPhoneApart from the most fundamental benefit of being able to natively manage the Google Voice universe from the iPhone, the app brings some localized features that make using it a joy. The aforementioned quick-dial contacts are easy to assign and remove, and they do a good job surfacing frequently used buddies. Push notifications are also key' they appear when you receive a new voice mail or text, and when you miss a call. Handy buttons help you take the appropriate action to reply, view, or close the message. Google Voice isn't integrated into the iPhone's operating system as it is on Android, so it doesn't let you choose to automatically dial out on the iPhone with your Google Voice number. However, dialing out through the app is easy enough, and there are some nice visual menu treatments that make it obvious when you've sent a message. These nice touches add a layer of sophistication to the experience.What still needs workUnfortunately, there are still large and small potholes, and we'll likely discover more inconsistencies as we continue to use the app. The most jarring issue is that texts between two Google Voice on iPhone users duplicated each Google voice text in the iPhone's text app. Instead of receiving three text alerts for three sent text messages, we received a total of six alerts and messages. You can switch this off in the Settings menu of your Google Voice settings online, but it's unintuitive for new or casual users.Equally obnoxiously, Google Voice users we knew sometimes texted us using numbers we didn't recognize. Google Voice uses local numbers to route calls quicker, and those are the numbers we intermittently saw in text messages, rather than the caller or texter's single Google Voice number.Google Voice for iPhone: A photo tour We also noticed that the notifications shortcut to view a missed call takes you to the Menu, not to the the missed call screen as we'd expect. In addition, Google Voice only works in portrait mode. Google Voice gets more right than it does wrong overall, but the iPhone app is still more flawed than it should be after years of the voice team's development work on Google Voice for Android. Google Voice is a confusing enough service as is to the casual observer, Google needs to ensure that its native apps remove every question mark.Article updated at 4:17PM PT and 5:40PM PT with corrections and clarifications.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google to require two-way data-sharing street]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-require-two-way-data-sharing-street</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-require-two-way-data-sharing-street</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 05 Nov 2010 07:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Savariya</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-to-require-two-way-data-sharing-street</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Under Google&amp;39's new terms of service for Google Contacts, it doesn&amp;39't look like Facebook will be allowed to continue letting users find friends through their Gmail accounts.(Credit:Screenshot by Tom Krazit/CNET)Google is putting its data liberation philosophy to work in a direct slap at Facebook.Techcrunch noticed last night that Google made a subtle change to a paragraph in the guidelines that govern how external services can let their users import contacts data from Google. Now those services will have to allow their users to export that data in a manner similar to how Google handles data export, which means Facebook will have to change its policy if it wants to allow users to morph Gmail contacts with Facebook friends.Facebook has long resisted the notion of allowing people to export contacts data, citing privacy concerns, although it does let people export other data like photos. Google, on the other hand, has long considered data lock-in a cardinal sin of technology companies and has launched the Data Liberation Front to promote the concept of easily exported data. However, as Mathew Ingram notes at GigaOm, now that Facebook has 500 million users the policy change is a bit late to really force Facebook into having to make any meaningful changes. All it means is that Facebook users won't be able to automatically use their Gmail contacts to populate their Facebook friends list, but they'll still be able to use contacts from Yahoo or Microsoft's services, as well as just find contacts by searching on Facebook.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[How new Congress will tackle privacy, Net neutrality]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zimansuf2</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=how-new-congress-will-tackle-privacy-net-neutrality</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rep. Tom Price, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said yesterday that this week's elections will provide &quot;an opportunity for our Republican principles to shine through our policies.&quot;But what that means for privacy, Net neutrality, and other regulatory areas that affect Internet companies isn't entirely clear.The Contract from America, a set of grassroots-derived governing principles signed by some incoming Republicans and backed by dozens of Tea Party groups, stresses evaluating the constitutionality of government programs but doesn't specifically address technology. Neither does the Republican Party's 2010 Pledge to America.This should come as no surprise. After the number of unemployed, discouraged, or marginally employed Americans has doubled in the last two years and stands at a recent record of 22 percent, no politician hoping to be elected spends much time talking about regulation of transborder data flows. Or, say, the nuances of amendments to the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.In fact, it's possible, even likely, that Washington's approach to technology topics will remain largely the same.Nothing will change, says Jim Harper, a former Hill staffer and policy analyst at the free-market Cato Institute.&quot;Proposals for 'baseline' federal privacy legislation will continue to float around, as they have for the last decade,&quot; Harper told CNET. &quot;Net neutrality regulation, which was going nowhere before the election, will go nowhere. Intellectual property supporters will continue to have the stronger voice in Congress.&quot;Net neutrality turned out to be something less than a compelling campaign slogan this year.Scott Cleland, an industry analyst who receives funding from companies including AT&amp;T, Sprint, and Verizon, noted that &quot;every single one&quot; of the 95 Democratic challengers who took a Net neutrality pledge lost in the mid-term elections.Last month, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee announced a list of Democratic candidates who took a pledge saying: &quot;In Congress, I'll fight to protect Net Neutrality for the entire Internet--wired and wireless--and make sure big corporations aren't allowed to take control of free speech online.&quot;Whoops. Tuesday's results mean that pro-regulation groups like Free Press &quot;can no longer legitimately claim their Net neutrality movement has significant grass roots political support,&quot; Cleland suggested.Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founder Adam Green replied in e-mail yesterday, saying the Cleland can't point to any candidates who campaigned against Net neutrality &quot;for the obvious reason that such a position is a big political loser.&quot; In addition, Green said, other Net neutrality supporters currently in Congress were reelected, while some politicos who signed a letter opposing such regulations were not.How the 2011 Congress views privacy probably won't change very much. But because it depends in large part on which politicians end up heading which committees, which hasn't been decided yet, it's difficult to say for sure.Because Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) lost his bid for reelection, longtime industry critic Ed Markey (D-Mass.) could become the senior Democrat on a House Internet subcommittee.And whether Joe Barton (R-Texas) or fellow Republican Fred Upton (R-Mich.) will become the next chairman of the full House Energy and Commerce Committee remains a tossup. (Because Barton is running up against the GOP's term-limit rules for committee chairman, he'd need a waiver from party leadership.)For a Republican who joined the Tea Party Caucus this summer and claims to be committed to &quot;limited government&quot; and &quot;free markets,&quot; Barton's record on privacy includes repeated calls for more regulations and for handing more power to federal bureaucrats. Barton and Markey have singled out Apple, Google, and Facebook, for instance, for criticism.Harper, from the Cato Institute, says that Boucher's proposed privacy legislation never had a serious chance of passing: &quot;The result was that tech lobbyists could always report to the home office that they had something to do, and tech trade associations could garner corporate support for all those noon-time strategy meetings over sandwiches--without generating a true threat to the business models of the companies they (purport to) represent.&quot;&quot;With the defeat of Rick Boucher, we are losing someone who understood the Internet and played a key role in opening it up to commercial activity, who co-founded the Internet Caucus, and who has taken a lead on key issues like privacy,&quot; said the Center for Democracy and Technology. Public Knowledge's Gigi Sohn called him someone who understood the &quot;importance of standing up for consumers' rights to use technology lawfully.&quot; (Boucher introduced an unsuccessful bill in 2002 to amend the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, for instance.)Marc Rotenberg, head of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which supports a broad law regulating the private sector's data collection and use practices, says &quot;I think you're going to see continued bipartisan leadership on privacy issues&quot; in the House.In addition, Rotenberg said, the election of Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) could have positive impacts on privacy. Blumenthal has &quot;been a great champion on a lot of consumer-related Internet issues,&quot; he said. &quot;Over on the government oversight side, I think having Rand Paul in the Senate is going to be (a significant check on) the growing surveillance state.&quot;Another key departure on privacy and civil liberties: Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), who lost his reelection bid. He was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act and was a fierce critic of warrantless wiretapping. He was even endorsed by Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nominee.The Computer and Communications Industry Association, whose members include Google, Facebook, and Microsoft, suggested that one area to watch will be what happens once Tea Party-backed candidates are sworn into office in the new Congress: &quot;Will proposals to increase government surveillance of domestic phone calls and e-mails get these constitutional fundamentalists worked up&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Star Trek's Enterprise now has an owner's manual]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=star-treks-enterprise-now-has-an-owners-manual</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=star-treks-enterprise-now-has-an-owners-manual</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>TheBestHawaiiSite</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=star-treks-enterprise-now-has-an-owners-manual</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As we enter the season of buying people things they don't like, it is fortunate that one company has stopped to think what the world might truly be missing.Haynes, a company that has made its name and fortune out of creating perfectly bound owners' manuals for every conceivablecar, has taken its talents to celestial heights.According to the Daily Mail, the company is releasing an owner's manual for the USS Enterprise. This would seem to be a little more difficult than creating a manual for a Ford Escort. The Enterprise went through quite a few iterations and some of the technology seemed to be a little more sophisticated than that offered by Detroit's finest.Haynes' manuals try to make the complex seem less so and the company claims it has managed to stay true to its mission with this Enterprise enterprise.Now you can go forth and repair it.(Credit:CC Marcin Wichary/Flickr)&quot;People want to know how warp engines work. We explain that. People want to know how transporters work. We explain that,&quot; Haynes' Derek Smith told StarTrek.com.One wonders, though, whether this manual can possibly satisfy those who have lived, breathed and dreamed of hot wiring a star ship.Smith admitted to StarTrek.com: &quot;It just wasn't possible to do a complete strip down and rebuild of each ship like we would for our car and motorcycle manuals. For a start, most of the Enterprises have been destroyed, but I think workshop space would have been tight in any case.&quot; Well, indeed. And then you have to wonder just how many more than its 160 pages a full Enterprise manual might have required, if the authors had gone into every technical specification.The manual is also highly reticent about the version of the Enterprise that appeared in the J.J. Abrams 2009 movie. It seems that technical information about that star ship was scant. So Haynes didn't want to make too many guesses about the innards of its undercarriage.Nevertheless, I am sure that many will appreciate this opportunity to pore over the intimate details of so many Enterprises.Personally, though, I will not be buying it. I am still in therapy trying to deal with John Carpenter's revelation about the villain's mask in &quot;Halloween.&quot; For it was actually a spray-painted, reshaped William Shatner Captain James Kirk mask that a prop guy bought in an LA store.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Researchers hack toys, attack iPhones at ToorCon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-hack-toys-attack-iphones-at-toorcon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-hack-toys-attack-iphones-at-toorcon</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:24:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lynda</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=researchers-hack-toys-attack-iphones-at-toorcon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This IM-Me instant messaging toy for teen girls can be turned into a wireless tool for opening garage doors, cloning RFID tags and other less innocent activities.(Credit:Elinor Mills/CNET)SAN DIEGO--From &quot;weaponized&quot;iPhone software to hacked toys and leaked cookies, researchers at the ToorCon security conference here this weekend showed how easy it can be to poke holes in software and hardware with the right tools, know-how, and curiosity.  One researcher demonstrated how to take control of an iPhone using an exploit that targets a hole inSafari, which has been patched. The iPhone had an app installed that allowed it to process credit card numbers, which could then be stolen if this were an attack in the wild. Eric Monti, a senior security researcher at Trustwave, &quot;weaponized&quot; an exploit that was launched as the Jailbreakme.com program this summer, designed to allow iPhone owners to use unauthorized apps.  For the demo, he directed the &quot;victim&quot; iPhone to a Web address that opened a PDF file that contained the exploit code. Then a rootkit was downloaded giving him complete control of the iPhone. Once a rootkit is downloaded an attacker has access to all data, e-mails, voicemails, and text messages, as well as the microphone and speaker. &quot;You can easily eavesdrop on someone if you're on their iPhone remotely,&quot; Monti said.  If the iPhone has the free Square app installed, which is used for processing credit card numbers, the attacker could also steal those numbers, he said, adding that there is not a security issue with the Square app. &quot;We will see people processing credit cards in stores using iPhone apps,&quot; transactions using highly sensitive data that should be on only secured devices, Monti told CNET in an interview after his talk. Two researchers gave a light-hearted talk, titled &quot;Real Men Carry Pink Pagers,&quot; about how they turned a toy into a wireless tool that could be used to open garage doors and clone RFID tags used for inventory control on shipping docks and RFID-based passports, among other uses. The pink plastic IM-Me device, with a &quot;Girl Tech&quot; brand on it, was designed to allow young girls to send instant messages with friends on a private network.  The IM-Me device also uses the same wireless chip that some smart meters use and could be turned into a diagnostic tool to test the security of those devices, said wireless researcher Michael Ossman. He worked on the project with Travis Goodspeed, who wrote software that gives the IM-Me functionality that most teen girls can't fathom.  &quot;We took old hardware and repurposed it...It's fun to turn it into something useful and to learn about it,&quot; Ossman said, summing up a core element of the true hacker spirit.  This isn't the first toy Ossman has worked his hack magic on. During Defcon in August, he used the hackable badge from the event to try to turn a toy guitar into an electric instrument. The guitar, which he played for a select audience this weekend, remains acoustic at this point, but Ossman did manage to create a very cool electronic light oscillator for tuning the strings using RGB (red, green, and blue) LEDs.  Two other presenters showed how limited encryption used on many popular sites on the Web--like Facebook, Twitter, Hotmail, and Flickr (but not Google)--can put user accounts at risk of compromise by someone snooping on session traffic between the user's computer and the site's server. Sites typically encrypt the username and password as they are transmitted, but unless the entire Web session is encrypted with &quot;https,&quot; or secure hypertext transfer protocol, someone sniffing the network could capture the cookie information and use that to access the accounts, according to security researchers Eric Butler and Ian Gallagher.  Web surfers don't even have to be on one of the sites to have their cookie data exposed. Any site that even just hosts a Facebook or Twitter widget or has a Flickr image embedded can leak a user's cookie data if the user is logged into the relevant host site, they said. &quot;The cookie allows you to do everything you can with a password,&quot; Butler said. &quot;It is hard for users to protect themselves.&quot;  So-called HTTP session hijacking, or &quot;sidejacking,&quot; is not new' another researcher released a tool last year to enable this on Facebook. But Butler and Gallagher said users will be vulnerable to such attacks until Web sites move to full session, end-to-end encryption and configure sites to indicate that browsers only should send data over encrypted channels. They are releasing aFirefox extension tool -- called Firesheep -- that automates an attack and said that they hope that doing so will bring attention to the problem and motivate Web site owners to use encryption more broadly.  &quot;Any motivated attacker could do this without this tool,&quot; Butler said. &quot;We think this will shine light on the issue.&quot; Eric Monti demonstrates how he is able to surreptitiously take control of an iPhone during a ToorCon presentation. (Credit:Elinor Mills/CNET)Another researcher talked about the security problems with the Absolute Manage (formerly LANrev) software, which was designed to remotely update software and which was used to secretly take photos of high school students in Philadelphia earlier this year. Joel Voss, security consultant at Leviathan, said it took him only 48 hours to develop a proof of concept and another dozen hours to create a working exploit to break the encryption on the software.  Voss' exploit renders all computers with the Absolute Manage client software installed vulnerable to compromise by an attacker who could not only spy on the computers, but even run malware on them. Voss informed the company about the problem in July but the current release of the software does not resolve the issue, he said. &quot;It's bad for anyone to be running software that is that insecure,&quot; he said, adding that he is not releasing the exploit. Absolute Manage could not be reached for comment on Sunday.  Developers need to be aware of the privacy implications of the software they create, said David Kane-Parry, a principal security consultant at Leviathan Security Group. His talk focused on potential unintended privacy issues related to location-based mobile apps, like Google Maps, in which the data is not encrypted between the consumer's device and the app server. He also noted, for example, that mobile photos uploaded to sites like Facebook can be geo-tagged to reveal the coordinates of where the photo was taken, unbeknownst to the picture taker. And in a keynote at the event, Dan Kaminsky, who discovered a security flaw with authentication in the Internet's Domain Name System last year and an even more serious problem the year before, talked about the need for the industry to adopt DNSSEC, which stands for Domain Name System Security Extensions. DNSSEC deployment has been slow because it's not easy to do, he said.  To solve that problem Kaminsky has developed software he jokingly dubbed &quot;Phreebird&quot; that allows DNSSEC to be deployed as an upgrade to the existing infrastructure without having to &quot;massively change their processes,&quot; he said. A test version of the software will be released at Black Hat Abu Dhabi in November. Meanwhile, a member of the Google Chrome team has developed an &quot;unofficial, unsanctioned&quot; build of Chrome that uses DNSSEC to validate Web sites, he said.  &quot;There's a huge bug in one of the core concepts of the Internet,&quot; Kaminsky said in an interview. &quot;DNSSEC is a fix, but we need to deploy it.&quot; Updated at 4:32 p.m. PDT Oct. 25 to include name of Butler's Firefox extension for snooping on unsecured sites and Updated at 4:25 p.m. PDT to correct the spellings of Joel Voss and David Kane-Parry. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[eBay Saw Over 2 Billion U.S. Product Searches In Q3' Amazon Saw Only 847&nbsp'Million]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-saw-over-2-billion-u-s--product-searches-in-q3-amazon-saw-only-847nbspmillion</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-saw-over-2-billion-u-s--product-searches-in-q3-amazon-saw-only-847nbspmillion</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lasidigo</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ebay-saw-over-2-billion-u-s--product-searches-in-q3-amazon-saw-only-847nbspmillion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Yesterday brought the news that eBay acquired in-store product inventory search startup Milo for $75 million. eBay said that it plans to integrate Milo into both its online marketplace and its mobile applications, including barcode scanning app RedLaser. But tucked away in the press release eBay issued about the acquisition were a few surprising stats about the number of product searches eBay and its competitors are handling.According to comScore, eBay handled more than 2 billion U.S. product searches in the third quarter. For the same time period, Amazon saw 847 million searches, while Google handled only 226 million product searches. Really  The data seems a bit surprising considering Amazon&amp;'s dominance in the e-commerce market. In fact, comScore reported in its 2010 Q3 State of the U.S. Online Retail Economy report,  that Amazon had the largest audience in the quarter, averaging 78 million monthly unique visits, surpassing Apple, Walmart and Target. eBay, which comScore said was the top auction site for the quarter, had 68.9 million unique monthly visits, which was down 3 percent from last year.  But apparently, there is a lot more product searching going on there than on Amazon. Google&amp;'s low product searches are less surprising considering that its product search isn&amp;'t nearly as expansive as Amazon&amp;'s. And Google doesn&amp;'t actually sell products. That being said, Google just launched major improvements to its product search (including more local inventory listings), which should help draw more traffic and searches. For eBay, the wealth of data from product searches is certainly something that could be mined and used for recommendations, and other products. We asked Google for comment on eBay&amp;'s stats, and received this response: &amp;''We typically don&amp;'t share performance metrics for individual search properties.&amp;''We&amp;'ve also contacted Amazon for comment, we&amp;'ll update when we hear back (though the company has notoriously had an aversion to providing specific numbers (i.e. Kindle sales). CrunchBase InformationeBayInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[App for shoppers rates how brands address forced &amp' child labour - Springwise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-shoppers-rates-how-brands-address-forced-amp-child-labour---springwise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-shoppers-rates-how-brands-address-forced-amp-child-labour---springwise</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>nocarlberg</dc:creator>
<category>Retail</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=app-for-shoppers-rates-how-brands-address-forced-amp-child-labour---springwise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This is the fourth in a series of posts on traceability. Written by Springwise, and supported by IBM. Check out our previous posts on milk tracking by a Swedish dairy, a registration service for product recalls and supermarkets offering increased food traceability, or read more about building a smarter planet._________While traceability often deals with consumer-centric issues like toy recalls and contaminated peanut butter, a new product tracking app aims to protect not consumers, but manufacturers. Specifically, the children and adults who make the products we buy.Launched in time for the holiday shopping season, Free2Work''s iPhone app hopes to educate consumers about forced and child labour. It gives ratings for products like Hasbroa4a4s Beyblades, Pillow Pets, Applea4a4s iPad and other popular items. Manufacturers are assigned grades based on their policies, implementation, employee empowerment, response to child labor and transparency. Free2Work was developed by the Not for Sale Campaign and the International Rights Forum. Bama Athreya, Executive Director of the International Labor Rights Forum, explains: a4AA broad range of certification programs exist that claim to protect worker rights. The volume and variety of these systems and product labels can be confusing to consumers. Free2Work helps to reduce the confusion and demonstrate to consumers how each program differs.a4 The app''s current list of brands and products is limited, and a barcode scanner for easy access to information would be more user-friendly. And, since each companya4a4s rating can only be based on publicly available information, the scorecards might not be accurate. Still, it''s a first step to increased transparency about child and forced labour, helping consumers make informed shopping decisions that could pressure brands into ensuring that their factories and those of their suppliers are entirely free of forced labour.Website: www.free2work.org a4&quot; www.notforsalecampaign.orgContact: support@free2work.org a4&quot; info@notforsalecampaign.orgSpotted by: Katherine Noyes<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Foodspotting Swallows Food Sharing Community&nbsp'Eat.ly]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foodspotting-swallows-food-sharing-communitynbspeat-ly</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foodspotting-swallows-food-sharing-communitynbspeat-ly</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>glaucomanbqdeh</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=foodspotting-swallows-food-sharing-communitynbspeat-ly</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Foodspotting, the service that allows you to take pictures of your food to share with others, is acquiring a competitor in the space: Eat.ly. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Eat.ly&amp;'s team writes: With a best-in-class iPhone app, awesome integration with the Foursquare API and a number of other exciting moves ahead, Foodspotting will be a great place for the Eat.ly community.Eat.ly, which was founded by current Foursquare employees, is sort of like a Flickr for fooda4&quot;it allows you to keep a visual record of meals youa4a4ve eaten, and then share your images with friends, family, or social networks. Users could also rate meals using our a4healthiness scalea4a4 of 1 to 100.Foodspotting goes beyond just the sharing component and allows users to rate foods, find food they might enjoy by their location and more. Foodspotting currently has nearly 500,000 users and 10,000 new photos are uploaded to Foodspotting each week worldwide. Foodspotting, which offers a popular iPhone app, is on a roll. The startup hjust secured $750,000 in new funding and scored deals with both Zagat and The Travel Channel for partnerships. CrunchBase InformationFoodspottingInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Jim Cramer talks AT&038'T, T-Mobile and the spectrum crunch with top wireless execs (video)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jim-cramer-talks-at038t-t-mobile-and-the-spectrum-crunch-with-top-wireless-execs-video</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jim-cramer-talks-at038t-t-mobile-and-the-spectrum-crunch-with-top-wireless-execs-video</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tiffanffff</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jim-cramer-talks-at038t-t-mobile-and-the-spectrum-crunch-with-top-wireless-execs-video</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jim Cramer, host of CNBC&amp;'s Mad Money, moderated a panel consisting of top wireless executives from AT&amp;amp'T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint that discussed topics ranging from the possibility of a spectrum crunch to AT&amp;amp'T&amp;'s just-announced deal to purchase T-Mobile.The spectrum crunch &amp;8212' a shorthand term for fears that the amount of spectrum commercially licensed to carriers will be inadequate to consumers&amp;' fast-growing demands for mobile bandwidth &amp;8212' has become an increasingly divisive issue amongst the top telecommunications companies. So much so that AT&amp;amp'T decided to buy T-Mobile, another of the largest wireless providers, for $39 billion in order to get ahold of the company&amp;'s wireless spectrum.An executive from T-Mobile scheduled to appear was noticeably absent after AT&amp;amp'T announced Sunday that it would purchase T-Mobile.You can view the entire keynote in the videos below.Next Story: LinkedIn reaches 100 million users, but how many are coming back Previous Story: Amazon launches Android Appstore with 3,800 appsPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Jim Cramer, spectrum crunch, wireless, wireless spectrumCompanies: AT&amp;amp'T, sprint, T Mobile, Verizon          Tags: Jim Cramer, spectrum crunch, wireless, wireless spectrumCompanies: AT&amp;amp'T, sprint, T Mobile, VerizonMatthew Lynley is VentureBeat's enterprise writer. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, where he studied math and physics, in May 2010. He has reported for Reuters. He currently lives in San Francisco, California. You can reach him at mattl@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @logicalmoron. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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