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<title>Haaze.com / Jasmine01 / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Digital City 124: Dan arrives late to the studio and our show literally goes down the toilet]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-city-124-dan-arrives-late-to-the-studio-and-our-show-literally-goes-down-the-toilet</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-city-124-dan-arrives-late-to-the-studio-and-our-show-literally-goes-down-the-toilet</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zacwistsiz</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=digital-city-124-dan-arrives-late-to-the-studio-and-our-show-literally-goes-down-the-toilet</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Puma Phone review: Sporty and solar-powered]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=puma-phone-review-sporty-and-solar-powered</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=puma-phone-review-sporty-and-solar-powered</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dabenitezb</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=puma-phone-review-sporty-and-solar-powered</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)When a phone can grab attention at the hand-set frenzy that it is Mobile World Congress, you know it must be pretty special. And last year, at least, that's what's happened with the Puma Phone. Though it competed with flashy Andorid smartphones from HTC Samsung and Sony Ericsson, most everyone we talked to managed to find time to get a peek at the hand set.So what's so special you ask For starters, it has an appealing design that shows a bit of style (if you love the color red, you'll adore the Puma Phone). It also offers a solar panel for powering the battery, a collection of quirky sports-themed apps, and an animated Cougar named Dylan. Yes, we're serious. You may call the Puma Phone gimmicky, but we think it succeeds since it pretends to be nothing else than what it really is. From the start, Puma has sold the device as a fun gadget that offers a unique and staisfying user experience. And when you evaluate the hand set on those claims alone, the Puma Phone performs well. We'd change a few things, sure, but this is a hand set you just want to like.For the full story, read our Puma Phone review.Puma Phone (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[ComScore: Verizon iPhone was top phone in Feb.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=comscore-verizon-iphone-was-top-phone-in-feb-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=comscore-verizon-iphone-was-top-phone-in-feb-</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ttwotimeso</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=comscore-verizon-iphone-was-top-phone-in-feb-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Verizon iPhone was the hottest phone in February, according to ComScore.(Credit:Bonnie Cha/CNET)A new report from analyst ComScore says that theVerizoniPhone was the &quot;most acquired&quot; handset during the month of February. ComScore's sampling, which consisted of more than 30,000 U.S. mobile subscribers, notes that the surge of handset buyers responding to the phone's launch earlier this year helped give Apple the strongest gain of market share in the OEM category. That gain amounts to an additional 0.9 percent between November 2010 and the end of February 2011.Nonetheless, Apple remains below competitors at 7.5 percent overall in terms of OEM market share. Leading the way is Samsung at 24.8 percent, followed by LG at 20.9 percent, Motorola at 16.1 percent, and Research in Motion at 8.6 percent. Breaking down the platforms running on those devices, ComScore has Google's Android topping the charts at 33 percent, growing an impressive 7 percent in that three-month period. Google is trailed by RIM at 28.9 percent, which ComScore says dropped 4.6 percent. Coming in at third place is Apple at 25.2 percent, gaining 0.2 percent. Both Microsoft and Palm saw drops of just more than 1 percent, bringing Microsoft down to 7.7 percent and Palm at 2.8 percent. One other tidbit from the report notes that users are increasingly accessing social-networking sites, downloading apps, and using their phones' Web browsers, with gains in all three of those categories topping 3 percent. The firm also says that 68.8 percent of U.S. mobile subscribers text message with their phones, which was up just 1.7 percent compared to November's numbers.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[White House pushes for online privacy bill of rights]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-house-pushes-for-online-privacy-bill-of-rights</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-house-pushes-for-online-privacy-bill-of-rights</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>danitarosd</dc:creator>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-house-pushes-for-online-privacy-bill-of-rights</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The White House is urging Congress to enact a new &quot;privacy bill of rights&quot; that would provide clearer guidelines to online users and businesses about the collecting of personal information over the Internet.Speaking in Washington yesterday at a special hearing devoted to online consumer privacy, Assistant Commerce Secretary Lawrence Strickling acknowledged that the ability to store information about customers helps make online companies more efficient. But he said that consumers are growing increasingly uneasy about how their personal information is being collected and used.With the lengthy privacy policies now offered by Web sites proving confusing and ineffective, Strickling said that a new &quot;consumer privacy bill of rights&quot; is needed. Based on responses from consumer groups and industry members to the Commerce Department's Green Paper, which offered a set of initial recommendations, such a bill would aim to protect the privacy of individual consumers without stifling innovation from online companies.The protections in the bill itself would be legally enforceable, according to Strickling, but still flexible enough to adapt to new technologies. He added that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) should be given the authority to enforce that bill and that the White House would work with other countries and trading partners to ensure that the protections would be consistent across different borders.&quot;Working together with Congress, the FTC, the Executive Office of the President, and other stakeholders, I am confident in our ability to provide consumers with meaningful privacy protections in the Internet economy, backed by effective enforcement, that can adapt to changes in technology, market conditions, and consumer expectations,&quot; Strickling said.Strickling also called for a federal law to alert consumers in the event of a data breach that would expose their personal information. Such a law would be intended to set the same standards across the country, clear up inconsistent state laws, and give state authorities the ability to enforce it.Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D.-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which held the hearing, also urged Congress to act.&quot;Congress can no longer sit on the sidelines,&quot; Rockefeller said. &quot;There is an online privacy war going on, and without help, consumers will lose. We must act to give Americans the basic online privacy protections they deserve.&quot;Yesterday's hearing was the second in an ongoing series looking at how information is captured and stored by online businesses and advertisers and what Congress can and should do to better protect U.S. Internet users.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple randomizing Web order numbers to veil iPad 2 sales]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-randomizing-web-order-numbers-to-veil-ipad-2-sales</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-randomizing-web-order-numbers-to-veil-ipad-2-sales</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:11:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kukpasafvasq</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-randomizing-web-order-numbers-to-veil-ipad-2-sales</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)Since Apple has still not announced how manyiPad 2s it's sold since the device went on sale last Friday, analysts and onlookers alike have tried to scrap together numbers from line counts, anecdotal stock reports, and order numbers.That last part of the strategy may no longer work, however. Citing sources familiar with Apple's ordering system, Apple Insider reports that Apple has tweaked its Web ordering tools to randomize order numbers so that users can't figure out how many units the company has moved between two different points in time.During the first iPad launch, forum users on Investor Village's AAPL Sanity Board shared Web order numbers with one another and put them into a spreadsheet, eventually discovering that they were in a specific order. Putting them in line and with time codes, the group was able to determine that Apple was selling around 25,000 per hour, well ahead of company's official announcement a day and a half later. Along with the randomization claim, Apple Insider says Apple's early opening at its retail stores yesterday to cope with long lines was actually using stock delivered the day before. That move, the blog's source says, was to keep mistakes from being made in the rush to get freshly-delivered iPad 2 units to buyers. So far analysts have estimated that on its first day of iPad 2 sales, Apple sold to frenzied buyers anywhere from half a million of the devices, all the way to 1 million, compared to the 300,000 it sold on the first day of sales for the first-generation iPad. Last year the company revealed its first day sales just two days after the device went on sale.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ask Maggie: On Wi-Fi-only vs. Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 2]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-wi-fi-only-vs--wi-fi--3g-ipad-2</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-wi-fi-only-vs--wi-fi--3g-ipad-2</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>uckabriakmt</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-wi-fi-only-vs--wi-fi--3g-ipad-2</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As new smartphones andtablets come on the scene and as operators tweak service plans with new pricing, it's getting harder to figure out how to get the most bang for your buck.In this week's Ask Maggie column, I try to help readers figure this out. I offer some advice on whether one reader should splurge on the 3G-enablediPad 2 or save $130 with the Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 and use hisiPhone 4 tethering plan. I also help another reader, who damaged her iPhone 3GS, figure out if she should upgrade now or wait for the iPhone 5. And finally, I offer some insight to another reader on when I think Verizon Wireless will finally start selling its LTE 4G smartphones. Ask Maggie is a weekly advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. If you've got a question, please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put &quot;Ask Maggie&quot; in the subject header. Wi-Fi-only iPad 2 or Wi-Fi + 3G iPad 2 Dear Maggie,Thanks for answering questions about the iPad 2 last week. I held off on the first generation iPad, and although the iPad 2 doesn't have all the improvements I had hoped for, I'm going to take the plunge. Rather than getting a 3G version and separate data plan, I'm considering getting the Wi-Fi only version (saving $130), and using my phone as a hot spot for the iPad when I need 3G access. It seems like the data will be cheaper, at least on Verizon, since the hot spot access will be $20 for 2GB, while the tablet 3G access is $20 for 1GB. What pros and cons do you see with this optionThanks,Mike Dear Mike,The short answer to your question is that if you already own an iPhone 4, subscribing to the hot spot feature is more cost-effective than buying a 3G version of the iPad 2.As you noted in your question, the 3G version of the iPad 2 on both AT&amp;amp'T and Verizon Wireless is $130 more than the Wi-Fi only iPad 2. So this means you'd pay $629 for a 16GB 3G-enabled iPad 2 versus $500 for a 16GB version of the iPad. Because the price difference between the 3G iPad 2 and Wi-Fi only iPad 2 is so significant, I'd recommend getting the 3G version only if you really think you'll use the 3G service. Neither AT&amp;amp'T nor Verizon requires a contract for the 3G data service. You can activate it and cancel it anytime without a penalty. But it just seems like a lot of money to spend for a feature you might or might not use, especially if you plan to use your iPad mostly at home or in the office where you already have Wi-Fi. (There was a rumor that AT&amp;amp'T had dropped the pricing of the iPad 2 with 3G by $100, making the difference between the 3G version and the Wi-Fi only version about $30. And that would have definitely changed my advice. But CNET confirmed that the rumor isn't true. AT&amp;amp'T's advertisement was for the original iPad, which Apple had previously announced would be discounted $100.)Aside from the $130 premium you're paying for the 3G radio in the iPad 2, AT&amp;amp'T and Verizon also aren't making it terribly attractive to subscribe to the iPad data service if you've already got a phone that can create a Wi-Fi hot spot.In fact, AT&amp;amp'T has made it $5 cheaper a month for customers who already have an AT&amp;amp'T iPhone 4 to use the Wi-Fi hot spot feature to connect their iPad to the Net . AT&amp;amp'T's tethering fee or hot spot fee is $20 a month in addition to the $25 smartphone data fee. Previously, AT&amp;amp'T limited subscribers to 2GB worth of data for both iPhone data and tethering for the combined price of $45. Recently, AT&amp;amp'T announced that it would increase the capacity to 4GB of data per month for Wi-Fi hot-spot-enabled smartphones.In short, you can pay $45 a month to connect a Wi-Fi only iPad 2 to the Net via the iPhone hot spot feature and get 4GB of data per month. Or you can pay $50 a month--$25 for 2GB of service for the iPhone 4 and $25 a month for 2GB of service for the iPad 2 with 3G service.AT&amp;amp'T iPad data plans: 250MB for $15 a month2GB for $25 a month AT&amp;amp'T 4G Wi-Fi hot spot: $20 for tethering plus $25 2GB data plan= $50 for 4GB of dataMeanwhile, Verizon is actually giving consumers half as much data per month through its 3G iPad service compared with what it offers customers who subscribe to the iPhone 4 hot spot feature and use that to connect their iPad to the Internet.  Verizon iPad data plans:1GB for $20 a month3GB for $35 a month5GB for $50 a month10GB for $80 a month Verizon hot spot service for iPhone 4 and other smartphones:2GB for $20 a monthOf course, the benefit of having the 3G enabled iPad is that you don't need to have your iPhone with you. And if you're using the 3G-enabled iPad from AT&amp;amp'T, you can take the SIM card out and pop in a SIM card from another GSM carrier to get 3G service when you're traveling overseas. But if ubiquitous network access isn't a priority, I'd stick with the Wi-Fi only version and pay for tethering if you really want the coverage of a cellular network. Waiting for Verizon's 4G smartphones  Dear Maggie,I love your coverage of mobile technology and look forward to reading each new installment. I have a question about Verizon and its mythical 4G phones...as in, when are they finally going to be available! OK, that's probably a bit harsh, but I'm hoping you have some insight. It strikes me as though Verizon blew its 4G launch. I know why they chose to roll out the network in 2010 (presumably for bragging rights), but did they really gain that much of an edge if they still don't have any phones for the network Are there really that many people using air cards to currently take advantage of the new network I've been due for an upgrade for several months and have been trying to wait for the arrival of the 4G phones, but the lack of news is frustrating and I'm getting antsy. Any word on what has delayed the launch of the 4G phones Or, better yet, when we'll finally see them Does any of this have to do with the timing of the Verizon iPhone launch Regards,NicoleDear Nicole,First of all, you make some really good points. AT&amp;amp'T is expected to launch its LTE network this summer. And if it has LTE smartphones when its network launches, Verizon may not have much of a lead.  Unfortunately, I can't give you a specific release date for any of Verizon's 4G smartphones. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Verizon said all four phones it introduced would be available by the middle of 2011.  Initially, we expected the HTC Thunderbolt to be available at the end of February or in early March. Many people expected the Samsung SCH-i510 to follow later in March, followed by the LG Revolution in early April. And finally the Droid Bionic from Motorola was expected in early summer, possibly around June. But it's already the second week of March, and there's still no word from Verizon on the release dates for any of the devices. The company is keeping mum about when to expect these devices or even whether there is an actual delay. But you're not the only one who's wondering where these phones are.  Wall Street analysts are wondering too. Verizon CTO Tony Melone spoke at the Credit Suisse investor conference earlier this week and answered this very question. According to a transcript of the event, he seemed to downplay the delay. He said most experts didn't believe Verizon would be able to deliver LTE handsets in 2011 at all. But he said, Verizon does expect to fulfill its promise to sell LTE handsets by the end of the first half of this year. &quot;First half of the year is what we promised' first half of the year is still on track. So we don't believe there's any new or surprising issues. I think what we're facing is what you would expect, and that is a new technology. [We] are working through issues. And we anticipated that, and we are pleased at how we are working through issues. And as I said, you are going to see LTE smartphones on the network as promised, before the first half--before the second half of the year, by the end of the second quarter.&quot; Based on his comments, I'd guess Verizon won't introduce these phones until the end of the second quarter, which is the end of June. Also, I doubt that the Verizon iPhone launch has delayed the release of these phones. Given Melone's comments, I suspect that the delay has more to do with making sure the phones and the network are ready. So in short, I'd look for at least one of these phones--most likely the HTC Thunderbolt--to hit store shelves in June. And hopefully, the other three LTE 4G smartphones that were announced at CES won't be far behind. To upgrade an iPhone now or wait Dear Maggie,I have a quick question for you on the iPhone. I dropped my iPhone 3GS last night and cracked the screen. I am due for an upgrade, and I was going to just order the iPhone 4, but I wasn't sure if I should hold on and wait until the iPhone 5 comes out. In the meantime, I could just get the 3GS again for $50. What do you think Have you heard any rumors about when the iPhone 5 will come out, and whether it will be much different from the iPhone 4  Any insight you have would be great!Lisa Dear Lisa,Based on Apple's history of releasing the iPhone, I'm 99 percent certain there will be a new AT&amp;amp'T model of the iPhone in June. (I'm less certain that Verizon will also get a new iPhone in June or July.)  I can't say for certain what the new features will be. There's a chance that the iPhone 5 won't be too different from the iPhone 4. For example, it may have many of the same bells and whistles, such as a front-facing camera and retina display. But its guts could be different, such as a new network chip that would allow the iPhone 5 to operate over AT&amp;amp'T's faster HSPA+ network instead of its slower 3G network, which is based on an older implementation of HSPA. (AT&amp;amp'T is now calling HSPA+ &quot;4G.&quot; I don't think the iPhone 5 will operate over an LTE network.) Suffice it to say, there will be changes to the next iPhone, and whether those changes are enough to get people to upgrade from the iPhone 4 is really an individual matter.  So what should you do The way I see it, you have four options:  Apple typically releases a new iPhone every June or early July. So you could muddle through with a cracked screen on your iPhone 3GS for the next few months until the iPhone 5 comes out. In fact, you may even be able to find someone to replace the screen for you for a relatively inexpensive price. It's already mid- March, so you might want to suck it up.You could use your upgrade and buy a subsidized iPhone 4. This will cost you $200 and it will start the clock ticking on a new contract. But given that Apple products have very strong resale value, you could sell your slightly used iPhone 4 when the new iPhone 5 comes out in a few months. Then you could use the cash to pay the unsubsidized price of the iPhone 5. You could keep your upgrade and buy a used iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS. When the iPhone 5 comes out, if you decide you need to have it, you could sell the &quot;temporary&quot; iPhone, and use your AT&amp;amp'T upgrade to get the new iPhone. And finally, as you suggested in your question, you could get the $49 iPhone 3GS from AT&amp;amp'T. But keep in mind, you only get this fantastic price if you sign a new two-year contract. I'm not a big fan of this last option, because it locks you into a contract with a phone that is two-generations old. There are a couple of problems with this. For one, you may not be able to use certain applications that require features of later generation products. And second, future iOS upgrades may not be compatible or may even cause problems with the 3GS. So you're better off going with a new product to make sure you can take advantage of all Apple's OS innovations. If you decide to upgrade to the iPhone 5 in a couple of months, you'll have to pay full price for it. You could try to sell the iPhone 3GS, but this might be tricky given that it will be two generations behind the latest iPhone. So you'd probably be less likely to cover the cost of the full price iPhone 5 by selling the iPhone 3GS.  So the bottom line is this: the iPhone 3GS is a steal at $49, but it may cost you in the long run. So you may want to consider one of the other three options I suggested.  Good luck! <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Onboard the Startup Bus, let's bounce]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=onboard-the-startup-bus-lets-bounce</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=onboard-the-startup-bus-lets-bounce</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Enladavoill</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=onboard-the-startup-bus-lets-bounce</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Members of Bouncr sit on the ground outside the Santa Monica, Calif., co-working space Coloft, where the Startup Bus stopped yesterday afternoon. (Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)PALM SPRINGS, Calif.--If I've learned one thing during my first, long, day on the Startup Bus yesterday, it's that in a rapid prototyping environment, it's all about &quot;MVP.&quot;For those who think that's a sports term, it isn't. At least not in this context. Here, riding through dry California lowlands at 60 miles per hour on a bus packed with a couple dozen hard-core tech entrepreneurs, it means just one thing: minimum viable product.I'm on one of two Startup Bus coaches that left San Francisco early yesterday bound for the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival in Austin, Texas. All told, six buses full of so-called &quot;buspreneurs&quot; are heading towards the Texas capital, including one each from New York, Chicago, Miami, and Cleveland. And all six are filled with teams of techies who want to come up with the best start-up pitch they can craft between their starting point and Austin. To them, especially before we've even stopped for our first night on the road, MVP is what it's all about.Even if MVP occasionally makes you wince at what you've built.&quot;If you're not embarrassed by your first release,&quot; said Jay Stakelon, a member of Team Bouncr, &quot;you're not releasing early enough.&quot;A version of the Bouncr Web site that the team built in less than a day Tuesday aboard the Startup Bus.(Credit:Bouncr)There are six teams onboard my bus, but I've spent the bulk of the first day shadowing Bouncr. This team of six--including Stakelon, Max Mullen, Adam Burmister, Diana Mounter, Mischa Nachtigal, and Jason Katzer--is trying to build a start-up that began around the idea of a &quot;bit.ly for e-mail addresses.&quot; On the one hand, as they first thought about it, their product would provide an auto-generated e-mail address that could be useful in trying to craft 140 character tweets, and on the other, the team thinks it may have a solution to the problem of providing throw-away e-mail addresses for Web service sign-ups or to people you don't really want to hear from: It's the e-mail address you give the annoying job seeker or guy in the bar who won't leave you alone. When they write you and you don't want to hear from them, the click of a button--maybe it says &quot;Let's bounce,&quot; or &quot;bounce me,&quot; a polite &quot;nothing to see here&quot; sort of response is automatically sent back. &quot;Shorten, share, and protect your e-mail address&quot; is the team's tagline.Throughout the day, the Bouncr crew has, like all the others on the six buses, been building its idea up from scratch. These are, after all, people who for the most part met for the first time in the last 36 hours. And while they're a long way from landing a round of venture funding from Kleiner, Perkins, the six have already crossed a significant milestone: they've struck their first deal.Toward the end of the day last night, the team was busy pitching Philip Fierlinger, who hails from New Zealand's Xero, a major Startup Bus sponsor, on plunking down some advertising dollars. Leading the pitch was Katzer, who was enthusiastically pointing out to Fierlinger that Bouncr had already had well over 1,000 visits to its Web site--in one day--and that more than 10 percent of those people had signed up. Katzer was jockeying hard to score a $100 advertising buy.At first, Fierlinger was dismissive, saying that Xero had already put down all the money it could on the Startup Bus. But Katzer wouldn't let go, nor would his teammate Mullen, who carefully explained all the ways that Bouncr &quot;touches&quot; a user: upon initial sign-up' at registration confirmation' when blocking an e-mail or user' and any time a user visits the management tool. With this new insight into Bouncr's idea--and both a newfound sense of respect for the Bouncr team and that the product might very well align nicely with Xero's online accounting software--Fierlinger is won over for an ad buy of at least $100, and maybe more. There's a handshake. And then Mullen belted out, &quot;Bouncr is profitable!&quot;'What's the point of the service' Since laws governing how many hours a bus driver can work meant that we had to find a place to stop by 10 p.m., we quietly rolled into a Palm Springs Travelodge that advertises itself as &quot;brand new and affordably hip&quot;--though, surprise, surprise, it's neither--in the dark. I had dreams of some last work, and then a (more or less) decent night's sleep.But then there was a knock and the door, and there was Mullen, inviting me to come and sit in on a team meeting where they'd be going over &quot;user stories.&quot;This wasn't about testimonials. It was a discussion of the many different potential Bouncr use cases, and features they were considering. What if, they pondered, someone sent a Bouncr e-mail with attachments--should the service forward the attachment or host it and send a link A brief discussion ended with a consensus that Bouncr should behave like e-mail normally does, and not force users to adapt to something new. So, it should forward any attachments.What happens, it was asked, if someone submitted a Bouncr e-mail address for conversion to a Bouncer e-mail address More discussion, and an agreement that the system should be set to automatically refuse to accept addresses from its own domain.One particularly important topic of discussion was whether Bouncr would really offer most users utility as a shortening service. After all, bouncr.com is a longer domain than, say, gmail.com. Mullen said, however, that he had put in a request for boun.cr, a Costa Rican URL that was available, but would require approval. If accepted, it would offer the team a three-character advantage over the .com.Another question was whether users would be able to request custom Bouncr addresses, or if they'd have to accept what was autogenerated. Clearly, it was decided, custom addresses were essential--but not something that should be included in the list of features the team would be focusing on in the two days before arrival in Austin.Indeed, much of the evening meeting centered around &quot;above the line&quot; and &quot;below the line&quot; features, meaning those that were high priority, and those that could be put off into the future. Energetic and enthusiastic, Stakelon, a dead-ringer for Foursquare co-founder Dennis Crowley, nonetheless was clearly the pragmatic voice of reason in the room, constantly expressing passion for ideas while also declaring them &quot;below the line.&quot;Bouncr members Max Mullen (second from right) and Mischa Nachtigal (right) interview people on the street about the product their team is building.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)With some features being called into question, including whether Bouncr even makes sense as an e-mail address shortening service, Mounter got existential. &quot;Now, what's the whole point of the service,&quot; she asked.A question like that could bring everything crashing down, but the Bouncr team seems a lot more confident than that. Indeed, though I haven't spent as much time with any of the other teams as I have with this group, I've gotten the feeling that these six people are particularly cohesive. Whether crammed into the seats at tiny tables onboard the bus--seemingly the same kind of Bauer Limousine coach that ferries hundreds of Google employees to work from San Francisco every day--or sitting on the floor of Coloft, the Santa Monica, Calif, co-working space we spent the afternoon at yesterday, or working on two queen beds at the Travelodge, the team always seems loose, easygoing, and on task. It's not that the other teams are rife with conflict--far from it: One thing about my Startup Bus experience that has surprised me is how little tension there is. But there certainly is some, and at least one team has more or less had to abandon its original idea after a day of disagreements over direction and, finally, the defection of a teammate.With Bouncr, even disagreements seem more like constructive discussion, and an important point like Mounter's is taken at face value and considered soberly. As the team tries to work out whether Bouncr offers real utility to enterprises, and ponders whether its goal of &quot;adding intelligence to e-mail&quot; is valid, or even possible, the reaction is that &quot;the fact that we're having this conversation is important because we are coming up with solutions.&quot;But there might even be a bit of hubris on display.At one point, the team is talking about how well they work together. And Nachtigal, who works for Twitter, looked up and said, &quot;We may not have the best idea [on the bus] but we can execute the best.&quot;Whether that's true or not, Bouncr is certainly being seen as promising by the Startup Bus community. In a virtual stock market game (note: the link gives me a referral boost in the game) that is being run in conjunction with the project--in which anyone can &quot;bet&quot; on the stocks of the various teams--Bouncr's stock price has been one of the top gainers. Above the line Though everyone on the bus is tired from lack of sleep, the Bouncr team continued to work late into the night despite our planned 7 a.m. PT departure this morning. But finally, Stakelon hit his wall, threw his bag over his shoulder and announced he was heading for bed.For Mounter, this was a clear opportunity.&quot;Now that Jay's gone,&quot; she said, pausing for effect, &quot;let's move everything above the line.&quot;Stay tuned for more CNET coverage of the Startup Bus.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Apple asking labels for unlimited music downloads]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-asking-labels-for-unlimited-music-downloads</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-asking-labels-for-unlimited-music-downloads</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ingmarbug02</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-apple-asking-labels-for-unlimited-music-downloads</guid>
<description><![CDATA[iTunes everywhere(Credit:Apple)Apple is reportedly in talks with music labels to give its customers unlimited downloads of music they've purchased.Citing &quot;people with knowledge of the plans,&quot; Bloomberg reported today that if an agreement is reached, people would have access to purchased music from all of the devices associated with their iTunes account. If the deal goes through, customers would basically be given access to an online backup of the music purchased through their iTunes membership.Companies reportedly in talks with Apple include Universal Music, Sony, Warner Music, and EMI.The report from Bloomberg echoes earlier ones that Apple would allow people to store more of their content online, transforming MobileMe into more of a storage locker and making people's content more accessible.Bloomberg speculates that the move by Apple and the music labels would also be a way to offset the growing popularity of online services like Pandora.Music isn't the only media Apple wants to put in the cloud. Last year, sources in the film industry told CNET that Apple executives discussed building a cloud service for content, including video.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[EPA approves new air conditioning refrigerant]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=epa-approves-new-air-conditioning-refrigerant</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=epa-approves-new-air-conditioning-refrigerant</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>garretkrgr</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=epa-approves-new-air-conditioning-refrigerant</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Automotive air conditioning of the future will not be the environmental blight it has been in the past. The EPA on Monday announced it has approved the refrigerant HFO-1234yf for use in vehicles.Designed by Honeywell and DuPont, HFO-1234yf has a global warming potential that is 99.7 percent less than the current chemical (HFC-134a) used in mostcar air conditioners.General Motors last summer announced it planned to use HFO-1234yf in 2013 models pending final approval.GM will be joined by other automakers eligible to receive greenhouse-gas emission credits for 2012-2016 models by adopting eco-friendly refrigerant, thanks to new laws passed last year.Over the next few years, HFO-1234yf will become the new standard for U.S. automakers' the refrigerant has also been approved for use in Europe and Japan. The change will be better for the environment, the EPA said.Prior to the use of HFC-134a, car air conditioners generally used CFC-12, which the EPA calls &quot;a potent greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance.&quot;&quot;This new chemical helps fight climate change and ozone depletion,&quot; said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. &quot;It is homegrown innovative solutions like this that save lives and strengthen our economy.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[AT&T ShopAlerts texts location-based promos]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-shopalerts-texts-location-based-promos</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-shopalerts-texts-location-based-promos</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zanlalaana</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-shopalerts-texts-location-based-promos</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AT&amp;T has launched a new service that will send customers texts promoting special deals whenever they're near certain stores.Teaming up with mobile marketer Placecast to deliver the new ShopAlerts service, AT&amp;T says it's the first mobile provider to offer a location-based marketing program designed for mobile consumers.AT&amp;T subscribers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco who sign up for ShopAlerts will get text messages describing special offers, rewards, coupons, and other promotions at nearby participating stores. AT&amp;T said that so far it's signed up Hewlett Packard, Kmart, JetBlue, SC Johnson, Kibbles 'n Bits, Nature's Recipe, and the National Milk Mustache &quot;got milk&quot; Campaign as the initial sponsors to send out their text-based promotions.Describing the service as a &quot;geo-fence,&quot; AT&amp;T said that it will create a virtual area around a specific store, event, or other area in which consumers can receive location-specific promotions. The messages will also include weather forecasts, traffic reports, and details on local shopping areas to help grab people.As a couple of examples cited by The New York Times, S. C. Johnson will create a geo-fence around Target stores to text shoppers with discounts on its products, while JetBlue is launching a location-based promotion next month at certain airports to help its TrueBlue members earn extra reward points.Working through its Advanced Ad Solutions group, AT&amp;T is bringing its large base of customers and a relationship with advertisers to the table, while Placecast is kicking in the location-based technology.&quot;Placecast is excited to work with AT&amp;T to deliver a new generation of opt-in marketing services focused on delivering relevant messages to consumers when they are in a mindset to make a purchase,&quot; Placecast CEO Alistair Goodman said in a statement. &quot;Retailers and subscribers alike benefit from messages with tailored offers available nearby, based on their trusted relationship with AT&amp;T.&quot;Opting into ShopAlerts is free, and people can opt out at anytime. AT&amp;amp'T is promising that customers will receive only the promotions from the advertisers involved in the program, and that the advertisers won't have direct access to subscribers' mobile phone numbers.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[FaceTime for Mac out of beta]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facetime-for-mac-out-of-beta</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facetime-for-mac-out-of-beta</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>escoriana</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=facetime-for-mac-out-of-beta</guid>
<description><![CDATA[FaceTime for Mac is out.(Credit:Apple)Mac owners can now download FaceTime for video chats with friends.Apple said today that FaceTime for Mac is available in its Mac App Store for 99 cents. With the help of the app, those usingMac OS X Snow Leopard can engage in video chats with people using the FaceTime app on theiPhone 4, the latestiPod Touch, and other Macs. Apple first announced FaceTime for Mac back in October. At the time, the software was in beta. As of today, it is officially out of beta. FaceTime for Mac lets people see video in standard definition or in HD up to 720p resolution. If someone calls a person on the Mac, the computer rings, regardless of whether FaceTime is running or not. In addition, if an Apple account is linked to multiple installations of FaceTime, calls ring on all the computers running the software. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[W3C: Microsoft anti-tracking idea worth exploring]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>reuckbugsabah</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3c-microsoft-anti-tracking-idea-worth-exploring</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Microsoft)The World Wide Web Consortium has approved and published a new browser privacy feature from Microsoft, according to a new IE blog post, opening up for discussion and debate whether the feature should become a Web standard.Found in the recent release candidate of Internet Explorer 9, Microsoft's new Tracking Protection Lists offer IE users a type of &quot;do not track&quot; feature to help them block advertisers and Web sites from tracking and capturing certain data. The feature works via lists of Web site domains that are downloaded to the browser. If a domain name is on the list, the browser will &quot;call&quot; that site only if the user visits it directly, thereby controlling the information that can be collected by third-party sites.Responsible for defining Web standards, including those for the nascent HTML5, the W3C has of late been turning its attention to the area of online privacy and sees Microsoft's proposal as &quot;both timely and well-aligned&quot; with its own goals and priorities.With online privacy such a hot-button issue, other parties have naturally been getting into the act as well.The Federal Trade Commission has been calling for a &quot;do not track&quot; option for browser users. Google recently added a new extension to Chrome to help people opt out of online ads, while Mozilla has implemented a type of blocking feature in its latest beta build of Firefox 4.Though such &quot;do not track&quot; features offer clear benefits to consumers and Internet users, online advertisers and other third parties have naturally expressed some concerns. As such, the W3C will open the floor for a variety of different players to chime in on Microsoft's proposed solution.&quot;We expect to engage a broad set of stakeholders, including implementers from the mobile and desktop space' large and small content delivery providers' advertisement networks' search engines' policy and privacy experts' experts in consumer protection' and developers and operators of Services on the Web that make use of consumer tracking,&quot; the consortium said.Moving forward, the W3C added that it will host a workshop at Princeton University on April 28 and 29 to determine the level of support for the proposed feature, with an official announcement expected in early March.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Smartphones of Mobile World Congress 2011]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphones-of-mobile-world-congress-2011</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphones-of-mobile-world-congress-2011</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>fferdolage</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphones-of-mobile-world-congress-2011</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is one of the most highly talked about phones at Mobile World Congress 2011(Credit:Kent German/CNET)Despite the Nokia and Microsoft headlines at the start of the show, this year's Mobile World Congress was definitely dominated by Android. Most of the 15 or so smartphones that were announced in Barcelona, Spain, sported either 2.2 Froyo or 2.3 Gingerbread, which is music to our ears. Here's a list of all of the smartphones that were announced at Mobile World Congress 2011.LG Optimus 3D: Yes, it's 3D on a phone! While we're not sure if it's for everyone, it's certainly an impressive leap in the mobile space. Samsung Galaxy S II: Samsung continues its Galaxy S series with the superfast and shiny Samsung Galaxy S II.Sony Ericsson Xperia Play: Sure we had our misgivings about its Super Bowl ad, but the Xperia Play does look like a decent phone. But will it be the true &quot;PlayStation Phone&quot; that people might be expecting We'll see.Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo: Sony Ericsson released other smartphones too, like the Neo with the 3.7-inch touch screen.Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro: This is the Neo with a slide-out keyboard.ZTE Skate: ZTE releases its first &quot;jumbo phone&quot; with a 4.3-inch display, but it only has an 800MHz processor and a 5-megapixel camera.ZTE Amigo: ZTE also announced a couple of other Android phones. The Amigo has a slide-out keyboard and a 3.2-megapixel camera.ZTE Blade: The ZTE Blade does not have a keyboard, but just a 3.5-inch touch screen. It does run Android 2.1, but ZTE promises it is upgradeable to 2.2. Huawei Ideos X3: Huawei gets in on the Android action too with the Ideos X3, which promises to run on 2.3 Gingerbread.HTC Incredible S: The HTC Incredible S gets an update with the HTC Sense interface. It also has an 8-megapixel camera on the back plus a front-facing camera.HTC Wildfire S: The Wildfire S gets HTC Sense too, though it only has a 5-megapixel camera.The HTC ChaCha is one of HTC&amp;39's new &amp;34'Facebook phones&amp;34' announced in Barcelona.(Credit:HTC)HTC Desire S: You guessed it, the HTC Desire S gets the Sense UI as well. It has a body similar to the HTC Legend and has a 1Ghz Snapdragon processor.HTC ChaCha: One of two &quot;Facebook phones&quot; that were announced in Barcelona. The ChaCha has a full QWERTY keyboard.HTC Salsa: The HTC Salsa is the other so-called Facebook phone, but it has no keyboard. It does have a 3.4-inch touch screen.Acer Iconia Smart: At 4.8 inches, the Iconia Smart is almost atablet. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Can't make the meeting Attend it remotely with free Join.me app]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cant-make-the-meeting-attend-it-remotely-with-free-join-me-app</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cant-make-the-meeting-attend-it-remotely-with-free-join-me-app</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ollietelle</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cant-make-the-meeting-attend-it-remotely-with-free-join-me-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Share another person&amp;39's desktop with the free Join.me app for iOS.(Credit:LogMeIn)You're stuck in a cross-town taxi. An important meeting is just getting under way at the office. What do you do What do you doYou can dial in, of course, but then you'll be missing out on all the visuals: slide decks, spreadsheets, and so on.Solution: fire up Join.me, a universal application that lets you connect to remote meetings or screen-sharing sessions. It's free, and nothing short of fabulous.In case you're not familiar with it, the Join.me service offers fast, hassle-free Web conferencing. Whoever is hosting the meeting merely downloads and runs a small client program, then gives attendees a link or numeric code generated by the client.What I love about the service is that attendees don't have to install anything or even so much as register. Just click the link or enter the code and presto: you see what the presenter sees.The new app version letsiPhone,iPad, andiPod Touch users join from afar, again with no registration or other hassles required. You can zoom in and out as needed (using standard pinch moves, natch), and participate in chat sessions. You even get a list of all the meeting attendees. The only real limitation is that you can't take control of a remote screen, which would be helpful if you were the meeting host wanting to share your desktop. As an iDevice user, you're limited to viewing. (If you're looking for actual remote access, check out my post on three free remote-access apps for the iPhone.) Even so, Join.me offers a simple, effective solution for attending meetings from afar--as long as those meetings are being hosted by Join.me. And you definitely can't beat the price. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Obama 2012 budget provides $8 billion for clean energy]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=obama-2012-budget-provides-8-billion-for-clean-energy</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=obama-2012-budget-provides-8-billion-for-clean-energy</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:10:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maningmatae</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=obama-2012-budget-provides-8-billion-for-clean-energy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ President Barack Obama today proposed boosting funds for clean-energy research and deployment in his 2012 budget by slashing subsidies for fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. The budget would provide the Department of Energy with $29.5 billion for fiscal year 2012, up 4.2 percent from the proposed 2011 budget, and up 12 percent from the enacted 2010 budget. Some $8 billion would support research in clean energy like wind, solar, and advanced batteries. &quot;Whomever leads in the global, clean-energy economy will also take the lead in creating high-paying, highly skilled jobs for its people,&quot; the administration said in the budget. The budget would also provide $853 million to support new nuclear energy technologies, such as small modular reactors. The White House asked for $36 billion in federal loan guarantees to help finance the building of nuclear power plants, as it did last year. The loan program already has $18 billion in authority. To help pay for the clean-energy initiatives, the White House is asking Congress to repeal $3.6 billion in oil, natural gas, and coal subsidies, a move that would total $46.2 billion over a decade. In addition, the budget cuts funding for oil and gas research and for hydrogen fuels programs. But many Republicans oppose cutting subsidies for fossil fuels, saying it would hurt industries that provide jobs while the economy is still fragile. &quot;Given the broad difference in priorities between House Republicans and the White House on energy issues, we believe that few of the proposed cuts and expansions...will become law,&quot; Whitney Stanco, an energy policy analyst at MF Global, said in a research note.Republicans, who now have control of the House of Representatives, have also proposed to cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's program to regulate greenhouse gases, saying Congress should be the one to decide whether to fight climate change, not the administration. Republicans may try to force a government shutdown if the Obama administration does not agree to its spending cuts. But analysts said a delay in EPA climate regulations led by Congress was more likely than shutting down the government over an environmental rule. The Obama budget cuts the 2012 EPA budget by about $1.3 billion or about 13 percent with reductions in a clean diesel program and in Great Lakes restoration projects. Stanco said the budget's funding for electric vehicles could be likeliest to make it into law as it could be paired with funding for natural-gas vehicles. The budget proposes $588 million for vehicle technologies, an increase of 88 percent from current levels. The budget would double the number of energy innovation hubs to six to bring scientists to work on topics like rare earth elements, energy storage, and batteries, and development of smart-grid technologies designed to make electricity transmission efficient. Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Solar combo generator heats and powers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-combo-generator-heats-and-powers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-combo-generator-heats-and-powers</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>zirenuq2n</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-combo-generator-heats-and-powers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new type of solar thermal system for homes that can provide heat, hot water, and electricity is being tested in Boulder, Colo., over the next few months.Cool Energy says its SlowFlow system could provide the average U.S. home with 80 percent of its heat, 100 of its hot water, and 60 percent of its electricity needs.It's being developed with help from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and electricity and natural gas giant Xcel Energy.The system consists of solar collectors, a Stirling engine, a hot water heater, a space heater, an insulated storage tank, and the SolarSmart Controller, a computer with networked communications.(Credit:Cool Energy)The SolarSmart Controller uses weather, ambient temperature, building temperature, and sunlight data to determine the device's most effective usefulness for a given day. If, for example, it's cold and overcast outside and its building's internal temperature is below a given desired temperature, the device would generate its effort to heating the building. On warm and sunny days, it would direct itself to generate electricity instead.But the centerpiece tech of the system, which won the 2009 Cleantech Open Sustainability Award for the Rocky Mountain region, is Cool Energy's SolarHeart engine. The proprietary Stirling engine was developed by Cool Energy to efficiently convert solar thermal energy or waste heat into electricity. When tested in the lab over a wide array of temperature and solar conditions, the device's SolarHeart engine was able to generate more than 2,000 watts of electricity, and achieve more than 16 percent efficiency for thermal-to-electrical conversion, according to Cool Energy statistics.The complete Slow Flow system minus its solar collectors, which are located on the roof of the building.(Credit:Cool Energy)A successful solar multi-use generator might allow customers to recoup their investment in the device more quickly compared to solar panels that provide electricity only. It might be especially effective in climates where homeowners need home heating oil or propane to heat their homes in winter, and electricity-guzzling air conditioners to cool their homes in summer.Of course, the field test will offer more insight on this system's true real-world capabilities. And while this is certainly an innovativegreen tech product idea, Cool Energy is not the first to use a solar-driven Stirling engine. Tessera Solar and Stirling Engine Systems have been testing a large-scale solar system that uses mirrored parabolic dishes that track the sun and heat hydrogen gas-filled pistons in a Stirling engine to generate electricity.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Cruel Esquire votes Zuckerberg among worst dressed celebs]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cruel-esquire-votes-zuckerberg-among-worst-dressed-celebs</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cruel-esquire-votes-zuckerberg-among-worst-dressed-celebs</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Celina</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cruel-esquire-votes-zuckerberg-among-worst-dressed-celebs</guid>
<description><![CDATA[They placed him alongside Nicolas Cage. They lined him up shoulder-to-shoulder with Russell Brand. With a callous twitch of their eyelinered faces, they equated him with Rush Limbaugh.Yes, those preening, greasy-maned scions of superfice at Esquire magazine have taken it upon themselves to declare Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg one of the 10 worst-dressed celebrities.Perhaps you, too, had been unaware that the young coder's biographical coda is that he is now placed among the glitterati. It may have been that movie. It may have been his appearance on &quot;Oprah.&quot; Yet now he is being judged as if his goal in life is to waft down a red carpet, arm-in-arm with a Scientologist whose face bares her commitment to cutting, scraping, and plasticated inflating. In its 2010 Celebrity Style Hall of Shame, Esquire truly dug its burgundy manicured fingernails into Zuckerberg's innocent, startled eyes. Badly dressed Surely not.(Credit:CC Andrew Feinberg/Flickr)The magazine said it had already suggested Zuckerberg as a Halloween costume. Anyone who has ever had their persona played out by another on this haunting festival (and I know someone who has) can attest that this is a lasting scar.Esquire then went on to say: &quot;No matter how much money you have or how many people's secrets you hold in your digital palm, you cannot show up to a black-tie event in a t-shirt and jeans and expect to be taken seriously. Seriously.&quot;Some might feel that such 19th century naivete is quite startling. Some might consider that these Esquire piffle-peddlers should know that Zuckerberg, should he so choose, could hack them into oblivion. They might wish to remind Esquire's writers that they are merely Zuckerberg's informational serfs and therefore they should be taking him seriously, rather than the other way around.For myself, I wish that it would have crossed Esquire's mind that a modern-day artist wishes to be judged by his art, rather than his garb.The magazine seems both oblivious and charmingly controlling, for it added: &quot;You just gave a hundred million to Newark's schools. Would it kill you to throw a couple thousand to, say, Zegna for a couple of nice suits Even Bill Gates wears a sport coat, for chrissakes.&quot;Could it be that Bill Gates wears a sport coat because he is of sport coat age Could it be that he wears a sport coat because his wife likes how he looks in a sport coat These thoughts seem not to have crossed Esquire's wafery thought process.Instead, the magazine offers this advice to others who might be following Zuckerberg's sartorial path: &quot;Even if you are the next M.Z., and your ideas will change the world as we know it, you still have to meet those angel investors face-to-face. And they'll take you more seriously if you're wearing the right kind of jacket.&quot;Oh, Esquire. Please blow your overworked noses into something silky from Hermes. For if a venture capitalist suddenly comes across a young Web entrepreneur wearing a little tight-fitting Zegna, he will immediately be suspicious. He will immediately smell inauthenticity. He will immediately wonder why someone in a start-up is blowing money on thousand-dollar threads.In the new world, you are not judged by the shininess of your clothes, your hair, your shoes, or your cheeks. Instead, you are judged by the power you hold over those who either don't know or don't care.Some might wonder why, if Zuckerberg is supposedly so badly dressed in his gray t-shirts, Apple's Steve Jobs and his quaint old Levi's avoided such criticism. Might it have had a negative effect on Esquire's no doubt picturesqueiPad app<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Mouse and keyboard control coming to Xbox 360]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mouse-and-keyboard-control-coming-to-xbox-360</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mouse-and-keyboard-control-coming-to-xbox-360</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>joeysyjeoy</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-mouse-and-keyboard-control-coming-to-xbox-360</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Penguin United)LAS VEGAS--Ask any hardened PC gamer and they'll tell you there's no better way to control a first-person shooter than a mouse-and-keyboard combination. We completely agree, and with the Eagle Eye 360 from Penguin United,Xbox 360 gamers can do just that. While the company has already had aPlayStation 3 offering that provides the same functionality, the Xbox 360 version is new forCES. The device can bind all of the Xbox 360 controller commands to mouse and keyboard buttons and store up to two key-mapping schemes. You'll need a wired Xbox 360 controller for the initial setup though it isn't required thereafter. A 13-foot USB cable connects the device to the console, which should provide ample room for any gaming environment. We're hoping to get fragging with the Eagle Eye 360 when it's available soon for $60. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: BlackBerry PlayBook (hands-on)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lawan</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-blackberry-playbook-hands-on</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[China cuts rare earth export quotas]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-cuts-rare-earth-export-quotas</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-cuts-rare-earth-export-quotas</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>gloriacooperth</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=china-cuts-rare-earth-export-quotas</guid>
<description><![CDATA[China cut its first batch of rare earth export quotas for next year by more than one-tenth, in the face of a threat by the United States to complain to the World Trade Organization over the export limits.China's Commerce Ministry allotted 14,446 metric tons of quotas to 31 companies, which was 11.4 percent less than the 16,304 metric tons it allocated to 22 companies in the first batch of 2010 quotas a year ago.The ministry said in a short statement that it had added more producer companies to the quota list, but has cut volumes allocated to trading companies for the metals, which are used in high-tech goods.The export quotas were based on export volumes from the beginning of 2008 to October 2010, it added, without giving details.China produces about 97 percent of rare earth elements, which are used worldwide in high tech, clean energy and other products that exploit their special properties for magnetism, luminescence, and strength.The decision to cut export quotas and raise tariffs has inflamed trade ties with the United States, European Union, and Japan in particular.Last week, the U.S. Trade Representative office said China had refused U.S. requests to end export restraints on rare earths that have alarmed trade partners. The U.S. representative and that Washington could complain to the WTO, which judges international trade disputes.China's Commerce Ministry has yet to respond to that threat.Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu declined to comment today when asked about it at a regular news briefing, referring the question to &quot;relevant departments.&quot; She did not elaborate.The issue will add to already strained Sino-U.S. ties, which have been battered this year by arguments over everything from Tibet and Taiwan to the value of the Chinese currency. Chinese President Hu Jintao visits the United States next month.Japan has been hard hit by the export curbs. Japanese imports of rare earths shrank further in November, reflecting the impact from China's de facto ban on shipments of the minerals which was lifted late last month.Japanese companies had complained of restrictions on shipments of the metals, vital for making auto parts and high-tech products, by Chinese customs officials following a spat over disputed islands in the East China Sea which led to a de facto suspension by Beijing on exports from late September.China is still exporting small volumes of rare earth to Japan. Analysts have suggested the de facto ban was probably because of differences in the way rare earths are categorized by each country, as well as a dribble of imports that had previously been delayed.The European Union has also expressed concern at China's limiting of rare earths' exports, though the bloc's trade commissioner said earlier this month China had reiterated that rare earth supplies would be sustained.China says its curbs are for environmental reasons and to guarantee supplies to domestic industrial consumers, but it has also insisted its dominance as a producer should give it more control over global prices.Beijing has been trying hard to impose discipline on its chaotic rare earth sector and is expected to establish a rare earth industry association by May next year, said Wang Caifeng, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, speaking at a conference today.Story Copyright (c) 2010 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[360 Panorama: iPhone 4 surfs the Web with gyroscopic support in Mobile Safari]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-panorama-iphone-4-surfs-the-web-with-gyroscopic-support-in-mobile-safari</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-panorama-iphone-4-surfs-the-web-with-gyroscopic-support-in-mobile-safari</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 08:10:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tiresandco</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=360-panorama-iphone-4-surfs-the-web-with-gyroscopic-support-in-mobile-safari</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti)App maker Occipital has provided a working demo of Apple's newly integrated gyroscope support in MobileSafari using images created by 360 Panorama, Occipital's great panoramic photography App for iOS 4.2.The site, when visited by an iOS device with a gyroscope and running iOS 4.2.1, allows users to view photographs taken with the 360 Panorama App by simply moving their device. Based on youriPhone's orientation the photograph will follow. I had to keep my iPhone fairly vertical in order for the gyroscope to read properly, but the experience was pretty fun considering I had to spin around in my chair to see the entire photograph.With Occipital's software, users can create an entire 360-degree image and share it with friends via Twitter, email, or to their Camera Roll for viewing later.According TNW Apps interviewing Occipital co-founder Vikas Reddy, 360 Panorama has been the number one photography App in Apple's App Store in the U.S. and 20 other countries, has had over 20,000 panoramas uploaded to Twitter, and is expected to reach over 800,000 panorama views by the end of December.This video shows off 360 Panorama's amazing effect: Certainly the ability to access the gyroscope in Mobile Safari will give Web developers greater depth when deciding how to utilize iPhone's unique properties as an application and game device. The 360 Panorama test is just the beginning of what is sure to be a popular trend in mobile Web development.Even in low light, 360 Panorama takes a fun photograph.(Credit:Image by Joe Aimonetti)What other applications should use the gyroscope functionality in Mobile Safari Let me know your thoughts in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[AT&T eyes 4G shift with Qualcomm spectrum deal]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-eyes-4g-shift-with-qualcomm-spectrum-deal</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-eyes-4g-shift-with-qualcomm-spectrum-deal</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>linkcxzbuildingf</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=att-eyes-4g-shift-with-qualcomm-spectrum-deal</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Getting geared up for the 4G era, AT&amp;T announced today that it has agreed to acquire 700MHz spectrum licenses from Qualcomm for $1.925 billion.Qualcomm has been using the lower 700MHz frequency band for its Flo TV service, which provides broadcast programming to mobile handsets. The service is scheduled to be shut down in March.According to the companies, Qualcomm owns 12MHz of the lower 700MHz D and E block spectrum, covering over 70 million people in several cities around the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, and Boston. AT&amp;T has also acquired Qualcomm's 6MHz of Lower 700 MHz D block spectrum, which caters to 230 million people across other areas in the U.S.With that many people covered, AT&amp;T could go a long way in asserting itself in the 4G market. The company said that the spectrum will play a key role in its 4G plans, acting &quot;as supplemental downlink, using carrier aggregation technology.&quot;The battle for prominence in the 4G space is likely to be a big story in 2011. Clearwire recently expanded its 4G service to five more markets, bringing its total to 68 markets. The offering, which is used by Sprint customers, as well as Clear customers, is available to 103 million people around the U.S.Earlier this month, Verizon launched its own 4G LTE service to 38 markets and 60 airports. Within 18 months, Verizon hopes to have the entire country covered in 4G, providing its service to over 200 million people.On the Qualcomm side, the sale to AT&amp;T might actually be good news.Although the Flo TV service didn't perform as well as it had hoped, the company at least saw a return on its investment. Qualcomm acquired its spectrum for $125 million, and soon followed that up with an additional $558 million outlay to buy more spectrum.&quot;This is a positive outcome for Qualcomm and our stakeholders,&quot; Qualcomm chairman and CEO, Paul Jacobs, said in a statement.The sale of the spectrum is subject to regulatory approval. But if all goes well, AT&amp;T expects to close the deal with Qualcomm in the second half of 2011.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[ITU blesses U.S. data networks as 4G]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itu-blesses-u-s--data-networks-as-4g</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itu-blesses-u-s--data-networks-as-4g</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winterlimmedicusdriver</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=itu-blesses-u-s--data-networks-as-4g</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For most of this year, &quot;4G&quot; has became the latest war-of-words battleground for U.S. carriers. But even as Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless rushed to outboast each other with claims of operating the best high-speed data network, the International Telecommunication Union declined to officially acknowledge their respective technologies as 4G. The carriers, of course, never acknowledged that tidbit--admittedly, &quot;not quite 4G&quot; doesn't sound as exciting--but two weeks ago the ITU decided to cut them some slack anyway. At its December 6 meeting in Geneva, the ITU, an international standards body that officially designates wireless technologies, changed its stance and gave its blessing to Verizon's LTE and Sprint's WiMax networks.&quot;It is recognized that [4G], while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed,&quot; the ITU said in a statement. An ITU spokesman in Geneva did not return calls for additional comment by the time of this writing. A carefully worded statement, to be sure, but it also means that T-Mobile's HSPA+ technology will get a 4G designation as well. Though that likely won't sit well with T-Mobile's rivals, the carrier welcomed the news today even as it issued a statement claiming it had the latest data network in 100 markets. &quot;We are pleased to see the ITU clarify its position,&quot; said Mark McDiarmid, T-Mobile's senior director for engineering and operations. &quot;The ITU is a standards-setting organization and not a marketing organization. From our perspective this won't change how we talk to our consumers. People can walk into our store or any of our 4G competitors' stores and see for themselves that the Web experience is very different from what could be done on a mobile device seven or eight years ago.&quot;Sprint spokeswoman Stephanie Vinge-Walsh told CNET she also was pleased with the news. &quot;The ITU's view on WiMAX and LTE,though only one perspective, is consistent with the prevailing views throughout the U.S. wireless industry,&quot; she said. &quot;Sprint has created a major revolution in wireless that's a generational leap from one level of technology to another.&quot;Updated on December 20 at 10:04 PT with Sprint's statement.        Kent German     Full Profile E-mail Kent German   E-mail Kent German If you have a question or comment for Kent German, you can submit it here. However, because our editors and writers receive hundreds of requests, we cannot tell you when you may receive a response.   Submit your question or comment here: 0 of 1500 characters       Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple's stock surge makes its secrets a big target]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-stock-surge-makes-its-secrets-a-big-target</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-stock-surge-makes-its-secrets-a-big-target</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:10:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Doreen93</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-stock-surge-makes-its-secrets-a-big-target</guid>
<description><![CDATA[It's no surprise that Apple secrets were so highly coveted. Check out the two-year chart.(Credit:Screenshot by Larry Dignan/ZDNet)A massive insider trading probe focused on expert networks illustrates just how valuable Apple's secrets--product road maps, new features, and forecasts--have become.Yesterday, the feds arrested four people in an insider trading probe. According to the Associated Press, the U.S. government alleges that James Fleishman, an executive at Primary Global Research, used four consultants employed by public companies to deliver confidential information. The companies were AMD, Flextronics, Dell, and TSMC. The Holy Grail for traders looking to game the system, however, were details about Apple's plans via Flextronics, a contract equipment manufacturer.The AP says a government complaint details how Primary Global Research clients were told about Apple's trade secrets including sales forecasts, newiPhone features, and a project known as K48, which became theiPad. The complaint was filed, but is sealed. There was an order to unseal the complaint on Dec. 16, according to the court's electronic filing system.Read more of &quot;Apple's stock surge makes its secrets a big target&quot; at ZDNet's Between the Lines. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPhone, Android battle for top spot on ad network]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-android-battle-for-top-spot-on-ad-network</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-android-battle-for-top-spot-on-ad-network</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>vanessarice</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-android-battle-for-top-spot-on-ad-network</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Apple and Android continue to duke it out for the top spot on Millennial Media's ad network.Each of the two competing platforms captured 38 percent of all smartphone ad impressions (how often an ad appears) in the U.S. for November, according to Millennial Media's &quot;November Mobile Mix Report.&quot; That number reflects a 1 percentage point gain in ad impressions for both Apple and Android from October's results following Android's 6 percentage point gain and Apple's 9 percentage point drop from September.BlackBerry maker Research In Motion took third place on Millennial Media's network with 19 percent of all ad impressions, leaving Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS and Nokia's Symbian each with a 2 percent share.(Credit:Millennial Media)Looking strictly at mobile-device manufacturers, Apple kept its top spot on the ad network with theiPhone,iPod Touch, andiPad collectively capturing 25 percent of all ad impressions. Grabbing 17 percent of all impressions in November, Samsung held onto second place with its mixture of feature phones and Android smartphones. Motorola took home a 15 percent share, helped by its Droid 2 and Droid X phones. And with five BlackBerry devices on Millennial Media's top 30 mobile device list, RIM won 11 percent of all ad impressions last month. Overall, smartphones accounted for 19 of the top 30 mobile devices in November.  Android mobile apps grabbed 54 percent of all ad impressions seen among apps on the Millennial Media network, averaging 10 percent monthly growth over the past four months. Apps created for Apple's iOS accounted for 38 percent. Gaming apps proved the most popular category in general, winning 28 percent of all ad impressions, with Music and Entertainment in second place with a 22 percent share. Millennial Media currently covers and tracks ads on 85 percent of all mobile devices in the United States. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The 404 727: Where we're breaking snowballs (podcast)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-404-727-where-were-breaking-snowballs-podcast</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-404-727-where-were-breaking-snowballs-podcast</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Imminkamumb</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-404-727-where-were-breaking-snowballs-podcast</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Canon camera encryption cracked]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=canon-camera-encryption-cracked</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=canon-camera-encryption-cracked</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 08:18:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>webmyne</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=canon-camera-encryption-cracked</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The triumphant moment when the Russians landed on the moon No, a doctored photo from Elcomsoft illustrating how it cracked Canon technology to detect photo tampering.(Credit:Elcomsoft)Stalin invented the iPhone One falsified image from ElcomSoft the company says fools Canon&amp;39's tamper-detection technology.(Credit:Elcomsoft)There's a new reason to take note of a Russian programmer who rose to modest fame with his detainment in the United States in 2001: his work to help crack encryption used in Canon cameras.The programmer and encryption expert is Dmitry Sklyarov, and his company, Elcomsoft, has found a vulnerability in Canon's OSK-E3 system for ensuring that photos such as those used in police evidence-gathering haven't been tampered with.The result is that the company can create doctored photos that the technology thinks are authentic. To illustrate its point, it released a few doctored photos that it says passes the Canon integrity checks.&quot;The vulnerability discovered by ElcomSoft questions the authenticity of all Canon signed photographic evidence and published photos and effectively proves the entire Canon Original Data Security system useless,&quot; the company said in a statement. Sklyarov presented the findings at the Confidence 2.0 conference last week.Canon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Sklyarov discussed his methods in a conference presentation (PDF). In it, he offered some advice on how Canon could fix the issue in future cameras. Along with the technical advice was this: &quot;Hire people who really understand security.&quot;Wait, which country gave the Statue of Liberty to the U.S. as a present Another doctored Elcomsoft image.(Credit:Elcomsoft)Sklyarov's earlier fame came when the FBI arrested him after presenting information about cracking encryption of an Adobe Systems eBook electronic book format. He was charged with criminal violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Adobe backed off from its support of the case after programmer protests, though, and Sklyarov was acquitted.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Cisco wins more Greenpeace kudos]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-wins-more-greenpeace-kudos</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-wins-more-greenpeace-kudos</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cash21</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=cisco-wins-more-greenpeace-kudos</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Greenpeace)Cisco, once again, was the leader of the pack as Greenpeace released its latest Cool IT Leaderboard on Tuesday.The environmental watchdog group named Cisco, Ericsson, and Fujitsu, respectively, as the three most environmentally responsible IT companies. Cisco received 70 out of 100 possible points, while Ericsson received 57 points and Fujitsu 52 points. Greenpeace praised Cisco for &quot;making IT climate solutions an increasingly core part of its business strategy.&quot;Cisco was in first place in the group's previous list in April, despite Google upping its public support for climate change legislation in the U.S. at the time.In this latest evaluation, Japan-based Fujitsu was particularly praised for a 12-prong proposal it made to the Japanese government in support of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as a country. The company showed strong leadership in its proposal &quot;while the rest of the Japanese IT companies remained silent,&quot; said Greenpeace.The proposal is timely since the Japanese government has been evaluating whether it will pass a series of laws that could lead to the reduction of the country's greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below what they were in 1990 by 2020.Google, which ranked fourth with 47 points, was also praised for publicly opposing Proposition 23, a proposition to suspend the law already in place that mandates emissions reductions in California. Greenpeace, in fact, gave Google the highest rating when it came to environmental advocacy with 30 points, the most any company could achieve. But Google was outranked by every other company except Oracle when it came to reducing its own energy footprint, or offering a timed plan for reducing its own emissions.Companies that did not fare as well with Greenpeace include: IBM (46 points), Intel (31 points), and Microsoft (29 points).Greenpeace deducted points from their ratings because the three companies lobbied against a European Union-proposed plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2020, according to Greenpeace. Meanwhile the group praised Sony Europe and Google for publicly supporting that same reduction proposal.The worst-ranked companies included SAP and Panasonic, each with 21 points. Oracle made its debut on the list in last place with 12 points.Officially, Greenpeace says that it evaluated the IT companies based on the three categories of solutions, energy impact, and advocacy. But those categories are then further broken down. The organization has released a comprehensive yet easy-to-read chart (see below) that shows how each category is weighted.The Greenpeace chart signals, as with the organization's previous report, that it's moved beyond simply looking at sourcing, manufacturing, and waste policies when evaluating whether a company is environmentally responsible. It's also monitoring and holding powerful companies responsible for how they wield their lobbying power with regard to government regulation and the environment.(Credit:Greenpeace)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Don't expect Spotify in U.S. this holiday season]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dont-expect-spotify-in-u-s--this-holiday-season</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dont-expect-spotify-in-u-s--this-holiday-season</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:10:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Poereelsoprip</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=dont-expect-spotify-in-u-s--this-holiday-season</guid>
<description><![CDATA[commentary Daniel Ek says he can't commit to a launch date for Spotify USA. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek(Credit:Ian Phillips-McLaren)Too late. Ek, Spotify's founder and CEO, did commit. Maybe he forgot that he and his underlings have repeatedly said the launch of a U.S. version of Spotify, a popular European music service that offers free streaming music in addition to a subscription offering, would open in the United States before the end of the year. What Ek knows and isn't saying is that Spotify will miss that deadline, just as it has missed launch dates. As of last week, Spotify had yet to sign a single licensing deal with a major label, after spending more than a year negotiating, multiple music sources told CNET. The way things are shaping up, all U.S. music fans can expect from Ek this Christmas is spin.On the surface, a missed launch deadline doesn't sound like much. We've seen only a few hundred thousand of those. But look into the company's predicament a little, and something more troubling starts to appear. Spotify is a hugely popular business, with lots of potential that it will may never fulfill. The company simply hasn't demonstrated a means to pay for the music it gives away to users--or said another way, the company's business model appears to be broken. If it's not broken, it is certainly unconvincing.The major music companies are not going to allow Spotify to jump to the United States without knowing how they are going to get compensated, and Spotify appears unable to tell them--at least to the labels' satisfaction. For that reason, the labels want Spotify to pay a premium because of the risks the company's service poses to other revenue streams, insiders say. The most important of those financial tributaries flows from Apple's iTunes. There's no doubt that Spotify's service is clever and easy to use--and that it would attract a U.S. audience. There is, however, plenty of doubt about whether enough people will pay to use it. There is also a fear in the music industry that by offering users free music streams, Spotify could cut into sales at iTunes and elsewhere. Spotify says not to worry because the company also sells subscriptions, and at a conference held by All Things Digital today, Ek said the company now has 750,000 people paying the equivalent of $13 a month to access it. The problem there is that Spotify has 10 million total users. That means that the rate at which the company is converting users of the free service to the paid service is 7.5 percent. Some music executives have said they want to see twice that amount. The labels also don't need Spotify in the U.S. Google is working on a music service, and there's no doubt which company the labels believe stands a better chance of mounting a serious challenge to Apple's dominance. The top recording companies have long hoped to see the rise of another strong digital-music outlet so the industry's dependence on Apple might be reduced. Then throw in Spotify's report that it lost $26 million in 2009 and that it spoke to Google about a possible sale, according to a report in TechCrunch. Was Ek just testing the waters, or does he lack confidence in the company's ability to generate money That kind of news is likely to give some in the music industry pause. Spotify is starting to remind me of SpiralFrog and Qtrax. Those companies were led by managers who also made lots of big promises but failed to deliver. Both services said they would help answer the music industry's piracy problem. Qtrax, which billed itself as a legal peer-to-peer service, once threw a huge party in France to celebrate a U.S. launch, but it didn't own the rights to any music. Later, the company made at least two other promises to enter the U.S., and we've yet to see it. Some pundits suggested that SpiralFrog could be an iTunes killer. The company managed only to license music from two of the four major labels and was also undermined by a plethora of management problems. It closed down last year. Neither of those companies managed to build the kind of following that Spotify has in Europe. But we've seen popular services with loads of customers fail before. Imeem had 17 million users. Lala was popular, as was Project Playlist. Not one of them ever turned a profit. It's a sad fact of life, but having lots of users doesn't always add up to profits. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google scores big federal government contract]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Aubery</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-scores-big-federal-government-contract</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Google)Google has won a major contract to provide Google Apps for an entire federal government agency.Teaming up with Unisys and two other companies, Google will deploy Google Apps for Government to all 17,000 employees and contractors at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA handles business for the entire federal government by providing real estate and building management services along with buying assistance to other agencies, according to a Google blog post.Awarding the $6.7 million contract to Google and its partners, the GSA becomes the first federal agency to migrate all its e-mail to the cloud, a move expected to help it cut costs by 50 percent over the next five years.&quot;Cloud computing has a demonstrated track record of cost savings and efficiencies,&quot; said GSA spokesman Casey Coleman in a statement. &quot;With this award, GSA employees will have a modern, robust e-mail and collaboration platform that better supports our mission and our mobile work force, and costs half as much.&quot;To fulfill the contract, Google will work with Unisys, Tempus Nova, and Acumen Solutions. Unisys will create the actual e-mail and collaboration platform based on Google Apps for Government and provide data migration and training for the new system. Tempus Nova offers tools to migrate data to Google Apps from Lotus Notes, which is currently used by the GSA, while Acumen Solutions has its own cloud-computing practice dedicated to the public sector.The competition to win the lucrative GSA contract stretched out over six months, according to Google, as the agency considered several different proposals. One key competitor was Microsoft, which expressed surprise over losing the bid in a Microsoft blog post by Tom Rizzo, senior director of Microsoft Online Services.&quot;Today, the General Services Administration made the decision to replace several different versions of IBM's Lotus Notes and Domino software with Google for its own e-mail,&quot; Rizzo wrote. &quot;While we are disappointed we will not have the opportunity to meet the GSA's internal messaging needs, we will continue to serve its productivity needs through the familiar experience ofMicrosoft Office and we look forward to understanding more about GSA's selection criteria--especially around security and architecture.&quot;In his post, Rizzo also took a few jabs at Google. He acknowledged that businesses have been talking to Google but claimed that the company often can't meet basic requirements. Citing &quot;inadequate product support, failure to provide a road map, poor interoperability with other line of business applications, and limited functionality,&quot; Rizzo said that these constraints are reasons why other public sector organizations have not chosen Google for their needs.In October, Google filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department, claiming that the agency had failed to evaluate Google Apps properly in its search for a new Web-based document system. The company alleged that the Interior Department's specification that the system be part of Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite left Google without a chance to win the bid despite attempts by the company to explain its Google Apps product.Launched this past July, Google Apps for Government offers the same cloud-based Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and other services found in Google Apps for Business. But the government edition carries with it a higher level of security as dictated by the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification, which requires regular audits and reviews of information systems used by federal agencies. The Google Apps for Government suite costs $50 per user per year.The migration to Google Apps for all GSA employees and contractors across the agency's 17 locations is scheduled to occur next year, according to Google.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The 411: Windows Phone 7 or Android]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-411-windows-phone-7-or-android</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-411-windows-phone-7-or-android</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>odobbyLoyat</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-411-windows-phone-7-or-android</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Welcome to The 411, my column answering all your questions about cell phones and cell phone accessories. I receive plenty of questions about these subjects via e-mail, so I figured many of you might have similar queries, too. At times, I might solicit answers from readers if I'm stumped. Send your questions and comments to me at nicole.lee@cnet.com. If you prefer to remain anonymous, let me know in the e-mail.I am looking to purchase a new smart phone. I have been looking at the Verizon Droid X. I have been told that Android 3 should be coming out before end of year , doubling [the] speed. (1) Is there an ETA for the Android 3 release (2) what will be the Droid X equal [by then]...or should I just bite the bullet and buy the Droid X I have a BB Storm that is driving me batty. Is the wait worth the added aggravation -- d, via emailIf you're referencing Gingerbread, I believe that's actually Android 2.3 and not 3.0 like previously rumored. We don't really know the exact date that Gingerbread will be released, but yes, we have heard it will be before the end of the year, so we think it'll be around December 2010. As for whether the Droid X will get the update, we think there's a strong possibility it might, but we expect you'll have to wait for quite awhile before Motorola gets around to releasing a version of the update that's compatible with its own software. I don't think there'll be a hardware update to the Droid X before the end of the year. If you're ready to drop your Storm however, I don't think there's a problem with getting the Droid X now, especially as prices are starting to drop due to holiday sales.I'm spending hours on the internet looking for reviews on particular AT&amp;T cell phones, and I just want to get the most for my money. I've probably narrowed it down to the Sony Xperia 10 or the Motorola Bravo if I go &quot;android&quot; but then I saw the newwindows 7 phones. If I sign a contract and am stuck with a phone for 2 years, I want to make a good decision but am not very techie. I am sticking with ATT because I am buying my son theiphone for Christmas (even though I know Verizon may have it by then too.) Am I better off with Android or Windows 7 if I'm keepin the phone for 2 years, and do you have a suggestion for which phone -- Sandi, via emailWould a Windows Phone 7 handset be more user-friendly than Android(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)This might be a controversial answer seeing asWindows Phone 7 is such a new platform, but I think you might be better off with a Windows Phone 7 handset compared to your other two choices. The Motorola Bravo is a pretty entry-level handset with Android 2.1, and the Sony Xperia X10 has an overly-complicated UI that would take longer to upgrade in the long run. Also, Windows Phone 7 devices like the Samsung Focus are pretty polished for a first-generation product -- you get a Super AMOLED screen, a 5-megapixel camera, and a user interface that's pretty easy to get around.  Bear in mind that the Windows Phone 7 platform is fairly new, so the online community support won't be as robust as Android. But Microsoft aims to be much more timely in their software updates, and for a non-techie like yourself, I think you might experience fewer headaches over time. Definitely go in a store and play around with a few of the choices before making a final decision, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with Windows Phone 7. Do you have any idea if versace will come out with a cell phone if yes, do you know when and what might be the price Will versace be with a company such as sprint, t-mobile, etc. I went to versace.com and they have a page displaying a versace cell phone. -- Raul, via email. Versace is coming out with a new Versace touch-screen phone called the Versace Unique. It was created by Modelabs, and it's definitely a luxury handset with an 18 karat gold finish and a back cover made out of hand-crafted leather. We have no idea what operating system it'll have, but something tells me it won't be a smartphone -- previous luxury handsets have typically gone the proprietary route. We definitely don't expect this to be subsidized by a carrier, so expect to shell out the big bucks if you have to have it. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[In defense of the basic phone]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-defense-of-the-basic-phone</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-defense-of-the-basic-phone</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Nov 2010 08:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ArjunSahker</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=in-defense-of-the-basic-phone</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The M360 may not be exciting, but it works.(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)Soon after I posted the news of Sprint's new Samsung M360 last week, I received a few e-mails from CNET readers wondering why such a simple phone was worthy of our attention. As reader sdf0013 put it in the comments section of the blog, the M360 news was &quot;out of place for the usually tech-savvy CNET crowd.&quot;Though I answered sdf0013's comment at the time, other readers offered similar comments after we reviewed the M360 on Wednesday. So I wanted to take this opportunity to address their concerns and defend the M360's merits.CNET's mission to our readers has always been to review every cell phone offered by the major U.S. wireless carriers. From the fanciest models to the most basic devices, we show no prejudice toward what we'll take the time to analyze. Of course, high-end smartphones and flashy messaging devices will get priority, but eventually we'll cover the entire handset lineups for T-Mobile, AT&amp;amp'T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. And don't worry if you're with a smaller carrier like MetroPCS or U.S. Cellular, as your phones will get our attention as well.I speak for all members of the cell phone reviews team--Bonnie, Nicole, Jessica, and myself--when I say that we value all our readers. We recognize that many of you are focused on the latest and greatest, but quite a few CNET readers also just want a device for making calls. Indeed, for every letter I received questioning why we'd bother to review the no-frills M360, I received another asking for our opinion on Sprint's newest phone.The pace of innovation in the cell phone world is supersonic, but even as smartphones explode in number, the basic phone hasn't been put to pasture. And there's no reason that it should. At least for the next few years, there will be a need for a straightforward, easy-to-use device that's built for communication and won't break the bank. Manufacturers may throw in a camera and a couple of other goodies, but not everyone needs a Web browser, a music player, and an avalanche of apps.Technology does not have to be complicated or powerful to be successful. A phone may not be exciting, but we need something to balance out the overhyped handsets. And if that phone does its job well--as the M360 surely did--then all the better. But at the end of the day, no matter how a basic phone performs, CNET will put it through its paces.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[VW's electric Golf will enter U.S. market in 2013]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vws-electric-golf-will-enter-u-s--market-in-2013</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vws-electric-golf-will-enter-u-s--market-in-2013</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:10:32 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Fameka</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vws-electric-golf-will-enter-u-s--market-in-2013</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Volkswagen is making its best selling compact into an electric vehicle. (Credit:Volkswagen)Volkswagen announced that its electric Golf Blue-e-motion concept will become a reality. At the upcoming 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, the carmaker will show off the concept electriccar it has been testing in Europe. But unless you're driving the vehicle or peeking under the hood, prepare to be underwhelmed--the Golf Blue-e-motion is identical to the current gasoline-powered Golf. Of course, there are a few key differences: an 85 kW electric motor replaces the conventional Golf's 2.5-liter engine, and store your groceries elsewhere because a 700 pound 26.5 kWh battery fills the concept cargo area. Like many EVs, the Golf Blue-emotion offers three driving modes to limit energy consumption and extend range. Recharging the e-Golf takes around 6 to 7 hours, according to a VW spokesperson.With a full battery, the Golf Blue-e-motion offers a range of 90-100 miles, similar to the upcoming Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-Miev, but the manufacturer expects the range capacity to increase by the time it hits the U.S. market in late 2013. The manufacturer will begin a testing program in the U.S., although no details have been released.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[The unvarnished truth about unsecured Wi-Fi]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-unvarnished-truth-about-unsecured-wi-fi</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-unvarnished-truth-about-unsecured-wi-fi</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Fely</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=the-unvarnished-truth-about-unsecured-wi-fi</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Chances are you don't leave your front door unlocked. And you shouldn't leave your Wi-Fi network unsecured either.  Many of you may have heard this before, but many still seem to not be doing anything about it. You should. Here's why. With a $50 wireless antenna and the right software a criminal hacker located outside your building as far as a mile away can capture passwords, e-mail messages, and any other data being transmitted over your network, and even decrypt data that is supposedly protected. Wigle.net&amp;39's interactive maps show Wi-Fi networks down to the block and building. Stats collected by the site show that more than 28 percent of networks are unsecured, possibly more.(Credit:Wigle.net) Someone could also join the network and launch attacks on your computer and any other devices using the network at that time. If file sharing has been left on or the personal firewall is misconfigured it's relatively easy to access the computer via an open Wi-Fi network. Someone could upload an executable program to a file on your hard drive that steals data or just leaves a back door for future access. And if you are using the network to connect to a corporate network through a VPN (virtual private network) an attacker can get into the corporate system too.  &quot;The most dangerous thing is a direct attack,&quot; Don Bailey, a security consultant at iSec Partners who is also an expert on telecommunications snooping, told CNET. &quot;The threat is not only that your traffic can be sniffed, but that an attacker can get access to all your data and connections on your computer, even those supposedly secured by SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption.&quot;  Unsecured Wi-Fi networks can be attractive for scammers to launch spam and virus attacks because the attack would be tracked back to the Wi-Fi network but not to the computer of the criminal who exploited the open network.  &quot;Someone could be using your wireless network, whether it's a neighbor or a customer, and you are taking on the liability of that person's action,&quot; Bailey said. &quot;If they do something illegal, like break into computers, those actions are going to come back to your hot spot and the federal authorities are going to hassle you.&quot;  Even though many Wi-Fi routers come with WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) enabled by default, a lot of people don't want to be bothered with setting up a password, despite the fact that you don't have to type it in every time you log on. The Wigle.net (Wireless Geographic Logging Engine) site shows that of 26.8 million Wi-Fi networks logged by volunteers who were &quot;war driving&quot;--driving around incars and using laptops or PDAs to find wireless networks--49 percent were listed as secured with encryption and nearly 28 percent were shown to be not using encryption. (On the remaining 23 percent the security level was unknown.)  There is also an interactive map on Wigle.net where you can zoom in to see individual Wi-Fi networks and even the SSID (Service Set Identifier) numbers associated with individual wireless local area networks.  Not only should you not host an unsecured wireless network, but you should definitely be extra careful when using other people's open networks.  There is no good way to tell whether a hot spot is legitimate, like a Starbucks Wi-Fi network, or if it was set up by someone for malicious purposes. Even if you are on what appears to be a Starbucks network, there could be someone on the network who is spying on other users.  There are also instances of inadvertent fake hot spots. Some older Windows machines running XP create ad hoc networks called &quot;Free Public WiFi,&quot; which do not connect you to the Internet but to the computer broadcasting that service. The hole that enables this has been patched, but affected computers that haven't had an operating system update are still vulnerable.  Whether you choose to trust hot spots, configure your device--laptop and smartphone--to connect to open Wi-Fi networks only with your approval and not automatically. Wi-Fi-enabled devices may automatically open themselves to sharing and connecting with other devices, so be sure to turn file sharing off when using Wi-Fi.  &quot;The best thing to do is to stay off hot spots all together,&quot; Bailey said. &quot;If you are going to use them, make sure you have a firewall and VPN technology.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Browser momentum: Chrome has it, IE doesn't]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=browser-momentum-chrome-has-it-ie-doesnt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=browser-momentum-chrome-has-it-ie-doesnt</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Fernada</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=browser-momentum-chrome-has-it-ie-doesnt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Chrome sliced away another half a percentage point of usage share from rival browsers in October.(Credit:Data from Net Applications' chart by Stephen Shankland/CNET)For browser watchers, October was a continuation of previous trends: Internet Explorer lost share to Chrome,Firefox and Opera idled, andSafari edged upward.The statistics, based on Net Applications' monitoring of millions of Web sites in its analytics network, show that this summer's resurgence of IE has faded, at least for the present. At the same time, Chrome, now two years old, made its July dip look like a blip rather than a foreboding omen.IE remains the top dog, with usage that dropped from 59.7 percent in September to 59.3 percent in October. Firefox edged down from 23 percent to 22.9 percent over the same period' Chrome grew from 8 percent to 8.5 percent' Safari stayed level at 5.3 percent' and Opera dropped from 2.4 percent to 2.3 percent.IE8's usage changed little from September to October, but Web developers will doubtless be gleeful that the much-loathed IE6 gave up a half a percentage point of share, sliding to 15 percent of worldwide usage. Microsoft is feverishly working on IE9, currently available in beta and platform preview editions, and its usage reached 0.3 percent in September.Chrome is the fastest-changing browser since by default updates are downloaded and installed automatically when the browser or computer is restarted. Net Applications released an illustrative graph showing just how fleeting the life of a Chrome version is: six weeks in the case of Chrome 6.Google is working on releasing new Chrome versions more frequently, which means the number of changes in new versions diminishes. It also means the significance of the version number, which Google doesn't emphasize and calls a mere &quot;milestone,&quot; is even lower. Chrome 6 lasted about 6 weeks before it was essentially replaced by Chrome 7 in a matter of days.(Credit:Net Applications) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sprint ID destined for the Galaxy Tab, Epic 4G]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-id-destined-for-the-galaxy-tab-epic-4g</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-id-destined-for-the-galaxy-tab-epic-4g</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 07:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Priya01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sprint-id-destined-for-the-galaxy-tab-epic-4g</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Samsung Galaxy Tab will be getting Sprint ID.(Credit:Donald Bell/CNET)So far Sprint ID (review) has been available on only a trio of Android phones, but CEO Dan Hesse announced at a Sprint developer conference early this week that Sprint ID is spreading to two more high profile devices, the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Samsung Epic 4G.In addition, Notre Dame University is a launch partner for the Galaxy Tab with Sprint ID, and will give the Samsung-made, Android-running tablet to students so they can access the university's Sprint ID Pack, according to Sprint's Hesse.Sprint ID isn't ready to go on the duo of Samsung devices, and Hesse stressed that Sprint and Samsung are working together to make the Epic 4G smartphone and Galaxy Tab tablet Sprint ID-ready. CEO Hesse didn't specify if existing owners of the Galaxy Tab and Epic 4G will also have access to Sprint ID, or if the feature will only come preloaded on new units.Either way, the spread of Sprint ID to two new devices, along with Hesse's announcement of more Sprint ID partners, is proof that Sprint's betting big on Sprint ID as a bid to differentiate the carrier's Android offerings from AT&amp;amp'T, Verizon, and T-Mobile's Android handsets.CEO Hesse said it himself in his keynote, &quot;Sprint ID is very important to us.&quot;Of course, Sprint frames the importance of Sprint ID to the customer in terms of discovering essential applications from among the Android Market's 100,000 apps. Sprint's other message is that using an ID Pack--a bundle of apps, shortcuts, wallpaper, and so on, organized around a particular brand or theme--will help smartphone owners streamline the setup process for a new phone by easily loading multiple apps in one package.We have our reservations about Sprint ID's implementation so far, so it will be interesting to see if the feature catches on once it's available to more smartphone owners.Watch Sprint CEO Dan Hesse's keynote at the Sprint Open Developers Conference.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Glitch hits Wyoming ICBM site computers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=glitch-hits-wyoming-icbm-site-computers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=glitch-hits-wyoming-icbm-site-computers</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Oct 2010 07:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Lamecheag</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=glitch-hits-wyoming-icbm-site-computers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[One-ninth of the American ICBM strike force went offline on Saturday, according to a report on the Web site of the U.S. magazine The Atlantic, as a series of control errors multiplied beyond the ability of engineers to compensate.The squadron of 50 missiles affected is stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, said the report. The weapons are controlled by five launch control center computers (LCCs), which periodically interrogate the on-board guidance systems of the weapons to confirm their status. According to the report, one LCC began to ping the missiles out of sequence, causing the guidance systems to return errors.Read more of &quot;US loses control of 50 nukes in cascading failure&quot; at ZDNet UK.Photos: A half-century of ICBMs <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Lawsuit targets Google over Web referrals]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lawsuit-targets-google-over-web-referrals</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lawsuit-targets-google-over-web-referrals</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lawan</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lawsuit-targets-google-over-web-referrals</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google search-results pages include the search terms in the URL, which gets passed along by Web browsers to the next page clicked.(Credit:Screenshot by Tom Krazit/CNET)Google has been targeted in a class-action lawsuit that accuses the company of violating user privacy by passing along search queries in referral links. The suit, filed yesterday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that Google's practice of including search terms in the URL for search-results pages violates user privacy when that URL is passed onto the publisher of the Web site clicked on by a Google user. For example, when a Google user searches for &quot;sushi restaurants in San Francisco,&quot; Google generates a search results page with a URL along the lines of &quot;http://www.google.com/searchsourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=sushi+restaurants+in+san+francisco,&quot; and that URL gets passed along by your Web browser when you click on one of the results. This is almost ubiquitous on the Web, as it allows Web publishers to see which sites are sending them traffic and which search terms are generating most of that traffic. However, Paloma Gaos, a resident of San Francisco, argued the practice allows third-party data mining companies to assemble a wealth of sensitive and personal information on searchers by aggregating their queries and linking them to personally identifying information, such as IP addresses or even their names should they do a vanity search coupled with another search term. &quot;Because Google's financial success depends on, among other things, the symbiotic relationship it shares with SEOs (search-engine optimization consultants) and the ability for third parties to engage in Web analytics, Google has placed a high priority on revealing individual user search queries to third parties,&quot; the plaintiffs argued in the complaint. The plaintiffs want the suit extended to include anyone who did a search on Google and clicked on a result after October 25, 2006. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Search Engine Land's Greg Sterling and Danny Sullivan noted that the plaintiff is singling out Google for a practice followed by countless Web sites. Both Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing also include search terms in their search-results page URLs, and other Web pages can contain even more sensitive information within the URL that can be passed along by the browser when a user navigates to the next page. While it's possible that search queries, names, and IP addresses could be linked, it would take no small amount of effort to capture enough queries to make it worth someone's time. AOL showed the world just how possible this was in 2006 by releasing a large amount of anonymized data that had enough specific query information to paint pictures of specific individuals. Still, it's clear that should this practice be outlawed or discontinued, the world of Internet marketing would change drastically. &quot;Referrers are part of the reason that Internet marketing is so successful, because results are trackable. Without referrers, it becomes more like the offline world where people spend on marketing with relatively little (compared to the Internet) insight as to what works,&quot; Sullivan wrote in a blog post today.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Social Network creators compliment Zuck on Golden Globe stage]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-network-creators-compliment-zuck-on-golden-globe-stage</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-network-creators-compliment-zuck-on-golden-globe-stage</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>hotake4</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-network-creators-compliment-zuck-on-golden-globe-stage</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Social Network walked away with a few choice awards, including Best Picture, at the Golden Globes tonight. The film is loosely based on Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook, and it largely trashes his reputation from the very first scene, where the Zuckerberg character (Jesse Eisenberg) gets trashed by an ex-girlfriend, who says some classic lines to him.Erica Albright, played by Rooney Mara, says, &amp;''You are probably going to be a very successful computer person. But youa4a4re going to go through life thinking that girls dona4a4t like you because youa4a4re a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that wona4a4t be true. Ita4a4ll be because youa4a4re an asshole.&amp;''But upon winning a Golden Globe for best screenplay, writer Aaron Sorkin took the stage and said, &amp;''I wanted to say to Mark Zuckerberg, if youa4a4re watching tonight, Rooney Maraa4a4s character makes a prediction at the beginning of the movie, she was wrong. You turned out to be a great entrepreneur, a visionary and a fantastic altruist.&amp;''Producer Scott Rudin accepted the award for Best Picture. He said, &amp;''I want to thank everybody at Facebook' Mark Zuckerberg for his willingness to allow us to use his life and work as a metaphor through which to tell a story about communication and the way we relate to each other.&amp;'' The film also won for Best Director and Best Score.Interestingly, the rumor mill suggests that Facebook&amp;'s handlers resisted the creation of the movie, which is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires, a fictionalized account of Zuckerberg&amp;'s life by Ben Mezrich. Then, after realizing the movie couldn&amp;'t be stopped, Facebook&amp;'s founder embraced it, taking the whole company to go see it in the theaters (a number of times). He often said that the movie makers got a lot of details right, like how he owned almost every T-shirt worn by his character in the film, but noted that he didn&amp;'t create the site to get a lot of girls.But Hollywood likes a good story and ran with the fictionalized account. Now the movie is a big contender for an Oscar. Zuckerberg has been laughing it off. Inside, it has to hurt to be depicted in such a way. But it doesn&amp;'t seem to have dented his reputation that much. Indeed, it seems only to have made him more famous.Next Story: Eighth grader knocks Angry Birds out of the top free spot on the App Store Previous Story: iPhone 5, iPad 2 rumors abound: Dual-core processors, high-resolution iPad 2 displayPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Golden Globes, Oscars, social networking, the social networkCompanies: FacebookPeople: Aaron Sorkin, Mark Zuckerberg          Tags: Golden Globes, Oscars, social networking, the social networkCompanies: FacebookPeople: Aaron Sorkin, Mark ZuckerbergDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With Fusion, AMD plans to stop being the underdog in chips]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-fusion-amd-plans-to-stop-being-the-underdog-in-chips</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-fusion-amd-plans-to-stop-being-the-underdog-in-chips</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>overmatsapa</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-fusion-amd-plans-to-stop-being-the-underdog-in-chips</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Making good on plans it laid in 2006,Advanced Micro Devices is finally announcing that its Fusion family of computer chips, which combine graphics functions with general computing power, are ready for prime time. Namely, they&amp;'re starring in a host of PC models set to be unveiled this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.The Fusion chips represent AMD&amp;'s attempt to escape its underdog status in the multibillion-dollar microprocessor market, where Intel has roughly 80 percent of the market share. The company started working on Fusion in 2006 after it bought graphics chip maker ATI Technologies. The company made the announcement this week at CES, the tech extravaganza which traditionally sets the agenda for hot gadgets for the year.It&amp;'s the culmination of the biggest bet that AMD has made in computer and chip design, said Rick Bergman, general manager of the AMD products group which designed the Fusion family of chips.&amp;''As far back as 2005, we saw that the integration of the CPU (central processing unit) and the GPU (graphics processing unit) was inevitable,&amp;'' Bergman (pictured right) said in an interview.AMD took a while to get its chips out. Its first attempt to build a Fusion chip using 45-nanometer manufacturing technology turned out to be a false start. The team realized it would have to wait for 32-nanometer manufacturing (which is akin to making a drawing with a finer pencil) to cram all of the circuitry needed into a combo chip.Now the need for the better 3D performance is pronounced. Desktops and laptops are being used for graphics-rich applications like never before, with features such as stereoscopic 3D, Blu-ray movies, rich 3D games, and 3D features in operating system user interfaces.Many of the new computers will be available for sale this week, since AMD has been shipping its new Fusion microprocessors for weeks now. The chips are part of AMD&amp;'s code-named Brazos platform, which contains all of the chips needed to make the processing part of a computer. Brazos can use either the code-named Zacate or Ontario Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), which are the combo chips. Each Zacate or Ontario chip uses a brand new microprocessor core, code-named Bobcat.The new chips range in performance, depending on whether they use one or two Bobcat cores, and they generate 8 watts to 25 watts, which is low enough to be used in most laptops. Laptops with the chips will cost $300 to $400 and desktops will likely cost around $700. The machines will have battery life of around 10 to 12 hours.While Intel&amp;'s combo chips have moderate microprocessor performance coupled with weak graphics, AMD&amp;'s combo chips have strong graphics performance. AMD&amp;'s Fusion chips are thus being used in models that feature strong graphics performance. The APUs are made with a 40-nanometer manufacturing process by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.The Zacate and Ontario chips &amp;8212' aimed at mobile users &amp;8212' are just the first of AMD&amp;'s Fusion family of combo chips. More chips based on the Llano code name will be out later in the first half of the year' those chips will target mainstream laptop and desktop users. AMD claims that its best Brazos platform will be able to run graphics 11 times faster than the Intel Atom 550, which was one of Intel&amp;'s mainstay low-cost mobile processors in 2010. The more important comparison will concern how much faster AMD&amp;'s Fusion chips are than Intel&amp;'s combo chip, code-named Sandy Bridge, which is also debuting at CES.Over time, AMD will make Fusion chips that can be part of any computer, from netbooks and tablets to high-end desktops and laptops.AMD is also announcing today its newest stand-alone mobile graphics chips, dubbed the AMD Radeon HD 6000M series of graphics  chips for notebook computers. AMD has grabbed the No. 1 market share in  notebook computers and it expects that to continue, as it has hundreds  of design wins for its 6000M graphics chip, which can power multiple  screens.The 6000M is AMD&amp;'s second-generation DX11 mobile chip (referring to Microsoft&amp;'s most-advanced graphics standard) and it has already shipped more than 25 million DX11 chips to 10 major computer makers. The new version can handle 3D Blu-ray movies and other features. The fastest new mobile chip, the 6900M, is 37 percent faster than its predecessor. The chip has 40 percent faster tessellation, a graphics smoothing feature that Nvidia has proven it can do better in its chips. And the new chips use AMD&amp;'s EyeSpeed technology, which uses the graphics chip for non-graphics applications.Most of the laptops with the new mobile graphics chip are shipping in the first quarter.Was Fusion the right move for AMD&amp;''We can compare notes in a year,&amp;'' Bergman said. &amp;''We expect it to grab market share. But to be No. 1 would be a heck of a goal.&amp;''AMD created a promo video for Fusion below. The tough dude at the end is none other than Dirk Meyer, chief executive of AMD.Next Story: HP unleashes a host of new computers at CES Previous Story: Dachis Group gets $30M to advance social consultingPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Accelerated Processing Unit, APU, Brazos, combo cihp, graphics chip, Llano, microprocessor, Ontario, ZacateCompanies: advanced micro devices, Amd, IntelPeople: Rick Bergman          Tags: Accelerated Processing Unit, APU, Brazos, combo cihp, graphics chip, Llano, microprocessor, Ontario, ZacateCompanies: advanced micro devices, Amd, IntelPeople: Rick BergmanDean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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