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<title>Haaze.com / Lillian / Voted News</title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com</link>
<description>Test Web 2.0 Content Management System</description>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<language>en</language>
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<title><![CDATA[Speck iPhone 4 cases go literary]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speck-iphone-4-cases-go-literary</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speck-iphone-4-cases-go-literary</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>svetalakf</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=speck-iphone-4-cases-go-literary</guid>
<description><![CDATA['The Great Gatsby' and six other literary cases are available through Out of Print.(Credit:Out of Print)I somehow doubt F. Scott Fitzgerald ever thought an image of the cover of his book would someday adorn the back of a portable phone. But now thatiPhone case maker Speck has partnered with Out of Print, a New York accessories and apparel company that &quot;celebrates the world's great stories through fashion,&quot; a &quot;Great Gatsby&quot; iPhone 4 case can now be yours.Aside from Gatsby, Out of Print is serving up the &quot;Catcher in the Rye,&quot; &quot;A Clockwork Orange,&quot; &quot;Moby-Dick,&quot; Edgar Allan Poe, &quot;Lolita,&quot; and &quot;To Kill a Mockingbird&quot; soft-touch, fitted cases with fabric-wrapped backs that give the case &quot;the comforting feel of an old book.&quot; Along with the iPhone 4 cases, Out of Print also sells some bookish e-reader jackets through a partnership with M-Edge. The literary cases cost $35. For each item sold, Out of Print says it will donate one book to a school or community in need through its partner Books For Africa. Hopefully, Out of Print will add more choices (I'm looking for &quot;Catch-22&quot;), but that will probably depend upon how this first batch does. Viddy well, little brother. Viddy well.(Credit:Out of Print)<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Yelp looking for CFO to help it go public]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yelp-looking-for-cfo-to-help-it-go-public</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yelp-looking-for-cfo-to-help-it-go-public</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 07:10:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Cassie5hf</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=yelp-looking-for-cfo-to-help-it-go-public</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said an initial public offering &quot;is back on the table,&quot; according to an interview in The Wall Street Journal published today. Stoppelman stopped short of saying when the user-generated reviews site would file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to start the process of going public, but he did say that his company is currently looking for a chief financial officer to help it achieve its goal, according to the Journal story. In late 2009, Google was reportedly in talks to acquire Yelp for about $500 million, but the deal fell apart. A story last year in the Journal quoted Stoppelman as saying the company &quot;will definitely not go public this year. 2011, who knows But why rush out the door if I can avoid it&quot;In the Journal story today, Yelp's CEO saidl the company is ready to go public.&quot;We could raise another private round [of funding] and push it off, but I don't see any reason to do that,&quot; Stoppelman said. &quot;Our existing model feels like a stable platform.&quot;Yelp's plans are only further fueling speculation that a new wave in Internet IPOs is coming. In January, LinkedIn filed an S-1 form with the SEC, officially making its intentions known. Pandora did the same in February. Zillow followed that up with an S-1 filing of its own last week. Demand Media made its way through the IPO process and joined the New York Stock Exchange earlier this year.But even as those online firms travel to Wall Street, the company everyone is hoping will do the same--Facebook--has yet to make its move, even though at this point, given the social network's size, an IPO is all but inevitable.Speculation that Facebook would file for an IPO began in 2009 when the company modified its stock structure. After opting against an IPO at the time, new rumors suggested that it would go public in 2011. That speculation was quickly squashed when a Bloomberg report published last year suggested the social network's management wasn't even considering an IPO until 2012 at the earliest.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Catz returns to CFO seat at Oracle]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=catz-returns-to-cfo-seat-at-oracle</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=catz-returns-to-cfo-seat-at-oracle</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>richarrrii</dc:creator>
<category>Business &amp; Finance</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=catz-returns-to-cfo-seat-at-oracle</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Software giant Oracle said that co-President Safra Catz will take over as chief financial officer following the resignation of Jeff Epstein, who had reported directly to Catz. This will be her second stint as Oracle's CFO. She held the position from November 2005 to September 2008. &quot;Safra already has the long-standing confidence of our employees, our board and our shareholders,&quot; Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said in a company statement. &quot;There is no more logical choice for CFO.&quot; She joined Oracle in April of 1999, started serving as director in 2001 and became a president in early 2004 (and was joined in that position last year by former HP CEO Mark Hurd). She's also a director at HSBC Group.Oracle offered no elaboration on Epstein's departure.Catz's most recent public duties included running Oracle's quarterly earnings conference call last month, while Ellison served on jury duty. Catz herself appeared in court not once but twice during Oracle's intellectual property trial against SAP and annoyed SAP lawyers with the &quot;colorful analogies&quot; she cooked up that were intended to make the point that Oracle deserved the $1.3 billion a jury had awarded it, not the $40 million SAP said it owed Oracle.Story Copyright (c) 2011 AllThingsD. All rights reserved.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[White iPhone 4 slips into wild in U.K.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-iphone-4-slips-into-wild-in-u-k-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-iphone-4-slips-into-wild-in-u-k-</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>qeqapqa</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=white-iphone-4-slips-into-wild-in-u-k-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The mysterious white iPhone 4, in the wild.(Credit:Engadget)Adding extra legitimacy to credible reports that the white version of theiPhone 4 would arrive within the next few weeks, the unit has already popped up at a Vodafone UK retail store, and has even been sold to a customer before stock was pulled.Engadget has a photo from a reader who claims to have purchased the 16GB model of the yet-unreleased device from a Vodafone store in the U.K. Following the sale, the carrier is said to have sent a message to stores telling them to hold the stock until next week.The white version of the iPhone 4 was supposed to launch alongside the black one in 2010, but manufacturing difficulties have pushed its release back nearly a year. Following the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G and 3GS were both available in black and white, though with the iPhone 4, Apple radically changed the manufacturing process and added color to the front of the device as well as the back.According to Engadget, the model number on the white iPhone 4 the customer purchased (MC604B/A) is only slightly different than that on the currently available black version (MC603B/A). This suggests that any major differences between the two phones, other than color, are unlikely. Reports emerged last week that Apple planned to get the long-delayed white iPhone in stores by the end of the month. Apple later confirmed it was nearing its targeted launch timeline of &quot;spring.&quot;<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[TiVo wins key ruling in EchoStar case]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tivo-wins-key-ruling-in-echostar-case</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tivo-wins-key-ruling-in-echostar-case</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>landco75</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tivo-wins-key-ruling-in-echostar-case</guid>
<description><![CDATA[TiVo has scored an important victory in its patent battle with EchoStar.In a 7-5 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled (PDF) yesterday that EchoStar did, in fact, violate TiVo's &quot;multimedia time warping system&quot; patent that allows consumers to record one show, while watching another. The decision paves the way for TiVo to finally force EchoStar to disable any infringing devices in consumers' homes.TiVo's battle with EchoStar started in 2004, when the DVR company first brought to light its belief that its patent was infringed. In 2006, a Texas court granted TiVo $73.9 million in damages after finding that EchoStar violated its patent. In 2009, a U.S. District Court judge bumped that figure to $200 million.Last year, EchoStar brought its case to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of TiVo in a 2-1 decision. EchoStar then asked for an en banc opinion, requiring all 12 judges to rule on the case. It was granted, and EchoStar received its answer yesterday.But the fight isn't necessarily over. In a statement released yesterday, EchoStar said that it intends to bring its case to the U.S. Supreme Court and &quot;seek a stay of the injunction while doing so.&quot;For its part, TiVo is pleased. The company anticipates disabling the devices in question and receiving damages related to the case.&quot;We look forward to the permanent injunction against EchoStar and Dish Network finally being enforced with respect to the DVRs they must now disable,&quot; TiVo said in a statement. &quot;This ruling also paves the way for TiVo to receive substantial damages and contempt sanctions regarding the DVRs that EchoStar and Dish Network failed to disable.&quot;EchoStar was formerly Dish Network's parent company. The satellite provider, which has been included in this case, was spun off in 2007.EchoStar noted yesterday that many of the allegedly infringing devices have been taken out of customers' homes. The company said that if it can't secure a stay, it will &quot;work as quickly as possible to upgrade the remaining customers to our current-generation DVRs, as these are not an issue in the ruling.&quot; TiVo shares were up more than $2 to close at $10.84 yesterday, following news of the ruling.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Hands-on with the Pioneer VSX-1021-K: AirPlay and iControl2 app]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-the-pioneer-vsx-1021-k-airplay-and-icontrol2-app</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-the-pioneer-vsx-1021-k-airplay-and-icontrol2-app</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ankratzata</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=hands-on-with-the-pioneer-vsx-1021-k-airplay-and-icontrol2-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Toshiba to launch self-erasing hard drives]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:11:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EldewJefEndurece684</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=toshiba-to-launch-self-erasing-hard-drives</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Toshiba will soon debut a series of hard drives that can automatically erase or prevent access to their own data should the drives end up in the wrong hands.(Credit:Toshiba)The company's new self-encrypting drive family will include a new feature that detects if the drive is connected to an unknown and undefined computer or other system. If so, the drive can either securely wipe all of its data or just deny access to that data. Customers can apply the feature to specific data on the drive and choose how and when to render the data indecipherable, according to Toshiba.The drives are designed to provide an extra layer of security, especially for corporations, government agencies, and other organizations that need to adhere to certain security and data privacy requirements. The security technology itself is built on the &quot;Opal&quot; specification from the Trusted Computing Group, which dictates certain requirements for data protection in enterprise environments.The new MKxx61GSYS family consists of five different drives, ranging in size from 160GB to 640GB, all of which connect via a SATA (Serial ATA) interface, run at 7200 RPM, and use AES 256 encryption. Being demonstrated this week by Toshiba in Japan, the drives will go into mass production and reach a few select customers sometime in the second quarter.&quot;Digital systems vendors recognize the need to help their customers protect sensitive data from leakage or theft,&quot; Scott Wright, product manager with Toshiba's storage device division. &quot;Toshiba's security technologies provide designers of copiers, printers, PCs, and other systems with new capabilities to help address these important security concerns.&quot;Toshiba said it will work closely with PC and hardware manufacturers as well as security vendors to integrate the new security technology with their products.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Droid Incredible 2 should hit Verizon stores April 28]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=droid-incredible-2-should-hit-verizon-stores-april-28</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=droid-incredible-2-should-hit-verizon-stores-april-28</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>jastreender</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=droid-incredible-2-should-hit-verizon-stores-april-28</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Monday we brought you more details on the upcoming HTC Droid Incredible 2, and now it appears that the smartphone will land at Verizon Wireless on April 28. According to a tipster, there's a 99 percent chance that the upgrade to theDroid Incredible will go on sale two weeks from today &quot;barring any unforeseen complications.&quot; We still don't know pricing, but we suspect that it will cost in the $199 range with service.We also got to peruse the marketing flier, which confirms that the handset will offer a 1GHz processor, a front-facing camera for video conferencing, and dual CDMA/GSM support for roaming to more than 200 countries. The candy bar design looks pretty standard, though it should sport a slim profile and a sizable touch screen.Thanks, VZW_Rep<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[GE-led venture buys into ultracapacitor storage]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-led-venture-buys-into-ultracapacitor-storage</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-led-venture-buys-into-ultracapacitor-storage</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>frank10sm</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ge-led-venture-buys-into-ultracapacitor-storage</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Ultracapacitor maker Ioxus today said it has raised $21 million from a handful of large industrial companies, a vote of confidence in this relatively young energy-storage technology.The lead investor was Energy Technology Ventures, a joint venture of General Electric, utility NRG Energy, and fuel company ConocoPhillips. Another investment group involved was Aster Capital, which represents transportation and power companies Alstom, Schneider Electric, and Rhodia. Ultracapacitors are being evaluated for more energy storage applications, says Ioxus.(Credit:Ioxus)The series B round will be used for product development, for sales, and to ramp up the company's manufacturing facility in Oneonta, N.Y., Ioxus CEO Mark McGough said today. These &quot;strategic partner&quot; investors could become high-volume customers, he added.Like batteries, ultracapacitors store energy but they have different properties that make them well suited for certain applications, such as powering motors for electric windows in acar or to adjust the pitch of wind turbine blades.Ultracapacitors can discharge a lot of power in quick bursts, but can't store as much overall energy as batteries. They also can be charged very quickly and last for many charge cycles. Improvements in performance and more familiarity among industrial designers are nudging the technology into different areas, said McGough.&quot;In the last 10 years or so, it's gone from a technology that hardly anybody knows, to people understanding it, and finally to adopting it in design,&quot; he said. &quot;It fills an increasingly important place in the designer's toolkit. We're seeing a tipping point of adopting this technology in mainstream design.&quot;None of the new investors in Ioxus is now using its products, which look like cylindrical batteries, but the companies are evaluating ultracapacitors. GE, for example, is looking at using them in its locomotives, medical devices, wind turbines, and for hybrid electric cars, McGough said.One application that could become a boost to ultracapacitors is microhybrids, which use start-stop technology. When a hybrid car is idle, its engine will turn off and then rely on ultracapacitors to accelerate the car and to store braking energy.Ioxus, a 2008 spin-off from a capacitor company, plans next quarter to release its second-generation product, which will have more power than its current line, making it viable for transportation, McGough said.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Tesla turns dealership concept on its head]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-turns-dealership-concept-on-its-head</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-turns-dealership-concept-on-its-head</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Khristinajane</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=tesla-turns-dealership-concept-on-its-head</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Tesla&amp;39's new store is small, but that&amp;39's fine, as the company only has one model to sell.(Credit:Wayne Cunningham/CNET)Tesla's next-generation EV store (photos) Tesla's newest store, which opened on April 13 in the Santana Row mall in San Jose, Calif., does not look like a place where you can buycars. First of all, it is a small storefront, a far cry from typical car-filled dealerships for other manufacturers. Much of the store's space is devoted to educating people about Tesla's vehicles and electric cars in general.As for selling cars, Tesla brings some of its Web site experience into the store, with large touch screens on the walls featuring the company's model configurator. And sales consultants staffing the store will be happy to help place an order for a new car, and take prospective buyers out for a test-drive in one of the cars kept in a nearby parking garage.Tesla VP of Sales George Blankenship came from Apple, where he created the idea of the Apple store, which has become a destination for Apple enthusiasts. The idea of the store is to create a similar experience with Tesla. It's not just for buyers, but also for fans.The San Jose store, and others that will soon follow, use a small footprint, but are set up in areas with high foot traffic. Tesla currently has a number of larger stores that more closely resemble traditional dealerships. These facilities will be converted to service centers, allowing Tesla to plunk down its smaller stores in city centers. The next store due to open will be in Denver's Park Meadows mall.Of course, when you only have one basic model, this store idea works. During 2012, Tesla will be phasing out the Roadster and will begin production of the Model S. The stores will serve as information centers for the new cars. Blankenship notes that theiPod was not available when Apple opened its first store, but the store served to generate interest in the new device. He hopes to repeat that success with Tesla.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[U.S. shutters botnet, can disable malware remotely]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--shutters-botnet-can-disable-malware-remotely</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--shutters-botnet-can-disable-malware-remotely</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>MigelFrias34</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=u-s--shutters-botnet-can-disable-malware-remotely</guid>
<description><![CDATA[By seizing servers and domain names and getting permission to remotely turn off malware on compromised PCs, U.S. officials have disabled a botnet that steals data from infected computers. The legal actions are part of the &quot;most complete and comprehensive enforcement action ever taken by U.S. authorities to disable an international botnet,&quot; according to a statement from the Department of Justice. A botnet is a group of computers that have been compromised and are being remotely controlled by attackers, typically to send spam or attack other computers.  It's the first time law enforcement in the U.S. has requested permission from a court to take control of a botnet, according to a request for a temporary restraining order that was granted. Similar action was taken by Dutch officials who downloaded &quot;good&quot; software to computers infected with Bredolab botnet malware, the filing said.  In this case the malware, called &quot;Coreflood,&quot; records keystrokes and private communications, enabling it to steal usernames, passwords, and other private personal and financial information. Once a computer is infected with Coreflood, the malware communicates with a command-and-control server, allowing it to remotely control the compromised computer. The botnet is believed to have infected more than 2 million Windows-based computers worldwide in nearly 10 years.  Prosecutors allege that data stolen by the malware has been used to steal funds from victims' accounts. In at least one case, the malware enabled attackers to take over an online banking session a victim was in the middle of and transfer money to a foreign account, according to court filings. The U.S. Attorney's office in the district of Connecticut has filed a civil complaint against 13 &quot;John Doe,&quot; or unknown, defendants accusing them of wire fraud, bank fraud, and illegal interception of electronic communications. To shut down the botnet and stop it from spreading further, the Justice Department seized five command-and-control servers and 29 domain names used by the bots to communicate with the servers.  To put a halt to the botnet's damage to already infected computers, officials have obtained a temporary restraining order authorizing them to substitute the seized servers with their own and use them to respond to signals sent from hundreds of thousands of compromised computers in the U.S. This will allow authorities to send commands to the infected computers that stop the malware from running, preventing attackers from updating the malware and giving victimized computers time to update their virus signatures.  Officials also are working with Internet Service Providers to identify owners of the compromised computers based on their IP addresses and warn them about the potential for fraud because of the malware on the machines. Computer owners will be told how to &quot;opt out&quot; if they do not want officials to stop the malware from running on their machines. &quot;At no time will law enforcement authorities access any information that may be stored on an infected computer,&quot; the statement said.  &quot;Allowing Coreflood to continue running on the infected computers will cause a continuing and substantial injury to the owners and users of the infected computers, exposing them to a loss of privacy and an increased risk of further computer intrusions,&quot; Judge Vanessa Bryant wrote in her decision granting the temporary restraining order.  The substitute command-and-control server will be operated by the nonprofit Internet Systems Consortium under law enforcement supervision, according to court documents. Microsoft, meanwhile, was expected to update its Malicious Software Removal Tool yesterday to remove Coreflood from infected computers, the filing dated yesterday says. While the actions have disabled Coreflood in its current form, other variants of the malware could still be lurking on the Internet, officials said. From March 2009 through January 2010, one Coreflood server had about 190 gigabytes of data from 413,710 infected computers, the court filing shows. Of known victims, a real estate company in Michigan was defrauded out of $115,771' a law firm in South Carolina lost $78,421, an investment company in North Carolina lost $151,201' and a defense contractor in Tennessee lost $934,528, the document says. The Justice Department is working with the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney's office in Connecticut with help from Microsoft and the Internet Systems Consortium.Updated 6:25 p.m. PTwith quote from judge and 5 p.m. PTwith more details from court filing.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Adobe to fix Flash Player hole this week]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-to-fix-flash-player-hole-this-week</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-to-fix-flash-player-hole-this-week</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>alexalex1981</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=adobe-to-fix-flash-player-hole-this-week</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Adobe will release a fix for a new critical bug in Flash Player on Friday for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Solaris, while Google Chrome users will be protected by Thursday through the browser's auto-update feature, Adobe said today. &quot;As part of our collaboration with Google, Google receives updated builds of Flash Player for integration and testing. Once testing is completed for Google Chrome, the release is pushed via the Chrome auto-update mechanism,&quot; Adobe said in a statement.  &quot;Adobe is testing the fix across all supported configurations of Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris and Android (more than 60 platforms/configurations altogether) to ensure the fix works across all supported configurations,&quot; the statement said. &quot;Typically, this process takes slightly longer and, in this case, is expected to complete on April 15 for Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh, Linux and Solaris.&quot;  Meanwhile, an update for Adobe Acrobat X and earlier for Windows and Macintosh, Adobe Reader X for Macintosh and Adobe Reader 9.4.3 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh will be available no later than the week of April 25, the company said in a security advisory.  Adobe warned on Monday that attackers were exploiting the hole to take control of Windows computers by sending e-mails with malicious Flash files embedded in Microsoft Word attachments. The company said it was not aware of any attacks via PDF (portable document format) files targeting Reader and Acrobat.  Because Adobe Reader X Protected Mode prevents such exploits from executing the company will address the hole in that software in its next quarterly security update for Reader, scheduled for June 14. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Anticipating a faster MacBook Air]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=anticipating-a-faster-macbook-air</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=anticipating-a-faster-macbook-air</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 Apr 2011 07:10:02 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Ramesh01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=anticipating-a-faster-macbook-air</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For those waiting patiently on an update of the MacBook Air, the first hints of its potential performance can be found in a Samsung laptop and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. 2010 MacBook Air.(Credit:Apple)Apple is expected to update the MacBook Air (MBA) this summer with Intel's &quot;Sandy Bridge&quot; processor, as CNET has reported. And there's really only one question on most people's minds: what kind of performance will a new MBA get you (We already know more or less what the price will be.) Luckily, there's some circumstantial evidence out there now. Exhibit A is the ultrathin Samsung series 9 NP900X3A and recent CNET benchmarks. Why this laptop It uses Intel's latest ultra-power-efficient 1.4GHz Intel Core i5-2537M Sandy Bridge chip--the same kind of low-power silicon the upcoming 11.6-inch Air is expected to use. That said, let's get the caveats out of the way first. The Samsung configuration tested uses 4GB of memory, while the tested 2010 Air uses 2GB. Another proviso applies to Intel's Sandy Bridge HD 3000 graphics (which the 2011 Air will likely use). Here's what CNET Reviews' Scott Stein said: &quot;these graphics are better than were ever possible on thin-and-lights using last year's Intel integrated graphics, but they're not quite as good as the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics on the [current] MacBook Air.&quot; And the benchmarks bear this out in some cases, as shown in the charts below. The Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A offers a glimpse of potential &amp;39'Sandy Bridge&amp;39' 11-inch MacBook Air performance. (Credit:CNET Reviews)Systems tested. (Credit:CNET Reviews)But those aren't the only relevant benchmarks. The Sandy Bridge-packing 13-inch MacBook Pro (MBP) shows the performance that a mainstream Sandy Bridge processor can deliver and may approximate a future 13-inch MacBook Air. Why is it comparable That MBP model comes with Intel HD 3000 graphics and is, therefore, indicative of the performance of a 13-inch Sandy Bridge MacBook Air. (The 15-inch MacBook Pro employs AMD Radeon graphics and is not a good yardstick.) The question is, how far will Apple push the performance envelope on the Sandy Bridge 13-inch Air to get it close to the MacBook Pro 13-incher In trying to answer that question, let's not forget that Apple currently uses a relatively fast low-power Core 2 Duo processor in the top-line Air: the SL9600 running at 2.13GHz with 6MB of cache memory. So, what might be a suitable follow-on to that chip Intel is now shipping the Core i7-2649M (4M Cache, 2.30 GHz) which, at 25 watts, is a power-efficient chip but not as power-frugal as the 17-watt ultra-power-efficient Core i5 Sandy Bridge used in the Samsung Series 9. The point: higher wattage typically means better performance. &amp;39'Sandy Bridge&amp;39' MacBook Pros versus 2010 MacBook Air. Though likely faster than a Sandy Bridge MBA, this is another indicator of Sandy Bridge performance.(Credit:CNET Reviews)As I've written before, moving Intel's Sandy Bridge chip into the MacBook Air would finally break a processor logjam that's existed for more than three years now. Though the Air has been updated several times over the last three years, it has stuck to the same basic Intel chip technology since its inception in 2008. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bill Joy chases green-tech breakthroughs]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bill-joy-chases-green-tech-breakthroughs</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bill-joy-chases-green-tech-breakthroughs</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:10:56 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rasingsirss324</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bill-joy-chases-green-tech-breakthroughs</guid>
<description><![CDATA[LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.--Six years intogreen-tech venture investing, Kleiner Perkins continues to see the potential for green technologies to leapfrog incumbent energy systems, according to tech luminary Bill Joy.In an onstage interview today at the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference here, Joy said Kleiner Perkins Caufield &amp; Byers, where he is a partner, seeks out disruptive technologies that could change energy much the way that technologies, such as PCs and mobile devices, shook up the IT industry.Bill Joy(Credit:Martin LaMonica/CNET)The famed Silicon Valley venture capital company, which funded Amazon, Google, and many other IT companies, has made about 60 green-tech investments, including in fuel-cell manufacturer Bloom Energy, smart-grid company Silver Spring Networks, and FloDesign Wind Turbines. Joy said new technologies can offer a different cost reduction curve than incumbent products, he said. FloDesign Wind Turbines, for example, uses a jet engine-like construction, unlike traditional propeller-like wind turbines, giving it the potential to lower costs.'We see disruptive opportunities for breakthrough technologies in renewable (energy) to take advantage of the hockey stick demand...from the market without subsidies,&quot; he said. Joy said that Kleiner Perkins' strategy is to focus on technologies that take a long time to develop but offer disruptive potential. Or, it invests in start-ups addressing an unmet business need. Last year, it invested in Opower, which offers home energy efficiency recommendations through utilities.As a venture capitalists, technologies that offer an incremental improvement over existing products are not worth pursuing because of the high capital cost of manufacturing energy-related products, he added.Related links&amp;149' Home efficiency gurus at OPower add $50 million&amp;149' Green-tech VCs suffer from social-media 'deal envy'&amp;149' For VCs in green tech, it's time for Plan BJoy said that distributed renewable energy, such as cheap solar photovoltaics, offer the opportunity to replace the existing centralized grid model. Storage is another vital technology which is why Kleiner Perkins has invested in battery companies, he added.&quot;These types of technologies were always possible. It's not some new nanoscience making it possible. It's just that people didn't focus on what the needs were and what was in the realm of what's possible,&quot; Joy said.Trend setter Because it is such a high-profile company, Kleiner Perkins' entry into green tech six years ago was seen as a validation of the entire investment segment. Many other venture capital companies, which traditionally worked in IT and life sciences, started making green-tech investments, leading to billions of dollars in venture capital in the segment.But some investors say that enthusiasm among venture capitalists and private equity companies for green tech is cooling. In part, venture investors are seeking out mega deals in the Internet sector, in the hopes of replicating the rapid growth and high valuations of Facebook or Groupon. Private investors and entrepreneurs have also come to better understand the difficulties of commercializing energy- and water-related technologies compared to IT. Often, energy technologies take lots of money and time to develop and energy regulations in the U.S. are inconsistent. None of Kleiner Perkins' green-tech investments has been a financial home run yet and some of its bets have not paid off. A Boston area solar company where Joy was a seed investor called Solasta folded when it was unable to raise more money.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Top 10 fuel sippers of 2011]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=top-10-fuel-sippers-of-2011</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=top-10-fuel-sippers-of-2011</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:10:36 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>123mbt</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=top-10-fuel-sippers-of-2011</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Lexus CT 200h makes the cut on our roundup of the most fuel-efficient new vehicles.(Credit:CNET)Top 5 fuel sippers--hybrids (photos) Many of you come toCar Tech looking for high-tech cars with Bluetooth connectivity, GPS navigation, and high-tech infotainment systems with audiophile-quality stereo systems. Some of you are just looking for the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible. For the latter group, we've rounded up 10 of the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today. What's most interesting is that, particularly with the hybrids, the most fuel-efficient vehicles are often also among the most high tech.Top 5 fuel sippers--nonhybrids (photos) To keep things simple, we've set a few rules for this throwdown. First, we're separating hybrids and conventional vehicles into separate categories--otherwise, we'd only be looking at the Top 10 hybrids. We're also using EPA-estimated combined fuel economy for the most recent model year as our metric to keep things fair. Additionally, only cars that use an internal combustion engine are included (sorry, Nissan Leaf) and we're restricting the list to those that are available for purchase today (sorry, plug-in Prius). Finally, we've also restricted our lists to new cars. (We understand that your 1980s Rabbit/Civic/Metro averages 40 mpg and we agree that it's a sweet ride, but you won't find it on these lists.)Feel free to share your experiences with these 10 fuel sippers and your mpg anecdotes in the comments below.Update: It was pointed out that we missed the new 2011 Lexus CT 200h in our hybrid roundup, so we've gone back and added it. Unfortunately, that means that the Lexus HS 250h gets bumped to number 6 and no longer makes the Top 5 cut.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Dell Windows 7 tablet due in the fall]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-dell-windows-7-tablet-due-in-the-fall</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-dell-windows-7-tablet-due-in-the-fall</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>joesmithie2</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-dell-windows-7-tablet-due-in-the-fall</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A mockup of Dell&amp;39's 10-inch, Windows 7-based tablet.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Dell's upcomingWindows 7tablet might not hit store shelves until fall, a new report claims.Citing an anonymous source, Forbes is reporting that Dell plans to launch its 10-inch Windows 7-based tablet as early as September.Dell hasn't confirmed exactly when it might launch its Windows 7 tablet. When the company unveiled the device in February, it said that the tablet would hit store shelves by the middle of 2011. That announcement preceded a leak of Dell's reported &quot;tablet roadmap,&quot; which indicated that the company could launch its Windows 7 tablet as early as mid-May. The roadmap also included mention of a Windows 8 tablet that could hit store shelves in the first quarter of 2012.The PC maker declined to comment on Forbes' report.According to Dell, its Windows 7 tablet is designed for those &quot;who need greater mobility, as well as IT organizations that demand control, security, manageability, and integration with existing infrastructure investments.&quot; It will feature an Intel processor.Dell also said in February that it plans to launch a 10-inch Android-based tablet as well, though it didn't provide many details on that device. The company currently sells the 5-inch and 7-inch Streak tablets. Both of those devices run Android.Update at 7:46 a.m. PTto include Dell statement.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Vivendi to buy Vodafone's stake in SFR]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vivendi-to-buy-vodafones-stake-in-sfr</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vivendi-to-buy-vodafones-stake-in-sfr</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>aldaccccad</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=vivendi-to-buy-vodafones-stake-in-sfr</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Vivendi announced today that it has agreed to acquire Vodafone's 44 percent stake in French mobile operator SFR for 7.95 billion euros ($11.3 billion).The deal would give Vivendi, which already owned 56 percent of SFR shares, complete control of SFR--France's second largest carrier, with nearly 21 million customers. &quot;We are very pleased to reach our strategic objective to own 100 percent of SFR, which will help Vivendi to focus further on profitable growth and innovation,&quot; Vivendi CEO Jean-Bernard Levy said in a statement. &quot;I am very confident that this will greatly benefit both the Group's industrial development and our millions of subscribers and consumers globally. The transaction will create a significant increase in Vivendi's adjusted net income, enabling us to raise the dividend to our shareholders.&quot; Under the terms of the cash deal, Vodafone will receive 7.75 billion euros ($11 billion) and an addition 200 million euros ($284 million) in the form of SFR's final dividend.&quot;Our board remains committed to realising maximum value from our noncontrolled assets,&quot; Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao said in a statement. &quot;The sale of our stake in SFR, at an attractive multiple, represents a significant further step in the execution of this strategy.&quot;Vodafone and SFR also announced that they would maintain a commercial partnership.Vivendi said the deal is expected to close by the end of June, but is subject to customary Competition Authority approval.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[New and upcoming Apple AirPlay products]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:10:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>sallyjy</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=new-and-upcoming-apple-airplay-products</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Denon RCD-N7 is one the first AirPlay-enabled speaker systems available for sale.(Credit:Denon)At some point you've probably heard about AirPlay, a new wireless streaming feature found on youriPhone, iPad,iPod Touch, and yourMac. It was first announced in 2010, but with the arrival of iOS 4.3, its features have been enhanced, and more third-party consumer electronics manufacturers are adding it to their products.Alas, only a handful of products that take advantage of the feature are currently available, with the most popular one (Apple TV) coming from Apple itself. But plenty more are on the way, so we thought we'd put together a quick roundup of what's out there and what's coming soon.If you've heard of another new AirPlay-compatible product, let us know in the comments section. We'll be updating the list as more products are announced.Click on an any image to begin slideshow.Apple AirPlay-compatible products (photos)  <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Has Google learned Microsoft's antitrust lessons]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-google-learned-microsofts-antitrust-lessons</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-google-learned-microsofts-antitrust-lessons</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Mar 2011 07:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>rsneddonde</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=has-google-learned-microsofts-antitrust-lessons</guid>
<description><![CDATA[For anyone who followed Microsoft's testy battles with competition regulators 10 years ago, Google's current antitrust problems may provoke more than a modest sense of deja vu. Google dominates the Internet search advertising business and has allegedly used that hegemony to thwart rivals in adjacent markets. Regulators in the United States and Europe are looking into claims by smaller niche search companies, such as 1plusV, which runs the Ejustice.fr site in France and MyTriggers.com in Columbus, Ohio, that Google is manually altering search results, demoting where rivals show up in its ranking, making it harder for customers to find their services. Google points out that its algorithms naturally push those sites down in rankings because those search engines offer little more than links to other sites, created solely to generate revenue as a middleman. Dial back to 1998: The centerpiece of the Justice Department's case against Microsoft was the company's illegally leveraging its Windows monopoly to give its Internet Explorer browser an unfair advantage over Netscape's Navigator. When consumers booted up a Windows PC, Internet Explorer, included as part of the operating system, was automatically the default browser, giving users less reason to seek out alternatives. There are even similarities in the defense that Google offers for its actions and Microsoft once did. Google is also being called to task for giving away services that other companies charge for, such as its Android mobile phone operating system or its Google Docs word processing service. For consumers, it's hard to beat free, something Google senior competition counsel Dana Wagner noted in a blog post two years ago. &quot;When a company provides products for free on a stand-alone basis, however, it's not requiring anyone to buy anything. It may take business away from other companies trying to charge users for similar products, but that's hardly an antitrust issue,&quot; Wagner wrote.In Microsoft's case, the courts ruled that giving away Internet Explorer was a predatory tactic that helped maintain its Windows monopoly. While no one has said giving away the Android OS for free is verboten, or even alleged that it violates antitrust laws, there's little question that free--coupled with quality--has had a major impact on the smartphone market. A new IDC report expects Android to grab the lead in the global smartphone operating system market by the end of 2011 with a 39.5 percent share, climbing to 45.4 percent by 2015.In the next few days, the Justice Department is likely to wrap up its inquiry into Google's proposed $700 million bid to acquire airline flight and ticket information provider ITA Software. AllThingsD reports that the eight-month review is likely to conclude with regulators approving the deal, albeit with conditions requiring Google to honor existing agreements with partners, some of whom are Google rivals. Regulators have already tripped up Google's attempt to partner with Yahoo in the advertising search business over antitrust concerns.And just last week, concerns about market power put the kibosh on Google's ambitious attempt to digitize every book ever published. A federal judge rejected a settlement the company reached with publishers, in part, on the grounds that it would have been anticompetitive to Google's tech rivals. A handful of rivals, including Amazon and Microsoft, opposed the settlement.Skirmishes over search None of the parallels with the Microsoft case is lost on antitrust watchers. Silicon Valley lawyer Gary Reback, a Microsoft nemesis during its antitrust battle, has turned his attention to Google. The similarities to the Google's tactics and its response to criticism virtually mirror Microsoft's strategy and defense. &quot;If you were to bore down, you'd find the practices are identical,&quot; said Reback, who is representing a collection of start-ups, such as the British price comparison site Foundem, trying to compete with Google in niche search markets.In its defense, Google suggests that it'd be wrong to define the market it's in as merely search advertising. According to eMarketer, Google tallied 71.4 percent of total U.S. search advertising spending in 2010. Google, rather, says it competes with print advertisers, television advertisers, and a host of others. Defined that way, Google is hardly dominant.And while Google dominates the Web search business, switching is easy, the company says. Web surfers can simply type www.bing.com. Or they can search for airfare at Travelocity, health care information at WebMD, job postings at Simply Hired. &quot;For us, competition is literally one click away,&quot; says Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich. &quot;While Microsoft's behavior in the 90s was driven by a desire to cripple competitors and lock in users, our only goal in search is to give users the most useful answers possible--while also giving them the freedom to leave any time.&quot;What's more, Google faces new rivals all the time. Facebook now accounts for more user time than Google. If it were to put a search bar into its service as was rumored, though dispelled, last week, Google could see a significant chunk of its search business siphoned away.Related links&amp;149' Study: Antitrust concerns kill Yahoo-Google ad deal&amp;149' Court rejects Google Books settlement&amp;149' Google: Oops, we spied on your Wi-FiBut even those arguments ring familiar to those who watched the Microsoft case. Just consider Microsoft's argument, one the court rejected, that the market Windows is in needed to be defined more broadly that merely PC operating systems. One Microsoft expert witness, Richard Schmalensee, the then-dean of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testified that Windows competitors included anything that might be a platform on which other software programs could run, including handheld computers, Web browsers, and the Java programming language. U.S. District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson reject that logic, defining the market far more narrowly as Intel-compatible PC operating system, and ruling that Windows was a monopoly. Reback, who represented Netscape and was a catalyst for the Microsoft case, says it established precedent that relates to the Google's tactics. &quot;It's galling to me,&quot; Reback said of Google's defense. &quot;It's not that they're well-worn arguments. They were rejected.&quot; Just as with Microsoft, Google is facing antitrust allegations on multiple fronts. Claims by niche search rivals in France, Ohio, and elsewhere have triggered lawsuits, which in turn have sparked investigations. The European Commission began its probe of Google late last year, examining questions about the company's ability to restrict advertisers from taking their business to search rivals. In the United States, a coterie of state attorneys general are also contemplating taking some sort of legal action to curb alleged abuses. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Google may find itself in the crosshairs of Ohio, Wisconsin, and Texas regulators.Scrutiny from Capitol Hill At the federal level, lawmakers are beginning to circle as well. In early March, Sen. Herbert Kohl (D-Wis.) put Google on notice. Kohl chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Right, which announced its agenda for the 112th Congress in early March, saying it will &quot;closely examine allegations raised by e-commerce Web sites that compete with Google that they are being treated unfairly in search ranking, and in their ability to purchase search advertising.&quot; And Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who led a multistate probe of Google's collection of data about people's online activities from unsecured Wi-Fi networks with its Street View cars as Connecticut's attorney general, has urged for hearings examining Google's competitive tactics. Microsoft watchers will recall that Blumenthal was one of lead state attorneys general pursuing antitrust claims against the software giant a decade ago.&quot;It's not that they're well-worn arguments. They were rejected.&quot;--Gary Reback, Silicon Valley lawyerOne federal agency that hasn't shown much interest yet into Google's business practices is the antitrust division of the Justice Department, the biggest thorn in Microsoft's side during its antitrust battles. When President Obama named Christine Varney to lead the division, there was much discussion that she'd target Google, in part because she noted to a gathering sponsored by the American Antitrust Institute that Google &quot;has acquired a monopoly in Internet online advertising.&quot;But rather than investigate Google, the Obama administration has held it up as a paragon of innovation. In the 2011 state of the union address, Obama called out Google as a great innovator. &quot;What we can do--what America does better than anyone else--is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. We're the nation that putcars in driveways and computers in offices' the nation of Edison and the Wright brothers' of Google and Facebook,&quot; Obama said. Speculation emerged two weeks ago that Obama is close to nominating Google's departing chief executive, Eric Schmidt, as his next Commerce Secretary.Reback believes Obama's admiration of Google might discourage trustbusters from probing the company. &quot;It's problematic, even unnerving, that the president continues to call out the company for innovation when the government should be conducting an investigation,&quot; Reback said.Reback isn't alone in his fight. Competitors are feeding regulators allegations of Google's misdeeds, just as they did against Microsoft. A decade ago, Microsoft rivals such as Sun Microsystems and RealNetworks met privately with trustbusters to help lay out their case. Just last year, one of Google's competitors acknowledged meeting with regulators in the United States and Europe to discuss Google and posted concerns about the benefits Google derives from so-called network effects, the idea that the value of its search business grows as more people use it. &quot;Both search and online advertising are increasingly controlled by a single firm, Google,&quot; the rival posted in a blog. &quot;That can be a problem because Google's business is helped along by significant network effects (just like the PC operating system business). Search engine algorithms 'learn' by observing how users interact with search results. Google's algorithms learn less common search terms better than others because many more people are conducting searches on these terms on Google.&quot;The rival that posted that item: Microsoft. The blog was written by Microsoft vice president and deputy general counsel Dave Heiner, one of the company's lawyers who waged war with the Justice Department.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[NASA network holes may jeopardize missions]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-network-holes-may-jeopardize-missions</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-network-holes-may-jeopardize-missions</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:10:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>cherrieeec</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=nasa-network-holes-may-jeopardize-missions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Weak security practices and critical holes in NASA's agency-wide network could allow an attack over the Internet that would disrupt missions and expose sensitive data, according to a government report. &quot;Until NASA addresses these critical deficiencies and improves its IT security practices, the Agency is vulnerable to computer incidents that could have a severe to catastrophic effect on Agency assets, operations, and personnel,&quot; said the Inspector General's report, titled &quot;Inadequate Security Practices Expose Key NASA Network to Cyber Attack (PDF),&quot; released yesterday.  NASA uses a series of networks to carry out its various missions, which include controlling spacecraft like the International Space Station and conducting science missions like the Hubble Telescope.  The Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that servers on the NASA network had &quot;high-risk&quot; vulnerabilities that were exploitable from the Internet and that specifically six servers containing critical data and used for controlling spacecraft were found to have holes that would allow a remote attacker to take control over them or render them inaccessible. Once inside the network, an attacker could exploit other weaknesses auditors identified, which could &quot;severely degrade or cripple NASA's operations,&quot; the report said.  Poorly configured network servers revealed encryption keys and encrypted passwords and one server disclosed sensitive account data for all its authorized users. The information could be used to target NASA personnel with phishing attacks and e-mails containing malicious code designed to compromise the recipient's computer.  The OIG recommended last May that NASA immediately establish an IT (information technology) security oversight program for the key network. As of last month, such a program was not implemented despite the fact that NASA agreed with the recommendation, the report said.  The problems are not just theoretical' NASA's network has been breached. In January 2009, attackers stole 22 gigabytes of export-restricted data from a Jet Propulsion Laboratory computer system, according to the report. Later that year, a computer system that supports one of NASA's mission networks was infected and was causing the system to make more than 3,000 unauthorized connections to domestic and international Internet Protocol addresses including addresses in China, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Estonia, the OIG said.  &quot;The sophistication of both of these Internet-based intrusions confirms that they were focused and sustained efforts to target assets on NASA's mission computer networks,&quot; the report said.  NASA representatives could not be reached for comment late today. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[This week in Crave: The 'Eye, Robot' edition]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-eye-robot-edition</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-eye-robot-edition</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 19 Mar 2011 07:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Tiresandco</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=this-week-in-crave-the-eye-robot-edition</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This microrobot might make it into your eye one day.(Credit:IRIS)Too busy relocating to your new Tron home to keep up with Crave this week Here's what you missed while you were trading in your comfy couches for stone-cold furniture only an isomorphic algorithm could love. &amp;149' If contact lenses make you nervous, you sure ain't going to like the eye-swimming microbot.  &amp;149' Microsoft's Dr. Kinect scrubbed in. &amp;149' Will Tiny Wings outfly Angry Birds  &amp;149' Android tablet smack-down!  &amp;149' FromiPad 1 to iPad 2: How to transfer your data. &amp;149' But, as Kent reminds us, there are iPad alternatives.  &amp;149' Component video is MIA on some 2011 Blu-ray players. Here's why.  &amp;149' We don't have Batman: Arkham City yet, but at least we have the trailer. &amp;149' Convert your Honda Civic to an all-electric--for a steep fee.  Got a story idea for us Don't worry about fees! Just send it on in to crave at cnet dot com. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Microsoft wants to start a bromance]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-wants-to-start-a-bromance</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-wants-to-start-a-bromance</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:10:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>edtech</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=microsoft-wants-to-start-a-bromance</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Geeks, pay attention here. Those of you who feel like your dudeliness, your man-mojo, your virility isn't up to snuff, Microsoft wants to help. The software giant launched a new app for itsWindows Phone 7 called Onit, described as a &quot;guy's guide to girls,cars, gadgets, fitness, and life advice--plus a touch of humor.&quot; Because, after all, who better to turn to for advice for help with &quot;the ladies&quot; than Microsoft.MSN Onit screenshot(Credit:Microsoft)The free app promises to curate men's lifestyle content from magazines and Web sites. Onit, as in &quot;Bro, we are so on it,&quot; plans to offer auto reviews, workout tips, sports highlights, and fashion advice. The folks at the Windows Phone 7 app-watching site marketplacebrowser.com, using what appears to be Microsoft-written marketing copy, gush that &quot;MSN Onit brings you a weekly dose of beautiful women, financial tips, the gadgets you need, the technology you lust after, and local news.&quot;Clearly, Microsoft wants to tap the 18-34-year-old male demographic, a lucrative market if ever there was one for mobile advertising. That's why, in addition to all the Maxim-like offerings, the app will also promote local activities for guys to hit, presumably as they trawl for action. And Onit will also offer tips for picking beers. (Who knew that was a such a challenge) Those suggestions could lure restaurant advertisers.Just as Microsoft is playing catch-up with theiPhone with its Windows Phone 7, so too is it coming from behind with men's lifestyle apps. The iTunes store already offers apps such as iGentleman, a self-proclaimed men's style guide, and The Men's Book, which describes itself as &quot;the ultimate resource for the stylish, affluent man.&quot;Whether or not men will turn to Microsoft to sort out their dude-needs remains to be seen. Then again, if you're even thinking about downloading the app, chances are, it couldn't hurt. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Amazon running 99-cent Kindle game special]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-running-99-cent-kindle-game-special</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-running-99-cent-kindle-game-special</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 07:11:48 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>TrumnTrib</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=amazon-running-99-cent-kindle-game-special</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amazon is discounting several Kindle games to 99 cents until March 27.(Credit:Amazon)Not too long ago, I wrote about the rise of the 99-cent e-book. Now Amazon's pushing 99-cent Kindle games as part of a special sale. Amazon lists 12 games as part of the sale and they're climbing the Kindle best seller's list fast. As David Cassel, the editor at the Me and My Kindle blog, points out, &quot;Six of the 10 best-selling items in the Kindle store are now games.&quot; Mind you, some of these are merely discounted from $1.99 to 99 cents. But oh what a difference a dollar makes.Here's the full list of specially discounted games. The offer ends March 27.ScrabbleChessSudoku UnboundSolitaireMahjong SolitaireTexas Hold 'EmNew York Times Crossword Puzzles (two sets of &quot;easy&quot; and two sets of &quot;challenging&quot; puzzles)Hangman for KidsTriple TownAny of you playing games on your Kindle Any favorites Let us know.More: The rise of the 99-cent e-book<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Japanese quake not the curse of the super moon]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:24 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>winpnozi6sm</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=japanese-quake-not-the-curse-of-the-super-moon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[There are those who believe that a full moon puts them in a strange mood and even causes them to behave in a peculiar manner.Some, though, want to credit the moon with even greater powers. A week before the earthquake in Japan, there was already consternation in some quarters about the so-called super moon. This will occur on March 19 when the moon comes extremely close to the earth. In relative terms, that is 221,567 miles, to be a little more precise.Headlines were already being written featuring the evocative word &quot;Moonageddon&quot; relying on the prognostications of astronomers or, perhaps, astrologists.Some astronomers such as David Reneke wanted to dampen the fears.&quot;If you try hard enough, you can chronologically associate almost any natural disaster/event to anything in the night sky...comet, planet, sun,&quot; he told news.com.au.(Credit:Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)However, Victor Gostin, planetary and environmental geoscientist at Adelaide University, offered the thought that there might be some kind of link between moons and earthquakes.&quot;This is because the Earth-tides (analogous to ocean tides) may be the final trigger that sets off the earthquake,&quot; he told news.com.au.Moreover, 11 days ago, Mark Paquette--on the Accuweather blog--also suggested there might be some connection. He wrote that there were super moons in 1955, 1974, 1992, and 2005 and, in each of these years, there were extreme events of nature--of one kind or another.Within days of the 2005 super moon, for example, a 9.0 earthquake struck Indonesia. Then there was Hurricane Katrina later that year.Last week, just nine days before another super moon, came the Japanese earthquake, killing perhaps thousands of people and triggering a horrific tsunami. It is said to be the fifth largest earthquake ever recorded.The Discover blog Bad Astronomy offers that it is simply impossible for any moon, super or otherwise, to have caused the Japanese earthquake. For the very simple reason that the Earth was last week nowhere near its closest point to the moon, technically called its perigee. Indeed, it was actually further away that average.Yes, the blog says, the moon can affect tides but not in some gargantuan manner.John S. Whalley, geoscience program manager at the University of Portsmouth in the U.K., also suggested an important argument to the Daily Mail: &quot;The real test is to look at the vast numbers of earthquakes of all magnitudes that occur on a daily basis worldwide.&quot;In essence, if you want to believe that the moon caused this earthquake, how do you explain earthquakes in Chile or HaitiNASA astronomer Dave Williams told ABC News that all talk of super moons was obvious nonsense: &quot;It was basically a normal day on Earth as far as the lunar gravity and tidal forces were concerned. Unless the Earth somehow 'knew' the super moon was coming, I can't imagine any scientific connection between the two events.&quot; However, Richard Nolle, who created the term &quot;super moon,&quot; still believes they have a considerable influence on major natural events on Earth.On his Twitter feed, Nolle posted March 9 this--to some, no doubt, ominous tweet: &quot;SuperMoon - the truth, straight from the source - http://www.astropro.com/forecast/predict/2011-all.htmlSuperMoon - get ready for 3/16-3/22.&quot;In the post to which he linked, he offered that precise dates were, in practice, inaccurate. He suggested a certain leeway should always be given.He has not, so far as I can find, tweeted or posted to his blog after the Japanese quake. And I cannot find anyone with any scientific credibility who would support the notion that moons, super or not, caused the Japanese quake.Indeed, some put it even more starkly. Space.com, having spoken to U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist John Bellini offered the opinion that talk of an influential super moon merely proves that astrology is simply not a science.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[iPad 2 launch predictably draws crowds, sellouts]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 08:10:15 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>KizzyNorcke1974</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ipad-2-launch-predictably-draws-crowds-sellouts</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The scene yesterday evening at the downtown San Francisco Apple store.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)If there were any lingering doubts thatApple's iPad sequel would draw the same interest the first-generation device did, they were quashed before stores even opened their doors yesterday.The iPad 2, a device that was unveiled just 10 days ago, launched to huge crowds and inventory that sold out quickly, both in stores and online.Shipping times for online orders, which opened yesterday morning at 1 a.m. PT--some 16 hours before the first Apple retail stores began selling the iPad 2--were quickly pushed from days into weeks. This left the best chance for customers who wanted to pick up a device before April being to head to one of Apple's stores, or its partner retailers such as Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, and carrier stores for Verizon and AT&amp;T. Analysts like Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster are already setting estimates for first day sales somewhere between 400,000 to 500,000 units, some 200,000 better than the first iPad did during the same time period in its launch. Apple is expected to unveil preliminary unit sales on Monday, as it did on the Monday following the launch of the first iPad.Big numbersUntil those numbers come in, there are some signs this launch is off to a bigger start than that of the first-generation device. At Apple's flagship store in San Francisco for instance, which CNET was monitoring along with stores in Manhattan, the line practically ran out of room, as it wrapped almost around the city block. That store sold out of its entire stock of Wi-Fi-only units just a few hours after iPad 2 sales began, leaving evening line-waiters with only the option of buying the more expensive models with 3G service from Verizon. Worth noting is that this is the same store that had the richest supply of iPads following last year's shortages. It was the same story on the other side of the country, with the line outside New York's Fifth Avenue store growing to an estimated 800 people, with some having begun waiting in line on Wednesday night and braving torrential downpours. For one individual, that perseverance--as well as her spot at the front of the line--netted her $900 from someone else who didn't want to queue up.At least 200 people line up outside the Apple store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan yesterday, waiting for the iPad 2 to be released.(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)As with previous Apple launches, the art of the line wait has become a business. The first two spots at the San Francisco store went to &quot;runners&quot; for TaskRabbit, a service that specializes in sourcing out errands and other odd jobs to its workforce of vetted contractors. James Alimeda and Josh Elavitti were paid $60 per iPad they were waiting in line for, with each buying two. In Alimeda's case, he was already there to purchase one for himself. Those two, along with two others in line, were part of a much larger operation at various retailers to help people procure devices without putting in line time. Behind them was a group of around 35 non-English speaking line-waiters who managed to get an Apple store employee who could speak Cantonese to act as a translator, just a half-hour before iPad 2 sales began. According to a report on Bloomberg, their aim was to buy iPad 2s, all going to one single unidentified buyer, who planned to sell them on the gray market, likely at a premium and in places where the device was not yet available.The bicoastal wait for the iPad 2 (photos) Speaking of which, the iPad 2 goes on sale in 26 additional countries just two weeks from now, arguably giving gray market buyers from those areas less of an incentive to deal with international travel. However, given some of the initial demand from this first day, there's the possibility that Apple could once again decide to push that launch back, as it did for the first-generation device.The deviceOf course, why people were lining up in the first place is always on the minds of passers-by. One woman who walked past the line asked if there was someone famous playing a show there that evening. Others were seeing the device for the first time in an iPad 2 demo video Apple played in its retail store display. The iPad 2, which CNET has given a four-star rating in its review, is a refinement of the the first-generation device. It's thinner, it's got a faster processor and better graphics chops, and it's the same price. It's also got new features like dual video cameras and compatibility with new accessories like a neat cover that attaches to it with magnets and an AV cable that can mirror whatever you're doing onscreen to anything with an HDMI plug. For many buyers though, this second-generation device is something they were waiting for before pulling the trigger on the original iPad. That's what many buyers CNET talked to mentioned as being one of the big attractors. They know Apple's cyclical product release schedule by now and were counting on a refresh of a few key things, even if they didn't necessarily need them. There are things Apple could have added, but didn't. Though with lines like this on opening day, it seems the revamp offers enough.End of the lineAs is the question every time Apple sells a product with this much fanfare, why is there this big rush to get it on opening day And why can't Apple seem to meet demand when this happens again and again With the first iPad, this was easier to answer. It was a new product, in what had so far been a niche category. Apple seemingly didn't anticipate the demand, and thus was forced to play catch-up as it went on to make its way to a million units sold in under a month's time.This time around, however, Apple's got more retail stores, and a handful of retail partners on board to get what is likely to be more units out the door in a shorter amount of time. The original iPad has also proved to be an overwhelming success, with Apple selling more than 15 million of the devices. Even so, Apple had very subtly reconfigured its launch plans with this one to encourage people to buy the device in person, doing new things like keeping online purchases from starting until the day it went on sale, while throwing in the usual mix of temptations for buyers to come to its own stores, with food and drink for the wait in line and personalized setup (the free service that has retail employees getting new iPads up and running before buyers leave the store--an important step considering the iPad, like theiPod Touch, first needs to be activated with iTunes before buyers can begin using it. The simplest answer to the mad rush, though, continues to be Apple's terrific marketing--one of the many things that separates Apple and its products from its competitors. For many who go through the wait, it's not just about the device, it's the experience that happens before they even break out their credit card, something that's hard to put a price tag on. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Samsung to release Nexus S across all Canadian carriers]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-to-release-nexus-s-across-all-canadian-carriers</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-to-release-nexus-s-across-all-canadian-carriers</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:10:55 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>tithasperie</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=samsung-to-release-nexus-s-across-all-canadian-carriers</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Nexus S heads to Canada where it will be offered by all carriers.(Credit:Samsung)Samsung is taking the Nexus S north of the border this spring and releasing the handset on all major Canadian carriers.Much like it did with the Galaxy S series of smartphones, Samsung should use a blanket approach for the handset. So instead of releasing exclusive devices or handsets tailored specifically to the various wireless providers, Sammy will keep the Nexus S's stock Android 2.3 interface. According to Samsung executives, the phone will ship to Canada later this month with an early April sell date. Pricing has yet to be announced, but I would expect it to fall in line with the $199 currently supported by T-Mobile. What's more, some carriers could offer it at a lower price with a three-year agreement.For some of the newer Canadian players such as Wind Mobile and Mobilicity, this device will help expand their smartphone lineups with a reputable handset. And we may see the Samsung follow suit here in the United States. Already there are signs that the device is headed to other carriers such as Sprint, which is rumored to be announcing a Nexus S with WiMax support atCTIA later this month.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Socialcam: Mobile video sharing done right]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=socialcam-mobile-video-sharing-done-right</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=socialcam-mobile-video-sharing-done-right</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:10:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bakeruc</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=socialcam-mobile-video-sharing-done-right</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Socialcam has a Path-like view of videos on its iPhone app, but the real trick is how easy it makes it to share videos instantly with Facebook and Twitter.(Credit:Screenshot by Rafe Needleman/CNET)Socialcam is hardly the first mobile app to record and share videos. Remember 12 Seconds Didn't make it. But not because it was the wrong idea. As Socialcam shows, video sharing from a mobile device can work extremely well. The secret is the execution.Socialcam has technical tricks as well as social ones. It starts uploading your videos as soon as you start recording. So when you press &quot;stop&quot; and go to upload your video, you may find the progress bar already pretty well filled in. If you take a video and you don't have a connection, the app will just store it until you do. You don't have to worry about it. Socially, the app ties into Facebook smoothly. You can tag your friends in your videos as soon as you take them, and this puts the vids on their walls--so people will actually see your videos even if they're not Socialcam users. Sharing on Twitter, or on e-mail or SMS, is also a simple operation.  Socialcam is great for sharing video of friends on Facebook, but it could also be an important app in citizen journalism and revolution. Like Instagram, the even-easier-than-Twitpic photo sharing site, it makes sharing media so simple that it fundamentally alters the experience, when compared with previous products that did the same thing. Socialcam is a production of Justin Kan's Justin.TV. I first met Justin at a party in 2007, when he was still live-streaming from a camera mounted on his head. He's gotten smarter about video since then. Justin.TV is a growing video business, but as Kan told me at the Socialcam launch party, the Justin.TV app still requires too much work for the everyday user. It requires people to know if they want to stream video live, or record first for playback later' also they need to worry about their Internet connection. Socialcam does far less than the mobile video studio that Justin.TV is, but it takes so much of the thinking out of the equation that it makes doing video much easier. Because of that, it is likely to become a more powerful and important service. Here's a Socialcam video from the product's launch party, which I attended in the line of duty Tuesday night. I didn't stay long:<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Jolicloud changes name and direction]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Pooja01</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=jolicloud-changes-name-and-direction</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Jolicloud will have a new name and direction, according to comments made yesterday by project founder Tariq Krim. The Jolicloud operating system--touted for its HTML5 and cloud sync capabilities--will be known as Joli OS &quot;to avoid confusion&quot; and Jolicloud will be used to refer to the online desktop, Krim said in a blog post.Despite the successes--which include 300,000  account registrations since August--of the Jolicloud desktop, Krim said it was imperative to &quot;expand our experience beyond our own OS to be relevant on other platforms.&quot; Read more of &quot;Jolicloud changes name and direction&quot; at ZDNet UK. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Opera launches mobile app store]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opera-launches-mobile-app-store</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opera-launches-mobile-app-store</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:10:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>EtternaEtta</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=opera-launches-mobile-app-store</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Opera announced today the opening of its own mobile app store.(Credit:Opera)The new online Opera Mobile store is offering both paid and free apps designed for a variety of phones, including those running Java, Symbian, BlackBerry, Android, and Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS. The company launched the new store with help from mobile app marketplace Appia, which provided the storefront e-commerce technology.Opera is specifically looking to reach users of its ownmobile browser by setting up the store's mobile Web site as a Speed Dial link. Opening the site on a mobile device prompts users to either select their specific device or platform or check out the store in general. But for ease of use, people will want to select their own device to more easily zero in on the right apps.In return, the site presents all the available apps divided into different categories, such as Featured, Free, Top 50, Top Picks, and New. Tapping on a specific category pops up a list of apps with brief descriptions, paid or free status, and the number of stars collectively awarded to the app by other users. From there, users can either browse the offerings or search for a specific title. Choosing an app lets people view more details and click on a download link to download the app directly to the device.Launching the store across more than 200 countries, Opera said the settings are customized for each user's device and operating system and will display the local country, currency, and a list of downloaded apps. To help kick off the new app store, Opera has set up another site called the Opera Publisher Portal, which it says offers developers a way to get their apps directly into the Opera Mobile Store.&quot;The launch of the Opera Mobile Store supports Opera's core belief in an open, cross-platform mobile Internet experience by providing Opera users with an integrated storefront of mobile applications,&quot; Mahi de Silva, executive vice president for Opera's Consumer Mobile group, said in a statement. &quot;Our partnership with Appia delivers to all Opera Mobile and Opera Mini users easy access to a wide variety of great content, on any device, all over the world.&quot;Opera's new store faces an increasingly crowded field of mobile app stores, including Apple's App Store, Google's Android Market, RIM's BlackBerry App World, and Nokia's Ovi Store, as well as open app stores such as GetJar. Amazon also will soon offer some competition, at least in the Android arena, as it recently revealed that it will open its own store for Android apps.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Air Force launches second mysterious space plane]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</comments>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:10:22 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>mepeveb</dc:creator>
<category>Social</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=air-force-launches-second-mysterious-space-plane</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flight line in 2010.(Credit:U.S. Air Force)A second mysterious, robotic space plane was launched into orbit by the U.S. Air Force today, after the first craft safely returned to Earth late last year following a secretive months-long mission and speculation about its potential military or intelligence uses.The second Boeing-built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, left Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 2:46 p.m. PT, atop an Atlas V rocket, Boeing said.&quot;History was made in December when the X-37B became the United States' first unmanned vehicle to return from space and land on its own,&quot; Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, said in a statement today. &quot;The success of that mission validated this reusable and effective way to test new technologies in space and return them for examination.&quot;The &amp;34'OTV-2,&amp;34' the second X-37B space plane, launches atop an Atlas V rocket.(Credit:Patrick H. Corkery/Boeing)The X-37B, which was originally a NASA project, has the potential to pick up where the space shuttle program will leave off when it winds down. And Boeing's statement suggested as much.But an Air Force statement at the time of the first craft's launch that a successful project could &quot;make our access to space more responsive...and push us in the vector toward being able to react to warfighter needs more quickly,&quot; has, for some, lent the X-37B program an air of intrigue.Some observers think the project is designed to facilitate the development of combat and weapons systems' others have suggested that the unmanned craft could be used as an orbital spy vehicle.The Air Force said in its statement today that the program &quot;has the potential to make space experiments more affordable, which would allow future experiment designers to focus resources and dollars on technology and innovation rather than on basic services, layers of redundancy, or ground operations.&quot;The present mission is scheduled to last about 270 days, but the Air Force said that might be extended. The first craft stayed in orbit 224 days.The X-37B is about 29 feet long with a wingspan of about 15 feet and looks something like a smaller, eyeless relative of the space shuttle.The extreme history of X-Planes (photos) <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Johnson Controls to buy Energy Connect for $32.3 million]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=johnson-controls-to-buy-energy-connect-for-32-3-million</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=johnson-controls-to-buy-energy-connect-for-32-3-million</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>danieeeenn</dc:creator>
<category>Eco</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=johnson-controls-to-buy-energy-connect-for-32-3-million</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sample of the GridConnect dashboard(Credit:EnergyConnect)Building systems management giant Johnson Controls announced yesterday it has signed an agreement to acquire the EnergyConnect Group. EnergyConnect, based in Campbell, Calif., announced that this will be a cash deal totaling $32.3 million.The demand response technology company EnergyConnect is best known for GridConnect, its software platform for enhancing electrical-grid efficiency, especially in the cases of regional shortages or peak pricing changes.The system includes real-time monitoring of energy markets, as well as energy information.&quot;The $0.2253 per share acquisition price represents a significant cash premium of approximately 73 percent over the previous closing share price on March 2, 2011. Combining forces with Johnson Controls' extensive market reach would enable us to provide complete end-to-end demand response solutions to a significantly expanded customer base,&quot; EnergyConnect CEO Kevin R. Evans said in a statement.Evans is no stranger to tech acquisition. In 2003 Evans was the CFO of Placeware, and is credited with negotiating the sale of the Web-based collaboration services company to Microsoft.Wisconsin-based Johnson Controls follows a recent trend of large players snapping up smaller tech companies with ready-made grid demand response programs. For example, in May Honeywell acquired Akuacom, and in October Siemens acquired Site Controls.The moves are a natural fit as the tech start-up provides a ready-made offering in grid technology services for existing customers of the parent company, while that parent company opens up a far-reaching global client list to its smaller tech counterpart.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Ask Maggie: On iPad 2 vs. the original iPad]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-ipad-2-vs--the-original-ipad</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-ipad-2-vs--the-original-ipad</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:10:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>ramirotyri</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=ask-maggie-on-ipad-2-vs--the-original-ipad</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Apple's iPad 2 is thinner, lighter, and faster than the original, but is it different enough from last year's model to entice new customersThat's the big question. Apple sold more than 15 million iPads in 2010. But this week, when Apple introduced the newiPad 2, some people are disappointed that latest version was still missing key features and isn't much different from its predecessor. The device goes on sale in the U.S. on March 11. In this week's Ask Maggie, I help one reader decide if he should spend the extra cash on the iPad 2, or if he should take advantage of the reduced price on last year's model. I also explain the best options for getting 3G service on an iPad while traveling abroad. And I clear up a reader's question about getting 3G service for an iPad using a carrier other than AT&amp;amp'T or Verizon Wireless. Ask Maggie is a weekly advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. If you've got a question, please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put &quot;Ask Maggie&quot; in the subject header.iPad vs. iPad 2Dear Maggie,Great article regarding the iPad 2 launch! In your opinion, do you think that the new iPad is worth $100 more than the discounted existing iPad Especially for someone who doesn't use the cameraThanks so much,DavidDear David,This is a terrific question. It's one that I am considering myself. And I'll admit I am torn. The obvious reason to buy the first iPad over the iPad 2 is the cost. Apple just reduced the price of the older version of the iPad by $100, as you mentioned in your question. This means the least expensive 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad is now $399 instead of $499. And if you get a refurbished iPad through Apple's site, the price goes down $349. (If you're willing to get a used iPad elsewhere, you may even be able to get a cheaper price as many people will be looking to upgrade.)In terms of the design and function of the iPad 2, it's not much different from the older iPad. It's about 33 percent thinner and lighter. And as you mentioned it comes with front-facing and back-facing cameras that can be used for video conferencing. The older iPad doesn't have cameras.The new version of the iPad does use a faster dual-core processor and it has upgraded graphics inside that will supposedly make the graphics nine times faster. But so far I haven't heard many people complaining that the iPad is slow.If you don't need or want the video chat capability, and the weight or size of the older iPad doesn't bother you, I can see why you'd consider getting it instead of the iPad 2. I'm pretty cheap. And the $499 price tag of the cheapest iPad is a lot of money for me to spend on a gadget that is more of a &quot;want&quot; than a &quot;need.&quot; So I definitely understand where you are coming from. To get a different perspective on this situation, I talked to my CNET colleague Josh Lowensohn, who covers Apple. Josh argues there are a number of reasons to get the newer iPad. The first reason he raised has to do with making sure your device is compatible with future applications. He believes new apps developed for the iPad will make use of the newer hardware, which means that these apps may not work at all on the older iPad. He said something similar happened when Apple improved the guts of theiPhone. There are certain application functions that can run on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 that can't run on the original iPhone and iPhone 3G. This app compatibility issue may be even more important when the next version of iOS comes out. Josh said that iOS 5 could add something to the software code that will allow new multi-core threaded apps to make use of both processor cores at once, which could result in some very interesting applications.  &quot;There's also the issue of load time,&quot; he said. &quot;Who wouldn't want an iPad that can load apps, and switch between them faster&quot;Josh also pointed out that Apple has a nasty habit of leaving out older hardware from future software updates. Apple did this when it moved to iOS 4 from iOS 3. So Josh's advice to you is this: &quot;If he doesn't think he's going to buy another iPad on a yearly basis, then it would make more sense to invest a little bit more now to make sure you're not completely left out when the next version comes out.&quot;The bottom line really comes down to how much you're willing to spend on atablet now. If as Josh said, you want to keep this device for a while, you might want to think of this more as an investment and consider ponying up the extra $100 for the iPad 2. But if you're priority is to get the lowest possible price on a tablet, the original iPad, either new or refurbished, may be a good option for you. iPad 3G roaming in EuropeDear Maggie,Thanks for your informative articles and columns on mobile technology. I have a question about using the new iPad 2 in Europe. Is it possible to roam in Europe with the GSM iPad2 Can you recommend some sources for either renting or purchasing those odd-sized SIMS for internet/data access  Thanks,EricDear Eric, It is possible to roam with your iPad 2 while traveling in Europe, but it's only possible for the AT&amp;amp'T 3G version of the iPad or iPad 2 and not the Verizon Wireless version of the iPad 2. (Verizon uses a network technology called CDMA, which is not compatible with other carrier networks in Europe.)AT&amp;amp'T offers an international roaming plan for its tablets. But it's pricey.20MB for 30 days at $24.9950MB for 30 days at $59.99100MB for 30 days at $119.99200MB for 30days at $199.99 If this is too expensive for you, then you could buy a prepaid SIM card when you get to destination. The iPad and iPad 2 are unlocked, so you can simply pop out the 3G SIM card from AT&amp;amp'T and put in another SIM card from a foreign carrier. But there are a couple of things you have to keep in mind. First, the iPad, like the iPhone 4, uses a Micro SIM card. These are smaller than typical SIM cards used in most GSM cellphones. So you have two options in choosing a prepaid plan from a foreign carrier. You can either find a carrier that offers Micro SIM cards or you can get a Micro SIM cutter and cut a regular SIM card down to the size of the Micro SIM.  The next issue you'll have to tackle is looking for and deciding on which prepaid data plan to get. The plans vary widely depending on the carrier and the country you are in. And if you are traveling to more than one country, it's further complicated by the fact that carriers charge lots of money when you use data across borders. For example, in Italy you have two options for a prepaid SIM card and the service is either either metered based on how much data you use or it's limited by time and the amount of data you use is unlimited. These options are probably less expensive than roaming using AT&amp;amp'T's service, but it can be a huge hassle. I think your best option is to use Wi-Fi where ever you can while traveling. http://michael.tyson.id.au/mobile-broadband/Alternatives to 3G iPad accessDear Maggie,Thank you for your coverage of the iPad 2. With the USB camera adapter, is it possible to use a T-Mobile Rocket or Sprint 3G/4G USB U600 to gain Internet access through their networks Thank you again for all your hard work. Best Regards,LandistigDear Landistig,I applaud your creative thinking. But unfortunately, that won't work. The iPad Camera Connection Kit is designed only to transfer images and video from the iPhone or a digital camera onto the iPad. If you want 3G wireless service on your iPad you either have to buy the AT&amp;amp'T version of the iPad or iPad 2 or the Verizon Wireless version of the iPad 2.If you want to use 3G service from another carrier to connect your iPad to the Internet, you can use a Mi-Fi device that creates a Wi-Fi hotspot. Sprint offers the Spring Overdrive, which is device that creates a mobile hot spot and connects to Sprint's 3G/4G network.In fact, Verizon has been selling its Mi-Fi solution with the original iPad for several months. The 2010 iPad only connects directly to a 3G wireless service in the U.S. using AT&amp;amp'T's network. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bing now aggregates, recommends local deals]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-aggregates-recommends-local-deals</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-aggregates-recommends-local-deals</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 08:10:20 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>renadar</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bing-now-aggregates-recommends-local-deals</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Microsoft is trying to make it easier to find nearby deals, and today has launched a deals service that aggregates them from around the Web.Bing Deals, which will show up for both desktop and m.bing.com users, aggregates deals from a number of deal providers, including LivingSocial, Groupon, and Restaurant.com. On the mobile side, when combined with a phone's real-time location, this lets users see which of the deals from those services are nearby. The technology itself is a partnership with deals aggregation site The Dealmap. All told, Microsoft says Bing Deals adds up to more than 200,000 offers at launch. In a phone interview with CNET last week, Bing director Stefan Weitz described the new feature as a better way to find money-saving deals.&quot;People are not as good about finding deals as we think they are,&quot; Weitz said. &quot;The coolest thing about this is that when you pop into the m.bing experience and hit that deals button, the first thing we show you are what some of the hottest deals are for you.&quot; Bing&amp;39's new deal finder can narrow down its list of deals by user location, taken from a mobile phone.(Credit:Microsoft)Those picks are based on Bing's algorithms, Weitz explained. That means the system will also take into account if a deal is more than half off, and if it's been shared by a number of people. In the move to add deals, Weitz said Microsoft was not trying to build its own deals system, or to compete with some of the existing deals businesses.&quot;It got me thinking back to the earlier premise of Bing, which from the get-go was really about partnerships,&quot; Weitz said. &quot;We can build a lot of this stuff ourselves...but if you look at how Bing generally has grown successfully it's been because we're almost recognizing where we can tap into those who have already come before us and done a really good job.&quot;Weitz said that same approach would continue with some future additions to the service. &quot;You'll see more and more of these things over the next several months here, about how we're trying to expand the scope of Bing, but doing in a way that encourages independent innovation in the industry--doesn't try to quash it, but actually encourages it--but allows us to offer it to a very broad audience,&quot; Weitz said. &quot;Broader than likely a lot of these smaller sites are having access to.&quot;Weitz and Bing mobile program manager Tom Marsh demo the new deal finder in the video below:Video: Bing Launches Deals<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[At Demo Spring, a 'social' tsunami]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-demo-spring-a-social-tsunami</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-demo-spring-a-social-tsunami</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>pnojubimJohn1</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=at-demo-spring-a-social-tsunami</guid>
<description><![CDATA[PALM DESERT, Calif.--Demo has been hit by a social tsunami.For two days at the Demo Spring conference here, just about every presentation hit on the idea of social interaction, either directly, or indirectly. It almost seems that unless a company's product had a serious social element to it, Demo wouldn't consider opening up a speaking slot.From applications that let users instantly tweet photos of themselves trying on clothes in a virtual dressing room to browser plug-ins that enable real-time interactive conversations right on Web pages to services that promise to bring the wisdom of the crowds to search engines, there's little doubt that this show was all about social.It's no surprise that Demo would go this direction, given that just about everywhere you look these days, Twitter and Facebook are the most popular kids in the room. With 600 million Facebook users and 200 million Twitter accounts, it's gotten to the point where if you're not carrying on your life via social media, you're being left behind. It's also not surprising that when Charlie Sheen joins Twitter, as he did yesterday, he could accrue 111,000 followers without having made a single tweet. As of this writing, that is. About an hour before these words were typed, Sheen's twitter account had just 35,000 followers. This is a new world. And the folks behind Demo are doing their best to make it clear that the show is still relevant in the face of pressure from similar shows like Michael Arrington's Disrupt and Jason Calacanis' Launch. And that means putting together a roster of companies whose products will appeal to an audience of press and investors keyed in to the ubiquity of social media throughout today's world.That would explain the agenda at this week's show. On Tuesday, for example, the schedule featured three separate sessions entitled &quot;Demofocus on social and media technologies.&quot; There were so many companies that fit into that general category--15, to be precise--that they needed to be split into the three sessions. There were also one-on-one discussions onstage with titles like &quot;How social media is affecting new e-commerce,&quot; &quot;How the social wave is impacting investments in early stage companies,&quot; &quot;How sales happen in the new age of social and data networking,&quot; &quot;How social media is affecting security in the enterprise,&quot; and &quot;How social trends are affecting the product building process.&quot;It all makes your head spin a bit. It also wasn't the first time Demo based its programming on a major topic. In recent years, mobile has been the hot topic at the conference, with a focus on iPhone applications dominating the stage.And Demo Spring wasn't entirely about social. Other hot topics were well represented. Yesterday's afternoon session was all about cloud technologies, with companies spending their 6 minutes to introduce the audience to a wide variety of topics related to Web-based applications.But if you know anything about cloud services, you also know that many of them are built around making it easier for people to interact with their social applications. So, for example, Nimble, which presented during the cloud session, is a service that helps users bring all their social services--Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Gmail, and so on--together in a single dashboard. From there, they can do deep dives into the social graph that emerges from the collective community of people whose constant updates appear, and the never-ending supply of information that those people produce. At the same time, Tuesday afternoon's session, &quot;Demofocus on mobile technologies,&quot; featured a group of companies whose smartphone- andtablet-based applications were also frequently built around social. This is an actual quote from an executive from one of the companies that presented during the mobile session: It's a &quot;social mobile app that's poised to change the way people communicate with each other around the world.&quot; I could tell you which company uttered those words, but they probably could just as well have been part of a dozen different presentations during the show's two days.Another company, News360, is positioning its news aggregationiPad app by asserting that &quot;any successful mobile news platform needs to have three [elements]: Real-time, local,&quot; and, yes, &quot;social.&quot; And Screenreach came up just minutes later with its Screach mobile app designed to let any smartphone interact easily with any screen on any device. And guess what It's &quot;social,&quot; and &quot;sits on top of Facebook.&quot;Is this a bad thing Not at all. People are interested in social because applications and services that connect us make us feel closer to friends, family, and even strangers. And in a world where so many of us spend so much time in front of computers and mobile devices, anything that helps us feel like we're closer to more people is a plus.And for investors and press who know that social is hot, coming to Demo and seeing one presenter after another pay homage to the subject is a validation that they're on the right track. Venture capitalists need to know that coming to a show like this is going to result in finding companies working on some of the very latest technology in the field with the most buzz. And reporters need to know that they can find stories tied to such a newsworthy topic.The only problem is that over the course of two days, such a single-minded focus gets a bit overwhelming. It makes you start to think that the world of technology no longer has the diversity that can keep a wide variety of people alert throughout a conference like Demo. If you're not all that interested in social, after all, you probably stopped watching the presentations pretty quickly. Then again, if you're not into social, maybe coming to a tech conference in February 2011 isn't all that smart.Social, of course, is a very, very broad concept that can encompass many different areas of technology, from consumer electronics to enterprise applications, and, as we've seen here at Demo, everything in between. With Demo now over, the question is what topic could dominate the show as much as this in the future. My guess is that for the next couple iterations of the show, social will continue to be the hottest area--since it is only growing. The same is surely happening at other tech conferences, and I don't think it's likely to stop anytime soon.It all does make me look back at Charlie Sheen's Twitter account, though. By the time I wrote these words, he was up to 267,000 followers. And counting.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[San Franciscans angry over video game balloon stunt]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=san-franciscans-angry-over-video-game-balloon-stunt</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=san-franciscans-angry-over-video-game-balloon-stunt</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>fafuab</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=san-franciscans-angry-over-video-game-balloon-stunt</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Balloons settled on the San Francisco Bay on Wednesday after being released in a promotion for the new THQ video game Homefront.(Credit:Twitter user seedlingproject)Update (Wednesday, 5:17 p.m. PST): This story now has a response from The Marine Mammal Center and The California Department of Fish and Game about the potentially hazardous effects of balloon litter on wildlife.SAN FRANCISCO--Dozens of red balloons released today as a video game promotion ended up in the San Francisco Bay, causing anger among those who see the balloons as an environmental threat and an immediate danger to fish, birds, and other wildlife.During the Game Developers Conference here, video game publisher THQ released hundreds of the balloons in conjunction with a promotion for its new game Homefront. Many of the balloons had a postcard-size flyer attached advertising the game. People in the downtown area saw the red decorations soaring in large clusters high into the sky, and when many of the balloons came to rest in the water alongside the San Francisco Bay Bridge, some began to express their anger.The anger seemed aimed at video games retailer GameStop, which is a promotion partner of THQ's, and which had its name on the balloons.&quot;Your recent aerial spamming stunt in San Francisco was appalling and absolutely outrageous,&quot; a Facebook user named Teresa Aguilera wrote on GameStop's page. &quot;Latex is biodegradable only after six months, which means the people and wildlife of San Francisco will be reminded of your irresponsibility far after the 'buzz' has faded away for you and your heinous video game.&quot;And an Oakland artist named Camron Assadi said he wrote to GameStop with this message: &quot;The idiots in your marketing department released hundreds of red balloons to promote a video game at GDC. Now those balloons are trash in the Bay. What are you going to do about it Do you have a boat out there collecting this trash&quot;The red balloons rise in the San Francisco sky on Wednesday.(Credit:James Martin/CNET)Twitter, too, was full of anger over the promotion, with dozens of tweets expressing outrage at GameStop over the balloons ending up in the water.But in a statement to CNET, GameStop pointed the finger at THQ. &quot;We understand the concerns consumers have regarding the impact balloons can have on the environment,&quot; GameStop said in the statement. &quot;However, the balloon drop stunt in San Francisco was created by THQ, the publisher of Homefront, and GameStop had no prior knowledge of it. THQ has since informed us that they released soy-based, biodegradable balloons.&quot;For its part, THQ said there is nothing to worry about.&quot;The balloons that were released are completely biodegradable,&quot; said Julia MacMedan, vice president of corporate communications for THQ. &quot;They start the process of biodegrading as soon as they're blown up with the helium. There should not be any environmental concerns.&quot;Balloon with promotional postcard attached.(Credit:Daniel Terdiman/CNET)Asked if THQ was surprised by Bay Area residents' anger, MacMedan said that, &quot;Because the balloons are biodegradable, [people] should not be concerned about any environmental impact from the balloon release.&quot;Further, she said, &quot;We do not expect there will be any danger to fish or wildlife.&quot;A FAQ site from the Balloon Council, a balloon industry trade organization, suggested that some of the outrage over the environmental effects of the GameStop stunt may be unnecessary. &quot;Latex is a 100 percent natural substance that breaks down both in sunlight and water.&quot; reads the FAQ from the Balloon Council, which obviously has a vested interest in people feeling that the decorations are safe. &quot;The degradation process begins almost immediately...Research shows that under similar environmental conditions, latex balloons will biodegrade at about the same rate as a leaf from an oak tree. The actual total degradation time will vary depending on the precise conditions.&quot;Added the Balloon Council, answering the question of what generally happens to the millions of wayward balloons that we see flying through our skies, &quot;Research shows that most of these latex balloons...rise to an altitude of about five miles, where they freeze, breaking into spaghetti-like pieces that scatter as they return to earth. While we do know that animals occasionally eat these soft slivers of rubber, the evidence indicates that pieces ultimately pass through the digestive system without harming the animal.&quot; THQ also said it has retained a cleanup crew to remove any debris from the Bay.&quot;The balloons released at the Homefront rally event today were made from a 100 percent organic product and are 100 percent biodegradable,&quot; THQ said in a statement. &quot;The balloons have no history of causing any environmental pollution on land or in water. Although we're confident that there will be no harm to the environment, we've retained a cleanup crew to remove any potential lingering debris. This was a THQ sponsored promotion and GameStop had no involvement, whatsoever.&quot;But environmentalists are still not happy with the situation. &quot;It's still trash,&quot; said Ann Bauer, the director of education at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif., just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. &quot;It's biodegradable over time, but a bird can still get entangled in it right now. A sea lion could be curious about it, bite it and swallow it. It could clog their stomach and cause them to die--right now. Biodegradable takes time to happen.&quot;And the move could be illegal. &quot;The (California) Fish and Game code 5652 prohibits littering balloons into state waters,&quot; Patrick Foy, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game, said in an e-mail. There are plenty of written stories about the problems associated with the release of balloons and when they are ingested.&quot;A San Francisco resolution that urged the city to prohibit the intentional release of balloons into the air says that, among other things, dead turtles have been found washed up on beaches with balloons hanging out of their mouths and that whales are known to die from starvation by ingesting pounds of balloons and other plastics.CNET's Elinor Mills contributed to this report.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Bank of America online banking down across U.S.]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bank-of-america-online-banking-down-across-u-s-</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bank-of-america-online-banking-down-across-u-s-</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:10:14 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>KavVej</dc:creator>
<category>Mobile &amp; Electronics</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=bank-of-america-online-banking-down-across-u-s-</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The error message being displayed on Bank of America&amp;39's home page.(Credit:CNET)Bank of America's online-banking service is down for U.S. customers.When users across the U.S. try to access their online banking, the Bank of America home page displays a message saying &quot;online banking is temporarily unavailable.&quot; It provides no indication of when the service should be back up and running.Bank of America has stopped short of calling the issue an outright &quot;outage.&quot; Company spokeswoman Tara Burke told CNET in a phone conversation today that an update to BofA's Web site over the weekend is causing the &quot;intermittent service disruptions.&quot; She also noted that the issue &quot;is not impacting customer information or compromising customer security.&quot;According to a Bank of America technical-support person who also spoke with CNET by phone today, the problem first occurred yesterday afternoon. The company was able to restore service this morning, only to see it go down &quot;nationwide&quot; a few hours later.As one might expect, upset customers have taken to Twitter to express displeasure. A search of &quot;Bank of America outage&quot; on the social network reveals dozens of tweets referencing the issue hitting the site every minute. One of the more comedic comments came from a user coming to the conclusion that the outage &quot;must mean Bank of America doesn't want my mortgage payment.&quot;In her conversation with CNET, Burke wouldn't say how many customers have been affected by the issue. She also didn't provide any more details about the problem. She would say only that the company is working on a fix.&quot;We're looking to restore capability as quickly as possible,&quot; she said.We will update this story as we learn more.CNET's Elinor Mills contributed to this report<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[After raid, hacker releases 'bible' for PS3 reverse engineering]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-raid-hacker-releases-bible-for-ps3-reverse-engineering</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-raid-hacker-releases-bible-for-ps3-reverse-engineering</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:10:43 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>lifleisher</dc:creator>
<category>Technology</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=after-raid-hacker-releases-bible-for-ps3-reverse-engineering</guid>
<description><![CDATA[(Credit:Sony)A Playstation 3 hacker says he has released information about reverse engineering hypervisor technology used in thePS3 after his home in Germany was raided earlier this week, reportedly at Sony's request. In a comment to a post on his PS3 Linux and Hyper Reverse Engineering Blog, Graf-chokolo writes in the comments section: &quot;Guys, SONY was today at my home with police and got all my stuff and accounts. So be careful from now on.&quot;  After several readers expressed doubt about the legitimacy of the post, he says in another comment: &quot;Guys, I don't joke, it's serious. And to prove it, I kept my word and uploaded all my HV reversing stuff. Upload it everywhere so SONY couldn't remove it easily. Grab it guys, it contains lots of knowledge about HV and HV procs.&quot;  He writes: &quot;Here is my HV bible&quot; and provides four links to sites where he placed his files. As of this afternoon, the files had been removed from three of the sites, with one of the sites citing a copyright complaint.  Sony did not immediately respond to an e-mail request for comment, but gaming news site Kotaku reported that a representative from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe had confirmed the raid.  Sony is taking aggressive action against PS3 hackers. Last month, Sony requested a restraining order against George Hotz for releasing a jailbreak for firmware version 3.55 that allowed people to run home brew applications on the console. Sony says the action violates the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Computer Fraud Abuse Act, but Hotz disagrees. Game consoles are not mentioned in the DMCA. A U.S. District Court ruled in Sony's favor, granting a temporary restraining order. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Alibaba.com executives resign amid fraud probe]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alibaba-com-executives-resign-amid-fraud-probe</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alibaba-com-executives-resign-amid-fraud-probe</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:10:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>onlinemarketz9</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=alibaba-com-executives-resign-amid-fraud-probe</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Alibaba.com, the largest e-commerce site in China, announced today that two senior executives had resigned after an internal investigation found a rise in fraudulent activity on the site.Chief Executive Officer David Wei and Chief Operating Officer Elvis Lee Shi-Huei were not involved in the rise in fraud but were taking responsibility for the &quot;systemic breakdown&quot; in the company's &quot;culture of integrity,&quot; Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma said in a statement (PDF). More than 2,300 fraudulent storefronts registered on the site in 2009 and 2010 as &quot;Gold Suppliers,&quot; offering inexpensive electronics for sale to buyers overseas. However, no goods were delivered after payment was received, Ma said. The average buyer claim against fraudulent sites was less the $1,200, he said. About 100 company sales people out of the company's approximately 5,000-member staff assisted the storefronts in evading the company's verification methods, Ma said. &quot;Our company has determined that the vast majority of these storefronts were set up to intentionally defraud global buyers,&quot; Ma said. &quot;The methods of the perpetrators suggest that they have engineered an organized and systemic attack on the integrity of the Alibaba.com platform for illegal gains.&quot;Taking over for Wei is Jonathan Lu, chief executive of sister company Taobao.com, an online shopping Web site.Alibaba, which has 53 million registered users worldwide, is 40 percent owned by Yahoo and runs Yahoo's Chinese search engine.<br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Report: Groupon looks to launch operations in China]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-groupon-looks-to-launch-operations-in-china</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-groupon-looks-to-launch-operations-in-china</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:10:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>selevantv</dc:creator>
<category>Marketing and advertising</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=report-groupon-looks-to-launch-operations-in-china</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The daily-deals broker Groupon is reportedly getting ready to launch operations in China, which would help expand its reach in Asia.  In Beijing recently, a company that operates the site Gaopeng.com was conducting interviews in an office with a Groupon sign on display, according to a Wall Street Journal story today. Gaopeng.com is &quot;listed as registered by someone at Internet giant Tencent Holdings of Shenzen, China. &quot; Tencent is one of the stakeholders in Digital Sky Technologies, an investor in Groupon.  The Journal report also said openings for Groupon staff positions have been posted recently on Chinese job sites, including at universities. &quot;The largest group-buying site is hiring in Shanghai!&quot; said one ad, according to the Journal. Another said: &quot;Groupon is the fastest-growing company in history... and it's now starting its Chinese company.&quot; Groupon did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment Sunday afternoon. The Journal said a Groupon spokeswoman based in Beijing declined to comment.  In January, the Chicago-based company and Tencent were in talks to form a partnership that would give Groupon a larger presence in Asia, according to All Things Digital's Kara Swisher, who cited anonymous sources.  Earlier this month, Groupon was criticized for a series of Super Bowl commercials making fun of social causes, including one ad that centered on Tibet. (The ads were in fact part of a campaign to raise money for the causes they highlighted.) Days later the company apologized and pulled the ads. <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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<title><![CDATA[Video game sales down again in January]]></title>
<link>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</link>
<comments>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:11:21 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>bintterazmwes</dc:creator>
<category>Gaming</category>
<guid>http://www.haaze.com/story.php?title=video-game-sales-down-again-in-january</guid>
<description><![CDATA[These days, there seem to be at least a few signs that the general state of the economy is improving. But video games sales aren't one of them.For the second straight month, and 10th in the last year, the industry saw sales drop, year over year. According to the NPD Group, which compiles monthly sales statistics for the video games business, total revenues in January came in at $1.16 billion, down 5 percent from $1.22 billion in January 2010.Will the Nintendo 3DS help spark the games industry come springtime(Credit:Sarah Tew/CNET)Over the last year, the industry has seen upswings in monthly year-over-year sales just twice--last November and last March. Otherwise, revenues have gone down each month.Generally, NPD issues an analysis with its monthly report, but it didn't do so this month. It did reveal that sales were down throughout the video games industry ecosystem, with accessories being the only category that saw a jump (up 6 percent). Both software and hardware were down significantly in January.For the month of January, the industry sold $576 million in software, down 5 percent from $606 million a year earlier. Hardware sales were down 8 percent, from $353.7 million in January 2010 to $324 million last month, according to NPD.If there were any bright spots in the industry, Microsoft claimed them for its Xbox 360 platform. Microsoft said in a statement Thursday thatXbox sales were up 14.4 percent from a year ago, with 381,000 units sold. A year ago, the company moved 333,000 Xboxes.Microsoft claimed its console was the only one to show monthly growth from a year ago, suggesting that the Sony PlayStation 3 andNintendo Wii consoles saw lower sales in January. For its part, Sony claimed thatPS3 software was up 25 percent from January 2010.As of early Thursday evening, Nintendo had not come out with its own statement.One analyst digging into the January numbers cautioned against early optimism, but suggested that improvements are on the horizon.&quot;It is not clear to us that growth will return in February and March, as Wii and portables will likely stay weak until the 3DS launches in March in the U.S.,&quot; Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities wrote in a note issued today. &quot;Once Nintendo launches the 3DS in late March, we expect a modest recovery for handheld software sales. While we cannot be as confident in a recovery for Wii software sales through the middle part of the year, we think that growth in the installed bases of the PS3 and Xbox 360 and a strong game lineup will support modest growth for software sales on those platforms.&quot; <br/><br/>0 Vote(s) ]]></description>
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