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<title>Haaze.com / Kareena / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Google Toolbar for IE goes Instant]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-toolbar-for-ie-goes-instant</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-toolbar-for-ie-goes-instant</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dwienulkirul</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=google-toolbar-for-ie-goes-instant</guid>
<description><![CDATA[While Google Toolbar 7 for Firefox launched several months ago, the Internet Explorer version (download) went live just this week. It brings Google Instant to the popular toolbar, along with more robust privacy options and a cleaner interface.Google Toolbar 7 for Internet Explorer (pictures) Although the support for Google Instant search is the most notable feature improvement in version 7, what appears most interesting is the way that the toolbar lets you know that features like Instant that require tracking to work actually do track you. While this might not be news to some, it's a strong reminder that many of the data-rich features that people love do come at a cost to personal privacy.Enabling the features is easy. After installation, which unfortunately requires a reboot of all your open browsers, the toolbar walks you through activating Instant and opens a tab with Google's toolbar tutorial video. If you choose to install without activating Instant, you can do it later by going to the Options menu. The Option menu is now accessible from the Wrench icon, just as it is in Chrome. The Options menu is also where you can toggle privacy features after installing, under the Privacy tab. A new hot key combo, Alt+G, will jump you directly into the toolbar's search box.For people who want to have a different default search engine in Internet Explorer, this can be a clever way to have two search engines accessible directly from the keyboard.Along with the Wrench icon, much of the toolbar's look has been tweaked to make it look more like Chrome. App icons are identical to those used for Chrome extensions, and the vertical tab choices in the Options menu also resemble the current Chrome menu.One excellent feature in Internet Explorer 9 is that it tells you what kind of performance impact your add-ons have on the browser. My installation of Google Toolbar 7 impacted browser start time by zero seconds, according to IE's add-on management window. That is a massive improvement for a toolbar's reputation, when most are notorious for slowing down the browser launch.It's important to note that the Internet Explorer Google Toolbar installer will also install the Google Toolbar forFirefox. You must later go into Firefox and disable it, if you only want it in one browser.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPhone case lets you pop open a cold one]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-case-lets-you-pop-open-a-cold-one</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-case-lets-you-pop-open-a-cold-one</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 16 Apr 2011 07:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>inahahhahaha</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=iphone-case-lets-you-pop-open-a-cold-one</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Other World Computing)There areiPhone cases that protect the world-changing devices from sledgehammer blows. There are cases that act as backup batteries. There are fashion cases that match your ensemble and waterproof cases that invite your iPhone to the beach.But if you're anything like me, you've been waiting for a reliable iPhone case that can knock some of the pretension out of that little box of delights--something to make it a little more redneckish.Jackpot! Here comes Be a HeadCase, the iPhone case with a bottle/can opener included. It's the kind of essential kit that should complete your summertime music enjoyment. Picture yourself at that Fourth of July barbecue. You've finished your sixth bratwurst and are coming down with a soothing game of Angry Birds (Early Mid Late Early Summer Edition). Nothing would quench your thirst and flush out the nitrates more than a tall, frosty long-neck brew. Yowza! But then your mother calls far too late to warn you against eating six brats. How can you juggle your iPhone multitasking and get those lifesaving suds down your gullet (And, no it's not a twist-off.)With the $25 Be A HeadCase, you just flip your iPhone over and pop open your 12 to 16 ounces of brain-cell-killing joy juice. The case comes with the app of the same name that plays a sound or a song and displays a photo of your choice every time you crack one open.According to online purveyor Other World Computing, Be A HeadCase features a built-in, stainless steel bottle/can-tab opener on the back of &quot;a slim, durable-protection hard-shell plastic case.&quot; It has a slip resistant rubber coating &quot;for shock absorption in addition to impact and scratch protection for your iPhone.&quot; But, let's be honest. It's all wrapped up tight and rubberized because the entire purpose of the case is not to protect your phone. It's to get more hops and barley in your piehole faster. And that could mean iPhoning while under the influence, increasing the risk of spills.With that in mind, you might also want to look into a waterproof case, too. Or just lay off the sauce (and the brats).<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Screenshots allegedly reveal Windows 8 app store]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:10:17 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Johnny5401</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=screenshots-allegedly-reveal-windows-8-app-store</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A screenshot that apparently shows the upcoming Windows app store.(Credit:ZDNet)The latest batch of alleged Windows 8 screenshots leaked onto the Web shows that a long-rumored Windows app store will appear in the next version of Microsoft's OS.The new images and information were published yesterday by Chinese tech news site CNBeta.com. Reportedly taken from a current pre-beta build of Windows 8, the screenshots reveal a dedicated window geared toward downloading and managing apps with links to both Microsoft software and third-party programs, such as Internet Explorer, Office 2010,Firefox, Opera, FreeCell, and Angry Birds.Citing information from its sources, CNBeta also is claiming that internal testing of the store has been completed and that Microsoft will soon release it as a beta.Rumors and reports about an upcoming Windows app store have been around for almost a year. Based on a series of Windows 8 documents leaked last June, Microsoft has reportedly been eager to match Apple at its own game by offering its own dedicated app store.CNET sister site ZDNet, which also has published screenshots of the app store, said that Microsoft has been trying to ramp up the store since Apple unveiled its Mac App Store, which opened its virtual doors in January.Here is another screenshot of the alleged Windows app store.(Credit:ZDNet)The screenshots in English point to the name of the store as Windows App Store. If it sticks, that name is likely to upset Apple, which is suing Amazon for trademark violation over its use of the term &quot;app store&quot; for its new Android Appstore. Apple has also been pleading its case to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, asking to be granted an official trademark of the term &quot;app store.&quot; Microsoft and other companies have argued that the term is too generic to be trademarked.But Microsoft may still be playing it on the safe side in naming its Windows app store. An English translation of the Chinese name of the store on the CNBeta.com page displays the name as App Mall and not App Store. Meanwhile, Windows enthusiast site Windows 8 Center said the term can also be translated as App Marketplace.This latest batch of screenshots follow earlier images taken from a Windows 8 pre-beta build pointing to such new features as an expansion of the Ribbon interface, a new welcome screen, a built-in PDF reader, and a revamped version of IE that looks like its Windows Phone counterpart.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Smartphone-friendly Sennheiser headphones earn CNET recommendation]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-friendly-sennheiser-headphones-earn-cnet-recommendation</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-friendly-sennheiser-headphones-earn-cnet-recommendation</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>garkanneya</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=smartphone-friendly-sennheiser-headphones-earn-cnet-recommendation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[B&W Zeppelin Air with Apple AirPlay (review)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bw-zeppelin-air-with-apple-airplay-review</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bw-zeppelin-air-with-apple-airplay-review</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>dustephan</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bw-zeppelin-air-with-apple-airplay-review</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Zeppelin Air features wireless streaming for iOS devices via Apple AirPlay.(Credit:Bowers &amp;amp' Wilkins)B&amp;W, which is now branding itself by its longer, more formal name, Bowers &amp; Wilkins, is known for its high-end speakers. However, a few years back the company dipped into the more mainstream consumer market with its firstiPod speaker system, the $600 Zeppelin, followed by the smaller and more affordable Zeppelin Mini.Now the company is back with a new version of the Zeppelin called the Zeppelin Air that shares many design traits with the original Zep but offers better sound and one very important new feature: support for Apple's AirPlay. That feature allows you to stream music wirelessly from an iOS handheld (aniPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad) or from a PC orMac running iTunes to the Zeppelin Air via your home network.Just how good does it sound Read CNET's full review to find out. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple opens iPad to iAds]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-opens-ipad-to-iads</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-opens-ipad-to-iads</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 15 Mar 2011 07:10:50 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>svetalavl</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-opens-ipad-to-iads</guid>
<description><![CDATA[iAds are now appearing on the Apple iPad. (Credit:Apple)Apple's iPad is now open for business. The first iAd--an ad created on Apple's mobile-advertising platform--showed up on the device today, with more on the way.The first company to put out an iAd is Unilever, maker of Dove Men+Care. The company is working with the National Collegiate Athletic Association to give users an up-close view of three of its stars.Earvin &quot;Magic&quot; Johnson, John Thompson III, and Bobby Hurley will be highlighted in a new series of video ads called &quot;Journey to Comfort.&quot; Clearly the timing of the iAds and the partnership with the NCAA come at a good time, as March Madness kicks off.In addition to watching videos, Unilever added Trivia Timeout to its iAd, where users will be asked to answer NCAA-themed questions. Fans can also access the Game Day Fan Zone where they can view daily game schedules.The Unilever iAd is the first on the iPad, but Apple confirmed for CNET that more iAds would be launching in the coming weeks.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Algae-oil maker Solazyme files to go public]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=algae-oil-maker-solazyme-files-to-go-public</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=algae-oil-maker-solazyme-files-to-go-public</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia001</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=algae-oil-maker-solazyme-files-to-go-public</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Algae-oil maker Solazyme picked a time of rising oil prices of more than $100 a barrel to signal it plans to go public on the stock market.The San Francisco-based company on Friday filed its S-1 document to the Securities and Exchange Commission, outlining its plan to raise up to $100 million through an initial public offering. Solazyme grows algae with sugars in closed fermentation tanks to create oils, which can be used for liquid fuel and for chemicals, foods, or personal care products.Click on the image for a slide show of Solazyme&amp;39's research facilities in San Francisco.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)With the money, Solazyme intends to invest in further research and development and speed up its product commercialization by establishing feedstock supply arrangements and building manufacturing in multiple locations. In its filing, Solazyme showed that its revenue has grown on sale of its oils for nutrition and skin care products but it is still not profitable, having lost $16.3 million on revenue of $11.5 million last year.The company's strategy has been to make oils for specific personal care and nutritional markets before taking on liquid fuels where there is more price pressure and difficulty bringing a product to market. It has customers for food and personal care and was awarded a Department of Energy grant to make fuel for use by the Navy, which successfully tested a 50-50 blend of petroleum and algae oil It also has development arrangements with airlines Qantas, Chevron Technology Ventures, and with chemical company Dow.With its contract manufacturing arrangements in skin care and nutrition, Solazyme said that it can supply oils with &quot;attractive margins.&quot; At large scale, it expects that it can be competitive in chemicals and fuels as well in a purpose-built manufacturing plant, forecasting a cost of $3.44 a gallon.There are several companies pursuing algae as a way to create oil, but Solazyme's technical approach is different than most. Rather than farm algae in glass tubes called bioreactors or in open ponds, Solazyme's algae are grown in closed tanks. The strains are optimized to produce oil and can be fed sugars from sugar cane or dextrose from corn. The company is researching ways in the future for nonfood cellulosic food sources, such as agricultural residue.The company said its process allows it to scale up--another difficult challenge for algae farmers--because it can use standard industrial fermentation equipment. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Florida, Carolinas getting smart grids in $500M push]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=florida-carolinas-getting-smart-grids-in-500m-push</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=florida-carolinas-getting-smart-grids-in-500m-push</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:11:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>TonyMontac</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=florida-carolinas-getting-smart-grids-in-500m-push</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Progress Energy is moving forward with its plan to spend $500 million to upgrade two of its electric utilities in Florida and the Carolinas to a smart-grid system.Together the two utilities provide electricity service to over 3.1 million customers. The Raleigh,N.C.-based company is paying for the upgrade in part with a $200 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The grant came out of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and is part of the high-profile push by the Obama administration and many state leaders to upgrade U.S. electric grids.The project is also a boon to IBM's efforts to grow its presence in the potentially lucrative industry of smart-grid analytics. Progress Energy plans to use IBM's WebSphere software platform as a tool to integrate distribution management and demand response systems. Big Blue has also been hired to help install and implement the systems in conjunction with Progress Energy, IBM announced today.IBM has run several pilot programs to test smart-grid systems in the past four years, including a consumer-level one in North Carolina in 2009 which found that on average, the introduction of smart-grid technology and smart meters cut electricity use by 15 percent.In the case of Progress Energy, however, IBM's services will concentrate on equipment and system upgrades, analytics, and management that will enable the company's utilities to better control things like voltage levels, as well as electricity distribution across power lines.IBM is one of a number of blue-chip companies getting into the smart-grid industry in recent years through software and services. Many of them have done so by buying smaller companies with existing technology, as is the case with Johnson Controls' purchase of EnergyConnect, Honeywell's purchase of Akuacom, and Siemens' acquisition of Site Controls.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Angry Birds coming to Facebook in May]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-angry-birds-coming-to-facebook-in-may</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-angry-birds-coming-to-facebook-in-may</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sirzipnofdgd</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-angry-birds-coming-to-facebook-in-may</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Rovio)Angry Birds won't be making its way to Facebook anytime soon, a new report claims.According to The Next Web, which says it spoke with Rovio's Peter Vesterbecka, the wildly popular game won't be available on Facebook until May, two months after it was expected to launch on the social network.Last week, Rovio announced that Angry Birds would be coming to Facebook and said it would launch in March. Vesterbecka reportedly told The Next Web that he was &quot;not sure how the March date got in there.&quot;Rovio did not immediately respond to request for confirmation of the May launch.Rovio's hit game has been an unbridled success in the mobile space. The title is available to iOS-based devices, Android-based products, and the Nokia N900. It's also available in Apple'sMac App Store. Since its launch, the game has performed extremely well on all the platforms it has been made available on. It's currently the top paid app for theiPad and the second most popular paid app on theiPhone. It holds the second spot in the Mac App Store. But when it's made available to Facebook users, Angry Birds will be facing off with several popular competitors. In January, CityVille catapulted to the top of Facebook, hitting 100 million active users in just over a month after its release. The title is flanked by several other popular titles, including CityVille predecessor FarmVille, which currently has nearly 50 million active users on the social network. It should be rather interesting to see if Rovio's Angry Birds will be able to overcome those competitors as easily as it has vanquished others in the mobile space. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Five things the iPad 2 didn't get]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-things-the-ipad-2-didnt-get</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-things-the-ipad-2-didnt-get</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mathewposo</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=five-things-the-ipad-2-didnt-get</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)One of the questions I've been peppered with since theiPad 2 announcement was whether I was going to replace my first-generation iPad for the new one. The answer for me is yes, since it's part of my job to live with these gadgets so I can understand their strengths, weaknesses, and appeal. But for most original iPad owners, I'm guessing they'll be holding out for version 3.Why's that The real big change is less about the external redesign as much as what's inside. New are things like a snappier processor and built-in graphics that Apple promises to be up to nine times faster than in the first-generation iPad. There are also the two cameras, which will open the device up to a greater number of applications.Even so, Apple could have gone further, which is why I'm betting many with first-generation devices will be happy to hold out. As Steve Jobs alluded to during yesterday's event, the company didn't really have to add much. Competitors like Research In Motion and Hewlett-Packard are still scrambling to get theirtablets out on the market, whileGoogle Android tablets like the Xoom are coming in at a higher price than Apple's entry level iPads with a smaller library of tablet-specific software. That said, there are five specific things Apple could have added but didn't. We're going to break down what they are and what impact they'd have on the product: Retina DisplayApple's &quot;Retina Display&quot; technology first appeared on the iPhone 4 and later made it into the latest version of the iPod Touch. Marketing speak aside, it's a high-density pixel display that packs in about four times the number of pixels as standard displays. How this trickles down to apps is text with smoother edges and the capability for developers to add more detail. This omission would have been big win for eyeballs, but alas the screen that ships in the iPad 2 is the same resolution as the first. As the Retina Display-ready games and apps on the iPhone 4 have proven, the effect of having a resolution that high in such a small area can have a dramatic effect on detail for things like text, and detailed imagery.  A Retina Display on an iPhone 4.(Credit:Apple) Prior to the iPad 2's announcement, rumors had circulated that Apple was planning to add a Retina Display to the tablet. Those reports were later updated to suggest that Apple was saving it for the third generation of the device. An SD card slot/USB port:The iPad has largely been positioned by Apple as a companion device to traditional computers. But that doesn't mean people aren't using it for things they'd normally do on a computer, such as plugging in their camera to store, edit, and share photos they've taken on their digital camera. Apple's solution up until this point has been to sell a camera adapter accessory that uses the iPad's 30-pin plug to interface with either an SD memory card, or any USB camera.  The SD card slot on the latest MacBook Pro, where it&amp;39's been since mid-2009.(Credit:Apple) USB ports ship on all of Apple's computers, and recent generations of the MacBook Pro and Air have tacked on SD card slots, which pull double duty as a media reader and a way to actually boot the machine with a recovery image. Rumors began circulating as early as September of last year that Apple was working to bring a mini-USB port to the next iPad. Extra fuel was added to that fire with a number of third-party case manufacturers making early iPad 2 case designs with an extra hole near the top. This later turned out to be the revised placement of Apple's microphone, which had previously been located next to the headphone jack.So could Apple add either one of these to the next model Perhaps. Though that would give people less of a reason to shell out $29 for the connector kit. Thunderbolt connectivityThunderbolt is Intel's super fast port that debuted just last week (read our FAQ on it here). So far, it's only available on Apple's MacBook Pro line, which got a refresh the same day Thunderbolt was formally announced.  Thunderbolt promises to bring speeds in excess of USB 3.0, which for something like the iPad could mean dramatically faster sync times when plugging in the device to a computer. That could become a very important feature to have as the storage in the iPad increases, which in the new iPad, it did not. (Credit:Intel) Though the obvious move here is that Apple would not limit the iPad's main line of connectivity to computers to ones that were just released only a week ago. A good historical example of that limitation is Firewire technology and the rise of the iPod. When the iPod was first introduced, it only worked with Firewire and Macs, before making the move to PCs. The product came during an awkward time in tech history where USB 2.0 was just beginning to become ubiquitous, and PC makers were favoring the four-pin, unpowered i.Link ports versus Apple's 6-pin Firewire plug. The result was that you could sync your iPod, but you couldn't charge it at the same time. You also needed a certain amount of juice to make sure it could finish the sync without dying. Apple's temporary solution, before switching to USB 2.0 entirely, was to ship a 2-in-1 cable that would let users do the transferring over Firewire, while charging the device with the USB port. Apple eventually phased out Firewire in favor of USB 2.0, but in the process also lost some of the sustained transfer speeds, which could add up over a long sync.Thunderbolt could end up being the answer to bringing that speed back, though with new MacBook Pros only sporting one Thunderbolt port, which is also used to plug into external displays, it's not quite at the point of being the kind of casual plug users will have open and available at all times. That could certainly change a little farther down the line though. (Credit:Josh Lowensohn/CNET)  Near Field Communications technologyNear Field Communications technology, or NFC, enables devices to exchange information with one another over short distances. Think of something like the Bump app, which uses an intermediary service to exchange information between two devices that are tapped together. Well, NFC goes the next step, and actually sends the data between the two with no middleman.  Rumors of Apple testing NFC chips in iPhones began as early as August, then a report by Bloomberg back in January claimed that Apple was working to bring the technology to the next generation of the iPhone and iPad. NFC chips could then be used as a payment option, or with applications to ferry over their data from one device to another. Competitors like Google have already built NFC into their Android 2.3 operating system (codenamed &quot;Gingerbread&quot;), where it appears on devices like the Nexus S. Considering Jobs announced that Apple now had 200 million user credit card accounts on file with iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store, it seems only a matter of time before its added. 4GAnd to cap off the list of things that could have made it into the iPad 2 is 4G, the successor to the 3G cellular data networks that promises to bring significantly faster wireless data speeds.  The first iPad shipped with only AT&amp;T as the 3G provider, with this second one adding Verizon as a provider for the built-in cellular antenna. Since then, both providers have made strides with next-generation cellular networks: Verizon has its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in 38 markets and 60 airports, while AT&amp;T is prepping its own 4G LTE network, which the company had said would be available &quot;mid-year&quot; back at CES. In that sense, only Verizon is the more ready of the two to offer something that would have a wider availability, leaving reasonable expectations that Apple would sit out trying to include a 4G antenna in this iPad model for the sake of creating any noted differences between the two models with 3G. By comparison, Apple competitor Motorola plans to offer a 4G modem upgrade to owners of its Xoom tablet in the second quarter of this year. This will require that users send back their tablet to the company to get it retrofitted to receive the 4G signal. Anything we missed Feel free to leave it in the comments. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft launching cloud-based Intune in March]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-launching-cloud-based-intune-in-march</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-launching-cloud-based-intune-in-march</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Feb 2011 08:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rsneddonde</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-launching-cloud-based-intune-in-march</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft is kicking off its new cloud-based Intune PC management service on March 23.Designed to help businesses manage and secure their PCs via the cloud, Windows Intune will launch to paying customers and those who want to check out the free 30-day trial, according to a Windows blog posted today. Intune has been available for beta testing since April.A look at Microsoft's Windows Intune (images) Moving PC administration to a Microsoft-run cloud, Intune aims to keep PCs automatically configured with the newest Windows updates and protected by the latest antivirus security software. Beyond keeping PCs updated, the online service lets business owners maintain security policies, monitor their PCs to make sure they have the right updates, and offer remote assistance to end users, according to Microsoft. Microsoft has already said that it will charge customers $11 per computer per month to use Intune. Though the service can be used by any type of company, it's designed for small and midsize businesses that may not have dedicated IT people or whose workers are scattered across multiple locations.To set up Intune within a business, the client software must be installed on each individual PC. The software can run on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows, includingWindows 7 Enterprise, Ultimate, and Professional' Windows Vista Enterprise, Ultimate, and Business' and Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or 3. Installing the client software requires administrative rights on the PC.Included in the cost of Intune are free upgrade rights to Windows 7 Enterprise to help businesses that want to standardize on the same version of Windows.On March 23, Intune will receive an official launch at the Microsoft Management Summit in Las Vegas and through its dedicated Web site. The service will be available in more than 35 countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Spain, Italy, Germany, Japan, and India.Users still trying out the beta of Intune will have until April 18 before it expires. Businesses can also learn more about Intune through its own FAQ page.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Miniaturize your world and play an RTS remake: iPhone apps of the week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:11:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>GookssorVok</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=miniaturize-your-world-and-play-an-rts-remake-iphone-apps-of-the-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:CNET)Among the news items this week from the world of Apple, the folks over at AppleInsider uncovered a rumor that Apple may be having a launch event next week for a new line of MacBook Pros. According to the story, this would put the launch event a week ahead of schedule.As usual, Apple remains tight-lipped about what features will be unveiled in the new laptops, but the one sure thing is that it will include Intel's latest generation Sandy Bridge processor.Whatever is introduced next week (if the rumor turns out to be true), you can bet we'll have all the details here. Make sure to check back on launch day for photos, specs, and everything else about Apple's latest devices.This week's apps include an image enhancement tool that produces cool-looking shots and an RTS game that closely resembles one of the most popular strategy games of all time.Each step of the process lets you tinker with various controls to fine-tune your photo.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)TiltShift Generator (99 cents) is not a new product, but I just discovered it and think people will appreciate its unique photo effects. TiltShift images combine blur and other depth-of-field effects to make objects in your photos seem miniature (here's a quick Google image search to give you an idea what I'm talking about). To get the miniature effect, you'll ideally take photos from some distance, but even close-up shots can be put through TiltShift Generator with good-looking results.TiltShift Generator does a great job of taking you through the process of creating tilt-shift images. The app automatically adds the tilt-shift effect, but you can also go through the process yourself. You start either by taking a photo with youriPhone camera or choosing an existing image from your library. From there you can adjust the blurred effect' change color saturation, brightness, and contrast with sliders' and then adjust vignetting (corner shadowing). What results is a unique image that's very impressive, even if you have little knowledge of photography.Overall, TiltShift Generator is an easy-to-use app that produces great-looking images with little work. If you enjoy looking at tilt-shift images and want to try making some of your own, this app is a great option.Once you&amp;39've built your fighting force, it&amp;39's time to take it into battle.(Credit:Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)StarFront: Collision (Free' $6.99 in-app purchase) from Gameloft is a pretty clear rip-off of Blizzard's mega-hit RTS game, Starcraft. With that said, StarFront is a very well-made game and is probably the best RTS game available for the iPhone.Just like Starcraft, StarFront has three classes, each with its own strategies and tech trees, and each closely resembling the Starcraft classes. It offers a single-player campaign mode that slowly introduces you to the ins and outs of RTS gameplay, just like Starcraft. You'll need to mine resources, build buildings, build units, upgrade your buildings, and upgrade your units, just like in Starcraft. But even with all its similarities, StarFront: Collision does all of these things well, all the way down to the quirky things units say when you interact with them. The storyline is well thought out and engaging, the graphics are crisp on the iPhone 4's Retina Display, and the controls are extremely smart for a touch-screen device.As an example of the smart controls, you can create and save groups of units so you can later call on an entire squad to perform an action. You do this by using a two-finger reverse pinch to create a selection square around the units, then touch the arrow on the left side of the screen to pull out a squad selection drawer. Choose a number from 1 to 3, and that number will be assigned to the squad. Though limiting your squads to three might be an issue for some players, StarFront's unique system for creating groups is very intuitive on the touch screen.StarFront: Collision is free to download from the App Store, and includes the tutorial and the ability to play through the first mission to get a feel for the game. An in-app purchase of $6.99 unlocks local and online multiplayer and the full campaign and skirmish modes. The online multiplayer was smooth in our testing, with quick online matchups and no loss of connection during games. There was only one point at which the game notified me I needed to wait for the other player, but after a couple of seconds we were back to the action.Probably my only complaint about StarFront: Collision is the same as other involved games on the iPhone: how long does someone really want to play a game on the iPhone Eventually, the need for your constant focus and concentration on the small screen will get exhausting, but in every other area, this game is pretty close to what Starcraft on the iPhone would be if it were made by Blizzard.Overall, I consider StarFront: Collision a must-download for RTS fans, with 20 missions, endless replay value on seven maps in skirmish mode, along with local and online multiplayer. Furthermore, if Gameloft decides to release an HD version for theiPad or make the app universal, the larger screen real estate will make the game even more enjoyable.What's your favorite iPhone app Do you like the results you get from TiltShift Generator What do you think of StarFront: Collision Let me know in the comments!<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Inside the Boeing 747-8 factory]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-the-boeing-747-8-factory</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-the-boeing-747-8-factory</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Feb 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>drug</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=inside-the-boeing-747-8-factory</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The first 747-8 Intercontinental that Boeing has built for its launch partner Lufthansa.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)EVERETT, Wash.--Boeing tomorrow will formally unveil the 747-8 Intercontinental, the next generation of the aviation giant's iconic jumbo jet. The plane is said to be perhaps the most fuel-efficient in the world, and replaces the 747-400 as the company's most famous jet.According to Boeing:The 747-8 Intercontinental is the only jetliner in the 400- to 500-seat market, stretched [18.3 ft] from the 747-400 to provide 467 seats in a three-class configuration and a [8,000 nautical mile] range. Using 787-technology engines, the airplane will be quieter, produce lower emissions, and achieve better fuel economy than any competing jetliner. The 747 Intercontinental will provide nearly equivalent trip costs and 13 percent lower seat-mile costs than the 747-400, plus 26 percent greater cargo volume...The 747-8 is more than 10 percent lighter per seat than the [Airbus] A380 and will consume 11 percent less fuel per passenger than the 555-seat airplane. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 21 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percent, compared to the A380.Boeing today hosted a media event at its huge assembly plant here, a building that is said to be the largest by volume in the world. The aviation press was able to get a very rare view of the assembly process for both the 747-8 freighter, which made its first flight a year ago, and the 747-8 Intercontinental.According to Elizabeth Lund, vice president and deputy 747 program manager, the 747-8 Intercontinental's first flight is expected sometime in early spring of this year, and its first customer delivery is expected sometime in the fourth quarter. Stay tuned as CNET brings you more from the weekend's 747-8 extravaganza, including a look at an interior mock-up of the plane, and the formal unveiling tomorrow.Where Boeing's next-gen 747-8 comes to life (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Alcatel-Lucent shrinks cell tower technology]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kandracorn72645</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alcatel-lucent-shrinks-cell-tower-technology</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Telecommunications infrastructure maker Alcatel-Lucent announced this week new technology that will help wireless carriers expand their networks to keep up with the explosive growth in mobile data.The company announced this week a new compact cell phone antenna system called lightRadio, which incorporates radio technology and base station technology in a single box. The entire system, which can fit on a lamp post, is a fraction of the size of today's cellular equipment. Current cellular networks require massive and power-hungry cell phone towers that house the antennas with a separate base station at the bottom of those towers that control the antennas.When carriers have needed to add capacity or improve coverage, they've had to deploy these massive cell site towers. Alcatel-Lucent's lightRadio system, which will be ready for carrier trials later this year, allows carriers to deploy new cell sites much faster and less expensively than they have been able to do in the past. It also means that carriers can reduce the electricity used to power the cell phone towers and base stations.All in all, wireless operators can reduce the cost of deploying and maintaining a new cell site by almost half of what it is today.That has huge implications for the wireless industry, which is struggling to keep up with demand for more data services from smartphones andtablet PCs. In fact wireless data traffic is expected to increase 26 times between 2010 and 2015 according to Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index Forecast. Cisco conducts the survey every year to track network growth.&quot;It's clear that the explosion in mobile data will continue,&quot; said Wim Sweldens, president of Alcatel-Lucent's wireless division. &quot;The architecture that Alcatel-Lucent is proposing will help avert a potential wireless crisis. If carriers don't move in this architectural direction then the problems we are starting to see today will only get bigger. And growing the networks will not be economically viable.&quot;Wireless carriers have been preparing for traffic increases by adding more capacity to their radio networks as well as their back-haul networks that carry the traffic from the radio towers to the Internet. The wireless industry has been pushing the Federal Communications Commission to make more wireless spectrum available so that they can increase capacity. But getting new spectrum into the market takes time.One way to add more capacity to the available spectrum is to deploy more cell sites that are smaller in area. Splitting cell sites means that wireless operators can serve more customers or provide more bandwidth to individual customers in each cell site.Carriers have already begun using a mix of a smaller and smaller cell sites in their networks. For example, femtocells provide personal cell sites that can be in a home or business. The smaller cell sites are connected to a home or office broadband connection to improve wireless indoor coverage.But splitting cell sites on a macro level in a metropolitan area is a little trickier if the old cell tower and base station architecture is used. Getting new cell towers approved is time consuming. And putting up those towers is expensive. It's also expensive to run these towers, which means long-term this architecture isn't viable.That's where Alcatel-Lucent says it's lightRadio technology comes in. It would allow wireless operators to deploy smaller cell sites much more quickly and at a much lower cost. &quot;We are applying the same principles that we've talked about in using femtocells for the entire mobile network,&quot; Sweldens said. &quot;We start by replacing the big towers with smaller elements that are easier to deploy, use less power, and connect smaller sites to broadband infrastructure that is already in place. So we can take advantage of the cloud-like architecture to get better economies of scale that either lead to reducing costs for operators or the ability to deliver more bits at the same cost.&quot;The new technology has other important benefits as well. Because the antennas are software configurable, carriers can use the same set of equipment to offer 2G, 3G, and 4G service from the same access point. What's more, upgrading from one technology to another simply requires a software upgrade.This is very different from what is done now. Today, when wireless carriers upgrade from a 3G technology such as EV-DO or HSPA to a next-generation technology, such as LTE, they are required to deploy new hardware. But with the Alcatel-Lucent lightRadio system, they simply do the upgrade in software.But Alcatel-Lucent's new technology, which is modular in design like building blocks in a Lego set, is not just a big improvement for existing wireless players. It can also be used to help other companies, such as cable operators, get into the wireless market at a much lower cost.Cable companies already have a lot of high-capacity broadband infrastructure in the ground. And some of them also own wireless spectrum licenses. Cox Communications has used some of that spectrum to build a regional wireless network, while others such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable have invested in other wireless services like Clearwire.&quot;The future for any broadband provider is building one network that can serve customers whether they are mobile or at home,&quot; Sweldens said. &quot;Our new technology will help companies leverage their existing wireline infrastructure to provide wireless services. The cable MSO market is definitely one of our target markets.&quot;Alcatel-Lucent isn't the only company that is developing smaller, more modular and wireless configurable cell phone access points. Market leaders, such as Ericsson and Huawei, have also been working on software-defined radio technology. But Sweldens believes that Alcatel-Lucent is the first company to announce plans for these products.&quot;This is indeed part of a general trend in the industry,&quot; he said. &quot;But what we've done is made a breakthrough by building the smaller cubes that fit together. We feel pretty confident that we are the first to commit to such a product road map. And that is the news.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Construction begins on 1,000 mph rocket car]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=construction-begins-on-1000-mph-rocket-car</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=construction-begins-on-1000-mph-rocket-car</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>teraperspective</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=construction-begins-on-1000-mph-rocket-car</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Bloodhound will have a Formula One engine to deliver fuel to its rocket.(Credit:Nick Haselwood)A group of British companies is starting construction this week on what could be the world's fastestcar, designed to go over 1,000 mph and break the land speed record. The Bloodhound SSC project has been on the drawing board for more than three years, though a full-size show car was put on display last year. The 6-ton, 42-foot-long, 135,000-horsepower monster will be propelled by a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine and a Falcon rocket. It should be able to go from 0 to 1,000 mph in 45 seconds. Advanced Composites Group, Cosworth, and Hampson Industries are involved in construction. After Bloodhound is built, low-speed trials will start at a runway in Britain in the second quarter of 2012. Royal Air Force Wing Commander Andy Green is to pilot Bloodhound in South Africa next year in an attempt to shatter his own 1997 record of 763 mph in the Thrust SuperSonic Car, the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier. A significant threat to the car will be the presence of rocks on Hakskeen Pan, the dry lake bed where the trial will take place. Since rocks can damage the car's body and wheels, local workers began removing debris from a large area last year. (Via BBC News)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: iPad 2 already in production]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-already-in-production</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-already-in-production</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>willnotlii</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-ipad-2-already-in-production</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A mock iPad 2 seen at this year&amp;39's CES. (Credit:Engadget)Apple has the next generation of itsiPad in production, according to a Wall Street Journal report that appears to confirm many of the rumors that have been circulating for the past couple of months.The newtablet will feature a faster processor and a built-in camera for videoconferencing, but it will have the same display resolution as the first model, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter. The new model will reportedly be sold through current partners AT&amp;T and Verizon Wireless--suggesting it might be dual mode for both GSM and CDMA networks. However, the report did not indicate when the new iPad might be hitting store shelves or what the pricing might be.An Apple representative declined to comment.Apple has sold 14 million iPads since its release last April, 7.33 million units alone during the holiday quarter, and Piper Jaffray expects Apple to sell 27 million iPads in 2011. All of that fervor has helped fuel rumors of specs, sightings, and even a claimed component acquisition. Tech site 9to5Mac claimed earlier this month that it had acquired what it believed to be an iPad 2 LCD, &quot;fresh out of China.&quot; The news site found the display to be lighter, thinner, and of higher quality than the current iPad's display, but it could see no evidence that it offered higher resolution than the existing model.Though a number of sites have reported finding higher resolution graphics in recent builds of Apple's iOS, an analyst cited by Apple Insider in January said the iPad 2 would not have a high-resolution Retina display, corroborating an earlier CNET report.Earlier this month, a Reuters &quot;eyewitness&quot; claimed to have seen an iPad 2 prototype at the press unveiling of News Corp.'s The Daily. However, that alleged sighting did nothing to confirm or dispel rumors that the new device will sport a USB port.Component makers in Taiwan said in December that Foxconn--a key maker of iPhones and iPads--had been notified that it should be ready to ship 400,000 to 600,000 units of the new device by the end of February. That aligns nicely with another rumor that has pegged February 14 as the release date for Apple's iOS 4.3, the newest update for iPhones, iPads, andiPod Touches. Might an iPad 2 announcement be included in a press event announcing iOS 4.3 Stay tuned. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Sony Ericsson Xperia Play makes official appearance in Super Bowl ad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-ericsson-xperia-play-makes-official-appearance-in-super-bowl-ad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-ericsson-xperia-play-makes-official-appearance-in-super-bowl-ad</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>maningmatae</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=sony-ericsson-xperia-play-makes-official-appearance-in-super-bowl-ad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Over the years, the commercials played during the Super Bowl have become just as entertaining and scrutinized as the game itself, and this year was no different. Among the myriad ofcar commercials that dominated Super Bowl XLV, there was one ad that probably caught the eye of many a mobile tech fan. Airing during the second quarter, Sony Ericsson confirmed all the rumors and leaks by officially showing off the Xperia Play a.k.a.PlayStation phone in the TV promo shown above. Much of the commercial is shrouded in mystery until the end where a Franken-Android of sorts is revealed with sewn-on thumbs (did anyone else find this creepy). The reason for those thumbs For the game controls of the Xperia Play, of course!The commercial describes the Xperia Play as &quot;the smartphone with everything you need and the one thing you want,&quot; but doesn't reveal much else about the Android device, other than it's coming soon. As we suspected, we'll get the full details at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, as Sony Ericsson's Facebook page has a save the date for Sunday, February 13. The press conference starts at 9 a.m., PT, and we'll be in Barcelona to cover it all, so be sure to check back then for full coverage, including hands-on photos and videos. In the meantime, check out Scott Stein's 11 must-have features for the Xperia Play and be sure to share your thoughts about the smartphone with us as well.         Bonnie Cha     Full Profile E-mail Bonnie Cha   E-mail Bonnie Cha If you have a question or comment for Bonnie Cha, 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       Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Recycled plastic ties coming to some U.S. railroads]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recycled-plastic-ties-coming-to-some-u-s--railroads</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recycled-plastic-ties-coming-to-some-u-s--railroads</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:11:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jasmine01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=recycled-plastic-ties-coming-to-some-u-s--railroads</guid>
<description><![CDATA[M1A1 70-ton tank crossing a bridge at Camp Mackall in North Carolina made from Axion's recycled plastics material.(Credit:Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army/Dawn Elizabeth Pandoliano)The U.S. railroad is about to get a minor makeover.Axion International has won a $15 million contract to make railroad ties made from recycled plastic, the company announced yesterday.The railroad ties will specifically be made of Recycled Structural Composite (RSC), the signature recycled plastic composite developed by Axion in conjunction with Rutgers University. RSC is a thermoplastic composite produced from 100 percent recycled consumer plastics (such as milk jugs and laundry detergent bottles) and industrial plastic waste.Axion's deal to provide replacement railroad ties over the next three years is with an unnamed company purported to be &quot;one of the largest railroads in North America,&quot; according to a recent SEC filing by the company.About 20 million railroad ties per year are replaced in the U.S. by the railroad industry as a whole, according to Axion. But that could change once these replacement ties are in place, as Axion claims its RSC railroad ties are longer-lasting than typical creosote-treated wood railroad ties.The New Jersey-based company got the chance to publicly prove the strength of its plastics after scoring an almost $1 million contract in 2009 to make bridge parts from recycled plastic for the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis in Virginia. A now famous photo of a heavy U.S. military tank crossing the recycled plastic bridge made its way around the Internet at the time, gaining attention. The bridge spanned 40 by 80 feet, and had a high-load rating of 130 tons. Since then, Axion has been commissioned for two more bridges, the most recent one announced last month for U.S. Army's Camp Mackall installation at Fort Bragg, N.C. The company provides the bulkheads, pilings, I-beams, I-beam girders, and ties for the bridges.&quot;Axion's RSC is inert and contains no toxic materials. It will not leach, nor warp and is impervious to insect infestation. Because it is lighter than traditional materials, transporting RSC is less expensive and reduces energy costs,&quot; Axion said in a statement.The plastic railroad ties themselves are also recyclable, according to Axion.&quot;This contract represents our first sizable order in the domestic rail tie market and the entire management team is extremely proud of this achievement,&quot; Axion President and CEO Steve Silverman said in a statement.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Google's Android 3.0 Honeycomb: What's inside]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-android-3-0-honeycomb-whats-inside</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-android-3-0-honeycomb-whats-inside</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:10:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kumpulancara</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=googles-android-3-0-honeycomb-whats-inside</guid>
<description><![CDATA[See five home screens in one zoomed-out view.(Credit:Google)We already knew about Android 3.0's (Honeycomb) 3D capability and its new look with larger, revamped icons and the like. But now Google has revealed the details on many more feature updates and additions in its Android operating system fortablets.The Goog's theme for tablets is bigger, better, and more. Tablets' larger screen size encourages a proportionately larger design and gives developers more room to play around with 3D graphics, live streaming, and deeper connections with Bluetooth devices.It's clear that with Honeycomb, Google is urging Android 3.0 tablet makers to market tablets as laptop replacements or powerful in-betweener devices, not just as larger versions of existing Android smartphones. That's evident in the way Google is giving the browser a distinctively desktop look and feel with side-by-side browser tabs (Android smartphones call them &quot;tabs&quot; but treat them like windows) and with two-paned contact information windows that are easier to read on a 7- or 10-inch screen. We've already seen this with theiPad, so it's expected that Google would follow suit. Below, we outline major changes to the user interface (UI), the keyboard, and the signature Google apps built into every Android device. You can read up on even more details in Google's Android 3.0 SDK document for developers. Android 3.0 Honeycomb's new features (photos)  Interface changesNew System Bar at the bottom of the screen has navigation controls. It's pervasive across all screens, but has a dimmer to become less obtrusive. Thumbnail view of recently accessed apps in the System Bar.Application controls appear in a bar whenever an app is running. Should largely replace the context menu for accessing a program's options and controls. Universal search bar on each of the five home screens.Zoomed-out overview of all five screens for easier selection (we've seen something similar in HTC's Sense skin for Android phones).Tweaked virtual keyboard, plus new keys, like Tab. After selecting text, elect to cut, copy, paste the text from the action bar.ConnectivityBluetooth tethering support Sync media files with a USB-connected camera or desktop computer--without mounting the phone as a USB mass storage device.Connect USB or Bluetooth keyboards. Updated Google appsBrowser: Side-by-side browser tabs, automatic sign-in on Google sites, incognito (private) mode, joint bookmarks and history view.Camera: Gallery app gets full-screen mode, adds thumbnails for other photos.Contacts: Dual-pane interface, contact info presented as a contact card.E-mail: Dual-pane interface, select multiple messages, manage e-mail with a home screen widget.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Which 'big data' are you talking about]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=which-big-data-are-you-talking-about</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=which-big-data-are-you-talking-about</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:11:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>iropobepranny</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=which-big-data-are-you-talking-about</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Late last year I posted a blog item about big data and if/when it would present opportunities for storage vendors. I concluded by saying that, while it was a bit early for next-year prognostications, I expected to see the number of storage devices aimed at analytics applications blossom in 2011 with more storage vendors pursuing the opportunity. It's now 2011 and I stand by that prediction. However, at least three definitions of big data have blossomed since that posting: Big-data storage: systems that store really big (as in humongous) amounts of data Big-data analytics: systems that use new analytics processes to crunch really big amounts of data from multiple sources and deliver information in real or near real timeBig-data storage that supports big-data analytics.To understand what big data storage is from the vendor point of view, one need look no further than EMC's positioning of its Isilon acquisition. EMC has written &quot;big data&quot; all over this one. But when you parse the text, big data here refers mainly to applications that use and produce humongous amounts of data that is stored not only on disk but tape as well. High-definition video processing applications used by media and entertainment moguls figure prominently here. The processing of genomic sequences is another big-data storage example.Big-data analytics is very different. Interestingly enough, we can look to the CTO of another EMC acquisition for guidance. Luke Lonergan, CTO of EMC/Greenplum, defines big-data analytics in the context of EMC's Data Computing Division. At a conference for analysts last week, Lonergan defined big-data analytics as &quot;using and leveraging data that is streaming in from all angles that makes businesses work better.&quot;However, during the same presentation, Lonergan hinted at a third meaning of big data--big-data storage that supports big-data analytics--when he spoke of the possibility that EMC/Isilon scale-out NAS could be connected to EMC/Greenplum data analytics. That would be interesting because EMC/Greenplum's database architecture (PDF) is defined as &quot;shared-nothing,&quot; not even storage, while Isilon scale-out NAS is a shared storage system. So when you hear vendors talk about big data, be sure to ask: do they mean big-data storage, big-data analytics, or big-data storage that supports big-data analytics. I know that's a mouthful, but clarity here is everything. IBM is also big in big data (they call it Smarter Planet) and have a scale-out NAS (SoNAS) system as well. HP could make big-data announcements that include their IBRIX-based, X9000 NAS system as well.And if it turns out that the vendor speaks of shared storage in what is typically a shared-nothing storage environment, take notes. In fact, if you don't mind, cc me. I'm cataloging these. Calpont's InfiniDB is an example of one, and I'm on the lookout for others.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report finds smart-grid security lacking]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>vacationspot1</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-finds-smart-grid-security-lacking</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This illustration from the GAO report shows the topography of a smart grid.(Credit:GAO)Echoing concerns of security experts, a new report from the Government Accountability Office warns that smart-grid systems are being deployed without built-in security features. Certain smart meters have not been designed with a strong security architecture and lack important security features like event logging and forensics capabilities used to detect and analyze cyberattacks, while smart-grid home area networks that manage electricity usage of appliances also lack adequate built-in security, according to the report (PDF) released last week by the GAO, the auditing and investigative arm of the U.S. Congress. &quot;Without securely designed smart-grid systems, utilities will be at risk of not having the capacity to detect and analyze attacks, which increases the risk that attacks will succeed and utilities will be unable to prevent them from recurring,&quot; said the report.  The report also took aim at the self-regulatory nature of the industry, saying utilities are focusing on complying with minimum regulatory requirements rather than having adequate security to prevent cyberattacks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology &quot;does not have a definitive plan and schedule, including specific milestones, for updating and maintaining its cybersecurity guidelines to address key missing elements,&quot; the report concluded. One of the important elements NIST has failed to address is the risk of attacks that use both cyber and physical means, the report said.  &quot;Furthermore, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has not established an approach coordinated with other regulators to monitor the extent to which industry is following the smart-grid standards it adopts,&quot; the report said. &quot;The voluntary standards and guidelines developed through the NIST and FERC processes offer promise. However, a voluntary approach poses some risks when applied to smart-grid investments, particularly given the fragmented nature of regulatory authority over the electricity industry.&quot;  In comments on the report that were included as an appendix, the Department of Commerce--which oversees NIST--says NIST &quot;agrees that the risk of combined cyber-physical attacks on the smart grid is an area that needs to be more fully explored in the future.&quot;  Meanwhile, FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said in comments included in an appendix to the report that he will ask his staff to evaluate ways to improve coordination among regulators and assess whether challenges identified in the report should be addressed in FERC's cybersecurity efforts, but will need to work within the commission's statutory authority.  The goal of the smart grid is to improve reliability and efficiency by incorporating information technology systems into power lines and customer meters for monitoring power distribution and usage without having to send operators into the field. (Via Threatpost) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[W3C's new logo promotes HTML5--and more]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3cs-new-logo-promotes-html5-and-more</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3cs-new-logo-promotes-html5-and-more</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>byimvaid</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=w3cs-new-logo-promotes-html5-and-more</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The W3C&amp;39's new HTML5 logo stands for more than just the HTML5 standard.(Credit:W3C)Underscoring the confluence of technology, politics, and marketing, the World Wide Web Consortium today unveiled a new logo for HTML5.With the logo, the W3C wants to promote the new Web technology--and itself. The Web is growing far beyond its roots of housing static Web sites and is transforming into a vehicle for entertainment and a foundation for online applications.The W3C hopes the logo--T-shirts and stickers with it already are on sale--will fuel excitement and interest in the refurbished Web. &quot;In addition to work on the specification, test suites, and useful materials for developers, we seek to raise awareness about W3C technology and to promote adoption of W3C standards,&quot; spokesman Ian Jacobs said.Curiously, though, the standards group--the very people one might expect to have the narrowest interpretation of what exactly HTML5 means--instead say it stands for a swath of new Web technologies extending well beyond the next version of Hypertext Markup Language.And some Web developers aren't happy about that. Web developer Jeremy Keith wrote today that the W3C just helped push HTML5 &quot;into the linguistic sewer of buzzwordland.&quot;Here's how the W3C put it: &quot;The logo is a general-purpose visual identity for a broad set of open Web technologies, including HTML5, CSS, SVG, WOFF, and others,&quot; the W3C said in the FAQ about the HTML5 logo, referring to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for formatting and graphical effects, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) for advanced 2D graphics, and the Web Open Font Format (WOFF) for elaborate typography. &quot;In addition to the HTML5 logo there are icons for eight high-level technology classes enabled by the HTML5 family of technologies. The icons can be used to highlight more specific abilities, such as offline, graphics, or connectivity.&quot;Using &quot;HTML5&quot; to represent technologies well beyond the standard itself doesn't sit well with some developers who see a useful role in more precise terms. Bruce Lawson, an employee of browser maker Opera and co-author of a book on HTML5, has proposed the acronym NEWT--new exciting Web technologies&quot;Basically: HTML5 logo = good thing. But disappointed to see CSS 3 conflated into it,&quot; Lawson tweeted today, pointing to his rather amusingly theatrical YouTube video about it.His case was likely something of a lost cause, though, even before the W3C itself offered a logo naming a specific standard to stand instead for a range of technologies. Apple, a company with vastly more marketing skill than most, launched an HTML5 showcase last year that extended well beyond HTML5--indeed it was probably better classified as a demonstration of new CSS than new HTML. There's a reason that marketing types preferred the broad definition of HTML5: it's hard to get people to understand a long series of acronyms from standards groups. And it seems unlikely Apple's promotional experts would get excited about an amphibian.To be fair to marketing department oversimplifiers, it's hard to keep track just of what the W3C is up to. Web Workers, Geolocation, IndexedDB, Web Sockets--all these are standards that are useful for the next-generation Web but that venture beyond HTML5, strictly defined.https://spinner.cnet.com/post.htmlid=20028718&amp;versionId=413456But Web-development insiders reacted to the logo's broad definition with scorn, or at least raised eyebrows. Keith's blog post is titled &quot;Badge of Shame&quot;:What. A. Crock. What we have here is a deliberate attempt to further blur the lines between separate technologies that have already become intertwingled in media reports...So now what do I do when I want to give a description of a workshop, or a talk, or a book that's actually about HTML5 If I just say &quot;It's about HTML5,&quot; that will soon be as meaningful as saying &quot;It's about Web 2.0,&quot; or &quot;It's about leveraging the synergies of disruptive transmedia paradigms.&quot; The term HTML5 has, with the support of the W3C, been pushed into the linguistic sewer of buzzwordland.And there was more carping:&amp;149' &quot;Hmm, wow. I'm thinking a new logo representing 'the Web platform in a very general sense' is maybe not really what HTML5 needed the most,&quot; tweeted John Lilly, Greylock venture partner and former Mozilla chief executive.&amp;149' &quot;CSS3 is now 'officially' part of HTML5,&quot; said a sarcastic tweet from Anne van Kesteren, who works on standards at Opera.&amp;149' Longtime Web developer Jeffery Zeldman called the logo's broad definition &quot;misguided.&quot;&amp;149' &quot;Nothing wrong with the HTML5Logo itself, use it if you want, but including CSS3 and other bits is just wrong and confusing,&quot; tweeted Web developer and HTML5 fan Ian Devlin.&amp;149' And HTML5 book co-author Remy Sharp asked, &quot;Let's clear this up, once and for all: does the @w3c intend for 'CSS3' to be included as 'HTML5'&quot;Don't expect standardization work at the W3C will lose its ultra-precise wording in favor of loosey-goosey marketing terminology. But do expect W3C to promote its broader agenda in more general terms.Jacobs said in a blog post that the W3C had begun an internal project in 2010 to create a logo for the &quot;open Web platform&quot;--another more general term for today's constellation of new Web technologies--but put it on hold. Today's HTML5 logo came instead from design firm Ocupop, which according to creative director Michael Nieling was developed with all the Web technologies in mind:The term HTML5 has taken on a life of its own' there has been significant confusion and debate both within the developer community and in the public at large as to what exactly HTML5 is when the term is used outside of simply referring to the spec itself. This variability in perception is what inspired the project--a group of developers and HTML5 evangelists came to us and posed the question, &quot;How can we better communicate all of the technologies and potential that HTML5 represents&quot; ...and the resounding answer was, the standard needs a standard. That is, HTML5 needs a consistent, standardized visual vocabulary to serve as a framework for conversations, presentations, and explanations moving forward...Nieling himself said, though, that the designers don't get the last word about what exactly the logo means&quot;I am confident that we've provided a very clear and effective baseline of vocabulary for HTML5,&quot; he said. &quot;The syntax and ultimate meaning is up to the community.&quot;Updated 7:41 a.m. PTwith more reaction against the broad definition of the new logo.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[CES: Hands-on with the Taser shotgun]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-hands-on-with-the-taser-shotgun</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-hands-on-with-the-taser-shotgun</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jan 2011 08:10:31 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>josie21</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ces-hands-on-with-the-taser-shotgun</guid>
<description><![CDATA[You can put the Taser cartridge in either the company&amp;39's yellow shotgun or a normal one.(Credit:Crave UK)LAS VEGAS--Taser International is aCES regular. This year, the company's staff was at the trade show in force, demonstrating its new technology and offering to fry anyone crazy enough to volunteer. The highlight of its new range is a shotgun with self-contained bullets of electrical agony. As ludicrous as Tasers are, we can't help but be drawn to the bright yellow guns and incredible electrical power. Most incredible is the Taser X12 shotgun, which can fire a projectile up to 82 feet--most Tasers can only be used from about 16 feet meters away--and doesn't have wires attached to the gun itself. The cartridge is entirely self-contained, has little fold-out wings that keep it stable in flight, and is designed to puncture the target's skin to deliver its electrical punch.Read more of &quot;Hands-on with the Taser shotgun, and other non-lethal fun,&quot; and see more photos, at Crave UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple's iOS market share tops Android, RIM]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-ios-market-share-tops-android-rim</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-ios-market-share-tops-android-rim</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jan 2011 08:10:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cailing</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apples-ios-market-share-tops-android-rim</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google's Android mobile operating system may be surging, but it hasn't overtaken Apple's iOS in the U.S., according to a Nielsen report released today.Using November data, market research firm Nielsen on Monday ranked Apple's iOS as the No. 1 mobile operating with 28.6 percent of the smartphone operating system market share in the U.S. Coming in at No. 3 is Google's Android with 25.8 percent share of the U.S. market.What's really interesting is that RIM's BlackBerry operating system, which is the No. 2 ranked mobile operating system in the U.S. by market share with 26.1 percent, is within the margin of error of both Apple iOS and Android.&quot;In other words, RIM remains statistically tied with both Apple for first and Android for third,&quot; writes Nielsen. &quot;Apple's clear lead over Android notwithstanding, this race might still be too close to call.&quot;(Credit:Nielsen)The popularity of Android is clear though. Among those consumers who purchased a smartphone in the last six months, 40 percent chose the Android OS. Overall, 45 percent of consumers in November chose a smartphone over a regular cell phone, according to Nielsen.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Apple, Disney create 'Tron Legacy' iAd, first for iPad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-disney-create-tron-legacy-iad-first-for-ipad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-disney-create-tron-legacy-iad-first-for-ipad</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:10:10 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Pearmolortirl</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=apple-disney-create-tron-legacy-iad-first-for-ipad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Apple)Apple and Disney have put together a special preview iAd for theiPad that should show up on the U.S. App Store today.Featuring Disney's upcoming movie &quot;Tron Legacy,&quot; the new iAd will not only be a way for users to learn more about the movie, but it is also the very first iAd on the iPad.&quot;Disney and Apple are excited to debut the 'Tron Legacy' iAd today as a special preview of iAd for iPad, which launches next year,&quot; said the two companies in a joint statement. &quot;iAd brings Tron's pulsing energy and vivid graphic style to iPad's stunning display, creating a truly immersive ad experience.&quot;When you tap on the ad, you will be given the ability to watch full screen videos and trailers from the film, view a photo gallery and character bios, and listen to music previews from the Daft Punk soundtrack.The iAd will also give users the ability to download content to their iPad. You will be able to get gallery content, links to purchase the soundtrack, a mapping feature that locates the nearest theater, and e-mail integration that lets the user send an image from the movie to a friend, inviting them to see the movie.iAd integration is not widely available on the iPad, yet. However, iAds on the iPad are expected to be available to other companies in early 2011.Of course, it makes sense that Apple would choose to partner with Disney. In 2006, Disney bought Pixar from Steve Jobs for $7.4 billion in stock, making Apple's CEO the largest single shareholder of Disney and a member of its board of directors.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA['Avatar': Behind the scenes at Weta Digital]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=avatar-behind-the-scenes-at-weta-digital</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=avatar-behind-the-scenes-at-weta-digital</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Nov 2010 08:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mamapapa2010</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=avatar-behind-the-scenes-at-weta-digital</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Instead of computer-animating the Na&amp;39'vi, &amp;34'Avatar&amp;34' creators used a technique known as &amp;34'motion capture,&amp;34' which helps to create more natural-looking characters. Click on the image for more pictures from the behind-the-scenes tour.(Credit:Ty Pendlebury/CNET Australia)New Zealand may be known as the home of &quot;Lord of the Rings,&quot; but you may not know that it's also the unofficial birthplace of &quot;Avatar.&quot; You see, Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop in Wellington is behind the special effects of films such as &quot;Heavenly Creatures&quot; and &quot;Prince Caspian.&quot; But more famously, it has produced the effects in both the &quot;Lord of the Rings&quot; trilogy and &quot;Avatar.&quot; In fact, the company was working up until July to finish work on the Extended Edition of the &quot;Avatar&quot; Blu-ray version. To celebrate the release of the Avatar Extended Collector's Edition, CNET Australia got to go behind the scenes at Weta studios to witness how the movie was made. As this extensive photo gallery shows, we were taken through each step of the process--from motion capture through to the finished product.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GE unit invests in biofuels producer]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-unit-invests-in-biofuels-producer</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-unit-invests-in-biofuels-producer</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bepnozi254</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-unit-invests-in-biofuels-producer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[GE subsidiary GE Energy Financial Services and North Bridge Venture Partners will invest $8 million in a company developing a biofuel production process coupled with the production of biochar.Cool Planet Biofuels converts cellulosic byproducts like plant waste and woodchips into biofuel that can be used in vehicles.Cool Planet Biofuels seems to be developing a process similar to that of Carbonscape, a New Zealand company that produces this biochar as a byproduct of its cellulosic biofuel process.(Credit:Carbonscape)The company's byproduct from the process is biochar, or manmade coal as some call it, which just like conventional charcoal can be burned for fuel. It's something the company says qualifies its biofuel process as being carbon neutral.The biochar can also be buried in the ground serving as both a form of carbon sequestration and soil conditioner for farmland. When put to that use the biofuel can be considered to have a N100 rating (100 percent carbon negative), according to Cool Planet Biofuels.It's similar to a process touted in 2009 by a New Zealand start-up. Carbonscape also makes biofuel with biomass coal as a carbon sequestration byproduct that can be buried in the ground.  Carbonscape's biochar can also be burned for fuel.In addition to the gasoline cellulose-to-biofuel conversion, Cool Planet Biofuels has said it's also developing a one-step catalytic conversion that could yield synthetic diesel or even high-octane gasoline.The Camarillo, Calif.-based company, run by husband and wife team Mike and Charity Cheiky, has received $3 million in funding as part of this deal with another $5 million outstanding, according to the latest SEC filing. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, GE will be getting a seat on the board of Cool Planet Biofuels, according to North Bridge Venture Partners.The investment certainly falls in line with GE's well-publicized goal announced in June that the company plans to invest $10 billion over the next five years in green-focused research and development projects.Cool Planet Biofuels received $3.5 million in a first round of funding in November 2009. This past September, the company assembled a technical advisory board consisting of veterans from Chevron, DuPont, and Shell. Cool Planet Biofuels also seems to be looking to hire mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, machinists, lab technicians, and scientists with petrochemical experience, according to its Web site.&quot;The fuel market is one of the world's largest at about $4 trillion per year. Today, biofuels are only a tiny portion of that market, but are poised for rapid growth based on concerns about global warming and importing oil. Cool Planet's technology could be a major driver in expanding the use of low carbon footprint and locally sourced fuels,&quot; said Basil R. Horangic of North Bridge Venture Partners in a statement.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Audi's first hybrid leaked before LA show (video)]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=audis-first-hybrid-leaked-before-la-show-video</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=audis-first-hybrid-leaked-before-la-show-video</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Kavita01</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=audis-first-hybrid-leaked-before-la-show-video</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Rather than waiting until the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal it's first production hybrid, Audi released near full specs and video clips of its soon-to-be released 2011 Q5 Hybrid Quattro SUV. The Q5 Hybrid Quattro promises the power of a V6 and the fuel consumption of a four-cylinder from its 2.0 TFSI engine and electric motor. Combined, the gasoline engine and electric motor deliver 245-horsepower yet achieve an estimated 33.6 mpg--around the same fuel economy as a Volkswagen Golf.It may be one of the last manufacturers to add a hybrid to its lineup, but Audi's showing showing some of the most advanced hybrid technology on the market. The Q5 Hybrid can operate in EV-only mode while driving up 62 mph--the highest electric-only top speed for a hybrid . The EV-only range is less impressive: on a full battery, the Q5 can travel only 1.86 miles at 37 mph, similar to existingcars such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid and the Toyota Prius. The 2011 Q5 Hybrid will be outfitted with Audi's latest telematics system using 3-dimensional Google Earth navigation and internet connectivity for other Google services, such as news and search. There's also hot spot connectivity for up to eight devices, so whatever the navigation can't deliver, youriPad can. The price for all this technology was one of the few details not revealed by the manufacturer.Audi's not the first manufacturer to drop the cloth early--Mitsubishi released images of its i-Miev. If you're unable to attend the official reveal of the 2011 Audi Q5 Hybrid Quattro, Audi released 11 minutes of video to the public, which isn't a bad second place to seeing the real thing: The following product is available: On Sale Now: $37,200.00   View the latest prices for 2009 Audi Q5         Liane Yvkoff     Full Profile E-mail Liane Yvkoff   E-mail Liane Yvkoff If you have a question or comment for Liane Yvkoff, 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       Liane Yvkoff is a freelance writer who blogs about cars for CNET Car Tech. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. E-mail Liane.  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Lego Harry Potter coming to iPhone, iPad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lego-harry-potter-coming-to-iphone-ipad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lego-harry-potter-coming-to-iphone-ipad</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:10:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>limresufcom</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=lego-harry-potter-coming-to-iphone-ipad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[At long last, iPhone and iPad owners will be able to enjoy the incredibly clever Lego video games, starting with Harry Potter: Years 1-4.(Credit:Traveller&amp;39's Tales Games)Traveller's Tales' Lego video games (including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Batman) are among the wittiest and most entertaining I've ever played. My kids love 'em, too. Alas, though they've made appearances on all the major consoles as well as handheld systems like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, not one of the games has been ported to iOS. Until now.According to a PR rep for Warner Bros. and TT Games, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 will be arriving &quot;soon&quot; foriPhone,iPad, andiPod Touch. Just how soon, the rep wouldn't say, but given that &quot;Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows&quot; is due in theaters November 19, it's a safe bet the game will arrive no later--and perhaps even a bit sooner.Here's the only description I was given: Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 will bring the world of Lego Harry Potter to life on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, giving gamers the power to play with Lego characters and models in a brand-new way. Based on the first four &quot;Harry Potter&quot; books and movies, Lego Harry Potter builds on the foundations of previous Lego video games by offering a mix of fun, accessible gameplay, and light-hearted humor, which appeals to all ages. Players will explore and feel as though they are at Hogwarts.  Will the iOS version contain all the levels of its console counterpart Will it allow cooperative play What will the controls be like How much will it cost Alas, I can't answer any of these questions yet. But rest assured I'll post a full review as soon as possible. Suffice it to say, I'm seriously excited by Lego HP's arrival, and hope the other Lego games will follow. In the meantime, I leave you with a couple more tantalizing screenshots: (Credit:Traveller&amp;39's Tales Games) (Credit:Traveller&amp;39's Tales Games) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Verizon quietly launches Motorola Droid 2 Global]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-quietly-launches-motorola-droid-2-global</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-quietly-launches-motorola-droid-2-global</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:10:30 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>kinggaaann</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=verizon-quietly-launches-motorola-droid-2-global</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Motorola Droid 2 Global(Credit:Verizon)After weeks of speculation, the Motorola Droid 2 Global is available today to Verizon Wireless customers. As expected, the Droid 2 Global features a 1.2GHz processor and runs Android 2.2 (Froyo). It has a 3.7-inch display, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and comes in either white or black. It features 8GB of internal memory and an 8GB preinstalled microSD card. But it's the device's ability to work around the world that will attract customers. According to Verizon, it boasts &quot;Quad Band GSM capabilities to make and receive calls, check e-mail, and more from over 200 countries.&quot; Motorola's Droid 2 Global sells for $199.99 after a mail-in rebate with a two-year contract. Last month, many of the Droid 2 Global's specs leaked on the Web. Last week, reports surfaced claiming the Droid 2 Global would be made available to Verizon customers on November 11. The only detail that was wrong along the way was that release date. The launch of the Droid 2 Global comes on the heels of Verizon's announcement yesterday that it will offer the Motorola Droid Pro for preorder starting today. Like the Droid 2 Global, the Droid Pro can place calls and access data networks around the world. Unlike the Droid 2 Global's slide-out keyboard, the Droid Pro has a keyboard built in below the screen. The Droid Pro retails for $179.99 after a mail-in rebate with a two-year contract. It will be available for purchase November 18.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Global broadband subscription growth on the rise]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=global-broadband-subscription-growth-on-the-rise</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=global-broadband-subscription-growth-on-the-rise</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Marek</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=global-broadband-subscription-growth-on-the-rise</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Propelled by demand for high-speed Internet in China, worldwide broadband subscriptions should show a healthy jump for the third quarter, says research firm iSuppli.The number of new broadband subscribers in the quarter is expected to rise by 5.8 percent to reach 16.5 million, according to figures released yesterday by iSuppli. That's a rally from the second quarter when the number of new subscribers actually dropped by 6.6 percent to 15.6 million. It also means the third-quarter numbers are catching up with the 16.7 million new subscribers captured in the first quarter of the year.The latest increase in new broadband subscriptions should pave the way for even better results in the fourth quarter when iSuppli is projecting a 7.3 percent gain, to 17.7 million.(Credit:iSuppli)&quot;Broadband subscriber additions declined in the second quarter because of normal seasonality as well as a poor performance in the North American market,&quot; Lee Ratliff, senior analyst for broadband and digital home at iSuppli, said in a statement. &quot;However, Chinese consumers' insatiable demand for high-speed Internet is so high that it will cause subscriber numbers to rise again in the second half of the year.&quot; China experienced record growth in the first quarter with around 6 million new subscribers, followed by only a slight drop in the second quarter with the addition of 5.4 million people. The forecast for China is calling for an additional 5.7 million in the third quarter and around the same number again in the fourth quarter.Which industries are benefiting from this surge in growth In the U.S, the race has been on between telephone companies and cable operators to grab an increasingly larger slice of the broadband pie. Telecommunications companies led the market in 2008 and into 2009 by winning over customers with fast fiber connections, notably AT&amp;T's U-verse and Verizon's Fios.But by mid-2009, AT&amp;T and Verizon had both started reducing their fiber deployments, allowing cable providers to take the lead. Cable companies enjoy a cost advantage, according to iSuppli. They can roll out broadband access to customers without spending a lot of money, offering speeds of 20 to 50 megabits per second (Mbps) for as little as $20 spent on deployment per household. Telecommunications companies, however, typically need to invest anywhere from $600 to $1,500 per household to set up fiber access.As consumers access more bandwidth-intensive activities such as online gaming, video streaming, and Internet TV, the telecommunications companies and cable providers are also striving to provide higher speeds. Rates of 1Mbps to 5Mbps were OK in the old Web surfing days, but iSuppli believes speeds of 30Mbps to 50Mbps will soon become the norm. And unless telecommunications companies can make more of a case for fiber, cable operators will likely retain their lead in the battle to push out broadband.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Solar-panel maker Solyndra to lay off workers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-panel-maker-solyndra-to-lay-off-workers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-panel-maker-solyndra-to-lay-off-workers</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Simi</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=solar-panel-maker-solyndra-to-lay-off-workers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In May, President Obama visited Solyndra&amp;39's Fab 2 plant in Fremont, Calif. The plant was originally intended to run concurrently with its Fab 1 plant and expand production capability, but now the older Fab 1 plant is closing.(Credit:Solyndra)Thin-film solar-panel maker Solyndra will announce today it plans to close its Fab 1 plant in Fremont, Calif., The New York Times has reported.The closing will result in 40 Solyndra employees being laid off. Another 150 subcontractors will not have their current work contracts renewed, according to the report.But the news follows the opening of Solyndra's state-of-the-art Fab 2 plant near its original Fremont plant just weeks ago, which was built in part with a $535 million federal loan guarantee from the Department of Energy.The Fab 2 plant, when fully operational, is capable of producing 500-megawatts worth of thin-film solar panels per year and employing about 1,000 people.Solyndra makes thin-film flexible solar cells from CIGS (copper, indium, gallium, and selenide), not traditional photovoltaic cells made with silicon. Thin-film solar cells are typically less efficient than silicon solar cells, but because they have also been traditionally cheaper to install they maintained a competitive edge in the solar marketplace.But a changing thin-film solar market, as well as a significant drop in the cost of traditional silicon solar cells, has changed that dynamic.Solyndra has raised a total of $970 million in financing, and received another $573 million in the form of a loan guarantee from the Department of Energy, money that was appropriated in the Energy Act of 2005. The Department of Energy and the White House has held Solyndra up as a prime example of U.S. green-tech manufacturing innovation, investment, and job creation. President Obama made his &quot;We've got to go back to making things&quot; speech in May from the Fab 2 plant during a visit. Concurrent with Solyndra's funding and ramp-up to production, several thin-film solar manufacturers in China have also been ramping up manufacturing in large part because of the Chinese government's well-documented push to invest in green tech.Chinese thin-film solar manufacturer Suntech, for example, has announced several tech partnerships it says have improved the efficiency of its thin-film solar cells, as well as increased production volume resulting in significantly lower costs for its products.In April PricewaterhouseCoopers, Solyndra's auditor, said the company was in debt at a rate that was unsustainable and needed to make significant adjustments if it was to be profitable long-term. In July the company canceled its planned IPO and announced that Solyndra founding CEO Chris Gronet would be stepping down to be replaced by Brian Harrison.The decrease in cost to install conventional PVs, combined with this recent introduction of cheaper thin-film solar products from China, has been closing the competitive gap. Solyndra's high-tech Fab 2 plant will reduce production costs compared to its old facility, Harrison told The New York Times.&quot;Fab 2 is much more efficient and cost-effective than our existing facility,&quot; he said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Monitor tech: Panel technology and you]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=monitor-tech-panel-technology-and-you</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=monitor-tech-panel-technology-and-you</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:23:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Preety01</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=monitor-tech-panel-technology-and-you</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Samsung PX2370 is the current top-performing TN monitor.(Credit:Josh P. Miller/CNET)It recently occurred to me (thanks to a few e-mails I've received in the last few months) that many people shopping for monitors are completely unaware of the panel technology driving them and how it affects, not only their buying experience, but their user experience as well. If you've read our Monitor Buying Guide then you're aware of the different types of panels your monitor can house. If you haven't read it, I certainly recommend you do, but if you'd actually like to get some work done today, you can get a small piece of it here.The three main panel technologies currently used in modern LCDs are: Twisted Nematic (TN), Vertical Alignment (VA), and In-Plane Switching (IPS).TNManufactures make the vast majority of consumer monitors using TN panels. So, not surprising, TN panels are the cheapest of the three technologies to make. With a few exceptions, monitors that cost $300 or less will likely have TN panels.The main advantages of TN panels are their fast--usually 2ms--response time and, of course, low price. Their major disadvantages are narrow viewing angles, relatively low brightness (usually), and inaccurate color reproduction. CNET's top TN monitors:Samsung PX2370Samsung SyncMaster XL2370Dell SP2309WA low-angle view of CNET.com on the NEC MultiSync E321W, which uses a TN panel.(Credit:Eric Franklin/CNET)VANext up are VA (mostly seen as S-PVA) panels. VAs have improved viewing angles compared with TNs, better color reproduction, and they typically have a much higher maximum brightness. Also, they tend to have the lowest black levels of all three panel technologies.Unfortunately, a VA panel's response time and input lag are not quite as fast as a TN panel and they can cost anywhere from $400 to $800, and sometimes more depending on the panel's size. Also, you can expect a VA-based monitor's profile to be wider than a TN's. Ultimately, VA's are much rarer than either TN or IPS in consumer monitors. CNET's top VA monitors:HP LP2275wNEC MultiSync P221WSamsung SyncMaster F2380IPSLastly, we have IPS. IPS-based monitors are usually the most expensive' however, the new e-IPS panels cost as little as $300 for a 22-inch model. They also have the best viewing angles of all three technologies and produce the most-accurate colors' however, their blacks are not as deep as on VA panels.IPS monitors are the slowest of the bunch in both response time and input lag. CNET's top IPS monitors:Dell UltraSharp U2711NEC MultiSync PA271WHP DreamColor LP2480zxThe Dell UltraSharp 2408WFP uses an IPS panel and has a much better lower-viewing angle than the aforementioned NEC.(Credit:Eric Franklin/CNET)With each monitor review I've done in the last year and a half or so, I've mentioned the type of panel the monitor uses' however, if you're interested in discovering what types of panels other monitors use, check out the panel search feature on TFT Central.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ray Ozzie sees new 'dawn' for Microsoft]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ray-ozzie-sees-new-dawn-for-microsoft</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ray-ozzie-sees-new-dawn-for-microsoft</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Oct 2010 18:22:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lawan</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ray-ozzie-sees-new-dawn-for-microsoft</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As he gets ready to head out the door at Microsoft sometime in the coming weeks, Ray Ozzie is offering up sweeping thoughts on how the company should move forward into the coming decade.&quot;Let there be no doubt that the big shifts occurring over the next five years ensure that this will absolutely be a time of great opportunity for those who put past technologies &amp; successes into perspective, and envision all the transformational value that can be offered moving forward to individuals, businesses, governments and society,&quot; Ozzie wrote in a blog post titled &quot;Dawn of a New Day.&quot; The post is written as a memo to &quot;Executive Staff and direct reports.&quot;Ray Ozzie, chief software architect on the outs.Last week, Microsoft unexpectedly announced that Ozzie would be departing after five years at the software giant. No specific last day was given, but the transition is expected to last several months. Microsoft said that Ozzie, who has been serving as chief software architect, will focus his time on &quot;the broader area of entertainment where Microsoft has many ongoing investments&quot; before he officially leaves the company.Five years ago this week, Ozzie put a stamp on his then new role at Microsoft with a similarly big-picture essay known as &quot;The Internet Services Disruption&quot; memo. That quickly became the inspiration for several of Microsoft's products, including Windows Live and Windows Azure.In the new memo, posted to the newly launched &quot;ray ozzie's blog,&quot; Ozzie urges the company to keep up its forward momentum and not hold too tightly to a past that was defined in large part by Microsoft's software for the PC.&quot;As Microsoft has done so successfully over the course of the company's history,&quot; he writes, &quot;let's mark this five-year milestone by once again fearlessly embracing that which is technologically inevitable.&quot;Some of those successes, Ozzie writes, include delivering a &quot;seamless OS&quot; that uses Windows Live &quot;as an optional, yet natural services complement to the Windows and Office software.&quot; He cites Office 365 and &quot;our 2010 Office&quot; as components in the company's &quot;seamless productivity.&quot; And in the &quot;seamless entertainment&quot; space, Ozzie believes &quot;Xbox Live has transformedXbox into a real-time, social, media-rich TV experience.&quot;But Ozzie is also fully aware of the mistakes Microsoft has made over the past few years. He said that the &quot;early and clear vision&quot; of some of Microsoft's competitors has helped those companies get ahead of the software giant &quot;in mobile experiences, in the seamless fusion of hardware and software and services, and in social networking and myriad new forms of Internet-centric social interaction.&quot;The next five years will present &quot;another inflection point&quot; presenting yet more opportunities, Ozzie writes.&quot;We're moving toward a world of 1) cloud-based continuous services that connect us all and do our bidding, and 2) appliance-like connected devices enabling us to interact with those cloud-based services,&quot; he writes. He continues:At first blush, this world of continuous services and connected devices doesn't seem very different than today. But those who build, deploy and manage today's websites understand viscerally that fielding a truly continuous service is incredibly difficult and is only achieved by the most sophisticated high-scale consumer websites. And those who build and deploy application fabrics targeting connected devices understand how challenging it can be to simply &amp; reliably just 'sync' or 'stream'. To achieve these seemingly simple objectives will require dramatic innovation in human interface, hardware, software and services.Meanwhile, the PC-centric, client/server world has &quot;accreted simply immense complexity over the past quarter century. To which he adds a warning: &quot;Complexity kills. Complexity sucks the life out of users, developers and IT. Complexity makes products difficult to plan, build, test and use. Complexity introduces security challenges. Complexity causes administrator frustration.&quot;That's exactly why Microsoft must &quot;form a realistic picture of what a post-PC world might look like, if it were to ever truly occur.&quot; He writes that &quot;those who can envision a plausible future that's brighter than today will earn the opportunity to lead.&quot;He went on to say that the industry is on a path toward &quot;cloud-based continuous services that connect us all and do our bidding, and appliance-like connected devices enabling us to interact with those cloud-based services.&quot; And although he believes that continuous services and connected devices could lead the &quot;next wave of industry reconfiguration,&quot; it could take a while before the industry fully embraces them. But, Ozzie said, &quot;it will.&quot;And despite economic and other insecurities of the present day, Ozzie expresses optimism: &quot;I see a great, expansive future for our industry and for our company.&quot; (Via TechCrunch)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Social media popularity can predict stock prices]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-media-popularity-can-predict-stock-prices</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-media-popularity-can-predict-stock-prices</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>wanriare5572</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=social-media-popularity-can-predict-stock-prices</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A new study conducted by a doctoral student at Pace University, in association with Famecount (which tracks how popular brands are according to social media) concludes that social media popularity can reliably predict daily stock prices.The study tracked three brands, Starbucks, Coca Cola and Nike,over the course of 10 months in 2010-2011. The number of Facebook fans, Twitter followers and Youtube views were used as measures of each brand&amp;'s social media popularity. This data was tracked against daily stock price movements for each of these companies, relative to an index of consumer stocks (which reflects how well the stock market is doing in general) and keyword search trend data (the number of searches for &amp;''Starbucks&amp;'' reflects general public interest in the brand and should show spikes due to major announcements).Although the fortunes of the three brands varied considerably over the course of the study, e.g. Starbuck&amp;'s stock price climbed 24 percent while Coke&amp;'s declined by 6 percent, a correlation was found between daily popularity and stock price, even when a 10- or a 30-day lag was introduced into the study, suggesting that social media popularity may be a lead indicator of stock price performance.This study only looked at a very small number of brands and the indices used to track stock market performance, and public interest might not be sufficient toseparatethe influence of social media popularity from other factors. However, traders are increasingly taking techniques like sentiment analysis (another measure of a brand&amp;'s standing with consumers and media) seriously.Reuters&amp;' trading dashboard uses text and sentiment analysis from Lexanalytics to track news on 20,000 stocks and commodities. Text analysis determines the meaning of a block of text, while sentiment analysis determines the mood or tone of the text and how positive or negative it is, e.g. a very positive review of a new product.This data is now being used as actionable input for algorithmic trading, automated trading software that accounts for up to 50 percent of trades in the U.S.I recently talked to Rochester Cahan, Vice President of Global Equity Quantitative Strategy at Deutsche Bank about the usage of text and sentiment analysis in trading. His team advises fund managers on trading strategy and has been experimenting with the Reuters service. According to Cahan, the amount of relevant data available on a stock is becoming impossibly largefor a human trader to process. To be used by a trading system, the massive amounts of unstructured text containing information relevant to a stock need to be summarized into a simple number (or numbers). This is where text and sentiment analysis scoring come in.Multiple news sources areanalyzed for particular words, tone, relevance and freshness, e.g. the latest news reporting that Apple will not support NFC in the iPhone 5. If there is astatistical relationship between a stock price rise and similar news in the past, then the trading system will buy.Cahan told me thathe has seen significant improvements in trading performance when the text and sentiment scores are used as trading inputs. In addition, the scores were uncorrelated with existing trading signals, i.e. they provide new information to the trading system.The most positive sentiment levels are not necessarily the most useful for trading. When, let&amp;'s say, Apple announces the iPad to almost universal media euphoria, the stock price reacts very quickly so it&amp;'s difficult to take advantage of the information. However, stocks with moderate positive sentiments tend to be overlooked by the market and make good buys.Next Story: Zong expands its mobile payments to game consoles and tablets Previous Story: Ask the accountant: What taxes will I owe on restricted stockPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: sentiment analysis, Social Media, stock market, tradingCompanies: Coca-Cola, Deutsche Bank, Famecount, lexanalytics, Nike, Reuters, Starbucks          Tags: sentiment analysis, Social Media, stock market, tradingCompanies: Coca-Cola, Deutsche Bank, Famecount, lexanalytics, Nike, Reuters, StarbucksCiara Byrne is a full time techie and part-time writer. She has worked as a software developer, team lead, engineering manager and mobile standards expert. Ciara is based in Amsterdam and her interests include creative companies, useful technology, torture by piano and cycling in high heels. Follow her on Twitter at @deciara.  Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[With Two Days Left In October, Diaspora Pushes Public Alpha To&nbsp'Thanksgiving]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-two-days-left-in-october-diaspora-pushes-public-alpha-tonbspthanksgiving</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-two-days-left-in-october-diaspora-pushes-public-alpha-tonbspthanksgiving</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Fely</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=with-two-days-left-in-october-diaspora-pushes-public-alpha-tonbspthanksgiving</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Project Diaspora. The open source Facebook-killa. You know the one. Developers got a taste of it last month. And the rest of us were supposed to get a usable alpha build this month. Well, there are only two days left in this month. So it&amp;'s shouldn&amp;'t be too surprising that they&amp;'re pushing the consumer release again.In a post pointing out some of the progress being made today, the Diaspora team notes:Our basic feature set is almost done. Once that is stable, wea4a4ll set up an alpha server so that anyone, not just developers, can try Diaspora and help us improve it. Wea4a4re shooting to do this before Thanksgiving.So what has Diaspora been working on since last month Here&amp;'s some of the latest features they note:Public messages are can now be posted to Twitter and FacebookFriends can now be in multiple aspectsRe-sharing of status messages to aspects other than the one originally posted toAn invite system for inviting your friends not hip to Diaspora yetEmail notifications on new friend request and acceptanceAccount data is exportableA more friendly a4Agetting starteda4 experienceThat said, we&amp;'ve heard from some developers who built versions themselves that there were some pretty glaring security holes in the initial builds. Hopefully those will be fixed before the public gets any kind of taste.CrunchBase InformationDiasporaFacebookInformation provided by CrunchBase<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon.com&'s secret retail empire]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-comrsquos-secret-retail-empire</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-comrsquos-secret-retail-empire</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sophia004</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-comrsquos-secret-retail-empire</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jeff Bezos has a loud laugh. But Amazon.com&amp;'s founder and CEO is keeping quiet about his expansion efforts, which now include sites as varied as BuyVIP.com, Zappos, and as of Monday, Diapers.com.With its many acquisitions, Amazon.com is turning itself into a multibrand retailer. You&amp;'d never glean this from the company&amp;'s strategy statements in its annual reports, where it talks about &amp;''the strength of our brand&amp;'' &amp;8212' not brands. Amazon&amp;'s PR boilerplate gushes at length about the Kindle e-book reader but not, say, DPReview, Shopbop, Javari, IMDB, Small Parts, or Fabric.com &amp;8212' all of which Amazon owns.Amazon&amp;'s e-commerce empire is barely integrated. Want to log in to Zappos with your Amazon account, or use your Amazon Prime membership to get free two-day shipping at Fabric.com Good luck with that. (In fact, two years after Amazon.com bought Fabric.com, the site is still apparently run by a third-party e-commerce operator, Bridgeline Digital.) Only Endless.com, a shoes-and-handbags site launched in-house, and Small Parts are &amp;''powered by Amazon.com,&amp;'' a status which means Amazon.com customers can use their accounts on those sites. You have to dig into the legalese of privacy policies or ferret out obscure &amp;''About&amp;'' pages to find a mention of Amazon.com on many of the sites it owns. For all of its talk of building and leveraging the Amazon.com brand, Amazon does little to broadcast it off of the mothership.That hands-off approach may actually be an asset to Amazon&amp;'s merger and acquisitions strategy. Quidsi cofounder Vinnie Bharara told me that the example of Zappos factored into his and cofounder Marc Lore&amp;'s decision to sell the parent company of Diapers.com to Bezos &amp;amp' co.Still run under CEO Tony Hsieh, Zappos continues to operate under its quirky culture, which emphasizes high-quality customer service instead of low prices. New Zappos hires are paid as much as $3,000 to quit after training, a test of their commitment to the company. It&amp;'s hard to imagine Amazon applying that broadly across the company, but it&amp;'s let Zappos continue the practice.Multibrand retail has a mixed reputation offline. Gap Inc. has struggled to differentiate its Gap and Old Navy brands. Limited has had a breakout success with Victoria&amp;'s Secret, but it&amp;'s not clear how the lingerie-store chain has benefited from being owned by the same company as Bath &amp;amp' Body Works. And Macy&amp;'s has gone from a panoply of department-store brands to just two: Macy&amp;'s and Bloomingdale&amp;'s.Online, though, things are different. The cost of operating a Web brand is far less than running a retail chain, and it&amp;'s far easier to experiment. Zappos and Diapers.com built their brands largely through customer service and word of mouth, not expensive advertising.Ultimately, the only question that matters is whether shareholders are losing out by Amazon&amp;'s lax approach to integrating its retail holdings. And the answer is, likely not. Amazon can get economies of scale in sourcing products and processing payments. And Amazon&amp;'s brand, which stands for convenience, selection, and low prices, may not scale to every customer in the retail world. By allowing Zappos and Quidsi to innovate under the Amazon umbrella, Bezos can better fend off rivals &amp;8212' while keeping potential assets out of their hands. (Walmart was reportedly interested in Quidsi.)What&amp;'s next According to Quidsi&amp;'s Lore, the company is planning to go ahead with the launch of Yoyo.com, after reportedly paying $500,000 for the domain name. Does the world need another toys site to compete with Amazon.com&amp;'s vast selection of toys Here&amp;'s the thing: With Yoyo.com in his pocket, Bezos will be the first to know.[Photo: oreilly]Next Story: The iPhone app is the Flash homepage of 2010 Previous Story: Austin companies: Join us Nov. 19 for feedback and drinks at Austin VenturesPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: Diapers.com, DPReview, e commerce, Fabric.com, IMBD, Javari, Shopbop, Small Parts, Soap.com, Yoyo.comCompanies: Amazon.com, Quidsi, ZapposPeople: Jeff Bezos, Marc Lore, Tony Hsieh, Vinnie Bharara          Tags: Diapers.com, DPReview, e commerce, Fabric.com, IMBD, Javari, Shopbop, Small Parts, Soap.com, Yoyo.comCompanies: Amazon.com, Quidsi, ZapposPeople: Jeff Bezos, Marc Lore, Tony Hsieh, Vinnie BhararaOwen Thomas is the executive editor of 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[Egypt restores Internet access amid continued Mubarak protests]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=egypt-restores-internet-access-amid-continued-mubarak-protests</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=egypt-restores-internet-access-amid-continued-mubarak-protests</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>hyipmonitoring</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=egypt-restores-internet-access-amid-continued-mubarak-protests</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Egyptian government has restored Internet service to the country after an unprecedented nationwide Internet shutdown that lasted almost a week, the Internet security firm Renesys confirms.The  communications shutdown, which began on January 27, was meant to make  it more difficult for protesters to organize. But it didna4a4t stop an  estimated 250,000 citizens from gathering in Cairo yesterday to call for  the end of Egyptian President Hosni Mubaraka4a4s rule, which has lasted  for three decades. Smaller protests also sprung up in other major Egyptian  cities like Alexandria.By  restoring Internet access, the Egyptian government may be hoping to  stabilize the turmoil the country is currently facing. Yesterday  President Mubarak announced that he wouldna4a4t seek re-election later this  year. But anti-Mubarak protesters are fed up and want him out of the  country as soon as possible.The government first blocked social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook on January 25 &amp;8212' services that have become increasingly important to activists over the last few years. During Irana4a4s protests in 2009, Twitter became one of the most widely used tools for protesters. Twitter cofounder Biz Stone responded to Egypta4a4s Internet block last week, declaring a4AThe tweets must flow!a4 Google ended up launching a speak-to-tweet service last week to help Egyptians be heard (you can listen to recordings at the Speak2Tweet Twitter account).Photo via Al Jazeera EnglishNext Story: Ning adds lots of knobs and dials to prettify its custom social networks Previous Story: Flash game developers flock to Android (survey)PrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: activism, Egypt, protestsCompanies: Google, TwitterPeople: Hosni Mubarak          Tags: activism, Egypt, protestsCompanies: Google, TwitterPeople: Hosni MubarakDevindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[FitnessKeeper scoops up $1.1M to build out fitness app]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fitnesskeeper-scoops-up-1-1m-to-build-out-fitness-app</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fitnesskeeper-scoops-up-1-1m-to-build-out-fitness-app</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Julrild</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=fitnesskeeper-scoops-up-1-1m-to-build-out-fitness-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Startup FitnessKeeper, the parent company of the RunKeeper smartphone app, has raised $1.11 million and will use the money to build out its nine-person operation and dive into the highly competitive world of now-fashionable mobile fitness applications.The RunKeeper iPhone app uses GPS locating to track your distance, time, elevation, pace and path on a map and has caught the eye of several major investors since the company was founded two years ago, primarily because it has kept up with rapidly developing technologies.The app now has features that let others watch your progress, live, online, as they trace your mileage and can see varying levels of your workout. In addition, it now offers mobile fitness training and routine plans to help runners train for events.It also raised eyebrows last year when founder and CEOJason Jacobs ran the Boston Marathon (pictured)dressed as an iPhone to promote the business.The Boston-based company has raised $1.51 million thus far, including $400,000 in seed money from LaunchCapital last fall, along with angel investors Viewlogic founder Will Herman, BzzAgent CEO Dave Balter and Compete.com CEO Don McLagan.Its latest round of funding was led by well-known Silicon Valley VC firm Oa4a4Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, which has poured money into startup darlings Bit.ly and Foursquare, and included several new unnamed angels and all its former investors.a4AWe liked [OATV managing director and co-founder] Bryce [Roberts] and the OATV gang from the minute we met them,a4 Jacobs said in a company blog post today. a4ABryce (who also invested in our friends at Foursquare) is an avid cyclist, and like us, is a big believer in mobile/social/fitness/quantified self.a4Previous Story: Money pours into the private cloud as Abiquo rakes in $10MPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: applications, smartphones, Venture CapitalCompanies: Bit.ly, compete.com, fitnesskeeper, Foursquare, LaunchCapital, o&amp;'reailly alphatech ventures, RunKeeper, viewlogicPeople: Bryce Roberts, dave balter, don mclagan, Jason Jacobs, will herman          Tags: applications, smartphones, Venture CapitalCompanies: Bit.ly, compete.com, fitnesskeeper, Foursquare, LaunchCapital, o&amp;'reailly alphatech ventures, RunKeeper, viewlogicPeople: Bryce Roberts, dave balter, don mclagan, Jason Jacobs, will hermanRiley McDermid is a contributing reporter to VentureBeat. She was previously the online editor at institutional investing and trading forum Markets Media, which she joined in 2008 from Dow Jones/MarketWatch in New York. Her work has appeared in the The New York Times, the Associated Press, Portfolio Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and Barrona4a4s. She has won awards from the American Society of Business Publishers and Editors, the Magazine Association of the Southeast, the Mississippi Press Association and the Atlanta Press Club, and was a finalist for the Pacemaker Prize for excellence in news reporting.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[YouTube acquires Irish tech shop to fix your blurry videos]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-acquires-irish-tech-shop-to-fix-your-blurry-videos</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-acquires-irish-tech-shop-to-fix-your-blurry-videos</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>germkaammg</dc:creator>
<category>Latest News</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=youtube-acquires-irish-tech-shop-to-fix-your-blurry-videos</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Google&amp;'s YouTube division confirmed today that it is buying Green Parot Pictures, an Ireland-based video technology company.The site, which gets over 35 hours of video uploaded every minutes, says it hopes to use the technology by the Irish firm to improve the quality of the many blurry, jerky, and unsteady amateur videos uploaded to the site daily &amp;8212' as those shared recently, for example, by political protestors in Libya.When a video is uploaded to the site, it is processed by YouTube and converted to the various sizes and formats offered by the site. The integration of this technology, which would act as an additional filter for restoring and improving quality, could be instrumental to the millions of YouTube users who watch and share videos on the site.Green Parot Pictures was founded by Anil Kokaram, an Associate Professor at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Its technology, which improves video quality by offering tools to stabilize an image and remove flickers, noises, and blotches, has been used in movies such as Lord of the Rings, X-Men, and Spider-Man.A couple weeks ago, the site also announced that it is buyingNext New Networks, a video production and distribution company to help content partners an emerging talent. The price of both acquisitions have not been disclosed. MotionDSP&amp;'s vReveal software can also sharpen and stabilize blurry videos.Previous Story: LinkedIna4a4s Reid Hoffman explains the brave new world of dataPrintEmailTwitterFacebookGoogle BuzzLinkedIn      DiggStumbleUponRedditDeliciousGoogleMore&amp;8230'          Tags: compression, ireland, online video, video quality, videosCompanies: Google, Green Parot Pictures, Next New Networks, YouTubePeople: Anil Kokaram          Tags: compression, ireland, online video, video quality, videosCompanies: Google, Green Parot Pictures, Next New Networks, YouTubePeople: Anil KokaramSid Yadav is a contributor to VentureBeat. He currently studies computer science and psychology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He is also the creator of Memiary, a micro-diary utility. You can reach him at sidyadav@gmail.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @sidyadav. Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.comVentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters.  Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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